Top things to see and do in Mussoorie
The Mall Road. The spine of the town and its social heart, running along the ridge between Gandhi Chowk (Library Bazaar) at the western end and Picture Palace (Kulri Bazaar) at the eastern end. This is where Mussoorie comes out to stroll in the evenings — a pedestrian-friendly promenade lined with shops, cafés, amusement arcades, a skating rink and viewpoints over the Doon valley. It is at its best after dusk when the valley lights come on below. Vehicles are restricted along stretches of the Mall during busy hours; walking it end to end is the point.
Gun Hill. Mussoorie's second-highest point at around 2,024 metres, reached by a short cable car (ropeway) that lifts off from the Mall — the ride itself is a small thrill, swinging up over the rooftops in a few minutes. The hill takes its name from a cannon that was once fired at midday so residents could set their clocks. From the top there is a broad panorama of the town, the Doon valley and, in clear weather, the Himalayan skyline; the summit has the usual cluster of snack stalls, photo props and telescopes. You can also walk up by a bridle path if you prefer. The ropeway charges a modest per-person fare; verify before visiting.
Lal Tibba. The highest point in Mussoorie, at roughly 2,275 metres, up in the Landour cantonment. On a clear day this is the town's premier vantage for the high Himalaya — a mounted telescope and viewing decks let you pick out distant Garhwal peaks in the Bandarpunch and Gangotri direction, and sunrise and sunset here are memorable. It is a peaceful, forested spot well above the Mall crowds, and the walk up through Landour is half the pleasure. A small charge may apply at the private viewing platforms; verify before visiting.
Camel's Back Road. A roughly three-kilometre near-level walking and bridle road that loops around the hillside between the Library end and Kulri, named for a rocky outcrop that, in silhouette, resembles a seated camel's hump. It is Mussoorie's finest promenade — quiet, shaded, and lined with valley views — and a celebrated sunset stretch. Along the way you pass an atmospheric old British cemetery dating to 1828. Do it on foot; horses and rickshaws are available but rob you of the calm.
Company Garden (Municipal Garden). A landscaped public garden a few kilometres from Gandhi Chowk, popular with families for its flower beds, small artificial lake with boating, a musical fountain and an aviary and mini-amusement area. It is more a pleasant outing than a must-see, and it gets busy in season. There is a small entry fee, plus charges for boating and rides; verify before visiting.
Kempty Falls. Mussoorie's best-known waterfall, about 15 kilometres from town on the road toward Yamunotri, where a stream drops around 12 metres in tiers into bathing pools. It is hugely popular — expect a lively, crowded, carnival-like scene in season, with shops and eateries packed around the base and a ropeway/lift ferrying visitors down to the pools. Come early in the day to beat the crush, and take care on the wet rocks. Entry to the falls is free, but parking and the cable car carry charges; verify before visiting.
Landour. The cantonment town immediately above Mussoorie, sitting a few hundred metres higher and a world quieter. Its hub is Char Dukan ("four shops"), a cluster of long-running tea-and-snack establishments at a breezy crossroads that has become the emblem of Landour's café culture. Beyond it lie Sisters Bazaar, colonial churches including St Paul's and the Kellogg Church (home to the historic Landour Language School), and the writer Ruskin Bond's long-time neighbourhood. Cantonment rules have preserved the low-rise, tree-lined character, and the whole place is made for aimless walking. Respect the residential calm and the military areas' signage.
Cloud's End. One of the very first bungalows built in Mussoorie, dating to the 1830s, set at the western extremity of the ridge amid thick forest about six kilometres from the Library. It marks, in effect, the quiet end of town — a spot for a forest walk, birdsong and a sense of old Mussoorie away from the crowds.
Mussoorie Lake. A small artificial lake developed in the 1990s, about six kilometres below the town on the Dehradun road, offering pedal-boating and valley views. It is a modest, family-friendly stop rather than a natural wonder, best folded into the drive up or down. Boating carries a charge; verify before visiting.
Sir George Everest's House. The ridge-top estate at Park Estate, about six kilometres west of Gandhi Chowk, that was the home and working base of Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India after whom the world's highest peak is named. The historic building and laboratory have been restored and reopened as a museum and interpretation centre, and the site is one of Mussoorie's great sunset viewpoints, with panoramas of the Doon valley on one side and the Aglar valley and Himalayan ranges on the other. A small entry fee applies at the restored site; verify before visiting.