Travel to Mussoorie - tips and advice

Mussoorie is referred to as the Queen of the Hills, and justifiably so, with its beautiful, undulating, tree-covered hills, looking down on the Doon valley and with a fantastic view of the Himalayas. Tucked in the Shiwalik range of the Himalayas, Mussoorie is post-card pretty and has wonderfully clean air to match. There is also a romantic air about this beautiful hill-station, which has time and again lured honeymooners to it ever since it was established way back in 1827. Before this time, Mussoorie had changed hands between the Gurkhas and the British, but had been inhabited only by shepherds.

Being the place that it is, Mussoorie has always beckoned to tourists invitingly, especially in the hot summer months which turn the plains into horror scenarios of heat and dust; at an altitude of over 6,950 feet above sea level, this hill station is invitingly pleasant even in the hottest of summer days, which is why the months of May and June see the maximum number of tourists here.

May and June are the favourites of tourists as Mussoorie provides a relief from the intense heat of the plains during this time. While these months are a good time to visit, over-crowding can become a problem. Another issue is that though the air may be pleasant and as long as one is in the shade it remains cool, the high altitude makes the sun very harsh, so it is both inadvisable and impossible to stay out in the sun for too long. Thus if a slight nip in the air doesn’t deter you, April is a very good time to be up in the hills. March, which is when the winter has nearly just been left behind, can sometimes be too cool for comfort, but April is a very good time of the year to be in the hill-station.

If you’re the kind who has always dreamt of being enveloped in clouds while high up in the mountains, then July and August are a good time to be here. Mists swirl around the mountains; the sky is lit up in mauves and purples and the lush foliage comes alive with colour; a truly exhilarating experience! An interesting thing to note at this time of the year is the visible weather difference between Mussoorie and the Doon valley. On a clear day, look down on the valley and it will invariably have a heavy cloud cover, and while the rain beats down on the mountainside, Dehradun will be basking in the sunshine. Go prepared with your rain gear and for a chill in the air. At the height of the monsoon, there are days when it does not rain but the mists are so laden with moisture that you can get wet if you just walk through the fog and visibility is often reduced to a few meters.

The winter season starts approaching in November. There is a biting chill and strong winds but it is also spectacularly beautiful. The skies are the bluest of blues and perfectly clear, with the moon being visible for most parts of the day as well. This is also the time when the winter line starts forming. The winter line is a phenomenon witnessed in just two parts of the world, Mussoorie being one and Switzerland the other. In Mussoorie it is visible for two months, usually November and December. As the sun starts setting, the horizon is lit up in brilliant reds, orange, purples and mauves. The colours deepen as winter sets in: the colder the winter, the darker is the line. The colour play is so spectacular that it is worth being in Mussoorie for the sole reason of viewing it. The winter season goes on right up to mid-March and it snows toward the end of December till mid-February, although in recent years, the annual snowfall has reduced considerably.

Accommodation in Mussoorie

Mussoorie is essentially a resort hill station and with over 200 hotels is well equipped to handle a large number of visitors. Besides these hotels in Mussoorie itself, there are a number of cottages and bungalows that can be hired; several hotels can even be found on the way up to Mussoorie from Dehradun. However it is best to book your accommodation in advance of your visit especially in the summer when there is a large influx of people coming in. There are a number of boarding schools in Mussoorie and at the time of the opening and closing the town is filled with those attached to these schools; at such times it can be difficult to get a room of your choice, so it is best if you make arrangements before you get there.

How to get to Mussoorie

Mussoorie can be reached by road from Dehradun. There is no direct air or rail connection to Mussoorie; one has to first get to Dehradun which is 32 kms away. Dehradun can be reached by air at the Jolly Grant airport which is 60kms from Mussoorie; Dehradun is also linked to several cities by the Indian Railways.

The visit to Mussoorie begins even as one starts the climb toward it along the jalebi roads, named so by the locals because of their striking resemblance to this Indian dessert. Just a few kilometers into the climb and the air already seems cooler and cleaner. The drive up to Mussoorie is a remarkable experience; the road goes round the mountains and scarcely have you rounded one bend when another comes up ahead. As you climb higher you may experience a blockage in the ears due to the altitude, but this clears up soon. The view which unfolds at each new turn seems more remarkable than those seen earlier. You can trace your progress as you move up with the mountain top being the destination. When your exhilaration reaches its peak and you look up and there’s nothing more than the cloud streaked sky, you will know you have reached!