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Voykit pocket guide · India
Mussoorie
मसूरी
Give Mussoorie 2 nights: walk the Mall and Camel's Back, ride the ropeway to Gun Hill, and day-trip to Kempty Falls or Landour. Skip in Jul–Aug monsoon.
Mussoorie is a colonial-era hill station at about 2,000 m in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, 38 km and roughly 1.5 hours by road from Dehradun. The Mall is the spine of the town and mostly closed to vehicles, so you walk it. Two nights covers the Mall, Gun Hill, Camel's Back and Landour; add a third for Kempty Falls or Dhanaulti. The season runs from March to June and again from September to November; winter brings freezing nights and occasional snow, and the monsoon from July to mid-September brings landslides and leeches on the trails.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- मसूरी
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (monsoon, landslides), late Dec–Jan (ice and snow on roads)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 108 · Tourist helpline (Uttarakhand) 1364
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chai at a Mall stall | ₹10–30 |
| Thali or North Indian meal | ₹150–400 |
| Omelette at a Mall Road outlet | ₹80–150 |
| Cycle rickshaw on the Mall | ₹20–50 |
| Gun Hill ropeway, round trip | ₹55 |
| Jawahar Aquarium entry | ₹15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹300–700 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DED · Dehradun (Jolly Grant)
- About 60 km; taxi to Mussoorie roughly 2–2.5 h. Check current fares.About 37 mi; taxi to Mussoorie roughly 2–2.5 h. Check current fares.
- DEL · Delhi (Indira Gandhi)
- About 290 km; train or bus to Dehradun first, then road up. Check schedules.About 180 mi; train or bus to Dehradun first, then road up. Check schedules.
Typical fares
- Dehradun → Mussoorie bus
- about ₹47, about 1.5 h
- Dehradun → Mussoorie taxi
- about ₹610 per taxi; shared about ₹100+ per person
- Full-day taxi sightseeing
- about ₹1,800 including Dhanaulti and Kempty Falls
Get around
On foot, mostly. The Mall is closed to most vehicles and the flat stretch between Library Chowk and Kulri carries cycle rickshaws. Taxis are union-run with fixed rates and are useful only for Landour with luggage, Kempty Falls or Dhanaulti. Buses run from Dehradun to both ends of the Mall — Library and Picture Palace — and the two are a long walk apart, so pick the right one.
See and do
Known for
- The Mall and Library Chowk
- Gun Hill ropeway
- Kempty Falls
- Landour and Lal Tibba
- Camel's Back Road
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kempty Falls | Taxi or bus from Library stand, about 15 kmTaxi or bus from Library stand, about 9.3 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Landour and Lal Tibba | Walk up from Picture Palace via Landour Bazaar, or short taxi | 2–3 h on foot one way |
| Dhanaulti | Taxi or shared jeep on the Mussoorie–Dhanaulti road, about 25 kmTaxi or shared jeep on the Mussoorie–Dhanaulti road, about 16 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Dehradun | Bus or taxi from the Library or Picture Palace end of the Mall | About 1.5 h |
| Rishikesh | Taxi via Dehradun, about 75 kmTaxi via Dehradun, about 47 mi | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- The Mall (Library Chowk to Picture Palace)
- Walk to everything; no vehicles on most of the Mall, so bags get carried the last stretch. Best for a first visit.
- Kulri Bazar
- Mid-Mall, near Picture Palace; restaurants and shops on the doorstep, a bit noisier.
- Landour
- About 2 km above Landour Bazaar, quieter and cooler; steep walk or short taxi to the Mall.About 1.2 mi above Landour Bazaar, quieter and cooler; steep walk or short taxi to the Mall.
- Camel's Back Road
- Quiet ridge road with valley views; 10–15 min walk to the Mall.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| How much is it? | कितने का है?kitne ka hai |
| Too expensive | बहुत महंगा हैbahut mehnga hai |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ है?shauchalay kahan hai |
| Please stop here | यहाँ रोकिएyahan rokiye |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Monsoon (Jul–Aug): landslides and washed-out roads are common; check road status before travelling.
- Winter ice and snow: the Dehradun road and Landour lanes can be slippery; carry warm layers.
- The Mall is vehicle-free in stretches — arrange luggage help if your hotel is up a lane.
- Touts at Kempty Falls push parking, photos and 'guides'; agree any price before you start.
- Alcohol is hard to find outside hotels and a few bars; do not count on a late drink.
- Steep staircases and unlit lanes after dark: carry a torch or use your phone.
Mussoorie is generally safe for tourists, including solo women, but the real risks are monsoon landslides, icy winter roads, steep unlit lanes after dark and touts at Kempty Falls. Keep valuables close on the crowded Mall and agree taxi or activity prices before you start.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mussoorie yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The Mall and Library Chowk
- Gun Hill ropeway
- Kempty Falls
- Landour and Lal Tibba
- Camel's Back Road
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Uttarakhand Tourism — Mussoorie: uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/mussoorie/
- Wikivoyage: Mussoorie, revision 5266449 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5266449
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mussoorieमसूरी
इस पते पर ले चलिए
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Mussoorie; most are in New Delhi. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have missions in Delhi — check the address before you travel.
Union-run taxis have fixed rates displayed at the stand; confirm before boarding.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mussoorie). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.