Lansdowne Travel Guide

Lansdowne is a small hill station and cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand. It was developed by the British in 1887 for purveying for Recruits Training centre of the Garhwal Rifles and was named after then Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne.

Lansdowne is an anomaly among the many crowded, noisy and over-commercialized hill stations of North India. It is unusually very quiet despite being the closest hill station from Delhi. We witnessed mostly the same group of people at every place we visited in Lansdowne.

This Lansdowne travel guide will help you plan your trip by providing suggestions on things to do, hotel accommodation, and getting around.

Table of Contents
1 Best Time to Travel
2 How to Reach Lansdowne
2.1 Car
2.2 Train
2.3 Bus
3 Things to Do in Lansdowne
3.1 1) Garhwal Rifles Museum
3.2 2) St. Mary’s Church
3.3 3) Tip N Top Point
3.4 4) Bhulla Lake
3.5 5) Santoshi Mata Mandir
3.6 6) St. John’s Church
3.7 7) Lansdowne Trip Travel Cafe
3.8 8) Shri Sidhbali Dham Mandir
3.9 9) Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple
3.10 10) Restricted places
4 How to Get Around in Lansdowne
5 Stay in Lansdowne
6 Where to Eat in Lansdowne

Best Time to Travel

Like any other hill station, the peak season of Lansdowne is from April – June when North India is beating with intense heat. People flock to Lansdowne to get respite from the hot weather. Accommodation prices are also the highest during this period.

Winter months (November – March) are cold and can receive some bouts of snowfall. If you love snowfall, this is a time to visit Lansdowne. Accommodation prices are also affordable during this period.

Monsoon (July – September) are off-season months and receives regular rainfall. This period is also prone to landslides and should be generally avoided.

How to Reach Lansdowne

Lansdowne is around 250 kilometres away from Delhi and is the closest hill station from Delhi.

Car

There is no better way to visit Lansdowne than by car. The roads are in excellent condition and the journey takes around 6 hours. You can also easily visit nearby town or attractions if you have your car.

Train

There are no direct trains from Delhi to Lansdowne. The closest railway station is in Kotdwar, around 40 kilometres away from Delhi. Two daily trains run between Old Delhi railway station (DLI) and Kotdwara railway station (KTW).

Garhwal Express (14044)  – It is a chair car train and departs Delhi railway station at 7:30 AM and reaches Kotdwara railway station at 2:25 PM. 

Mussoorie Express (14041) – It is a sleeper night train and departs Delhi railway station at 10:25 PM and reaches Kotdwara railway station at 6:25 AM. 

From Kotdwara railway station, you can take either a private cab for Rs 1000 – 2000 depending upon your bargain power or a shared cab for Rs 80 but the journey would be unpleasant as the driver won’t start the cab unless 10-12 people have boarded the cab.

Bus

Elite Groups of India arranges the bus service from Anand Vihar Bus Terminal of Delhi to Lansdowne every Friday at 7:30 AM. The return journey takes place on Sunday at 11:30 AM. The journey takes around 7 hours. The one-way fare is Rs 1050 and round-trip fare is Rs 1499.

Things to Do in Lansdowne

1) Garhwal Rifles Museum

The museum also goes by the name of Darwan Singh Sanghralaya. This museum is managed by the Army and houses many artefacts related to the history of Garhwal Rifles which is one of the most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The main artefacts include captured enemy weapons, portraits of Garhwal Rifles soldiers and generals, weapons used by Army, write-ups on the role of Garhwal Rifles in Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971, and medals won by the soldiers. A 45 minutes movie is also shown four times a day on the Garhwal Rifles.

There is a flower garden outside the museum where ‘Sea Harrier’ is on display. This aircraft was gifted to Lansdowne Cantonment by Indian Navy. There is also a rabbit cage in the garden where you can see rabbits in action.

Address – Kotdwar – Pauri Rd, Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 246155
Phone – +91 75005 88928
Opening Hours – Summers (8 AM to 1 PM, 3 PM to 6 PM), Winters (9 AM to 12 PM, 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM). Closed on Wednesday.
Movie Timing – 10 AM to 10:45 AM, 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM, 1 PM to 1:45 PM, 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hour
Ticket Cost – Rs 20 (Entrance Cost), Rs 20 (Movie)
Other information – Photography is prohibited inside the museum.

2) St. Mary’s Church

St. Mary’s Church was built in 1896 but preaching was stopped after 1947. The Garhwal Regimental Centre holds the responsibility of maintaining and managing the church. The church houses the small library and also have few photographs of the pre-independence era. The church looks aesthetic in fast-changing colourful lights.

Travel Tip: You may find the church as closed upon your visit. You would have to ask the caretaker to open the church for you.

Address – Kotdwar – Pauri Rd, Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 246155
Phone – +91 75005 88928
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

3) Tip N Top Point

Tip N Top is the highest point of Lansdowne and offers a panoramic view of the valley. Few viewing areas have been created for tourists to get the unhindered view. There is also a small cafe besides viewing points.

Travel Tip: The place gets overcrowded real fast. Go there in the morning to avoid the crowd.  

4) Bhulla Lake

Bhulla Lake is a small artificial lake in Lansdowne. The most popular thing to do at Bhulla lake is boating. A ticket allows the use of a paddle boat for 15 minutes. While boating, you may see a few ducks swimming in the lake water. There is also a small enclosure for rabbits. A small children playground is located just outside of the Bhulla Lake ticket office but it is in dilapidated condition. You can buy souvenirs from a souvenir shop located next to the playground. A cafe is also there to satiate your hunger.

Opening Hours – Summers (8 AM to 6 PM), Winters (9 AM to 5 PM). Closed on Wednesday.
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hour
Ticket Cost – Rs 24 (Entrance Cost), Rs 94 (Boating)

5) Santoshi Mata Mandir

Santoshi Mata Mandir is a small temple located at a slight distance from the busy Lansdowne area. This temple is without any priest and is generally visited to watch the sunset. 

Travel Tip: It gets crowded at sunset time and if you come late, you may not be able to get a good view of the sunset. Arrive early to book your spot to watch the sunset.

Address – Bonda, Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 246155
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

6) St. John’s Church

It is the second of the two churches in Lansdowne. As opposed to St. Mary’s Church, preaching is still carried out in St. John’s Church. It is very similar to St. Mary’s Church in architecture.

Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

7) Lansdowne Trip Travel Cafe

It is a small travel cafe located about 20 kilometres away from Lansdowne. Old photographs of Indian actress and musicians are the most noticeable thing when you enter the cafe. The cafe also houses antique items such as crockery, pots, showpiece, and utensils. You can read some books, play board games and guitar.

We had ordered Maggi noodles and tea and the taste was fantastic. Trip Travel Cafe has Live Kitchen where you can go in the kitchen by yourself and see how your food is being prepared.

Address – Devikhal Bus Stop after crossing Jaiharikhal Highway Motel & day N Night Dhabba on Pauri Kotdwar Highway, Bhayasu, Uttarakhand 246124
Phone – +91 98105 24448
Opening Hours – 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 hour

8) Shri Sidhbali Dham Mandir

It is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Generally, the temple is not crowded and you can easily go in and out of the temple in 10 minutes. But stay there for a few more minutes for the serene atmosphere and panoramic views.

This temple is located around 40 kilometres away from Lansdowne but you don’t have to take any special trip to visit it. The temple is located on the route one takes from Kotdwar to Lansdowne.

Address – Shri Sidhbali Marg, Kotdwar, Uttarakhand 246149
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes

9) Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple

It is located around 40 kilometres away from Lansdowne. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Earlier, Shivling was used to be worshipped but now a Lord Shiva idol performing the tandava is worshipped.

Travel Tip: You would have to take a half-day trip to visit there. You may skip it if you are not a religious person.

Address – Tarkeshwar Road, Malara Bara, Uttarakhand 246155
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes

10) Restricted places

Being Lansdowne a Cantonment area, many army owned places like War Memorial, Parade Ground, and GRRC Officer’s Mess are closed for the general public. You need to have some contacts with the Army to get the entry to visit these places. We could not visit any of these places as we didn’t have any contacts.

How to Get Around in Lansdowne

There is no public transport available in Lansdowne. You have to either walk or use your vehicle or taxi to travel within the Lansdowne. All the main attractions are close to each other. If you don’t have your vehicle, book the hotel close to the attractions to avoid dependency on taxis.

Stay in Lansdowne

Mayur Hotel and Restaurant: This hotel has the advantage of being located in the market area of Lansdowne. All the main attractions and restaurants are nearby and can be covered on foot. Mayur Hotel offers bamboo Huts rooms with modern amenities.
Price Range: Rs 3000 – 4000

Samskara & Samsara Homestays: This homestay is located 5 kilometres before the start of main Lansdowne. It offers all kind of accommodations to travellers from a small basic double bedroom with no room amenities, private tent room to Family Suite room with all modern amenities. Bonfire and movie nights are also arranged regularly.
Price Range: Rs 1500 – 8000

Hotel Ravine Palace: This 3-star hotel is also located around 5 kilometres before the start of main Lansdowne area. It offers big and spacious rooms. All the rooms come with modern amenities. I had stayed in Hotel Ravine Palace for a couple of nights and had an amazing experience. Their buffet breakfast was delightful. The hotel also has indoor games like Table Tennis, Foosball, and billiards for recreation time. Daily DJ night is also organized.
Price Range: Rs 3000 – 4000

ALSO READ: HOTEL RAVINE PALACE, LANSDOWNE – REVIEW

Lans Castle: It is a boutique hotel located in the same vicinity of Hotel Ravine Palace. The buffet breakfast in a multi-cuisine restaurant is complimentary. The rooms are provided with essential amenities like wifi, LCD, and tea/coffee maker. Various indoor and outdoor activities like table tennis, chess, basketball are also offered.
Price Range: Rs 4500 – 6500

Where to Eat in Lansdowne

All the restaurants are located in the main market area of Lansdowne. The food is average and service is slow and costs Rs 100 – 300 per person. You would also find a small cafe near some of the major attraction site. There are no eatery options outside the Lansdowne. If you are staying outside Lansdowne, have dinner either at the hotel itself or the market area. You can also get your dinner packed from the restaurant before leaving Lansdowne.