Things to Do in Landour – Landour Travel Guide

Landour is a small cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand. The town was built by the British Indian Army in the 19th century. Landour is located contiguous to Mussoorie and yet managed to remain off-beaten.

This Landour Travel Guide provides suggestions on things to do, hotel accommodation, and transportation options that will help you plan your Landour trip.

Table of Contents
1 Best Time to Travel
2 How to Reach Landour
3 Things to Do in Landour
3.1 1) See Winterline
3.2 2) Desserts in Landour Bakehouse
3.3 3) Get Lost Walking on the Near-Empty Roads
3.4 4) Lal Tibba
3.5 5) Breakfast at Cafe in Chardukan
3.6 6) St. Paul’s Church
3.7 7) Kellogg Memorial Church
4 Nearby Places Around Landour
4.1 1) Mussoorie
4.2 2) Dhanaulti
4.3 3) Dehradun
4.4 4) Tehri Lake
5 How to Get Around in Landour
6 Stay in Landour

Best Time to Travel

Landour is a small and peaceful town. Any time you go you would be met with empty roads and serenity.
Weatherwise, Landour is best enjoyed when visited during summers(April to June).
October to mid-November and March are also good months to travel when the days are still warm but the evening can get chilly.
The winter months(mid-November to February) are pretty cold and can be uncomfortable for some people. The temperature in Landour generally stays 2-3 degrees less than Mussoorie.
The months of July to September receives consistent rainfall and should be avoided.

How to Reach Landour

Landour is a kilometre away from Picture Palace bus stand of Mussoorie. As you cross Landour Clock Tower if coming from the Picture Palace bus stand, you officially enter the Landour. Landour Clock Tower is a kind of boundary marker that separates Landour from Mussoorie. 

And how can one reach Mussoorie is explained in this post.

Things to Do in Landour

1) See Winterline

Visiting Landour without witnessing Winterline is a crime. Winterline is a unique natural phenomenon in which a combination of red, orange and purple coloured second horizon gets created during the winter months. Landour is the only second place after Switzerland where Winterline occurs. Winterline is truly remarkable and a sight to behold.

2) Desserts in Landour Bakehouse

If you are craving sugar, there is no better place in Landour than Landour Bakehouse for desserts. You will be spoilt of choices in Landour Bakehouse. It serves many different varieties of cakes, eclairs, pies and puddings. These are not only pleasant-looking but also very delectable. I had tried a carrot cake slice and it was yummy.

Address – Landour Bakehouse, Sisters Bazaar, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179
Opening Hours – 8 AM to 8 PM
Average cost for 1 person – Rs 250

3) Get Lost Walking on the Near-Empty Roads

Landour is a quaint little town that is unexpectedly quite peaceful as opposed to its neighbouring town of Mussoorie. Most of the time you will see yourself as the only one on the road. The road in Landour is in the shape of 8 and all the attractions are near to this road. The upper and lower semicircle roads are also called ‘Upper Chukkar’ and ‘Lower Chukkar’ respectively.

Walking on the road with a mountain on one side and valley on the other, and having all the road by yourself is the best way to relish nature at its best. The walk is only about 3 kilometres long and is pretty straightforward too without any descend and ascend. While walking, don’t forget to read the proverbs mentioned on the dustbins.

4) Lal Tibba

Lal Tibba is the topmost point in Landour. It is famous for the enthralling view of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks. There are a couple of cafes at Lal Tibba which has binoculars installed on the roof. The most popular and by far the better one is Lal Tibba Binocular Cafe. It has a powerful binocular and its use is complimentary if you order food from the cafe, otherwise Rs 50 is charged. 

Address – Lal Tibba Scenic Point, Lal Tibba Binoculars, Landour Bazar Road, Naya Mohalla, Landour, Mussoorie
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours

5) Breakfast at Cafe in Chardukan

Cafes in Chardukaan are the most popular thing in Landour. Chardukaan is derived from the Hindi words ‘Char’ meaning four and ‘Dukaan’ meaning shop. There were earlier four shops situated one after other in that area and hence was named Chardukan. Now there are 6 cafes in Chardukan. A couple of cafes like Anil’s Cafe and Tip Top Tea Shop are the two oldest cafes in Landour and are as old as 50 years. 

I had omelette buns and stuffed paranthas at Anil’s Cafe and they were amazing.

Travel Tip: Carry some cash with you as neither card nor wallet payments are accepted.

Address – Chardukhan, Cant, Near Sbi Bank, Rajmandi, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

6) St. Paul’s Church

St. Paul’s Church was built in 1840 and is the only Anglican church in the Dehradun district. The church is located next to the cafes of Chardukan. During my visit to the church, a lady was playing piano music. And it was so soothing and melodious that I lost the track of time listening to it. It was only when the church caretaker threw me out of the church as it was lunchtime, I realized that I was sitting there for more than an hour. 

Address – St. Paul’s Church, Luxmanpuri, Rajmandi, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 4 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

7) Kellogg Memorial Church

The Kellogg Memorial Church also houses a language school where the British used to learn Hindi. The school is still operational and offers Hindi courses. As the church also houses a school, tourists entry is only allowed on the first half of Sunday. I didn’t have this information on my visit and found the church to be closed as I went there after lunchtime on Sunday.

Address – Kellog Memorial Church, Luxmanpuri, Rajmandi, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 4 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

Nearby Places Around Landour

1) Mussoorie

Mussoorie is a neighbouring town of Landour and is only about 4 kilometres from Chardukaan. It is one of the most popular hill stations of Uttarakhand and North India. Major attractions include Tibetan settlement in Happy Valley, Kempty Fall, Gunhill point, and Soham Heritage Centre.

2) Dhanaulti

Dhanaulti is a hill station located about 30 kilometres from Landour. The main attraction of Dhanaulti is twin eco-parks, Amber and Dhara. There are many adventure facilities like flying fox, burma bridges, Commando net and horse riding. The park is surrounded by tall Deodar trees. Other attraction include a trek to Surkanda Devi Temple. The trek is only 2 kilometres long but very steep and challenging.

3) Dehradun

Dehradun is the capital city of Uttarakhand state. It is also a hill station at a height of 447 metres from sea level. Dehradun is located about 20 kilometres from Landour. Main attractions include Lacchiwalla Picnic Spot, Robbers Cave, Forest Research Institute, and Sahasradhara.

4) Tehri Lake

Tehri Lake is located about 70 kilometres from Landour. It is gradually turning into a major water adventure sports destination. Major water activities offered there include jet ski, banana ride, boating, para-sailing, and kayaking.

How to Get Around in Landour

Landour is best enjoyed when explored on foot. It is a small town and all the important places are within the area of 3-4 kilometres. In fact, all the attractions are on the Upper Chukkar and Lower Chukkar Road. These are pretty flat road and is easily walkable.

Stay in Landour

There are very few hotels in Landour because of the ban on new construction since 1994. As a result, hotels are quite expensive in Landour

Rokeby Manor: It is a 4-star property in Landour and has hosted celebrities like great Indian Cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar. It is built in 19th century England building. All the rooms have fireplaces and all the modern amenities. The hotel also has the facilities of Salon and Spa Shed, an outdoor Jacuzzi and a Swiss restaurant.

Doma’s Inn: This is the most popular hotel among budget travellers. All the rooms are colourfully decorated with Thangka paintings. The hotel also has an in-house Tibetan restaurant. The hotel interior is decorated with old movies posters, Chinese lanterns, and dragon cut-outs. Doma’s Inn is also famous for being located next to the house of popular Indian writer, Ruskin Bond. 

Cozy Homestay: This is probably the only decent hotel at the price of under Rs 1000. The rooms are small but clean. The hotel is located in the crowded area of Landour, near Clock Tower. All the main attractions are about 3 kilometres away. Cozy Homestay was my abode on my Landour trip in 2019. The hotel offered full value for money and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.

La Villa Bethany: This homestay is an old English cottage. It has 6 rooms, a common area, and gardens. The rooms are decorated in English style giving the feeling of the Colonial era.