Lansdowne
Sleepy Garhwal Rifles cantonment, refreshingly untouristy
Best time to visit Lansdowne
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, peak season
- May, peak season
- Jun, shoulder season
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: April to May and October to November
- Shoulder: June and December to March, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: July to September
Lansdowne season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Cold, foggy mornings, occasional light snow: quiet and atmospheric, some cafes shut
Summer March to May Prime time
Cool pine-forest air, a favorite quick escape from Delhi's heat without Mussoorie's crowds
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
June still works; Jul-Sep brings 200-425mm a month and Garhwal's landslide season cuts the Kotdwar ghat road - don't come.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Clear skies and comfortable temperatures. The best weather window of the year
What Lansdowne is actually like
Empty pine roads and military-town hush. Solitude more than social mixing
Getting to Lansdowne
Train to Kotdwar 40km, then 1.5h taxi or shared jeep up
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 1706 m
- State
- Uttarakhand
- Coordinates
- 29.8371, 78.6851
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Lansdowne?
April to May and October to November is peak season in Lansdowne. June and December to March is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid July to September. Cool pine-forest air, a favorite quick escape from Delhi's heat without Mussoorie's crowds.
How many days do you need in Lansdowne?
2 days is the usual stay. Empty pine roads and military-town hush. Solitude more than social mixing.
How do you get to Lansdowne?
Train to Kotdwar 40km, then 1.5h taxi or shared jeep up. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Lansdowne expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Khirsu
Uttarakhand
Hushed oak and deodar ridge facing a wall of Garhwal snow peaks
60 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Rishikesh
Uttarakhand
Yoga capital and rafting hub on the Ganges
60 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Haridwar
Uttarakhand
Har Ki Pauri, the ghat where the Ganga leaves the hills
70 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Jim Corbett (Ramnagar)
Uttarakhand
India's oldest tiger reserve, entered from Ramnagar town
90 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Kanatal
Uttarakhand
Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley
110 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Ranikhet
Uttarakhand
Kumaon Regiment cantonment with pine golf links and Nanda Devi
110 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Chopta
Uttarakhand
Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek
130 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kausani
Uttarakhand
300km Himalayan skyline view, Gandhi's hill retreat
130 km from Lansdowne, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Uttarakhand
- Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
- Almora Uttarakhand
- Auli Uttarakhand
- Badrinath & Mana Uttarakhand
- Bageshwar Uttarakhand
- Binsar Uttarakhand
- Chakrata Uttarakhand
- Chaukori Uttarakhand
- Chopta Uttarakhand
- Haridwar Uttarakhand
- Harsil Uttarakhand
- Jageshwar Uttarakhand
- Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
- Kanatal Uttarakhand
- Kausani Uttarakhand
- Kedarnath Uttarakhand
- Khirsu Uttarakhand
- Mukteshwar Uttarakhand
- Munsiyari Uttarakhand
- Mussoorie Uttarakhand
- Nag Tibba Uttarakhand
- Nainital Uttarakhand
- Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
- Ranikhet Uttarakhand
- Rishikesh Uttarakhand
- Sankri (Har Ki Dun) Uttarakhand
- Sattal Uttarakhand
- Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand