[Amit75]

Originally Posted by Fusion2006

Folks,

I am planning to drive from Gurgaon to Delhi in a couple of weeks (14th June).

From other (rather older) posts I gather the best route is: Gurgaon - Delhi - Ghaziabad - Modinagar - Meerut - Khatauli - Muzaffarnagar - Saharanpur - Chhutmalpur - Dehradun - Musoorie

I plan to start around 5am from Gurgaon and will be driving my fluidic Verna.

Can someone who's done this trip recently suggest the current best route and road conditions?

Thanks!

Hi,

You don't need to go to Saharanpur. Just stick to the bypass and continue towards Roorkee. The road is excellent for approximately 20-25 kms after Muzzafarnagar. After that, it is decent except for a few bottle necks in places like Purkazi etc. However, as you are leaving early in the morning you should be able to avoid any traffic at these points.

Roorkee to Chuttmalpur, you will again encounter some traffic in the morning.

After Chuttmalpur, the traffic condition is better till the time you reach Dehradun. Dehradun city traffic is again bad but you should still be be able to cross the city in 30 mins or so.

My in-laws stay in Mussoorie and I regularly travel to Mussoorie from Gurgaon. If you can leave at 4:00 am that would be helpful.

You may take a break at Haldiram's/McDonalds outlets located a few kms before Muzzafarnagar.

If you have any other queries regarding the route or for Mussoorie, do let me know. I'll be glad to help.

Regards,
Amit

[Fusion2006]

^^Thanks guys for your tips. I visited Mussoorie last weekend and used the following route:

Gurgaon - Delhi - Ghaziabad - Modinagar - Meerut Bypass - Khatauli Bypass - Muzaffarnagar Bypass - Roorkee - Chhutmalpur - Dehradun - Musoorie.

Started at 5am from Gurgaon and avoided most traffic except in Dehradoon and in entering Mussoorie.

Roads were good except between Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee, but even then not too bad - many potholes, but still okay. They are building one side of the highway so I expect once that is done it will be excellent. The Toll Road between Modinagar to Muzaffarnagar Bypass is excellent.

Weather was good on the way there, but returning was in torrential downpour which saw several small landslides between Mussoorie and Dehradun (good road) and Dehradun and Mohand (not so good). Fortunately, none of the landslides were bad enough to stop us. I guess roads between Muzaffarnagar - Roorkee will soon also be in bad shape due to the monsoon hitting.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Fusion2006

Fortunately, none of the landslides were bad enough to stop us. I guess roads between Muzaffarnagar - Roorkee will soon also be in bad shape due to the monsoon hitting.

Dehradun - Roorkee and Dehradun - Paonta Sahib roads are impassable since Sunday evening, till this afternoon. Major traffic jam extending from Bahadurabad to Muzaffarnagar till yesterday evening. Current feedback says traffic has started moving towards D'dun slowly, but road to Haridwar is still washed away and not motorable. Major flooding of highway at Saharanpur as well. There's water on the NH1 at Karnal and Yamunanagar leading to major traffic snarls. Anybody planning to head that way is advised not to for at least the next 48 hours.

[SS-Traveller]

As of this morning, Dehradun and Mussoorie roads are open and congestion-free. I am sure a lot of hotels in Mussoorie would be offering big discounts over the coming weekend, considering the number of cancellations they would have received after the floods!

[Ironhide]

Mussoorie is one of he closest and most accessible hill stations from Delhi. There are a host of things to do in the place, other than the routine. I'll try & line them up though this by no means qualifies as a comprehensive list. Others are welcome to add on to it!

Routine Attractions

1. Mall Road - Eateries, video games, woollen stuff/antiques(?)/wood stuff ( for the shoppingly inclined) + the regular touristy haunts & stuff to do - horserides, pictures clicked in fancy dresses etc.
   
   
2. Gun Hill - Excellent view of of the Doon Valley on one side , especially after a rain. Can see the whole valley up to the Shivalik range & beyond. On the other side one can see the beautiful snowcapped peaks of Middle Himalayas. Crowded. A cable car takes you up, else it's an invigorating and refreshing 20 minute walk up- definitely good for your lungs ! Carry water though!
   
   
3. Company Gardens - A garden with the regular swings for the kids and a lot of greenery which is sometimes unkempt & not so well maintained. It has its share if trees and quiet places though.
   
   
4. Kempty Falls - Waterfalls a little away from Mussoorie. A lot crowded now and v-e-r-y commercialised. Extremely crowded on weekends and the stream has all but disappeared.
   
   
5. Camel's Back Road- A 2 km (or thereabouts) stretch of quiet, contemplative road. Not so touristy, but still it has its stalls and hangers on. Best if done on foot(though ponies/mules are available). Flat throughout and is an easy walk. Affords great views of the Garhwal Himalayas or the Middle Himalayas. On a clear day one can see snow capped peaks like Bandarpunch, Kedardome, Panchachuli, Chaukhambha etc. Great for ruminating while enjoying amazing Himalayan vistas. Would definitely recommend a halt at the Pagoda Style view point roughly in the middle of the circuit and take in the beautiful vistas while sipping on a hot beverage from the small chai-dukaan close by. Recommended.
   
   
6. Dhanaulti- 24 km from Mussoorie. Touristy, crowded and still beautiful. Pristine meadows, old Pines & Deodars and some solitude if you know where to look. The drive is beautiful too.

The not so touristy(yet somewhat crowded) places

1. Clouds End(Not the resort) - A place called 'Cloud's End' because that's where the clouds seemed to end. There's a resort by the same name. Away from the crowd. Some great vistas of the valley and the mountains beyond. Onwards is a road to Dudhli village which leads to the Bhadra Raj temple, not before a 3 hour moderate-to-arduous trek though. More on that later.
   
   
2. Hathi Paon - Yep, you heard that right -'the elephant's foot'! Well the name is derived from a small peak that is supposed to look like an elephant's foot. A vehicle will go down to the valley, but the trek up to Hathipaon starts from the valley floor and it's about 2 km of incline (pretty scenic though. There is sir George Everest's hut from which one can see the leeward side of Mussoorie & supposedly up to Tibet too on a clear day. One can gaze out to the Doon valley & even beyond on a clear day . Great ambiance, total nature. Carry your own water & food.

Suggested Places(other than the ones above)

1. Char Dukaan - It'a Part of the scenic and as yet unspoit Landour Cantt(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landour) which is beautiful in its own right. A little alcove of a place where there were four shops to start with. It's a quieter, secluded (and hence pristine) part of Mussoorie. As with all places in Mussoorie - best accessed on foot (though it involves a fair amount of walking up inclines- be advised to carry your H2O). Quiet little place for sitting down and sipping your coffee & between bites of waffles & maple syrup that the shopkeeper stocks specially for the students of the Language School(http://landourlanguageschool.com/). Nothing beats a piping hot coffee on a freezing December morning under the walnut tree in front of the Chaar Dukaan complex. Heaven ! The St Paul's Church adjacent is beautiful and quiet - best place to catch up with your thoughts. The sunny garden of the church with its wrought iron-wood benches make a great place to catch up you reading.Close by is the circuit (approx 2 km again) that takes you the Childer's Lodge -the hauntingly beautiful cemetery-Kellogg Church - the Prakash stores for some great homemade jams, chutneys & handknitted woollens & Lal Tibba (home to the TV Tower). The walk is incredibly invigorating and rejuvenating with picturesque vistas and greenery all around. What comes free is the sweet smell of Deodar and all the solitude you could absorb. Great place to be alone with your thoughts. Definitely recommended.
   
   
2. Bhadraraj Temple - Only recommended for the serious, serious trekkers with a bit of experience. The trek from the road head (Dudhli Village) to the temple (one way) is 4 hours approx. No amenities on the way (which means you have to carry your own water & sustenance) and no accommodation en-route or at the temple(unless of course you plan on sleeping on the temple verandah itself!). Extremely satisfying trek (I did it about 5 years back) and extremely rewarding in terms of the sheer beauty it offers. the route passes through unspoiled rhododendron forests, green meadows and copses of pine and Deodar. Limited/no cellphone connectivity en-route. Can be done in one day turnaround.
   
   
3. Surkunda Devi Temple - A little further ahead from Dhanaulti (approx 8 km away). Great vistas from on top and a moderate to tough climb - definitely not recommended for the old and infirm & and those with a heart condition. Ponies/mules are available at the small market at the base though. Great vistas, with the advantages of having washed off your sins ! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surkanda_Devi)
   
   
4. Chakrata - A cantonment town, somewhat off the tourist circuit with some great vistas and unspoiled, untouched beauty. Slightly away from Mussoorie (aprox 70 km). Great surroundings and of the beaten track. Nice unspoiled places in and around (Tapovan, Kanasar) is what makes Chakrata so interesting. There are a few travelogues on Chakrata on the forum. Definitely worth a visit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakrata.The route from Mussoorie to Chakrata is decent and passes through Kempty-Sainji-Yamuna Bridge-Nagthat-Chakrata. Good circuit, though somewhat desolate. Achingly beautiful. Alternately one could descend to Rishikesh through Mussoorie-Dhnaulti-Kaddukhal-Chamba-Narendranagar-Rishikesh. Again a good circuit en route to Delhi.

PS: A few pointers :-

• One would do well to read up on one's Ruskin Bond before one visits Mussoorie - helps you get a lighthearted and yet deeper perspective on the roots, culture and machinations of this truly gem of a hill station.
  
• The lazy drive up to Mussoorie from the foothills at Rajpur (in Doon) is best savoured on a two wheeler (if you can manage it) - with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Totally worth it.
  
• As with all hill stations, the more you walk - the more you discover. Places within and in the immediate confines of Mussoorie are best explored on foot. Inexpensive, eco-friendly and a great way to work up a healthy appetite and a good night's sleep. Of course your doc will give it a thumbs up too.
  
• Strictly follow hill driving etiquettes - giving way to vehicles on their way up, always sticking to your lane and no overtaking ever on curves amongst others- make it safe for others and yourself.
  
• One request - please keep the hill station clean- for our future generation to enjoy the same beauty of nature as we do today!

Cheers !!

[saurabhdadhichi]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

As of this morning, Dehradun and Mussoorie roads are open and congestion-free. I am sure a lot of hotels in Mussoorie would be offering big discounts over the coming weekend, considering the number of cancellations they would have received after the floods!

Thanks for the update! I will be leaving for Guniyal Gaon few kilometers away from Dehradun enroute to Mussourie. I will update on the road conditions once i am back by Sunday this weekend.

[c_trivedi]

Hello

I just returned from Dehradun (to Gurgaon) yesterday. Roads between Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee are in pretty bad shape. The sheer number of potholes and bad stretches are really frustrating. I've been seeing that road-widening work going on (except that I don't ever see any people/machinery at work) since I first drove to Dehradun in 2010, and I must say that I don't expect it to be completed anytime in the near future. Onwards, from Roorkee to Mohand via Chhutmalpur, and from Mohand to Dehradun is also messed up. Traffic is still managebale as that hasn't changed much over the last few years, but the road conditions are such that you'll easily end up wasting about 1.5 hours of drivetime commute, not to mention damaging your car's suspension.
I have to drive to Dehradun again some time next month, and this time I want to try the route via Paonta Sahib/Yamunanagar. I've driven to Saharanpur via Yamunanagar and that stretch was in pretty bad shape last year, esp. around Yamunanagar. Does anybody know anything about the latest road conditions on this route? Should I take the road via Saharanpur or should I go via Paonta Sahib?

Let me know if anybody can help. Thanks!

[avingodb]

Guys, any recent updates on the Delhi Dehradun stretch?
I plan to drive to Dehradun and around for the upcoming Good Friday weekend.

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by avingodb

Guys, any recent updates on the Delhi Dehradun stretch?
I plan to drive to Dehradun and around for the upcoming Good Friday weekend.

If you don't leave early, there's a possibility that you may get stuck in the traffic in the Mohan Nagar-Modinagar stretch.
The stretch post Muzaffarnagar (where the four-laning ends) till Mohund is bad, with the traffic being diverted to one side of the much potholed road - bone-jarring with unruly oncoming traffic.
A friend recently took a taxi from Delhi to Dehradun. The driver took the route Karnal - Kurukshetra (Pipli)-Yamunanagar-Paonta Sahib- Dehradun. They started early and despite the route being 30 kms longer than the traditional Delhi - Meerut bypass- Muzafarnagar bypass- Roorkee-Dehradun route, reached in lesser time than what they would have spent on the traditional route. You may have a look at this option too. The road, he said, was largely okay.

Cheers !

[avingodb]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

If you don't leave early

Cheers !

thanks for that info.
Google maps also suggests Panipat-Shamli-Saharanpur-Doon.
Any updates on the status of this route?

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by avingodb

thanks for that info.
Google maps also suggests Panipat-Shamli-Saharanpur-Doon.
Any updates on the status of this route?

I've had a bad experience on the Delhi - Baraut - Shamli - Saharanpur route that I had taken a few years back. Shamli is a major centre for brick production. Heavily laden trucks ply on all roads emanating out of Shamli and hence the roads were in a bad shape then - the drive totalled the front suspension of my Zen. Potholes were the size of small craters - may not have improved so much of late. You might like to reconsider your route.

(PS:The route that my friend took was this https://goo.gl/maps/IQ5fc, while the traditional route looks like this - https://goo.gl/maps/qUntZ)

Cheers!

[avingodb]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

bad experience

Thanks for clarifying that beyond doubt. Will stick to the Roorkee route only then.
Cheers!

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by avingodb

Thanks for clarifying that beyond doubt. Will stick to the Roorkee route only then.
Cheers!

So which route did you finally take? If you went by the Roorkee route, can you let us know the condition of the roads from Muzaffarnagar to Roorkee and beyond?

Cheers !

[avingodb]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

So which route

I went by the Muzaffarnagar-Roorkee-Chhutmalpur road. Left home by 5.45, crossed Gaziabad and Modinagar in time before the rush hour and was at Moolchand for breakfast by 8.40. Started again by 9.10 and crossed Muzzafarnagar by 9.30. From here the torture begins!

Real big potholes, no diversion marks and unruly local traffic, in particular, in Pahloura and Purquazi. (I always wonder why people driving on wrong side use high beam!) Finally crossed Roorkee by 11.45 which was pretty crowded by then. Reached Chhutmalpur after a small tea break by 12.30 and Doon at 1.30.

The last stretch around Chhutmalpur has some real bad patches and one spot where there is only a single lane operational due to bridge work. That took some time.

Returned via Paonta-Yamunanagar-Pipli-Karnal route. It took exactly the same time overall, but it also involved a relatively long lunch break at Karnal Haveli which was super-crowded. GPS also landed us at the Jagdhari Railway crossing via market and then sugermills which took 15 mins extra.

However scenic stretches on this route were worth the extra kms!

The total distance: To Doon (IMA): 270 kms, Return Route (from Ballupur Chowk) 330 kms.

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by avingodb

I went by the Muzaffarnagar-Roorkee-Chhutmalpur road....the torture begins!.....Real big potholes, no diversion marks and unruly local traffic, in particular, in Pahloura and Purquazi. (I always wonder why people driving on wrong side use high beam!...The last stretch around Chhutmalpur has some real bad patches and one spot where there is only a single lane operational due to bridge work. That took some time.

....Returned via Paonta-Yamunanagar-Pipli-Karnal route. ......However scenic stretches on this route were worth the extra kms!

The total distance: To Doon (IMA): 270 kms, Return Route (from Ballupur Chowk) 330 kms.

Thanks for the info avingodb. I guess I'll stick to the Karnal - Pipli - Yamunanagar - Paonta Sahib - Dehradun route, even if means doing a 50 Km extra circuit. At least I'll be spared the murderous, suspension killer roads in the Muzaffarnagar - Chhutmalpur section(there are bad patches even post Mohund , up on the twisties!). And yes, the drive through the Kalesar National Park is indeed scenic with the advantage of reasonably tarred and largely empty roads. Even the Paonta Sahib - Dehradun stretch is pretty scenic, and there's the added advantage of taking in the views (and some blessings accompanied by piping hot Karah Prashad!) from the Gurudwara

Cheers !