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The stone Gothic front of St Mary's Church with a round window, a red door and tall deodars beside it
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Photo: Golu dand · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day plancouples and familiesslow hill-town dayrelaxed

One day in Lansdowne — Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church, Tip-n-Top and the temple on top

A slow one-day plan for Lansdowne: Bhulla Tal in the morning, St Mary's Church and the Tip-n-Top view on the ridge, and the Santoshi Mata temple at the top.
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A slow day in Lansdowne, the quiet cantonment town of the Garhwal Rifles. Walk down to Bhulla Tal in the morning, go up to the ridge for St Mary's Church and the Tip-n-Top view, and end at the Santoshi Mata temple at the top of the town.

Photos: Golu dand (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Priyambada Nath (CC BY 2.0) · Navdeep Gusain (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Couples and families who want a quiet hill day with short hops, fresh air and views, and nothing rushed.

Day by day

Day 1

The lake below, the ridge above

4 stops · 12 min on the road

A short, easy day: everything is within about 9 minutes of the town centre on our routing.

  1. 09:00
    Bhulla Tal
    lake · 3 min from Lansdowne · about 1 h there
    The small lake about 3 minutes below the town, built with the help of the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers.
  2. ↓ 10 min by road · 4 km
    11:00
    St Mary's Church, Lansdowne
    temple · 8 min from Lansdowne · about 30 min there
    The old stone church on the ridge, kept by the army for visitors; about 8 minutes from the centre.
  3. ↓ a short walk
    12:00
    Tip-n-Top
    viewpoint · 9 min from Lansdowne · about 45 min there
    The viewpoint beside the church, over the Shivalik hills and, on a clear day, the snow peaks.
  4. ↓ a short walk
    14:30
    Santoshi Mata Temple, Lansdowne
    temple · 9 min from Lansdowne · about 30 min there
    The goddess's temple at the top of the town, with a wide view of the Himalayan range on clear days.

Getting there

Lansdowne is about 258 km from Delhi and 41 km above Kotdwar station on our routing; see how to reach Lansdowne, the best time to go and things to do in Lansdowne.

Where to stay

Stay in Lansdowne. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules; Wikivoyage warns that May and June are crowded, so book ahead then.

Know before you go

  • The war memorial and the Garhwal Rifles museum need the army's permission; ask locally how to apply.
  • This is cantonment land; keep to the paths and follow army signs.
  • Carry a warm layer; Lansdowne sits at about 1,700 m and evenings are cool.

Places on this route

Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne — the small lake the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers built
Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne — the small lake the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers built
lake · 3 min from Lansdowne
St Mary's Church, Lansdowne — the old stone church on the ridge by Tip-n-Top
St Mary's Church, Lansdowne — the old stone church on the ridge by Tip-n-Top
temple · 8 min from Lansdowne

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Lansdowne itineraries →
A weekend in Lansdowne from Delhi — the town, then Tarkeshwar Mahadev in the forest
A weekend in Lansdowne from Delhi — the town, then Tarkeshwar Mahadev in the forest
1 night · 2 days · weekend travellers from Delhi · hill weekend
A two-day Lansdowne weekend from Delhi: the drive up, Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church and Tip-n-Top, then the forest temple of Tarkeshwar Mahadev before home.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Lansdowne →
Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple near Lansdowne — Shiva's shrine in the deodar forest
Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple near Lansdowne — Shiva's shrine in the deodar forest
temple · 11 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The green Ganges flowing between forested hills at Rishikesh, with buildings on the left bank
Rishikesh
48 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
The ghats of Har Ki Pauri on the Ganga, with the clock tower, small red-roofed shrines and bathers on the steps
Haridwar
51 km away · 3 itineraries · 5 places
The green waters of the Tehri reservoir winding between forested hills, with the dam's grey wall on the right
Tehri
64 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
A wide grassy river valley in Jim Corbett National Park under a pale sky, with forested ridges and blue hills beyond
Ramnagar
65 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

Is one day enough for Lansdowne?

For the town itself, yes. Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church, Tip-n-Top and the Santoshi Mata temple are all within about 9 minutes of the centre on our routing. Most visitors stay a night or two for the quiet and the forest walks, and add a day for Tarkeshwar Mahadev.

What is Tip-n-Top in Lansdowne?

The viewpoint on the ridge above the town, next to St Mary's Church, also called Tiffin Top or Snow View. Wikivoyage says it looks over the Shivalik hills, and that on a clear day the snow view point shows great peaks such as Chaukhamba. Autumn mornings give the best chance of a view.

Can you walk around Lansdowne?

Yes. Wikivoyage notes that you can reach most of the town on foot from the centre, and the roads, kept by the army, are quiet. The climb from the lake to the ridge is steady, so take your time, or take a taxi up and walk back down through the forest.