Planning a trip to Garhwal
Getting There & Away
By Air -- Dehra Dun's Jolly Grant Airport is a 55-minute flight from Delhi; the most reliable airline flying into Jolly Grant is Kingfisher Airlines (tel. 1800-309-3030; www.flykingfisher.com). From there, catch a taxi to either Mussoorie or Rishikesh, or have your hotel pick you up; transfer rates are included in reviews where possible.
By Train -- Mussoorie: Dehra Dun is the terminus of the Northern Railway, and is the jumping-off point for Mussoorie. For Rishikesh, Haridwar is the more convenient terminal, 30 minutes away by taxi; Haridwar itself is now worth staying in for a possible night or two -- see box below.
There are several good connections between Delhi, the capital, and both Dehra Dun and Haridwar, including the Dehra Dun Shatabdi and the Dehra Dun Janshatabdi (Mon-Sat), which both stop at Haridwar. An overnight alternative is the Mussoorie Express.
By Road -- The drive from Delhi to Rishikesh (250km/155 miles) takes between 5 and 6 hours. Regular buses leave Delhi for Haridwar/Rishikesh. If you're at Corbett, the drive to Rishikesh takes around 4 hours. Mussoorie is 280km (173 miles) from Delhi, including a final 33km (20 miles) from Dehra Dun, along a steeply ascending series of troublesome hairpin bends; plenty of luxury buses ply the route (best bus option is Volvo; expect to pay around Rs 450).
Visitor Information
In Mussoorie, the Tourist Bureau (tel. 0135/263-2682; Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed second Sat of the month) is located near the ropeway, on the Mall. Dehra Dun's GMVN office is at 74/1 Rajpur Rd. (tel. 0135/274-8478, -6817, or -9308). In Rishikesh, visit the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Tourist Information Centre (Railway Station, Haridwar; tel. 01334/224-240 or 01334/228-686; www.gmvnl.com); you can contact the same office for rafting (Nov-May) and other adventure inquiries.
Getting Around
Hire a car and driver for the duration of your visit, unless you plan on trekking. Note that in Mussoorie, the taxi union frowns upon outside taxis.
