Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand is Situated on the threshold of a world full of adventure, spiritualism and tranquility, amidst the Shivalik ranges, the foothills of Himalayas. The city has the Himalayas to its north, the Shivalik range to its south, the sacred Ganges to its east and the Yamuna to its west.

Dehra Dun is an entry point for all the trekkers and mountaineers onto their journey into the Garhwal Himalayas.

A gateway to the popular hill station of Mussoorie and the pilgrimage centres of Haridwar and Rishikesh, Dehra Dun boasts of the famous Forest Research Institute and the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy.

Doon Valley finds its place between the two most important rivers of India Ganga and Yamuna, and is a picturesque town with moderate climate and a number of places of tourist interest.

History:

Dehra Dun is an old historial town. Founded by Guru Dronacharya, according to the epic of Mahabharata, Dehradun is today one of the most developed cities of India.It is a main town of Garhwal and Uttaranchal.

It is also called Doon Valley. Earlier this Valley was a huge lake. But ecological changes have made the lake disappear as also the dense forest and wild animals.

Historical findings show that in the times of Mahabharat these forests were used by the Pandavas when they were sent on their exile.

During the rule of the Mauryas also this region was used by King Ashoka. The Chinese Ambassador Hiuen-Tsang is also said to have visited this place.

But now this Valley is literally barren. In the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century the Doon Valley was ruled by Maharani Karnvati. The Gurkhas defeated her and ruled from 1791 to 1803. In 1814, the British defeated the Gurkhas and established themselves here.

• Basmati rice - the Dehradun area is famous all over India & the world for its fragrant Basmati rice, but you can probably buy bags of it at your local Indian store so don't bother buying any here.

• Khukris - the traditonal knives that Dehradun is famous for. In fact the sword used in the film "Gladiator" was designed and made in Dehradun.

• Small shops in Dehradun stock them. Brightly coloured, hand made woollen items made by tribal communities in the nearby Garhwal Hills.

• Litchis-the Dehradun area is flooded by "litchi" orchards, Litchi (Litchi chinensis) a native of China, is grown in India since 18th century. India is probably the second largest producer of litchi.

• Paltan Bazaar - a good place to pick up the local variety of Basmati Rice, and hand made woollen garments made by local tribal communities.

• The English book Depot, Rajpur Road - the best bookshop for miles, with an excellent stock of fiction, travel literature, magazines and newspapers.

• Astley Hall, Rajpur Road - a complex full of interesting, and good value shops and restaurants. Rajpur Road - the most popular shopping area.

The hill resort of Dehradun is ideally located amongst the hills and experiences moderately pleasant climate throughout the year. The temperature hovers between 44.5°C and 16.7°C in the summers.

While in the Winters Dehradun grows colder with the temperature varying between 23.6°C and 5.4°C. Dehradun is flocked by tourists all through the year. In summers it is the retreat from the plains and in winters it is the snow-time! You can enjoy the snow in the Garhwal Himalayas during November/December. April to July is the ideal time for a trip to the Doon valley and skip the heat and the dust of the Indian summer in the hill resort of Dehradun.