On our 6 days trip to Uttarakhand through Nainital, Corbett and Mussoorie, we took a Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip on the 4th day of the trip. After enjoying a staycation in Jim Corbett National Park. Our trip plan was –
Bhimtal and Nainital (Day 1 & 2) -> Jim Corbett National Park (Day 3) -> Road Trip from Jim Corbett to Mussoorie (Day 4) -> Mussoorie (Day 5 & 6)Â
Although the Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip takes around 7 hours to complete, we wanted to halt at a few points on the way. The route that we were taking today was –
Jim Corbett National Park -> Haridwar -> Rishikesh -> Dehradun -> Mussoorie
The Jim Corbett to Mussoorie distance by road is ~250 km.
There is no direct train route between Jim Corbett and Mussoorie.
Buses comply between Jim Corbett National Park and Mussoorie & Dehradun.
Since we pass through some of the very popular Hindu pilgrimage destinations like Haridwar and Rishikesh which have a lot to offer themselves, if you start the trip as early as possible from Jim Corbett National Park, you will be able to stop on some key locations on the way. So, here’s the full detail of places to visit and things to do when taking a Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip like we did. So, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Map of Jim Corbett National Park to Mussoorie road trip
Although since the road trip itself is long, one can only cover a couple of key locations in Haridwar and Rishikesh on their Jim Corbett National Park to Mussoorie road trip.
Pit stops on the road trip from Corbett National Park to Mussoorie
Har ki Pauri Haridwar
The literal meaning of “Har ki Pauri” is “The Feet of Lord Vishnu”. It is a ghat on the banks of river Ganga, where it leaves the mountains and enters the plain. There is a temple of Lord Vishnu adjacent to the ghat. This is also the place where the “Kumbh Mela” is organised every 12 years. There is also an “Ardh Kumbh” organised every 6 years here.
The story of Har Ki Pauri goes such that after the “samudra manthan” when the pot of Amrit was being carried by Garuda, a drop from it fell at this very spot. Making it immensely holy and divine. As a result, hundreds and thousands of people every year take dip in the Ganga river at this spot.
My fond memories of Har ki Pauri are from years back. When as a kid, I visited here along with many other revered Pilgrimage spots in Uttarakhand including the char dham on my first trip. I particularly liked the evening aarti and letting the clay “diyas” float in the water after the aarti. While we sat there for hours on the bank of river, looking at the floating diyas, experiencing extreme tranquility.
If possible, I highly recommend stopping on your from Jim Corbett to Mussoorie at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar.
A Ganga view restaurant in Rishikesh for lunch
Post your visit to Har Ki Pauri, you can proceed to Rishikesh. Rishikesh is also one of the ancient pilgrimage centers in India. It is said that when river Ganga descended at earth, at Gangotri, her speed was uncontrolled. In her new found freedom, she marched further with immense force at Haridwar. Destroying the Aashram and fields of sage Jahnu. And causing damage to other properties and establishments. As a result, he got angry and cursed her to loose her speed. As a result, when you see the river Ganga in Rishikesh, it is completely opposite just a km further in the town – calm and serene with a widespread river bed.
And here onwards, the river proceeds calmly to the rest of the North India, flowing through Prayag, Varanasi, several other towns and cities of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal before merging into the sea. I am always fascinated by this story.
Coming back to our topic though, Rishikesh is a perfect place to feel and connect to the calm of river Ganga. That is why it is the Yoga capital of India and one of the most popular places for peace seekers. However, it is impossible to experience all that Rishikesh has to offer in just a passing. So, we recommend stopping here by a riverside restaurant for your lunch on your Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip. We did the same on our road trip from Jim Corbett to Mussoorie. We had lunch at Jal and Jalebi restaurant. And thereafter sat by the “private ghat” of this property, enjoying the tranquil waves of river Ganga before proceeding further.
Lakshman Jhoola and Ram Jhoola Rishikesh
If you are following your schedule, you might be able to include two landmarks of Rishikesh in your trip – Lakshman Jhoola nad Ram Jhoola. These are two suspension bridges in the main town of Rishikesh that are world famous. It is believed that the Hindu deity Lakshmana crossed the river Ganga on a jute rope at this spot. Where the Lakshman Jhula was built at the time of east India company. It is only open to pedestrians as of today. Ram Jhula is another adjacent suspension bridge to Lakshman Jhula. Both these bridges are definitely the highlights of Rishikesh.
There is a lot to do in Haridwar and Rishikesh. So, I highly recommend you to make separate trip to these places. Or, add a few extra days to your itinerary so that you can spend at least one night in both these places. While Haridwar is more of a religious place, with lots of old Hindu Temples and beautiful ghats of river Ganga. At the same time Rishikesh has a lot to offer to travellers across age groups and interests, that includes –
- Old Temples
- The best river rafting in India
- Yoga centers where you can learn yoga short as well as long term and even become certified yoga instructor
- Many beautiful waterfalls around
- National Parks like Rajaji National Park
- Beautiful Sunrise and Sunet points
- Mesmerising views of the Himalayan peaks
- A gateway to upper himalayan destinations and pilgrimage places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Jamnotri and many more.
- Numerous trekking trails around and also gateway to multi-day trekking
Alas, we didnt have a stay option at Rishikesh or Haridwar in this trip. We will definitely plan another one for these places. From Rishikesh, we proceeded to Dehradun and then to Mussoorie.
Onwards trip to Dehradun and Mussoorie
We reached Dehradun by 5:00pm. Surprisingly, the distance from Dehradun to Mussoorie is only around 30km. But it is through the winding ghat roads. As a result, takes a minimum of 1 hour to cover this distance. And, since we were visiting Mussoorie over a weekend and that also the Dussehra long weekend, there was a lot of traffic. As a result, it took us almost 3 hours to reach our hotel in Mussoorie.
On the positive side, we got to observe a beautiful sunset across the mountains and the splash of neon colors in the sky long after the sun had disappeared. Also, we got to enjoy beautiful views of the whole mountain ranges, and the valley of Dehradun while we were stuck in traffic on the way from Dehradun to Mussoorie.
One observation that I made while stuck in the traffic here was that, there is a strong cafe culture in Mussoorie. Throughout the ascent from Dehradun to Mussoorie, there are countless cute cafes flocking the highway. And as night approached, their twinkling lights and beautiful ambience added to the charm. It must be a bliss for those living in Dehradun to travel to one of these cafes any day, any time and enjoy a cup of coffee while soaking in the views!!
End of our Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip
As we approached the town of Mussoorie, the traffic only increased. It seems the main road leading to the town of Mussoorie has started facing this congestion almost on a daily basis. We finally reached our hotel, Madhuvan Sarovar Portico by the end of the day, around 8:00pm.
We had a quick checkin. And then we had dinner at the hotel premises itself. Although my heart was set for one of those cute cafes, we didn’t have time to explore around today. Given the kids were tired from the journey. So, we had our quick dinner and then retired to bed.
Tips on planning a road trip to Mussoorie
If you are planning a road trip to Mussoorie, no matter from where, here’s some tips from our Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip experience that will help you :
- Start as early as possible from Jim Corbett to be able to cover some significant landmarks on the way, which we mentioned in this post.
- Usually on weekends, massive traffic jam happens on the ghat road from Dehradun to Mussoorie. To avoid the same, you can plan your trip on a weekday.
- Otherwise, take a one night halt at Rishikesh or Dehradun. And next morning start for Mussoorie as early in the morning as possible so that you can beat the traffic.
- There is a huge temperature difference between the plains and the mountains of Mussoorie. So, keep your woollen jackets, caps and other winter gears handy, particularly if you are going to reach Mussoorie by evening.
- There are plenty of food and restroom options that you will get throughout the Jim Corbett to Mussoorie road trip so there’s no worries on that part.
PS: This road trip was a part of our 6 days trip to Bhimtal, Nainital, Mussorrie and Jim Corbett National Park. Here’s more resources from the same trip to help you plan a similar trip –
A walking tour of mall road Nainital
A one day trip exploring Nainital from Bhimtal
Booking resources –
Accommodation list for Jim Corbett National Park
A complete list of accommodations in Nainital
We booked a round trip cab from Savaari.com. The cab driver was very polite and drove very nicely. You can as well contact him directly. (Aarif, contact no. 9990408802)