Our next trip is Dehradun, with time up the hill in Mussoorie. The hotel we have in mind is Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy, Mussoorie.
We have not made the trip yet. This post is the plan, and the list of things we will check before we book. If you are planning the same route from Pune, it should save you some of the searching.
Getting to Dehradun
Dehradun's airport is Jolly Grant (DED), about 25 km from the city. It handles domestic flights only. We could not confirm a direct flight from Pune, so check the airline schedules for your dates before you plan around one.
The fallback is to fly to Delhi and take the train. The Dehradun Shatabdi runs daily from New Delhi station and takes about six hours. The Vande Bharat is quicker, at about four and three-quarter hours, but it leaves from Anand Vihar Terminal rather than New Delhi station, and it runs six days a week. Check which day it does not run before you fix your dates, and allow for the cross-city transfer to Anand Vihar.
Up the hill to Mussoorie
Mussoorie sits at about 2,000 m, roughly 33 km from Dehradun by road. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hours for the drive, and longer if you stop.
This is the stretch to plan most carefully. It is a winding hill road, and people who are fine in a car on the flat can get carsick on one. A few things tend to help. Travel before a meal rather than straight after one. Keep a window open a crack. Look at the view outside rather than a screen. Keep a bag, wipes and a change of clothes within reach, not in the boot. Ask the driver to take the bends gently.
Two places near the town are worth asking the hotel about. Kempty Falls is about 15 km out of Mussoorie, which means more time on the hill road. Lal Tibba is in Landour, above the town, at over 2,250 m. For either, ask at the hotel how far you walk from where the car stops, since hill towns have slopes and steps.
The Savoy
The Savoy is at Gandhi Chowk in Library Bazar. It opened in 1902 and is built mostly in wood, in an English Gothic style. It is now run as a Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels.
ITC's booking page lists day-use rooms, which may suit a visit that only goes up for the day. We will ask the hotel directly about room sizes, parking, and where a car can drop off guests with luggage.
When to go
Mussoorie usually gets a few spells of snow between December and February. July and August are the wettest months, which matters on a hill road. April and May are warm and dry, and the weeks after the monsoon are dry, clear and cooler.
Even outside winter, the town is 2,000 m up, so expect cool evenings and pack for them.
What to pack
- Layers rather than one heavy coat: a vest, a warm top, a jacket and a hat, plus gloves and warm socks in winter.
- A carsickness kit for the road: bags, wipes, water, a towel and a full change of clothes.
- A waterproof layer, if you go near the monsoon.
- Snacks for the train and the drive.
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant (DED), about 25 km from Dehradun
- Train from Delhi
- Shatabdi from New Delhi, about 6 hours; Vande Bharat from Anand Vihar, about 4.75 hours
- Up to Mussoorie
- Roughly 33 km by road, 1 to 1.5 hours
- Altitude
- About 2,000 m
- Weather
- Snow spells December to February; July and August very wet
- Hotel we have in mind
- Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy, Gandhi Chowk, Library Bazar
Details checked October 2026. Policies change, so confirm with the operator before you book.
Other posts are on the travel page.