Dehradun

Dehradun is the provisional capital of Uttarakhand state. It is nestled between the Himalayan foothills to the north and the Shivaliks to the south. The town offers breathtaking scenery. It is a favorite tourist destination as it attracts tourists, pilgrims and enthusiasts from different regions with its serene environment. Apart from this, there is an abundance of basmati rice, tea and litchi gardens. The district it is part of is also called Dehradun.

Understand
Dehradun has experienced tremendous growth, and has a population of around 550,000. It is also famous for the Doon School, which is often referred to as the Eton of India.

Climate
Dehradun is at an altitude of 2,200 ft in the Doon Valley between two of the most important rivers in India, the Ganges and Yamuna. It offers beautiful scenery and a moderate (but very rainy) climate in summer, and so is an ideal place to relax and escape the heat of the plains below. The town also serves as a convenient base for visiting the area's many tourist sites.

By train
(station code: DDN) offers trains to Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Gorakhpur, Amritsar, Indore, Ujjain and Chennai. Useful trains include:

By bus


In case you are interchanging in Dehradun during the day, it sometimes makes sense to get off before the bus turn into the station, which is where many buses ply not going into the station or coming out somewhere else, e.g. going to Rishikesh. Ask the driver of your current bus, where to catch the onward bus. From ISBT, Kashmere Gate in Old Delhi, Delux, Volvo, Semi-deluxe and ordinary Uttarakhand State buses depart hourly. There is also an overnight deluxe A/C service run by Uttarakhand Tourism. It is a 6–7-hr journey from Delhi.

By car
The trip from Delhi is in principle a five-hour drive, but unless departing very early in the morning, traffic greatly lengthens the journey. The town is on the narrow, two-lane NH 72A (Chhutmalpur to Dehradun). The road has slow vehicles at harvest times and pilgrims walking on the road in late July and early August.

Car rental companies provide cars to Dehradun from New Delhi Airport & New Delhi Railway station.

By bus
Dehradun has a city bus service run by private owners under STA. The destinations are written in Hindi above the windshield. Generally, however, the buses are crowded, so it is better to use other means of transport.

By auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaws are plentiful in the downtown area. They are not metered, but instead use a fixed rate system. However, as the rate is often not prominently displayed, it is advisable to have some idea of the cost to your destination before taking an auto rickshaw. Otherwise, you are very likely to be charged well over the odds.

By shared (fixed-route) autorickshaws
The cheapest way to get around town is via the ubiquitous blue three wheelers called Vikrams. These vehicles are often crammed, with capacity for 8 cramped passengers in the back. The Vikrams are numbered according to their routes through the city. Fare is ₹3-₹5.


 * 1 - Rajpur Road: begins at Astley Road and travels North to the Rajpur-Mussoorie Road Fork.
 * 2 - Sahastradhara/Raipur: begins at Survey Chowk, proceeds eastward to Sahastradhara Crossing, before splitting towards the North (Sahastradhara Road) or East (Raipur Road) depending on the Autorickshaw.
 * 3 - Dharampur, Rispana Bridge: begins at Survey Chowk, proceeds to Haridwar Road and Dharampur, before proceeding through the Nehru Colony to Rispana Bridge.
 * 4 - Doiwala: begins at Rispana Bridge and proceeds to Doiwala.
 * 5 - Majra/ISBT: begins at Astley Hall, proceeds South to Majra and the Interstate Bus Terminus.
 * 6 - Kaulagarh Road: begins at Connaught Place, goes Northwest up Kaulagarh Road.
 * 7 - Chakrata Road: begins at Connaught Place, goes West on Chakrata Road.
 * 8 - Kanwali/Kaonli Road: begins at Astley Hall, proceeds South to Saharanpur Chowk, before going West on Kanwali/Kaonli Road towards Balliwala. The last stop on     this route varies between Seemadwar/Indranagar, Anurag Nursery or Vasant Vihar Chowk.
 * 10 - Premnagar: very infrequent, goes West to Premnagar via Kaonli Road.

On foot
The best way to explore the town is on foot, since it is surprisingly compact. Finding your way around is not that difficult as it may seem at first glance. Rajpur Road is the main avenue and Chakrata Road is also quite an important street. They both intersect at the Clock Tower Roundabout. Walking across town can take up to 30 minutes.

By car or taxi
You can easily book a taxi in Dehradun from many local tour & travel agents operating. A car rental from good travel company can be opted for local & outstation journey. You can easily reach Dehradun by hiring online cabs from Uber & Ola app if taxi is available because many times cab is not available on their app. You may also hire a taxi online by visiting online cab rental companies

Do.

 * Picnic - Pack a hamper of food and drinks and picnic at Sahastradhara, on the banks of the Baldi River. The mineral waters here are pure and clean. It is a 30-minute drive from the city of Dehradun. You can also rent a cycle from Hotel Madhuban. It takes a little over an hour to bike down.
 * After a hard day's sightseeing, drive down to the village of Dakpathar 45 km away. The sparkling waters of the Yamuna makes this the perfect spot to relax. The neat little GMVN Tourist Complex is in the village. It has a good restaurant and a small swimming pool.

Trekking
Dehradun has plenty of trekking opportunities around as it serves as the nearest railway station to many trekking destinations.Here are a few among them


 * Nag Tibba Trek – Also known as Serpent peak trek is one of the most loved winter treks of India. Located at an altitude of 3,050 m this easy trek is famous for its bold beauty all around it. Local of this area offer prayer to Nag Devta (God of snakes) so it got its name as Nag and Tibba means hill locked. This peak is also known as the highest peak of the lower Himalayas situated in the Garhwal region. The base camp for this trek is in a small village Pantwari which is about 90 km away from the nearest railway station Dehradun railway station.
 * Har ki Dun Trek – Lateral meaning of word Har Ki Dun is 'Valley of God'. This beautiful trek is located at an altitude of 3,570 m at the foot of Fateh Parvat. it is said that the people of small village Osla had fought with Kauravas in the battle of Mahabharata. They are still loyal to Kaurva's and offer prayer in a temple dedicated to Duryodhana. This trek is popular among trekkers for its terrific ancient culture, mountain view, river streams, meadows, grassland and the alpine lake. The trail is of moderate gradient making it a perfect summer trek. Basecamp for this trek is at Sankri which is about 200 km away from the nearest railway station i.e Dehradun Railway Station.
 *  Kedarkantha Trek –Kedarkantha means Lord Shiva's neck also got its place in some of the ancient Hindu scriptures. This Kedarkantha peak is situated in Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarkashi District of Indian state Uttarakhand. Trekking to Kedarkanta peak is famous for its amazing 360° view of snow-covered mountains all around. This peak is at a height of 3,800 m and can be reached from its basecamp Sankri village in about 3 days and can be done in 5 days from the nearest railway station Dehradun. This winter trek is not just a trek but it is a real summit very rare on most of the trekking destinations in India.
 * Dayara Bugyal Trek – Dayara Bugyal (High altitude meadow) is famous for a magnificent view of the densely forested valley and high altitude meadow which is situated at a height of around 3,660 m. Dayara Bugyal has a very wide snow expanse, it is as wide most of the time you will not be able to identify where it ends. This wide view of whiteness is rare which makes this trek one of the most favourite trekking destinations during the winter season. Some other mountain peaks of Mt. Srikanth, Mt. Junali are clearly visible from this trek. This trek has its base camp at a small village Raithatl which is about 185 Km away from the nearest railway station Dehradun Railway station. This trek can be done in 6 days from Dehradun and in 4 days from Raithal.
 * Rupin Pass Trek – At an altitude of 4,650 m in the Uttarakhand state of India has its trail stretched both in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. This trek is of a total of 65 km and undeniably one of the greatest cross-over treks of India. Changing view at every moment sometimes very sudden this classic trek is like an orchestra changing scene with every beat. With every step vistas change and provide completely different views with every step. Views of the Rupin river flowing below you, trails passing through some of the hanging villages, snow bridges, glaciers, numerous waterfall on the way will make leave you astonished. Trek has its base camp at Dhaula village which is about 180 km from Dehradun and will take you around 8–9 hours to reach here. It will take you around 8 days to complete this trek from Dehradun.

Paragliding
Adventure seekers can enjoy tandem paragliding in Maldevta, a small town 10 km away from the center of Dehradun.

Buy

 * Astley Hall, Rajpur Road - a complex full of interesting, and good value shops and restaurants.
 * Basmati rice - the Dehradun area is famous all over India & the world for its fragrant Basmati rice, but you can probably buy bags of it at your local Indian store so don't bother buying any here.
 * Brightly coloured, hand made woollen items made by tribal communities in the nearby Garhwal Hills.
 * Khukris - the traditional knives that Dehradun is famous for. In fact the sword used in the film "Gladiator" was designed and made in Dehradun. Small shops in Dehradun stock them.
 * Paltan Bazaar - a good place to pick up the local variety of Basmati Rice, and hand made woollen garments made by local tribal communities.
 * Rajpur Road - the most popular shopping area.
 * Khukris - the traditional knives that Dehradun is famous for. In fact the sword used in the film "Gladiator" was designed and made in Dehradun. Small shops in Dehradun stock them.
 * Paltan Bazaar - a good place to pick up the local variety of Basmati Rice, and hand made woollen garments made by local tribal communities.
 * Rajpur Road - the most popular shopping area.
 * Rajpur Road - the most popular shopping area.

Alcohol

 * President Hotel and Bar The finest bar in the downtown. Popular with army officers.
 * Shipra Bar. This bar is the part of the Great Value hotel and is reasonably OK.
 * President Hotel and Bar The finest bar in the downtown. Popular with army officers.
 * Shipra Bar. This bar is the part of the Great Value hotel and is reasonably OK.

Sleep

 * There are quite a few hotels in Dehradun, with the best options being those on Rajpur Road.

Connect
There are many internet cafes scattered throughout the town. All the hotels listed above have internet access. There are many iways in the city.



Go next

 * Yamunotri – Sacred village near the source of the Yamuna
 * Chakarata – Unspoilt views (restricted area for foreign nationals).
 * Harkidun – A great trekking destination.
 * Haridwar – A sacred Hindu site on the Ganges, a little over one hour by train or road.
 * The Himalayan foothills – beautiful scenery.
 * Jaunpur – Stunning villages in this area.
 * Mussoorie – A famous hill station noted for its scenic beauty.
 * Nagtibba – Tribal communities.
 * The Rajaji National Park – Located between Haridwar and Rishikesh.
 * Rishikesh – The Char Dham Yatra (Four Shrines Sacred Journey) ideally begins from this sacred location.
 * Sahastradhara – A hot spring resort.