Lansdowne Travel Guide — Everything You Need to Know
Lansdowne is a small, quiet cantonment town at about 1,700 m in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, founded by the British in the 1880s and named after the Viceroy of the day. It is the home of the Garhwal Rifles, and the army keeps the town clean, green and unhurried, with oak and blue pine forest all round and the Himalaya on the horizon on clear days. It is one of the closest hill escapes from Delhi and a favourite for a slow weekend. Pulp Hotels does not list a stay in Lansdowne yet.
Things to do in Lansdowne
- Bhulla Tal — a small lake kept by the army, with boating and a garden, the town's most visited spot.
- Tip-in-Top — the viewpoint at the top of the ridge, with wide views over the hills and, on clear days, the snow peaks.
- The Garhwal Rifles museum — the regiment's history, in the cantonment.
- St Mary's and St John's churches — two old churches from the town's early years, among the forest.
- Tarkeshwar Mahadev — a Shiva temple in deodar forest, about an hour's drive away.
- Forest walks — the quiet roads of the cantonment, the simplest pleasure of a stay here.
Best time to visit Lansdowne
March to June is the main season, a cool escape from the plains, and busy on weekends. October and November bring the clearest views. December to February is cold, with snow in some winters. July to September is the monsoon, green and misty, with landslide risk on the road up.
Getting to Lansdowne
The nearest railway station is Kotdwar, about an hour and a half below by road, with trains from Delhi. By road, Delhi is about 250 km away, five to six hours, which makes Lansdowne an easy weekend from the capital. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun, several hours away.
Where to stay around Lansdowne
Stays are few inside the cantonment and more along the roads into town, many of them resorts and homestays in the forest. Book ahead for weekends, ask how far the room is from the road, and remember that parts of the cantonment have army rules about access and photography. Lansdowne is a Garhwal trip on its own, or the start of a drive towards Pauri and the hills beyond.
