Covered in lush green hills with a balanced urban settlement, this paradise has always been the hub for nature lovers and adventure seekers. I traveled from Delhi to Mussoorie many times and this time I am sharing my bike trip to Mussoorie from Delhi with some memories of my previous trips.
India is blessed with numerous hill stations and the one that stands out in all our minds is Mussoorie. This charming hill station is called the queen of hills. Before visiting there, I wondered why it is called the queen of hills when we have Shimla, Ooty, and many many famous names. But only after visiting here, can we truly say that it is the queen of hills. The Majestic view of the valley is breathtaking and this alone attracts the tourists towards here.
Mussoorie
I have an undying love for this hill station. Even though I have visited here many times and have seen many other hill stations in India. But this one is always my first love. Because I started my Himalayan memories right from here from this magical land. I still remember everything so vividly. It was in July and it was raining and misty everywhere. Mussoorie stood like a magical land in those fairy tales. Memories of wandering in the mall road drenched in rain, having the best parathas with hot tea, posing for crazy photo clicks with friends. Those are indeed wonderful memories. I am sure that each one of us has such memories to share.
I got my new bike in April that year. Those are the times when our only experience of the name ‘corona’ is the small cute shiny bottles of beer smiling at you in the shops. We never thought that after a year, everything is going to change for every one of us. That year we already had an unplanned trip to Jaipur. In October my brother visited Delhi and we planned to bike to Mussoorie and then to Rishikesh. I know how pretty Mussoorie was after the monsoon and I wanted my brother also to witness her charm.
Planning before the trip
Like my planned trips, I do thorough planning about the places to see and routes to take. I booked a hotel in Mussories that overlooks the valley away from the urban hassles. The route plan was to take Delhi – Meerut – Saharanpur – Dehradun – Mussoorie. Then after staying in Mussories for a day or two, to take a less-traveled route to Rishikesh. We also decided to start our travel very early by around 2 or 3 AM so that we can reach Dehradun in the morning. The distance to cover was 290 Kms.
You can read all about how I plan my trips in this article: How to plan your budget trips
The day of the travel
We tried to sleep early so that we can start the trip at 2 AM. But we couldn’t sleep and finally, we decided to start at 11: 30 PM. I had a packet of 99% dark chocolate to keep me awake in case I felt like sleeping. We left our room by around midnight and headed towards Mussoorie.
We took the Hindon elevated highway and other highways that stretched for many Kms.
The road to Modinagar was very straight and construction was going on. There were occasional speed breakers that take you to a roller coaster effect. Modinagar is famous for its distilleries and you can see the huge factory on the way. There are trackers loaded with sugar canes that slow you down on these roads.
Just before reaching Meerut, we stopped at roadside Dhaba to have some food. We crossed Meerut and when we reached Muzzaffarnagar, it was almost 3 in the morning, and instead of taking the Saharanpur route, we accidentally took the Roorke one. This route will take you towards Roorkee and then turn left towards the Dehradun road.
Morning on the road
Around 4 Am we again stopped at a small shop for tea. In the dark, we could see the vastness of the horizon from there and it was in the middle of nowhere. I am not sure if it’s the dark chocolate or the excitement of bike riding, we didn’t feel sleepy at all.
Slowly the sun started coming up and it was an amazing experience to ride in the early morning. At one point we witnessed a phenomenon. There was this small canal and a thick blanket of fog covered completely on top of it. It was a mesmerizing sight.
We reached Dehradun at 6 AM and as always the city welcomed us with all its grace. From there it’s around 35 km to Mussoorie. Riding to Mussoorie from Dehra was fun. The roads wind slowly uphill and at some stretches, the views were breathtaking. It was green and fresh everywhere. We entered the outskirts of the town by around 7: 30 AM and our hotel were before the main town.
An uninvited guest
We checked into our room and we decided to get fresh and sleep for an hour or two before heading to explore the town. The room was very good and with a view of the valley. I kept the balcony door open and went to bed for sleep. Before sleeping I kept a packet of biscuits that I opened earlier on the bedside table.
After an hour I woke up hearing some noises near my head and I thought my brother might have woken up and picked something from the table. I casually removed my blanket and slowly looked towards the noise. Suddenly I saw a huge monkey taking my biscuit packet so close to me. I was startled and made a swift cry which made the monkey freak out. He jumbled on me and with a panic ran towards the balcony door.
My brother woke up suddenly from all these noises and looked at me not knowing a clue about what just happened. I put the rest of the biscuit on the balcony and closed the door. I peeped through the window and saw him coming back to get the packet of biscuits. He didn’t pick my brand new phone which was lying next to the packet of biscuits and I thanked God for that.
George Everest’s House
There is a small road from the starting of the Mall road that will take you to George Everest. Most of the travelers visiting Mussoorie usually skip this or never heard about it. But this is a must-go place and the view from there is better than from the Gun Hills or Lal Dibba.
It’s around 7 km from the Mall road and the roads are ok in the first 4 to 5 Kms. But when we started climbing towards the house, the roads were very steep and looked like riding on a dried rocky river bed.
But once you reach the top it’s worth the climb and the view from there is the best. When I visited there in 2019, the house seemed neglected and renovations were going on. By now, they might have renovated the house and built a proper road to this place. There are a few viewpoints where you can explore and a few eateries to have tea and maggie or Momos.
And yes in case you wondered, Mount Everest got its name from Sir George Everest only.
While coming back from there, there is a small place with a lot of deodar trees and a small shop. We stopped there and ordered Tea and Momos. It was a great experience.
Lal Dibba
Usually, I walked to Lal Dibba. This time I had the bike and I rode towards it. Stopped near the famous Char Dukan Cafe. These shops are very famous and part of Mussoorie tourism for a long time now. There are pictures in the cafe of famous people visiting here.
Lal Dibba is a small place and is the highest point in Mussoorie. This place is famous for spectacular sunsets and sunrises. You can also view many Himalayan peaks from there if the sky is clear.
Gun Hills
A hill near to the mall which you can access through road and also by a ropeway. I would suggest visiting this place in a ropeway. On top, you will be amazed to find a lot of shops. Must try is boiled or roasted corn. There are also a lot of adventure activities you can take part in.
The Mall Road
We got ready by around 11 and headed towards the most familiar mall road. Like in all other hill stations, all the roads here lead to the mall road. There are a lot of shops and restaurants and it is always best to walk and explore more.
Whenever I go to Mussoorie, I walk to Landour, which is a small settlement away from the hustles of the town.
If you wish to take your vehicle on Mall Road, there is an entry fee for vehicles.
Landour
Of all the places in Mussoorie, Landour amused me the most. Away from the busy town, this hidden gem of a town is home to many nature lovers and writers. When I first visited here, I never wanted to go bad. This place has some magical power to keep you there. It’s the intense peacefulness of this place that attracts like-minded people here. No wonder the famous Indian writer Ruskin Bond decided to settle there and I was fortunate to see his house and him on one of my trips. He is the reason that I fell in love with the Himalayas.
My trip was a short one and I had almost covered all parts of Mussoorie. A part of the above places that I have explained, there are many more amazing places. I am sharing some of those places that I would recommend.
- Kempty Falls
- Company Garden
- Jharipani Falls
- Nag Tibba Peak
- Robber’s Cave near Dehradun
Evening in Mussoorie
We spend most of the time wandering on the mall road. Yellow lights are scattered in the mist that gives a carnival effect to the entire mall road. During the times when the sky is clear, sunset brings vivid colors to the valley.
That day it was completely misty and thick fog covered the mall road. We had our dinner at Kalsang Restaurant. It was simple with Tupka and Thenthuk. We also had Tibetan tea.
We went back to the room by around 10 PM.
Also Read: Top places to eat on your Himalayan trips
Mussoorie to Rishikesh Bike trip
We packed our bags and rode towards Rishikesh in the morning. The route was a small mountain road. Before reaching Dehradun from Mussoorie, there is a road to the left that takes you to one of the most beautiful scenic routes.
It was really hard to spot this route on Google Maps and we had to ask the locals to find the best route. It’s all mountains and hairpin bends in the starting, but slowly it transforms into a plain forest route. Roads were well maintained and at some point, we could see the river Song flowing parallel to the roads. River Song is a tributary of the Ganges. The distance between Mussoorie and Rishikesh is 80 Kms.
Rishikesh
Rishikesh is a small city situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is considered the yoga capital of the world. There are numerous yoga centers and ashrams where many tourists visit to learn and practice Yoga. Rishikesh is also famous for many adventurous activities like River rafting, cliff jumping, Bungee Jumping, etc. Another face of Rishikesh is the purely spiritual one and it is considered a holy place by Hinduism. Thousands of devotees visit Haridwar, which is about 20 km from Rishikesh.
There are many tourist centers where you can book your package that includes river rafting and camping. If you need a little more adrenaline rush, you can include cliff jumping and bungee jumping.
Cafes in Rishikesh
Another striking feature of this small city is the cafes that spread along the riverside. There are many famous names like Freedom Cafe, Little Buddha Cafe, 60’s Beatles Cafe, Cafe Karma, etc. Most of these are near the Laxman Jhula. You can only get vegetarian dishes in the entire Rishikesh and some of these cafes provide the best.
We had a small meal at the Little Buddha Cafe and I had my best veg burger that I ever tasted till now.
We spent some time sitting on the river banks and then by around 4 in the evening, we started our return journey to Delhi.