Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Signature Garhwal · Unhurried
Six slow nights in Garhwal's two best-known hotel addresses: three at Taj Rishikesh on a quiet bend of the Ganga above the town, with a private yoga teacher, a guided morning in Rishikesh and a rafting run; then three at JW Marriott Mussoorie with Landour's lanes and Sir George Everest's house.
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · CommonsThis is the trip for couples and families who want the Ganga and the hills without long drives. The airport is 35 km from Rishikesh, and no day has more than three hours in the car. Taj Rishikesh sits at Singthali, about 30 km upstream of the town, on the right bank where the river runs green over white sand; the noise of Tapovan and Lakshman Jhula is a half-hour drive away.
Our private guide takes you into Rishikesh for the evening aarti and the old ashrams, including the Beatles' former ashram at Chaurasi Kutia. Then the car climbs to Mussoorie and the JW Marriott Walnut Grove on the Kempty road, with its spa, indoor pool and long valley view. From there, Landour's ridge and Everest's old observatory are each a short drive away.
Sleeping altitude, night by night
Red points are nights above 3,000 m. We pace those climbs by the usual advice of no more than 300–500 m of sleeping height a day. This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor before a high trip. Try the altitude planner.
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Jolly Grant and drives past Rishikesh and up the Badrinath road to Singthali, where Taj Rishikesh sits above the Ganga. The rest of the day is yours: the pool, the spa, or a walk down to the white-sand beach on the river. Dinner at the hotel.
About RishikeshStart with a private yoga session at the hotel. After lunch, your guide takes you into Rishikesh: Lakshman Jhula, the Swarg Ashram side, and Chaurasi Kutia, the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi where the Beatles stayed in 1968, now a forest-department site with an entry fee. End at Parmarth Niketan's ghat for the evening Ganga aarti before driving back.
About RishikeshLeave before dawn for Kunjapuri, a hilltop Devi temple at about 1,670 m above Narendra Nagar, for sunrise over the Garhwal peaks. Back for breakfast. In the dry season, from mid-September to June, raft the 16 km from Shivpuri with a licensed operator, or float a gentler stretch if you have children. Free evening at the hotel.
About RishikeshA late breakfast, then drive through Dehradun and up the Mussoorie road to the JW Marriott on the Kempty road. Check in, then try the spa or indoor pool. In the late afternoon your guide takes you to Gun Hill or the Mall for the sunset over the Doon valley.
About Mussoorie & LandourDrive to Landour, the old cantonment above Mussoorie, and walk the chakkar loop with your guide: St Paul's Church, Char Dukan for pancakes and ginger lemon honey tea, Lal Tibba for the snow peaks on a clear morning, and Sisters' Bazaar. Lunch at Rokeby Manor near Char Dukan. Back to the hotel for a quiet evening.
About Mussoorie & LandourMorning at Park Estate in Hathipaon, the restored house and observatory of Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India, with views over the Aglar valley. After lunch, drive east to the deodar forest of Dhanaulti, or rest at the hotel if you prefer.
About Mussoorie & LandourDrive down to Jolly Grant airport via Dehradun. On weekends we leave early to avoid traffic on the Mussoorie road.
About Mussoorie & LandourWhere you sleep
Photo: Sutharsan Shekhar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
A Taj resort on 13 acres above the Ganga at Singthali, about 30 km upstream of Rishikesh, with rooms and villas fa…
Photo: Paul Hamilton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Luxury
A large resort at Siya village on the Kempty Falls road, west of Mussoorie, with valley-view rooms and suites, a s…
Questions
This 6-night plan starts at ₹1,10,000 per person, twin sharing, with breakfast at the Taj and JW Marriott, a private car, guide, rafting and a yoga session. Peak weekends, suites and full board cost more.
No. It is at Singthali, about 30 km upstream on the Badrinath road, on a quiet stretch of the Ganga. The town's ghats and cafes are about 45 minutes away by car.
Yes. Both hotels have spas and views, drives are short, and days are unhurried. October–November and February–April are the best months for clear days.
Operators usually set a minimum age, often around 14 for the longer runs; younger children can do shorter, calmer stretches with life jackets. Rules vary, so we check with the operator for your dates.
Yes. Ananda, above Rishikesh at Narendra Nagar, is a destination spa built around programmes of yoga, Ayurveda and treatments. It suits travellers who want a wellness stay rather than sightseeing.
October to April for Rishikesh and March to June or October to December for Mussoorie. October, November, March and April suit both. July and August are wet.
No permits are needed. Chaurasi Kutia and Park Estate charge small entry fees. Char Dham registration is not required unless you add a shrine.
About 75 km via Dehradun, 2.5–3 hours by car, more with weekend traffic on the Mussoorie road.
Yes. Hotels fill and traffic is heavy from 24 December to 1 January. Book at least six weeks ahead and expect higher rates.
More from Garhwal
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Private car with driver
Photo: Paul Hamilton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Private car with driver
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Private car with driver and helicopter shuttle
Plan with a local planner
We reply within one working day with a route, a sleeping-altitude profile and an itemised price in your tier. Change anything. Pay nothing until you are sure.