Best places to visit in Lansdowne if you want to get the essence of this cantonment town in Uttarakhand. Blue pine forests! In this travel guide, you will find all the tourist spots, things to do, how to reach from Delhi, and some hands-on advice.
Lansdowne, previously known as Kaladanda, revels in its military history of glory and expeditions. It borrowed its present name from Lord Lansdowne, the viceroy of that time. It is a picturesque hill station situated at an elevation of 1780m above sea level.
Any place can be explored like a tourist, or like a local. Locals know the hidden trails, the viewpoints with no names, the gem of old food joints and the roads less travelled. This tiny Uttarakhandi town, like most places, has its share of both touristy activities and concealed boulevards.
Founded as a military garrison, Lansdowne has an active military training base, the vibe of which you can easily feel while entering the place. Young men with or without uniforms rave around the roads, whether jogging or simply running. The roads take you through the Garhwali mess, the military headquarters, Darwan Singh Sangrahasala (Garhwali Museum), and the administrative and training centres. You may hire a car and visit Bhulla Tal, Tip n Top Viewpoint, Bhim Pakora, and come back. Or, you can explore this hill station like a local.
Here are some of the best places you can visit on your trip to Lansdowne.
How to Spend Days in this Town in Uttarakhand
1. Don’t Take A Vehicle, Hit the Road on Foot
You haven’t seen this military town if you have not yet explored it on foot. The hill station is intimate both in size and feelings. The serpentine roads taking you uphill change their course, but one thing remains common. The oak and blue pine-emblemed directory of the road. The road from Rathi Hut to the official entrance of the Garhwal Rifles region absorbs the most spectacular view of the mountains. Even Tip n Top Viewpoint (which looks more like a parking lot), despite being the topmost viewpoint of Lansdowne, fails to forge such a view. All this cannot be experienced in motion, with the picture moving itself behind. It should be remembered as a still picture. Not in motion.
The road leading to Bhulla Tal (from near St. Mary’s Church) is another blissful walk with the impeccable company of unprecedented bird callings. Sit by the road with not a soul around (as most of the tourists pass by in cars) and you may as well find yourself in the green wonderland.
After that, it wouldn’t even matter where you are heading. The beauty of Lansdowne is on the road.
Also read – How to Spend the Best Time in Munsyari
2. Learn about Garhwal Rifles’ History in Lansdowne
Yes, you can always read a thousand and one books to learn about the history of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. Yet you can also learn a great deal from Darwan Singh Sangrahasala while standing on the ground that sheltered the brave boys who made Garhwal fat and proud with their trust and throbbing lives.
Darwan Singh, one of the spectacular characters in the regiment, was the first Indian soldier to have been presented with the Victoria Cross. During a gory battle with the French, he was one of the first ones to take charge despite having bloody wounds all over his body (two on the head and one on his arm). Yet he didn’t register himself as wounded and continued to fight till the end. Not just him, a significant number of soldiers from the regiment showed such candor in the art of gallantry that they were accorded a long list of accolades – all of which are suavely preserved in the museum. Not just the museum, the history has been imprinted all over the town with small relics. The war memorial near the parade ground in Lansdowne, the Trishakti statues (an assortment of Indian Airforce, Indian Gallantry and Indian Navy), and the soldiers’ boots – make you historically aware of the antiquated reality.
The museum has opened doors to portraits of these valuable souls. Even in the crowd of portraits, they stand out in their distinct personalities, their expressions, and their tales of bravery in a single row. The museum also houses musical instruments that were all part of a military band (clarinet, bagpipes, tambourine, saxophone, oboe, and others), a wide range of rifles, and antique currencies rescued during the Indo-Pakistan war. Most of the notes have both Bengali and Urdu imprints on them. The testimonials of the soldiers after coming back from the war are living proofs of the sensory and hopeful futures they wanted to secure.
Also read – Is Almora Worth Visiting? Let’s Find Out!
3. Watch the Parade on the Weekends
What else can you do in Lansdowne Uttarakhand? The parade ground resonates with the thumping of the boots of the young soldiers in the process of learning the rhythm and discipline of soldierhood. Even though outsiders are not allowed to step onto the parade ground, they can watch the parade from a distance on Saturday and Sunday.
The parade ground is near the Museum and the war memorial. If you are heading that way on weekends, don’t miss out on the parade.
4. Walk through the Old Market of Lansdowne
If you are new to the Garhwal region, you should taste the Garhwali sweets and snacks for the first time in Lansdowne. Starting with bread pakora, samosa and namak pare, the sweet delights await your arrival in the old market. Old bakeries sell cream rolls and crunchy tea snacks – a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds.
Kotnala Bakery, an age-old delicacy, is a must-try if you are in this town. Everything is fresh here, as their stock runs out every day.
Best Places to Visit in Lansdowne Uttarakhand
Let me first burst the bubble. The general crowd is of the opinion that Lansdowne is the least attractive place in all of Uttarakhand. The tourists crave touristy spots, viewpoints, and picnic spots. But ironically, this town has it all. Yet it has earned criticism for its lack of ‘something’. What is that ‘something’? What do people look for in a place? Do they expect or do they crave?
This is not the place for you if you come with a standard mindset. There’re plenty of tourist spots that are frequently visited by the crowd. But, on a personal note, I would encourage people to walk through the roads encircled by the oak and blue pine trees and not just slide by in a vehicle.
1. Bhulla Lake (Highly Not Recommended)
Entry fee: Rs. 150
Distance from city centre: 1 km
Bhulla, meaning ‘the younger brother’, is the primary lake in this town. The lake has been bounded by colourful railings to make it a tourist spot. The road that leads to the lake is a stunning hike in green privacy. Near St. Mary’s Church, the signboard will direct you to the left and Bhulla Lake is around 2 km from the church.
Swan-shaped boats are frequent, along with the perfect picnic spots all around. There’s a food court right outside the entrance to the lake. Not the kind of place I visit, and I didn’t actually cross the gate, but this could be what YOU are looking for in Lansdowne!
2. Tip N’ Top Viewpoint (Again, No)
Distance from city centre: 1 km
Tip N’ Top, alternatively known as Tiffin Top, is the highest hilltop and viewpoint. Located at 1700m above sea level, Tip N’ Top supposedly gives a wide view of the Garhwal hills and the forested area nearby, even though the time I visited, no range was visible due to trees blocking what lay ahead.
There’s an adventure park for further enjoyment if you are traveling with your family and kids. Otherwise, no, this is not at all interesting. In fact, you can give it a pass.
3. St. John’s Church
Distance from city centre: 1 km
St. John’s Church, being one of the two churches in Lansdowne, stands out for its British history. The church had to be closed post-independence, due to the scarcity of English priests in India. Built in 1936, St. John’s Church was the predominant Catholic church in its prime. Now it’s only a relic that reminds us of the outworn history.
4. St. Mary’s Church
The second church that doesn’t get much spotlight in the tourist books, is the Protestant church strongly influential at that time, St. Mary’s Church. Inside the church, the pictures of grand Christian weddings are well preserved. The lawn stretching from the gate to the church is beautifully furnished with flowers, making it an architecturally soothing place.
5. Bhim Pakora
Distance from city centre: 1 km
A structure of two stones, one balancing on another in Lansdowne is known as Bhim Pakora. No matter how much you try, you cannot make any of the stones move even an inch.
6. Rathi Hut
Distance from city centre: 0 km
Named after Sir Rathi, Rathi Hut is a small hike away from the main road. It’s a round monument with an open view in front. You can see the valley connecting the mountains. That’s what we call ‘khal‘ in Uttarakhand.
Also read – I Heard A Roar from Behind My Tent
How to Reach Lansdowne from Delhi
How can you reach Lansdowne, especially from Delhi? Here is a guide to visiting this hill station by bus, train and air.
By bus: From Delhi, Direct buses run until Rishikesh. From Rishikesh, two routes can be taken to reach this town. Route 1 is the easiest and most time-efficient. This is the Rishikesh-Neelkanth route. Lansdowne is around 100 km away from Rishikesh. Route 2 is through Devprayag-Srinager-Pauri-Kotdwar, a much longer route that requires a lot of time. Or, the smartest choice is to reach Kotdwar by bus (all the major cities run buses up to Kotdwar). From Kotdwar, go for a local bus to reach this town.
By rail: Kotdwar Railway Station, located 45 km away from this hill station, is the nearest railway station.
By air: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.
Where to Stay in Lansdowne
Where to stay in Lansdowne if you are on a budget? Hindu Dharamshala. It is right in the middle of the Lansdowne market. The dorm beds are for Rs. 200 per person. A standard room is Rs. 500 for two people. The rooms are huge with an attached bathroom.
Here are a few homestays for you to choose from:
Alright! That’s a wrap on the best places to visit in Lansdowne Uttarakhand. Click here to get all the tourist places pinned on Google Maps.
Have you enjoyed walking through the pine tree-laden roads of this hill station in Uttarakhand?
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