Hill stations near Delhi: 25 picks by drive time

The fastest hills from Delhi are Rishikesh and Mussoorie, at about 4 to 5.5 hours since the Delhi to Dehradun Expressway opened on 14 April 2026. Most of the rest need 6 to 9 hours, and Manali and Dharamshala need an overnight bus or a very early start. The table lists all 25 places, and the sections after it group them by drive time.

Every time is for a normal day without jams, from central Delhi, as a range, because roads, weather and the hour you leave change it. Distances are road kilometres, good to about 15 km. If you want a week or more in a quiet village, our homes and rooms are in Dharamkot and around Almora and Kasar Devi.

Hill stations near Delhi compared: height, km, drive time, best months

Place	State	Height (m)	Road km	Drive time	Best months
Rishikesh	Uttarakhand	340	230 to 250	4 to 5 h	Sep to Nov, Feb to Mar
Mussoorie	Uttarakhand	about 2,000	245 to 290	4 to 5.5 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Landour	Uttarakhand	about 2,300	245 to 290	4.5 to 6 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Morni Hills	Haryana	about 1,220	260 to 290	5 to 6 h	Sep to Mar
Kasauli	Himachal	1,800 to 1,950	290 to 310	5.5 to 6.5 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Lansdowne	Uttarakhand	about 1,700	250 to 260	5.5 to 6.5 h	Mar to Nov
Dhanaulti	Uttarakhand	about 2,290	290 to 325	5 to 6.5 h	Sep to Jun
Kanatal	Uttarakhand	2,400 to 2,600	300 to 315	5.5 to 6.5 h	Apr to Jun, Oct to Mar
Chakrata	Uttarakhand	about 2,120	300 to 320	6 to 7.5 h	Mar to Jun
Nainital	Uttarakhand	1,950 to 2,100	300 to 315	6 to 7.5 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Bhimtal	Uttarakhand	about 1,370	295 to 310	6 to 7.5 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Dec
Pangot	Uttarakhand	1,920 to 1,980	310 to 355	7 to 8 h	Oct to Jun
Shimla	Himachal	about 2,200	350 to 370	7 to 9 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Chail	Himachal	about 2,250	350 to 370	7.5 to 9 h	Apr to Jun
Mukteshwar	Uttarakhand	2,200 to 2,300	340 to 345	8 to 9 h	Oct to Jun
Ranikhet	Uttarakhand	about 1,870	about 350	8 to 9.5 h	Mar to Jun
Almora	Uttarakhand	1,600 to 1,640	360 to 365	8.5 to 10.5 h	Mar to Jun, Oct to Nov
Kasar Devi	Uttarakhand	about 2,100	370 to 375	9 to 11 h	Mar to Jun, Oct to Nov
Binsar	Uttarakhand	about 2,410	about 380	9 to 10.5 h	Apr to Jun, Oct to Nov
Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj	Himachal	1,460 to 2,080	500 to 525	9.5 to 11 h	Mar to Jun, Oct to Nov
Bir	Himachal	about 1,525	500 to 520	10 to 11.5 h	Apr to Jun, Oct to Nov
Dalhousie	Himachal	about 1,970	555 to 560	10.5 to 12 h	Mar to Jun
Manali	Himachal	about 2,050	535 to 550	10 to 13 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Jibhi, Tirthan valley	Himachal	1,450 to 1,600	510 to 520	11 to 13 h	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov
Munsiyari	Uttarakhand	2,200 to 2,300	560 to 580	two days	Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov

Within about 6 hours of Delhi: Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Morni Hills and more

These six are the weekend runs.

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: 340 m, 4 to 5 hours

Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh in 2016, before it was closed to walkers. Photo: Nilesh Keshri, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Railhead: Haridwar, 23 km away, or Yog Nagari Rishikesh. Bus: AC and ordinary buses from Kashmere Gate take 5 to 6 hours. Rishikesh is a river town at the foot of the hills, warm and without snow. It has the most rooms, cafes and services of the six, which makes it the easiest for a week; see the Rishikesh how to reach guide.

Mussoorie, Uttarakhand: about 2,000 m, 4 to 5.5 hours

Mussoorie seen from Sisters Bazaar in November 2010. Photo: Paul Hamilton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Railhead: Dehradun, 34 to 38 km below, then a bus or taxi of about 1.5 hours. It is a big, busy resort. Mall Road is closed to most traffic, weekends bring jams, and December to February has a few snowy spells. There are plenty of rooms, so a week is workable, though Saturdays are noisy. Registration is compulsory (see entry rules below).

Landour, Uttarakhand: about 2,300 m, 4.5 to 6 hours

The Mussoorie road plus about half an hour uphill. Landour is a small cantonment ridge of deodar forest with under 1,200 residents and a handful of basic hotels, because cantonment law has all but stopped new private building. Snow lasts longer than in Mussoorie.

Morni Hills, Haryana: about 1,220 m, 5 to 6 hours

Railhead: Chandigarh or Kalka, then a taxi; Chandigarh is about 1.5 hours away. This is Haryana’s only hill area, with the twin Tikkar Taal lakes and a free fort. There is no real market and few fuel pumps or ATMs, so we’d keep it to a weekend.

Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh: 1,800 to 1,950 m, 5.5 to 6.5 hours

Railhead: Kalka, about 40 km. Kasauli is a cantonment town of under 4,000 people, calm apart from weekend bikers. Good for a short break; a week is long in a place this small.

Lansdowne, Uttarakhand: about 1,700 m, 5.5 to 6.5 hours

Railhead: Kotdwar, 37 to 44 km. The road runs via Meerut, Najibabad and Kotdwar, so the new expressway does not help. Lansdowne has been a Garhwal Rifles cantonment since 1887, set in oak and pine forest and uncrowded, with rules against late-night noise. Services are limited, so it suits a calm few days better than a working week.

Within about 6 to 8 hours of Delhi: Nainital, Shimla, Chakrata and others

Add an hour on summer Fridays.

Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand: about 2,290 m, 5 to 6.5 hours

Railhead: Dehradun, 61 to 74 km. It lies 30 km beyond Mussoorie, with snow in December and January. It is a sleepy deodar village with two eco-parks and few places to stay. No direct bus runs from Delhi, so plan on Dehradun and a taxi.

Kanatal, Uttarakhand: 2,400 to 2,600 m, 5.5 to 6.5 hours

Railhead: Rishikesh, 75 km. It lies 38 km past Mussoorie on the Chamba road. Kanatal is a hamlet with few places to stay and nowhere to eat outside them. Confirm power and signal with the host before a work trip.

Chakrata, Uttarakhand: about 2,120 m, 6 to 7.5 hours

Railhead: Dehradun, 92 to 98 km. The last stretch is slow hill road, and landslides can block it for hours in the monsoon. The cantonment town dates from 1869 and is far quieter than Mussoorie, with few lodges and slopes at Mundali used for skiing from November to April.

Chail, Himachal Pradesh: about 2,250 m, 7.5 to 9 hours

Railhead: Kandaghat on the toy train line. About 44 to 49 km from Shimla, in deodar forest, once a summer retreat of the Patiala maharajas.

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: about 2,200 m, 7 to 9 hours

Railhead: Kalka, 96 km by toy train. Bus: HRTC Volvo from Delhi. Shimla is a capital of about 170,000 people and is crowded in May and June, so a suburb works better than the centre. Mall Road and the Ridge are mostly closed to cars, and snow falls mostly in January and February. JioFiber and Airtel fibre reach the main areas, which makes a week workable.

Nainital, Uttarakhand: about 1,950 to 2,100 m, 6 to 7.5 hours

Railhead: Kathgodam, 34 to 35 km, 1 to 1.5 hours. The busiest hill town on this list, with crowded weekends around the lake and little parking. In mid-June the Almora road jams for the Kainchi Dham fair. For a week we’d stay in a quieter part of town.

Bhimtal, Uttarakhand: about 1,370 m, 6 to 7.5 hours

Railhead: Kathgodam, 21 km. Calmer than Nainital, 22 km away, though its narrow roads still jam in peak season. Naukuchiatal (1,220 m) is 4 to 5 km on, with a nine-cornered lake, and Sattal (1,370 m), a group of seven lakes, is about 23 km from Nainital.

Pangot, Uttarakhand: 1,920 to 1,980 m, 7 to 8 hours

Railhead: Kathgodam, about 35 km. It sits 13 to 15 km above Nainital. Pangot is a forest village with few visitors, limited food and stays, and no ATM, so carry cash. Ask the host which mobile network works.

Within about 8 to 10 hours: Almora, Mukteshwar, Ranikhet and Binsar

The Kathgodam Shatabdi is a good alternative to the road.

Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand: 2,200 to 2,300 m, 8 to 9 hours

Sunset from Mukteshwar in March 2022. Photo: ArmouredCyborg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Railhead: Kathgodam, 65 to 74 km. It is 51 km from Nainital. This is an orchard and forest village with a research institute set up in 1893 and a temple on a rock. It is not crowded and is quiet enough for a long stay.

Ranikhet, Uttarakhand: about 1,870 m, 8 to 9.5 hours

Railhead: Kathgodam, 68 to 88 km. Ranikhet is a British-era cantonment town and the headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment, with views of the Nanda Devi range. It is quieter than Nainital.

Almora, Uttarakhand: 1,600 to 1,640 m, 8.5 to 10.5 hours

Railhead: Kathgodam, about 90 km, 3 to 3.5 hours. The town is crowded and the draw is the villages around it. It has the shops, banks and ATMs that the ridges above lack, which is why it works for a week. See our homes around Almora.

Kasar Devi, Uttarakhand: about 2,100 m, 9 to 11 hours

An 8 km walk or 10 km drive above Almora, on a ridge known as Crank’s Ridge or Hippie Hill since the 1960s and 70s. The ATMs and main shops are in Almora, so carry cash. See Kasar Devi and Almora for long stays.

Binsar, Uttarakhand: about 2,410 m, 9 to 10.5 hours

It lies 30 to 33 km above Almora. Binsar is a hamlet inside a wildlife sanctuary, with no market and little traffic, and cloud hides the views in the monsoon. It is fine for solitude if you bring supplies.

Within 10 to 14 hours of Delhi, and Munsiyari at the far end

Think of these as overnight bus trips or two day drives.

Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh: 1,460 to 2,080 m, 9.5 to 11 hours

The Dhauladhar range above McLeod Ganj.

Railhead: Pathankot, 85 to 95 km. Bus: overnight HRTC Volvo from Delhi. McLeod Ganj is a town of about 11,000 with a large Tibetan community, and the monsoon here is among the wettest in Himachal. Dharamkot, the village above it, is where our homes are; the how to reach Dharamkot guide covers the road up.

Bir, Himachal Pradesh: about 1,525 m, 10 to 11.5 hours

Railhead: Ahju narrow gauge, 3 km. Bus: a direct HRTC Volvo is listed. A Tibetan settlement lies along the highway. Paragliding runs September to October.

Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh: about 1,970 m, 10.5 to 12 hours

Railhead: Pathankot, 85 to 90 km below, about 8 hours from Delhi by train. Dalhousie is a small colonial town of about 7,000 people spread over five hills, with Khajjiar 17 km away and 20 to 30 snowy days a year. It is the farthest of the classic stations, so we’d take the train to Pathankot and a taxi up.

Manali, Himachal Pradesh: about 2,050 m, 10 to 13 hours

The north portal of the Atal Tunnel beyond Manali, which lets the Leh road bypass Rohtang. Photo: Jagseer S Sidhu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Railhead: none close; Kiratpur Sahib and Una are the nearest broad gauge. Bus: HRTC Volvo from Kashmere Gate, about 12 hours. Allow 13 hours or more on peak weekends. Driving into Manali needs no permit; Rohtang does. See the Manali how to reach guide.

Jibhi and Tirthan valley, Himachal Pradesh: 1,450 to 1,600 m, 11 to 13 hours

Airport: Bhuntar, about 60 km. The road turns off at Aut and runs through Banjar. These are small riverside villages, and Jibhi has no petrol station, so fill up in Banjar or Aut. Signal changes with the forest cover, so ask the host which network works. More quiet places are in offbeat places in Himachal.

Munsiyari, Uttarakhand: 2,200 to 2,300 m, two days from Delhi

The Panchchuli range at dawn from Munsiyari in May 2016. Photo: Suresh Karia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Railhead: Kathgodam, about 275 to 278 km. The route runs via Almora, Berinag, Thal and Kalamuni Pass, 15 to 20 hours of driving in all, so break it at Almora. It is a quiet trekking base for Milam, Ralam and Namik. Fill the tank at Thal or Berinag.

The main roads out of Delhi and the expressways that changed drive times

Delhi to Dehradun. The Delhi to Dehradun Expressway opened on 14 April 2026. It runs about 210 km from Akshardham via Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli and Saharanpur to Dehradun, with a 12 km raised corridor through Rajaji National Park. The stated time is about 2.5 hours, against 5 to 6.5 before. Mussoorie, Landour, Dhanaulti and Kanatal gain because you pass through Dehradun first, and Chakrata gains on the Delhi to Dehradun leg. Dehradun city traffic and the 34 to 38 km climb to Mussoorie are unchanged, and weekends can add up to two hours. A Dehradun bypass is targeted for April 2027.

Rishikesh and Lansdowne. They still use the Delhi to Meerut Expressway, which opened in 2021 and cut Delhi to Meerut to about 45 minutes. The 50 km spur from the new expressway to Haridwar was still being built in January 2026, so plan Rishikesh on the Meerut route and ask a driver whether the spur has opened.

NH 44 to Chandigarh. Panchkula is about 259 km from New Delhi. Morni branches off there; Kasauli and Shimla leave at Zirakpur and Parwanoo; Manali turns off at Kiratpur Sahib, about 280 km from Delhi; Dalhousie and Dharamshala continue towards Pathankot.

Kiratpur to Manali. The four-laning was meant to shrink 232 km to about 195 km and save about three hours. On 11 and 12 September 2026 the Diyod (2.8 km) and Hanogi (650 m) tunnels opened near Pandoh, one carriageway each, and the road minister said Mandi to Kullu would drop from about 2 hours to nearly 1. The corridor is not finished, and single lanes and diversions near Pandoh were reported in late September.

Into Kumaon. NH 9 runs through Hapur, Garhmukteshwar, Gajraula, Moradabad and Rampur to Kathgodam, about 275 km and 5.5 to 6 hours. Bhowali is the junction for Bhimtal, Mukteshwar and Almora. No new expressway shortens this run, so the times for Nainital, Almora and beyond are the usual ones.

Trains that make sense: Shatabdi, Vande Bharat and the Shimla toy train

A Kalka to Shimla toy train in forest, photographed in June 2017. Photo: Soorajkurup, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Timetables change, so check IRCTC before booking.

• Kathgodam (Nainital, Bhimtal, Almora, Ranikhet): the Shatabdi 12040 leaves New Delhi at 06:20 and reaches Kathgodam at 11:55. The overnight Ranikhet Express arrives at about 05:05.
• Dehradun (Mussoorie, Landour, Rishikesh): the Shatabdi 12017 leaves New Delhi at 06:45 and reaches Dehradun at 12:55. The Vande Bharat from Anand Vihar takes about 4 hours 45 minutes.
• Kalka and Chandigarh (Kasauli, Shimla, Chail, Morni): the Kalka Shatabdi 12011 leaves at 07:40, passes Chandigarh at 10:59 and reaches Kalka at 11:40.
• Kalka to Shimla toy train: 96 km, about 5 hours. The Himalayan Queen leaves Kalka at 11:55 and reaches Shimla at 16:55. Six heritage services were cancelled for bad weather until 10 August 2026.

Manali and Dharamshala have no close station, which is why most people take the bus.

When not to drive: monsoon landslides, long weekends and entry rules

Monsoon. Himachal’s monsoon arrived on 30 June 2026 and left on 3 October. In August the Mandi administration shut the Mandi to Kullu road for landslide risk, and the state counted 260 roads closed on 11 August. In 2025 the Kiratpur to Manali highway shut for four days in late August. The Dehradun to Mussoorie road was damaged near Pani Wala Bend on 20 July 2026, and heavy vehicles were still barred in late August. We’d avoid the Kullu valley, Dharamshala and Mussoorie roads from July to mid-September, or ask your host about the road the day before.

Kanwar Yatra. In 2026 all vehicles were banned on the Delhi to Haridwar highway from 4 to 12 August. Sawan Shivratri in 2027 is on 31 July, so expect similar limits in late July and avoid Rishikesh then.

Long weekends. Shimla took about 15 lakh vehicles between 1 May and 15 June 2026, and a snowy long weekend in January 2026 made an 8 km jam in Manali. Leave before 6 am or travel midweek.

Entry rules. Mussoorie asks every visitor to register on the Dehradun Smart City portal; it is free and checked at the Kincraig and Picture Palace barriers. Uttarakhand set a green cess of ₹40 a car from other states, taken from your FASTag, and Himachal charged outside cars about ₹100 when it last set the rate in March 2026. Rates change, so check before you set out.

If you want to stay a week or longer

Pick a place with a market and an ATM close by. Rishikesh, Almora, Shimla, Dharamshala and Mussoorie have the most services. Bhimtal, Mukteshwar and Kasar Devi are calmer and still near Nainital or Almora. Landour, Binsar, Pangot, Kanatal and Munsiyari suit people who want solitude and bring supplies.

Ask the host which mobile network works on the property, since signal can differ from lane to lane; Jio or Airtel data counts as a real connection when the host confirms it. Check power backup too. See renting by the month in the hills for how a stay is set up.

On this site the shortest stay is one week. Every home and room shows its wifi speed with the date it was tested, its power backup and its work desk. You send a request with your dates and pay nothing at that step; the team confirms with the host, usually the same day, and sends an invoice.

For a weekend, pick from the first group. For three or four days, take Nainital, Shimla or Chakrata. For a week, choose Almora or Dharamkot, where one long drive buys a long stay.