Rajpur Road is the spine of Dehradun. It starts at the Clock Tower in the centre of the old city and runs north for about 12 kilometres, climbing gently towards the foothills before it becomes the Mussoorie ascent. It contains, in that 12 kilometres, more of Dehradun's character than any other single street.
Below is the walking guide to Rajpur Road we'd give a visiting friend. It assumes you're starting from the Clock Tower end (in the city) and walking north. It assumes you'll take 6 hours, with eating and stopping. It assumes you'll end at our rooftop at 222, Dhakpatti, because that's where the street is going anyway.
Kilometre 0 · Clock Tower (Ghantaghar)
The Ghantaghar is the city's six-faced clock tower, built in 1953. Locals call it Ghantaghar; tourists call it Clock Tower. Start here, look up, take a picture. The clocks usually show three different times. That's part of the character.
Around the tower: cycle-rickshaws, paan stalls, and the entrance to Paltan Bazaar. If you have an hour, walk into the bazaar — narrow lanes, old shops, the smell of incense and chai. Get back out before you get lost.
Kilometre 1 · Astley Hall
Walk 15 minutes north up Rajpur Road and you'll reach Astley Hall. This is Dehradun's traditional commercial heart — Ellora's bakery, English Book Depot, Bata, Bombay Bazaar, the indoor shops where the city has been buying its things for decades.
Three things to do here:
- Ellora's. Buy a chicken puff. Don't sit; eat it on the pavement. It hasn't changed since 1985.
- English Book Depot. The oldest bookshop in the city. Smaller than it used to be, but still has the calmest staircase in Dehradun.
- Town Table. If you need a coffee or a snack break, this is the modern stop.
Kilometre 3 · EC Road junction
EC Road is the old "European cantonment" road that branches east. If you turn right here for ten minutes, you reach Brewer's Café — Dehradun's serious third-wave coffee bar. If you don't take that detour, keep going north on Rajpur.
Kilometre 5 · The Tibetan colony and Kalsang
You'll pass a small Tibetan Buddhist colony with prayer flags above the road. The momos in this stretch are the most honest in the city. Kalsang Friends Corner is the institution; the smaller carts inside the colony are sometimes better. Order steamed cheese momos, a thukpa, and walk on.
Kilometre 7 · Tea estates and old colonial gates
By the seventh kilometre, the city has begun to thin out. You'll start seeing old colonial estate walls behind the trees, glimpses of bungalows from the British era, and the first proper sense of being out of the city. The road climbs gently. The trees overhead are mature and tall.
This is the best stretch to walk. Cars feel further away. The Mussoorie hills become visible on a clear day. Take fifteen minutes to do nothing.
Kilometre 9 · The lychee orchards (in season)
In May and June, parts of Rajpur Road still pass through lychee orchards. The air smells faintly sweet at sunset. If you're walking this stretch in lychee season, find a small stall and buy a kilo — Doon Valley lychees are among the best in India and you should eat them on the road.
Kilometre 10 · The art shops and old tailors
A small cluster of antique shops and tailors — some that have been here since the British days. Worth a poke around if you're interested. Some of them have remarkable old furniture for not much money.
Kilometre 11 · Jakhan and Dhakpatti — and us
You'll reach the Jakhan crossing and shortly after, the Dhakpatti area. This is where Farzi Café Dehradun sits, at 222, Dhakpatti. By this point you've been walking, eating, looking at things for several hours. The rooftop here is built for exactly the moment you'd want at the end of a long Rajpur Road walk — the Mussoorie hills are right there, the sky is doing what it does at golden hour, and the bar has been waiting for you.
This is, in our humble and biased view, the correct ending to the walk.
Reserve at Farzi Get Directions
The short version
If you only have two hours on Rajpur Road, do this:
- Ellora's chicken puff at Astley Hall.
- Tibetan momos in the Kalsang colony stretch.
- Walk one kilometre between Kalsang and Jakhan to feel the road's character.
- End on the Farzi rooftop with a Saffron Sour.
What we left off the list
We didn't include the malls on Rajpur Road — Pacific Mall, Crossroads — because malls are the same everywhere. They're not what makes Rajpur Road interesting. If you want to shop, you'll find them. If you want to experience Rajpur Road, walk past them.
The best time to walk
October to March, in the morning between 9 AM and 12 PM, or in the evening between 4 PM and 7 PM. Avoid Rajpur Road traffic between 5 PM and 7 PM on weekdays — by car it's slow, by foot it's fine.
Monsoon (July-September) walks are surprisingly good if you have a sturdy umbrella. The road smells of rain and old leaves. Take longer.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do on Rajpur Road, Dehradun?
How far is Farzi Café Dehradun from the Rajpur Road Clock Tower?
End the Walk at Farzi Read: Food Guide to Dehradun
Related: Best café in Dehradun · 24 hours in Dehradun · Rooftop dining in Dehradun