Incredible India
7 Things to Do in Lansdowne, the Himalayan Cantonment Tourism Forgot
Lansdowne, a Garhwal Rifles cantonment town in Uttarakhand founded in 1887, has stayed largely free of the commercial sprawl that has reshaped nearby hill stations, thanks to the building restrictions that come with still being an active military station.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Lansdowne, in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, was established in 1887 as a cantonment town and named after Lord Lansdowne, then Viceroy of India. It remains the regimental headquarters of the Garhwal Rifles, and because much of the town still sits on military land, it has escaped the dense hotel and shop-front growth that has changed hill stations like Nainital and Mussoorie. Here are seven ways to spend time in and around it.
1. Tip n Top viewpoint
A short walk or drive from the town centre, Tip n Top is Lansdowne's best-known viewpoint, looking out over layered forested ridgelines and, on a clear day, a distant line of snow peaks; it is at its best near sunrise or sunset.
2. Bhulla Tal
A small artificial lake built by the Garhwal Rifles in the middle of a pine forest, Bhulla Tal has a walking path around its edge and paddle boats for hire, and functions as the town's most straightforward, unhurried spot for an afternoon.
3. The Garhwal Rifles War Memorial
A memorial to soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles who died in action, set within the cantonment; the regiment's history includes two Victoria Cross recipients from the First World War, Naik Darwan Singh Negi and Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi, and the memorial is treated locally as a serious site of remembrance rather than a casual stop.
4. Garhwali Mess and Regimental Museum
The Garhwal Rifles Regimental Museum, housed within the cantonment, sets out the regiment's history through uniforms, medals and battle honours going back to its formation in the nineteenth century, and is one of the few places in Lansdowne that explains why the town looks and functions the way it does.
5. St Mary's Church
A colonial-era Anglican church dating to the town's earliest cantonment years, built in the same understated pine-and-stone style as much of the rest of Lansdowne, and still used for services today.
6. Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple
An old Shiva temple set in a forest of tall deodar trees a short drive from Lansdowne; the temple itself is modest, and the walk through the deodar grove that surrounds it is as much the reason to go as the shrine.
7. A walk through Lansdowne's oak and pine forests
Much of the cantonment area is given over to forest rather than buildings, and simply walking its quiet roads, past old colonial-era bungalows and regimental buildings, is one of the more understated things to do in a town that has kept deliberately little in the way of conventional sightseeing.
Traveller tips
- Lansdowne is a working military cantonment; some areas require permission or are off-limits to visitors, and photography can be restricted near sensitive buildings.
- The nearest railhead is Kotdwar, roughly an hour and a half away by road; there is no direct train or airport in Lansdowne itself.
- Bhulla Tal's boating and the main viewpoints get busiest around weekends and holidays; weekday visits are noticeably quieter.
- Carry warm layers even outside winter; the town's elevation keeps evenings cool year-round.
Where this is
Lansdowne, Uttarakhand