The Complete Uttarakhand
Garhwal and Kumaon in one week, without living in the car

It covers the four places most travellers mean by Uttarakhand — Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Corbett and Nainital — across both Garhwal and Kumaon, in a week. It does not go into the high Garhwal, the Char Dham or the Kumaon ridge beyond Nainital; those are separate itineraries and can be added.

Two long days: Rishikesh to Corbett, roughly 230 km and five to six hours, and Nainital back to Delhi, which we shorten to an hour’s drive plus the Shatabdi. The other transfers are under three hours. Day one uses the expressway and is three and a half to four hours to Dehradun in practice.

It gives you two safaris, an afternoon and a dawn, in your booked zone. For most first-time visitors that is a good introduction; for wildlife-focused travellers we would add a night, and our five-day Corbett and Nainital route does exactly that.

Yes. Since 5 February 2026, under the Supreme Court’s judgment on Corbett, phones are not allowed inside the tiger reserve in any zone and are deposited at the gate. Proper cameras are permitted.

For Mussoorie, yes: online in advance with the vehicle number, mandatory since 1 August 2025 and free. We do it for you. Corbett permits are applied for in your own names on the official portal. Nainital has a municipal toll and new road rules on the Mall, all handled by your driver.

March to June and October to November for the whole route. Corbett’s seasonal zones run roughly mid-October to mid-June and sightings peak March to May, which is also the hottest time on the plain and pleasant on the ridges. July to mid-September is the monsoon and the one season we would steer you away from.

From Lal Tibba above Mussoorie and from Snow View and Tiffin Top above Nainital, on clear mornings — usually October–November and March–April. Summer haze and monsoon cloud hide the peaks. Treat the view as a bonus.

It can be added at Rishikesh on the morning of day four when the season is open, September to the end of June, but it lengthens the longest day of the week. Most guests take the evening aarti instead.

Yes, with the safari suiting children old enough to sit quietly for three hours and manage a pre-dawn start. Everything else — the ridge walks, the boat, the lakes loop — suits every age. Tell us their ages when you enquire.

In, yes: Dehradun (Jolly Grant) has nonstop flights from a dozen cities and cuts day one to under two hours. Out, the Kathgodam Shatabdi is the practical option; Pantnagar airport flies only to Delhi and Jewar.

Two more nights on the Kumaon ridge through Ranikhet, Almora and Binsar make a nine-day trip that includes the quiet part of the state; or add Auli and the high Garhwal at the front.

Every Itinerary Diary journey is private and quoted to your own dates, party size and hotel category, so we do not publish a fixed price. Park fees are set by the reserve and added at cost. Send us your dates and we will reply with a tailored itinerary and quote within one working day.

Yes. Itinerary Diary Tours & Travels is a registered company and every booking comes with a proper GST invoice.