Rishikesh to Mahasu Devta Taxi Service

Distance and why it goes through Dehradun

The first thing to get straight about this trip is the direction. Hanol sits up the Tons valley, north-west of Dehradun. Rishikesh sits south-east of Dehradun, down on the Ganga. There is no road from Rishikesh that cuts across to the Tons valley. The car has to come back to Dehradun first, 39 km and about an hour, and then take the Dehradun to Hanol road. We run the Rishikesh to Mahasu Devta taxi every day, with a doorstep pickup.

So the journey is really two drives joined at Dehradun. The first leg is Rishikesh to Dehradun, 39 km and 1–1.5 hours through Doiwala, past Jolly Grant Airport. The second leg is Dehradun to Hanol, about 175 to 195 km and 5 to 6 hours depending on which of the two roads you take. Together that is about 215 to 235 km and 6 to 7 hours in the car, one way.

That distance is the whole reason this is a two-day trip. A same-day round trip would mean 12 to 14 hours of hill driving in one day, which is possible on paper and miserable in practice. Book it as two days, and the drive becomes two manageable halves with darshan in between.

The first hour is flat and familiar: out of Rishikesh through Doiwala, past Jolly Grant Airport, and into Dehradun. If you are picking up family in Dehradun, this is the natural meeting point. The car passes through anyway.

The two roads to Hanol

From Dehradun the road splits into two. The first runs Dehradun, Vikasnagar, Chakrata, Tyuni, Hanol. It is the more direct line on the map, but the stretch beyond Chakrata is narrow and gets difficult in the rains. Hanol is about 95 km past Chakrata.

The second goes through Mussoorie, Naugaon and Purola. Travellers who have done both say it takes about the same time and the road surface is better. In the monsoon we usually pick this one.

Both roads end with the short run from Tyuni, about 15 km, along the river to Hanol. Whichever road you take, the last stretch is the Tons valley. The river on one side, forested slopes on the other, and very little traffic.

Which road is better depends on the season and on what you want from the trip. The Chakrata road is more direct and puts a proper halt town on your route. Chakrata is a cantonment town with places to stay, and it breaks the long drive into two comfortable halves. If you are travelling in the dry months and want the shorter line, take this one.

The Purola road runs through Mussoorie and Naugaon, and the surface is generally better. In the monsoon, from July to mid-September, landslides affect both roads at times, but we usually pick the Purola road then. In those months we check the road situation the evening before and choose the route then, rather than promising one in advance.

Tell us your dates when you book and we will pick the road on the day. And tell us straight about the group's walking ability and health, because it changes the plan: where to halt, and how many rest days to build in.

The temple and the two-day plan

Hanol is a small village on the eastern bank of the Tons river, and people come for one reason: the Mahasu Devta temple, the most important shrine of the Jaunsar and Bawar region.

Mahasu Devta is the presiding deity of the Jaunsari people, and the temple is the centre of the region's religious life.

The shrine is known for its traditional wooden architecture, carved wood, sloping roofs, the style the hill temples of this valley are built in, and it draws devotees from Jaunsar, Bawar and Himachal through the year.

This is not a sightseeing loop with many stops. It is a pilgrimage to one temple, in a quiet valley, and the visit is best taken slowly: darshan in the afternoon or the next morning, time by the river, and the drive back the following day.

If you want more on the same trip, Chakrata and its viewpoints are the obvious add-on, and they need an extra half day.

Day one: leave Rishikesh by 6 am, so the narrow hill sections happen in daylight and you reach the Tons valley by early afternoon. The 6 am start matters more on this route than on most. The first leg is flat, but the second half is hill road all the way, and an early start keeps the whole day in daylight.

Stay the night in Chakrata or Tyuni. Hanol itself has very little to stay in, so most visitors sleep in one of those two places and drive in for darshan. Chakrata is the cooler, more comfortable halt; Tyuni is closer, about 15 km from the temple.

Day two: darshan in the morning, then the drive back. If you took the Chakrata road up, the cantonment town makes a natural halt on the way back too. Tell us where you are staying when you book and we plan the timing around the temple's opening.

Fuel up before you leave the plains. Pumps thin out once you are deep in the hills, and our drivers fill the tank in Vikasnagar or Mussoorie depending on the road.

Which car suits a Rishikesh to Mahasu Devta taxi trip

Bags often decide the car more than people do. Luggage decides the car more often than passengers do on a two-day hill trip.

A sedan suits up to three adults with light bags and is fine on tarmac hill roads, but it sits low on the last rough kilometres and is tight on luggage for a multi-day trip.

The Ertiga is the popular pick for a family of four or five, more room, a higher stance, still economical on fuel.

The Innova or Crysta is the car for five or six adults with luggage, for elderly passengers, and for long hill days.

For groups of nine or more, a Tempo Traveller or Urbania can be arranged. Ask about the road first, because on some upper stretches a 12-seater is the safe limit.

The fare is for the whole vehicle, not per seat, and is confirmed on call before pickup. Nothing is added afterwards. Tolls, state permits, parking, and on hill routes any night halt charge are extra at actuals. Included in the fare: vehicle, fuel and driver allowance.

There is no fixed fare quoted here, because this trip is priced on your dates. It runs over two days, so the driver's allowance and the overnight stay change the fare. Mention the dates when you call.

For the exact fare on your dates, call or WhatsApp 7830211223. Tell us the date, how many people are travelling, which car you prefer, and whether you want a one-way drop or a two-day round trip, because the trip type changes the fare.

Book your Dehradun to Hanol taxi a day ahead if you can, especially for a weekend or festival date, so the 6 am pickup is locked in. Cancellation: more than 24 hours before pickup, the trip cost minus 15% is refunded; within 24 hours, no refund; if we cannot provide the car, full refund.