Dhanaulti and Surkanda Devi
Mussoorie · 8 hrs · Cab included · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
The temple first, the forest after
Dhanaulti is a ridge 25 km beyond Mussoorie, mostly deodar forest and potato fields, and Surkanda Devi sits on a summit 8 km further on, above the roadhead at Kaddukhal. It is one of the region's Shakti temples and, on a clear morning, one of the best views of the high Himalaya anywhere near Mussoorie.
The clock matters because the clouds do. Mornings are usually clear and afternoons usually are not, so this day drives straight through Dhanaulti to Kaddukhal first, up to the temple by ropeway or on foot, and only then back to the eco parks and lunch in the bazaar, when it no longer matters whether the peaks are showing.
The road out is a narrow ridge road with few places to stop and almost no parking at Kaddukhal on a festival day. You book the car and driver for the day at one flat price, he drops you at the ropeway and waits, and you come back down to Mussoorie in the afternoon without arranging anything twice.
Your day, stop by stop
1. The Mussoorie to Dhanaulti road
About 25 km east along a ridge road through Suakholi, with the Doon valley on one side and the Garhwal ranges on the other. Your driver will stop where the view opens, which on a clear morning is often.
2. Surkanda Devi
A Devi temple on a summit at about 2,750 m, reached from the roadhead at Kaddukhal by a short ropeway or a steep path of about two kilometres. On a clear morning the view runs along the high Himalaya; by early afternoon it is usually cloud.
Ropeway ticket, if you ride rather than walk
3. Dhanaulti eco parks
Two forest-department parks of deodar on the edge of Dhanaulti, with walking paths and a few low adventure activities. Quiet on a weekday, and the coolest shade you will find on the ridge.
Eco park entry ticket, and any activities inside
4. Dhanaulti bazaar
A small roadside bazaar with tea stalls and the local potato fields running down the slope behind it. Lunch here, and Maggi in the cold, which nobody needs persuading about.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the day
- Pickup and drop at your stay in Mussoorie or Landour
- Fuel, tolls, driver allowance and parking at every stop
- Surkanda Devi first, while the peaks are most likely to be clear
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Ropeway and eco park tickets
- Meals
- Temple offerings
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Surkanda Devi ropeway ticket, if you ride
- Dhanaulti eco park entry and any activities inside
- Temple offerings, if you want to make one
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Pilgrims, families and anyone who wants a quieter day than Mussoorie itself. With the ropeway, the temple is easy for older travellers; the path is steep and only for the fit. The sedan seats four, the Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
A proper warm layer, the summit is cold and windy most of the year. Walking shoes, modest clothes for the temple, and cash for the ropeway and the eco park.
Cloud, snow and the ropeway
Cloud on the summit is normal and is not a cancellation. In winter, snow can close the road beyond Dhanaulti, and the ropeway stops in high wind or for maintenance, in which case the path is the way up if you want it. If the road is closed before pickup, you get a full refund or a free reschedule.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. The ridge road is narrow with blind bends and the drivers on it are hill-tested. The path to the temple is steep and slippery after rain or snow; take the ropeway if in doubt.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Four of you in the Swift Dzire pay ₹2,990 between you, not each.
Is the Surkanda Devi ropeway always running?
It has been running from Kaddukhal since 2022, but it stops in bad weather and for maintenance and we cannot promise it on a given day. The footpath is always there, and your driver will check at the bottom before you decide.
Will we see the Himalaya?
On a clear morning, yes, and that is why the temple comes first. Monsoon months and hazy summer days often hide the peaks altogether, and we will not tell you otherwise.
Can you pick us up from Dehradun instead?
Not on this booking. From Dehradun the day becomes a long one with the ghat road at both ends. Book the Mussoorie day from Dehradun instead, or stay a night in Mussoorie and do this one from there.