TRAVEL GUIDE

Dhanaulti is 325 km from Delhi (an 8-9 hour drive) and 25 km from Mussoorie. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 82 km and the closest railhead is 66 km away, also at Dehradun. From here you can drive up to Dhanaulti, or take a tourist taxi or bus.

Best time to go

You can come to Dhanaulti at any time of the year, but avoid the monsoons. The summer temperatures range from 31° C to 7.5° C and winter temperatures hover between 7° C and 1° C. Carry light woollens for summer and heavy woollens for winter.

Room with a view

Dhanaulti has a range of medium-to-low budget accommodation options. There are luxury campsites, guesthouses, the GMVN tourist bungalow and the Forest Rest House for which you need permission from the Forest Dept. For more information contact Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, 74/1 Rajpur Road, Dehradun, Tel:0135-26817.

Mountain Zephyr 

From Delhi

Dhanaulti, a dreamy, misty mountain retreat in the Garhwal Hills, makes a wonderful holiday getaway. This all-weather favourite is just a couple of hours drive away from Dehradun and has a serene beauty that will bowl you over. Compared to the boisterous town of neighbouring Mussoorie and the throngs that mill around the Mall, Dhanaulti is blissfully secluded.

Dhanaulti lies on a ridge at an altitude of 2286 m. Tucked away in the midst of deep forests of deodar, oak, conifer, rhododendron and flame of the forest, Dhanaulti is a woody paradise that makes you forget where you are. Caressed by a bracing mountain zephyr, this hill station is just ideal for long walks up shady slopes or quiet tête-à-têtes in grassy meadows.

Located on the Mussoorie-Chamba track, Dhanaulti is the launching point for numerous treks into the snow-capped Himalayas, especially to the Tehri region of Garhwal. The most popular treks are through the dense alpine forests that take you to Surkanda Devi, Chandrabadni and Kunjapuri, the sacred three of the holy Devi Darshan triangle. The temple of Surkanda Devi, 10 km from Dhanaulti is perched high on a mountain and there is a 2 km uphill trek from the tiny village of Kaddu Khal to get here.

Longer treks from Dhanaulti take you to Deoprayag where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda rivers unite and the Ganga is born. Visit the villages of Kandikhal, Jamnikhal and Nekhari en route where you can spend the night at simple guesthouses. Another magnificent route is the Dhanaulti- Nagtibba trek through the Garhwal Himalayas, past the pretty village of Panthari, past some splendid scenery and interesting flora and fauna. Other exciting treks via Dhanaulti are to Kempty Falls, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri glaciers.

Its easy to surrender yourself to Dhanaulti's charms - just give yourself a chance!