At a glance High up at an altitude of 5,597 feet, Lansdowne is in Pauri Garhwal, 40 km from Kotdwar.
About the city Garhwali Fairy Tale Tiny Lansdowne is one of the quietest hill stations in India. So quiet and so hidden that you know you have reached only when you actually turn past the gates of the elegant Garhwal Rifles Cantonment. And the town is as picturesque as you were led to hope for by the drive up from Kotdwar past a mountain stream (the lost river Khoh) so clear you can see the pebbles on its bed from far up the mountainside. Back in the Raj, Lansdowne was one of the popular hill stations, where the Sahibs, mostly from the Army, galloped across the ridge that overlooked a sprawling valley and the Greater Himalayas, or drove to the Church on the hill (the popular Tiffin Top) every Sunday in their horse-drawn carriages. The town itself is named after Sir Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, 6th Earl of Kerry and Viceroy of India from 1888 to 1894. Shaded, winding roads are still lined with colonial bungalows, some in a state of disrepair, some steadfastly retaining their charm with ornate gates and window sills hidden behind blanketing bougainvillea.
How to reach Road: A quick drive past grotty Modinagar, Bijnor and Kotdwar, then a breathtaking journey up a hill road. En route halt Bijnor is your only option. Buses leave for kotdwar from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Several buses leave for Lansdowne, Starting 5 am at Kotdwar. Rail: Nearest railhead: Kotdwar (40 km/1 1/2 hrs) Best option To Mussoorie Express (dep: Old Delhi 10:15 pm; arr: Kotdwar 5:20 am) Hire a cab to Lansdowne for about Rs 300 Best Journey Time Road: 7 1/2 hrs Rail: 7 hrs + road 1 1/2 hrs
Distances 233 km from Delhi From Delhi NH58 to Meerut via Modinagar State highway to Kotdwar via Bijnor and Najibabad State road to Lansdowne via Dugadda
Best Seasons March to June, September to November
Places in and around Savour the untrammelled pleasure of a walking tour in and around the stimulating environs of these gentle slopes. In the not-so-distant past it was no surprise for a late night traveller to chance upon a solitary leopard who would walk past too busy with his own agenda, to bother about human beings. Silver fir, spruce and the elephant's favourite bamboo forests cover the hills in and around Lansdowne. Carry some water and a few assorted munchies on your walk into the forests, and if you happen to be in Lansdowne some time around mid-June, carry a raincoat or an umbrella. Do also visit the British church, which has lost most of its glory, save for the dust-laden stained glass windows.