India's Valleys are Just as Gorgeous as it's Hill Stations: The 10 Best Places to Visit in and Around Dehradun (2019)

You will find Dehradun in the itinerary of many people - be it foreigners, get-away seekers or Indians from other states. Needless to say they have various reasons to choose the best vacationing spot. Some of them are:

Of course there are more than 10 best places to visit in Dehradun but you need no other reason to visit Dehradun than the fact that it is located at the foothills of Himalayas.

The place is all about valleys and amazing green mountains, all thanks to the mighty Himalayan Mountain Ranges in front of it. Apart from the calm weather and beautiful scenic views, you always get to explore the beauty of Himalayas in Dehradun through various treks and hills here.

Dehradun or simply Doon is known as the Gateway to Mussoorie. It only takes 45 minutes to travel to Mussoorie from Dehradun and this is the best way to plan your trip to Doon too.

A visit to Dehradun typically lasts 2-3 days as you will be done covering all the interesting places within that time. But you can then escape to the Queen of Hills, Mussoorie from there. The short distance allows you to explore another gorgeous mountain city and its beautiful outdoors

Thanks to the mix of chilly Himalayas and sunshine , the weather remains mostly pleasant throughout the year. However, the best time to visit Dehradun is from March to June. This is the main summer season across India but the weather remains mostly sunny and pleasant enough in Dehradun causing a lot of tourists flocking around in the city.

Apart from the amazing weather, stunning landscapes are another reason to visit this city at least once in your lifetime.

Robber’s Cave is a really popular picnic and trekking spot in Dehradun. Tourists prefer this spot for photography sessions. If you are planning to go to Dehradun then you should know that it remains open from 7am to 6pm and there is no entry fee for this place. It is around 8 km away from the centre of Dehradun.

The natural cave formation with river flowing inside is a gorgeous sight and you will be able to grab so many amazing photographs here as well. Make sure to carry enough water and snacks while visiting this place as there's nothing available close-by. It is also known as Guchhupani in the local language. The beautiful river is worthy of taking a bath with the long trek.

Lacchiwala is another picnic spot in Dehradun which is now renamed as Nature Park. Although, it is 15km away from Dehradun but you are going to love the experience of visiting this place. This place is perfect for kids as well as adults and you can always spot a huge crowd here.

Apart from the natural beauty, there are pools to enjoy fun baths here. You need 3-4 hours handy to explore and enjoy this place completely.Other things you can do here are trekking, bird watching, and of course relax for a while with your family. The entry fee for adults here is Rs.10 while it is half for the kids with parking charges separately. The place remains open from 10am to 4pm and you are going to love visiting this place in summers.

Tapkeshwar temple or Tapkeshwar Mahadev is situated approx. 6 km away from the center of Dehradun. This is a beautiful shrine dedicated to lord Shiva which has caves and beautiful river flowing around by its side. The sight of this place is definitely enchanting.

The Shivalinga is situated inside the Cave which is also known as Drona Cave. Here the water keeps on falling in form of drops from the top of the ceiling on shivalinga which is a mesmerizing sight. Like all temples, there is no entry fee .

It remains open from 6am to 7pm throughout the week. You need around an 1 hour to visit this place completely and do not forget to sit by the bank of the river to experience a great divine feeling in the temple.

Malsi Deer Park is one of the most popular places in this list of 10 best places to visit in Dehradun. This is a major wildlife attraction for tourists which is located on the Mussorie Road, 10 km away from Dehradun. This Deer Park is developed as a small zoological garden which can be chosen as the perfect family picnic place too.

It remains open from 10am to 6pm and the entry fee here is Rs.10 per person. This place is surrounded by Malsi Reserve Forest and it is perfect for sightseeing of various types of deer in their natural habitat. Apart from the deer, this place is famous for bird watching too. Completely opposite to the hustle and bustle of city area, Malsi Deer Park is a perfect escape for the tourists as well as locals.

So, we have talked about many picnic spots in Dehradun but it is time to discuss some local shopping here. Paltan Bazar is indeed the perfect location for it which is situated in the center of the city. It is go-to market for all sorts of stuff in Dehradun and you will surely find something interesting enough to buy here. You can find things like clothing, footwear, gift items, handicrafts and many other stuff in this very market only. This is the reason you can always spot huge crowd in this area.

Make sure you buy some woolens when you are in Paltan Bazar. This bazar remains open from 10am to 10pm and we would recommend you to visit this place in evening to enjoy some street food as well as do some shopping from here.

The meaning of Sahastradhara is a Thousand Fold Spring and the place is indeed the same as its meaning. Here water drips like waterfall on Limestone Stalactites which looks absolutely breathtaking. Tthis also makes the water Sulphur rich and it is believed to have some healing properties . Sahastradhara is located 15km away from Dehradun amidst the mountains and hills making a perfect scenery for the tourists here.

Apart from the waterfalls, the place has some amazing caves too but you need to be cautious enough while visiting them. There is no entry fee here and the place is recommended to visit from 8am to 7pm. You can also find an amusement park and a rope-way some distance away from this place so basically it is a complete package for anyone visiting Dehradun.

If you are looking for fun places to visit in Dehradun for couples then you would love to visit Fun Valley in Dehradun. Interestingly, the place is located between the Golden Triangle of Uttarakhand which means it is almost equidistant from Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar.

This is an amusement park perfect for kids, adults, family and couples. It remains open from 9am to 7pm and has an entry fee of Rs. 600-700 per person depending on height of the person and free for kids below 3 feet. The place is basically a water park with exciting rides, multi-cuisine restaurant, motel and a lot of activities. Fun Valley is amongst the most popular tourist destination in entire Uttarakhand and you need at least 3-4 hours to have fun here. Visit this place in weekends and you would not regret the experience for sure.

If you are in a mood to spend at least a week in Dehradun then you should directly head towards Bali Pass. Despite being so popular, it is one of the least visited treks in Himalayan region and this is what makes it perfect for solitude and a relaxing experience.

It is set on an elevation of about 5000 meters and looks quite breathtaking. What makes it super special for the trekkers is that, it is the only place from where you can capture Kalanag, Bander Poonch and Swargarohini peaks at the same time.

The trail of this trek also passes through a lot of amazing destinations like Govind National Park, Verdant Meadows, Yamunotri temple etc. Throughout this trek, you will get to see some of the most breathtaking landscapes and this is what makes it once in a lifetime experience for people.

Assan Barrage is located 28km Northwest of Dehradun and the entire area is a wetland situated at the confluence of Assan River and Eastern Yamuna Canal.

This is kind of a lake which is popular for attracting so many threatened and endangered species of waterfowls in this area. The place looks absolutely dreamy and it is no less than a heaven for the bird watchers and photography lovers.

In recent times, it has been converted into a Bird Sanctuary too which makes it even more important to visit. Apart from all that, you can also visit the water sport complex here to enjoy various water activities like rowing, water skiing, kayaking, paddle boating etc. The place remains open from 9am to 5pm with no entry fee.

Har ki Dun is amongst the 10 best places to visit in Dehradun which is also a trek just like Bali Pass but with different landscapes and region. This is a valley with untouched beauty because of the very less human interference here.

Located at an elevation of 3500 meters, it is one of the remotest trekking areas of Uttarakhand. If you want to visit the unexplored Garhwal Himalayan areas then Har Ki Dun is the place to go. Pine woods and sparkling mountain tops with snow are a common sight here. However, it is a 7-8 hours of drive from Dehradun which leads you to Har Ki Dun but it is definitely worth spending every single minute of the travel time here.

These were the 10 best places to visit in Dehradun and of course there are more if you have plenty of spare time with you. Dehradun is a beautiful town but you surely need few tips before you decide to travel out there. From health safety to organised planning, here are a bunch of things to consider when you have decided to travel to Dehradun.

One of the most common issues that you will be facing in Dehradun is about the water out there. It contains a high amount of Calcium Carbonate whose prolonged consumption can cause a lot of health issues.

So, it is recommended to stick to the boiled or bottled water to ensure complete safety of you and your family. Do not rely on tap water although it is mostly boiled. Bottled water is easily available so make sure that you consume it for drinking.

The best way to travel to Dehradun is to opt for train journey over a flight. The Railway Station is inside the town while you would have to take a 40 minutes journey from Airport to reach to Dehradun. The most convenient way would be to book a flight till Delhi and then opt for 1st Class train journey from Delhi to Dehradun. The charges are quite affordable and the train journey would be super comfortable too.

There is no doubt in the fact that there are many tourist places in Dehradun. However, a weekend trip is more than enough to explore the town entirely. The place is small and the tourist locations are quite nearby to each other. So, you won’t be having a big trouble visiting around the town. You need maximum 3 days to explore Dehradun completely.

Talking about the food in Dehradun then Punjabi cuisine literally rules the town. Major influence from Punjabi people makes this town quite homely and hence you will easily find amazing and lip smacking North Indian cuisine here.

If you are not a big fan of Punjabi cuisine then you will have to rely on fast food items here. Other cuisines and food items are not easily available here.