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Dehradun‘s attractions mix a colonial-era forest institute, Buddhist monasteries, river caves, and a bustling bazaar, all within an hour’s drive of the hill station of Mussoorie. Most city sights are cheap, with entry fees under ₹100, and you can cover the core list in two full days. Here are the best things to do in Dehradun, with locations, hours, and ticket prices.
Things to Do in Dehradun: City Landmarks and Museums
Forest Research Institute (FRI)
The FRI is a 1929 brick and timber building with a 1,000-ft-long colonnaded facade, set in 4.5 sq km of gardens on Chakarata Road. Its museum is open Monday to Saturday from 09:30 to 17:00, with entry around ₹25 for Indians and ₹100 for foreign nationals. Walk the lawns and the nearby botanical garden after the museum. It’s about 5km from the city center, and a rickshaw from Paltan Bazaar costs roughly ₹100.
Robber’s Cave (Guchhupani)
Robber’s Cave is a natural river cave 8km north of the city where a stream disappears underground and reappears a few hundred metres later. You wade through ankle-deep, ice-cold water inside the cave, so carry a change of clothes or rent footwear on site. Entry is about ₹25, and it’s open daily from around 08:00 to 19:00. Auto-rickshaws from the center take about 25 minutes.
Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) and Paltan Bazaar
The six-sided Clock Tower is Dehradun’s central landmark, standing where Rajpur Road meets Paltan Bazaar. The bazaar around it is the best place to buy local woolens, basmati rice, and Baklava from nearby sweet shops, and it’s open daily roughly 10:00 to 21:00. Bargain for street goods; fixed-price shops are the exception rather than the rule. The budget stays around this quarter are in the where to stay in Dehradun guide.
Things to Do in Dehradun: Monasteries and Temples
Mindrolling Monastery, Clement Town
Mindrolling Monastery in Clement Town holds one of India’s tallest Buddhist stupas, the 60m (197 ft) Great Stupa, plus a 35m (115 ft) gold Buddha statue. Entry is free, and the complex is open daily from around 09:00 to 17:00. The Tibetan markets and momo stalls around Clement Town are worth the visit on their own. It’s about 8km southwest of the center, a 20-minute taxi ride.
Tapkeshwar Temple
Tapkeshwar Temple is a Shiva shrine set in a cave on the banks of the Tons River, about 6km from the city near the cantonment. Water drips continuously onto the lingam inside the cave, which gives the temple its name. It’s open daily from 06:00 to 20:00 with no entry fee, and it gets crowded during the Maha Shivratri fair in February or March.
Buddha Temple, Clement Town
The Buddha Temple in Clement Town is a Tibetan monastery with a large golden Buddha statue, prayer wheels, and painted murals. It’s quieter than Mindrolling and free to enter, open daily from about 09:00 to 18:00. Combine it with Mindrolling Monastery since both sit in the same neighborhood.
Things to Do in Dehradun: Nature and Day Trips
Sahastradhara
Sahastradhara, 14km from the city, is a set of sulphur-water springs and limestone caves said to have medicinal properties. A ropeway carries visitors up the hillside for about ₹150 return, with views over the valley, and the springs are free to visit. It’s open daily from roughly 09:00 to 18:00. Auto-rickshaws and shared tempos run from the city center for around ₹50 to ₹80 per person; fuller fare details are in the Dehradun travel tips guide.
Malsi Deer Park and Dehradun Zoo
Malsi Deer Park, 10km up the Mussoorie road, is a small park with spotted deer, peacocks, and a children’s area. Entry is about ₹20 to ₹30, open daily 09:00 to 17:00. The adjacent Dehradun Zoo reopened with leopard, tiger, and bird enclosures and charges around ₹50 to ₹100. Both are easy stops on the way up to Mussoorie.
Mussoorie Day Trip
Mussoorie, the 2,000m hill station 35km north, is the most popular day trip from Dehradun. The drive takes about 90 minutes by taxi (₹1,200 to ₹1,800 return) or shared cab, and the Mall Road, Gun Hill viewpoint, and Kempty Falls are the standard stops. Go on a weekday outside the May to June rush to avoid crowds. For the full seasonal picture, see the Dehradun weather by month guide before you drive up, and time the trip with the best time to visit Dehradun guide.
For the Dehradun neighborhoods each attraction sits in and the Dehradun events and festivals calendar to time your visit, see those guides.
