Dehradun is situated in a beautiful valley called Doon Valley. The name of Dehradun city is made up of two different words “Dehra” and “Doon”. Dehra means home and Doon means the valley between the Himalayas and the Shivaliks. The city of Dehradun is known for its unique lifestyle, beautiful surroundings, and prestigious educational institutions.  The Forest Research Institute (only institution of its kind in Asia), headquarters of the Oil and Natural Commission, Survey of India, and the Military Academy are some of the main highlighting institutions of Dehradun. Travelers in search of adventurous activities with a peaceful environment visit Dehradun.

There are many beautiful places to visit in Dehradun:

1. Sahastradhara: Sahastradhara located at a distance of 11 km from Dehradun is a picnic spot and attracts every tourist. Sahastradhara, a word combination of two words Sahastra means a thousand and Dhara means spring. Sahastradhara has some medicinal value also. It is believed water that falls from limestone caves contains sulfur that can cure many skin diseases. The place can be visited any time during the year but its charm is unique in monsoon as it is surrounded by lush green vegetation of Himalayas. Thus make it a perfectly picturesque place.

2. Tapekshwar Temple: A religious place situated 5.5 km from the city is a place of worship for all. Tapkeshwar means water droplets, originating from a rock, falls on the Shivling placed in the shrine.  Every year a large fair organized on the shrine at the time of Shivratri.

3. Rober’s cave: An adventurous tourist spot in Dehradun formed naturally. Robber’s Cave is a river water cave formed in the Himalayas. This is a natural formation having river water flowing from the middle of a cave. The beauty of the place is mesmerizing.

4. Malsi Deer Park: It’s just 10km away from Dehradun on Mussoorie- Dehradun route. Deer Park is a beautiful tourist spot in the foothills of the Shivalik range. Malsi Deer Park is a mini-zoological park surrounded by stunning natural surroundings.

5. Trekking in Dehradun: Trekkers love to visit Dehradun as trekking is one of the most liked activity among travelers. There are many treks like Nag Tibba Trek, Chakrata Trek, Har Ki Dun Trek, George Everest trek, and many more.

Dehradun visiting time: Dehradun is a retreat for travelers that can be visited at any time of year. The destination is located in the state of Uttarakhand and is one of the top hills stops to visit in India. The best season for a trip to Dehradun is the summer season when the weather is good. In monsoon and the autumn season, tourists can visit but winters are a little bit colder than surrounding areas.

Reaching to Dehradun: Dehradun is well connected through roads, railways, and Airways from all major cities of India, thus reaching Dehradun is easy. Jolly Grant Airport, the nearest airport to Dehradun has flights from all cities of India and the Dehradun railway junction is also accessible from every part of India.

In Uttarakhand state, Lansdowne is a tourist destination that many people are unaware of. Lansdowne is also known as the home for the Garhwal Rifle Regiment of the Indian Army. This tourist destination is named after Lord Lansdowne, the Viceroy of India. If you go to visit this fascinating city, almost all the buildings here will remind you of the colonial period surrounded by snow-capped mountains and lush green forests.

Best time to visit Lansdowne

 The weather in Lansdowne is pleasant all year round. It does not get too hot here. Between March and June, there is very pleasant weather, while between December and February it is bitterly cold.  However, during winter, snowfall occurs. The best time to visit Lansdowne is between March and November.

Places to visit in Lansdowne

St Mary’s Church: As mentioned above, Lansdowne is a hill station settled by the British, during that time churches and many buildings were built. St. Mary’s Church located here is an ancient marvelous structure built during 1895. St Mary’s Church is an Anglican church located at the ‘Tip n Top’ hill point of Lansdowne. St. Mary’s Church is well-known among tourists for its beautiful walls and stained glass windows.

Darwan Singh Regimental Museum

It is a war museum located in the central part of the city. The museum is managed by the Indian Army. The Darwan Singh Museum displays memories and collections of various wars fought by the Army’s Garhwal Rifles Regiment.

Tip N Top and Snow View Point

Visit Tip N Top and Snow View Point of Lansdowne to watch snow-capped hills. One can easily see the snow-capped mountain ranges of Chaukhamba and Trishul from here. Tourists love to see the magnificent view of sunrise and sunset from here.

Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple

Apart from the above place tourist can visit the famous Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple near Lansdowne. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is surrounded by mountainous vegetation. Tarkeshwar Mahadev is counted among the oldest ‘Siddha Peethas’ in the country.

The other viewpoints in Lansdowne are Santoshi Mata Temple, Bhullatal Lake, and Bhim pakora.

How to reach Lansdowne by road

Lansdowne located 228 km from Delhi, the capital of India, due to which one can easily reach here via roadways by buses or cars in about 4 hours. Lansdowne is a place one can explore in a short time period too or on a weekend.

How to Reach Lansdowne By Flight

The nearest airport to Lansdowne is the Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun, which is well connected to Delhi and major cities of the country.

Lansdowne is a tourist destination that does not have a large number of tourist attractions, but due to its peaceful scenario and captivating natural beauty, it can never be forgotten.

Auli is best for skiing because of its snow-covered mountain slopes. The slopes are meant for both professionals skiers and new learners. To encourage the skiing sport in Auli, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited and Uttrakhand Tourism Department host skiing competitions. It is also known as the best skiing place in the world.

Auli is a place for trekkers and bikers. The mountains call for bike trails and trekking adventures. It also has a 4 Km cable car or ropeway journey which gives a spellbinding view of the Auli resort. Some of the tourist places that a traveller can see during the visit to Auli are Gurso Bugyal, Chattrakund, Chenab lake, Joshimath, Badrinath, etc.

Auli is around the year tourist destination because of its cold climate but for the skiing experience, November to March is the best time. It is well connected by road, rail and air transport. Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport and Dehradun and Rishikesh railway stations are the nearest stations.

Two main pilgrim centres in Uttarakhand are Badrinath and Kedarnath. It is located in the Rudraprayag district. Every year lakhs of pilgrims come to worship in this temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.  There are many stories related to this temple. According to the legend, Pandavas built this temple. Pandavas were very desperate and filled with self-gratification because of killing their brothers in the war. They wanted to meet Lord Shiva so that they could get a path of liberation. But Lord Shiva was not happy with Pandavas because of Mahabharata’s war and did not want to meet them that’s why Lord Shiva took the form of a bull. And when he was founded by the Pandavas, he went further into the earth leaving the hump on the surface.

According to the legend, Pandavas built this temple. Pandavas were very desperate and filled with self-gratification because of killing their brothers in the war. They wanted to meet Lord Shiva so that they could get a path of liberation. But Lord Shiva was not happy with Pandavas because of Mahabharata’s war and did not want to meet them that’s why Lord Shiva took the form of a bull. And when he was founded by the Pandavas, he went further into the earth leaving the hump on the surface.

Some of the tourist spots that a traveler can see there are Vasuki Tal, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Sonprayag, Chandra Shila and many more.

As it is situated in the mountains at a very high altitude, so the temple opens in the mid of April to November only when the temperature is favorable. It is one of the 12 Jyotirling. Among the devotees, this temple has a lot of importance. The month of October is considered the best to visit the Kedarnath Temple.

Badrinath temple is the main attraction in the city. This temple of Lord Vishnu built in ancient style is very spacious. Its height is about 15 meters. The temple is split into 3 parts the sanctum sanctorum, the worship hall, and the convention hall. There is a statue of a tall black stone of God Vishnu in the temple. This temple is also called “Vaikuntha of Earth”.

According to legend, Adi Shri Shankaracharya discovered the image of Badrinarayan on a black stone Shaligram in the Alaknanda river. It was originally made in a cave near the Hot Spring which is known as Tapt Kund.

There are many tourist sites near and in Badrinath, which mainly includes

TAPT KUND– hot sulfur springs on the banks of Alaknanda which is known to cure all type of skin diseases.

Brahma Kapal– A flat platform used for religious rituals

A boulder with the alleged impression of Sheshnag. The vehicle of Lord Vishnu

Charanpaduka: – It is said that it is the footprint of Lord Vishnu when he steps down on earth.

The Neelkanth Mountain: the majestic view of the mountain make the environment more beautiful.

Mana Gaon – This is also called the last village of India. After this, the Tibet region starts. There is also a cave in Mana where Vyasa, according to legend, wrote the Mahabharata.

The temple remains closed for 6 months during harsh winter conditions. The best time to visit the temple is from April to June and September to November. Monsoon time is a little risky affair for traveling.

With Whitewater Rafting industry developing and various outdoors and bistro spots jumping up, Rishikesh is developing as a top choice, taking into account individuals with various needs.

Laxman Jhula, built in 1939, is the major attraction point in Rishikesh for travellers. It is a suspension bridge and is believed to be built in the same place where Laxman cross the river Ganga on a rope. This belief makes it a pilgrimage and it is always open for visitors.

Another important pilgrimage in Rishikesh is Neelkanth Mahadev temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom when asuras and devas were churning the ocean.

Rishikesh is a splendid spot for whitewater rafting or river rafting. Shivpuri, located at a distance of 19-20km from Rishikesh, is a famous spot for river rafting and water sports.  Other adventurous experiences that can pump the adrenaline level of a person are mountain biking, Kayaking, camping, trekking, and even bungee jumping.

There are numerous ashrams, some of which are internationally recognized as centres of philosophical studies, yoga, and meditation. This place is a hub for sadhus or saints who are indulged in practicing yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, Reiki, and etc. Due to this, it is also termed as the Yoga capital of the world.

The place Rishikesh has a pleasant climate throughout the year because of its location. The summer from April to June is slightly warm but it is the best time for river rafting. A month from July to September faces rush of tourists due to Hindu month Saavan and other religious events.

The place is the right blend to see spirituality and picturesque natural beauty.

Apart from the splendid natural beauty and cool temperature, travelers can see many tourist spots in Almora and can spent their leisure time there. Chitai Golu Devta Temple, Bright end corner, Martola, Kalimat, Simtola, Katarmal Sun Temple, Kasar Devi Temple and many more sites are there for spending time in Almora.

For shopaholics, Almora is a perfect place as it is the best commercial place of Kumaon district famous for Angora wool clothes. Travelers can do adventurous activities like rock climbing, Burma Bridge,  Spider web and they can also go for village walk for witnessing the daily life of local community, walk through forest to feel the fresh air.

Almora is easy accessible from north cities like Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh. The place is just 370Km from Delhi and 434 km from Kanpur. Thus, it can be visited on weekends easily. Almora’s  climate  is pleasant and cool all through the year. But the best time to visit Almora is during March to November. In summers, it has moderate temperature to for sightseeing and outings.