Planning a trip to Kumaon

Getting There & Around

There are many trains heading out of both Delhi and Lucknow towards Kathgodam, 35km (22 miles) from Nainital. The overnight Ranikhet Express leaves Old Delhi at 10:45pm and arrives at 6:05am. There are always taxis (from Rs 500) and share-taxis available (from Rs 50 a seat), or you can have your hotel pick you up from the station. There are also overnight private deluxe buses (pick the Volvo; departure 9.30pm with 7:30am arrival; Rs 700 return) from Delhi to Nainital). Ranikhet is an additional 60km (37 miles) from Nainital, or a 3 1/2-hour journey from the Kathgodam railway station. Once you've found your bearings, hire a car (preferably a four-wheel-drive) and driver for the duration of your stay in Uttarakhand. You can expect to pay around Rs 14 per kilometer, plus an additional fee per day and a reasonable contribution (Rs 250) towards the driver's overnight expenses.

Visitor Information

While in Delhi, you can visit the KMVN Tourist Information Office (103 Indraprakash Bldg., 21 Barakhamba Rd.; tel. 011/4151-9366; fax 011/2331-9835; www.kmvn.org). In Nainital, the KMVN is at Oak Park House (tel. 05942/23-6356).