Eight homes across Uttarakhand

Unique stays in Uttarakhand

If you have searched for unique stays in Uttarakhand and kept finding the same five resorts in every blog post, our eight are a different set. The Himalayan Ganga Retreat is a riverside cottage stay near Rishikesh. Camp George Everest is a Swiss-tent eco-camp in a deodar forest above Mussoorie. Van Tarang Wilderness Retreat is a luxury tented stay on the edge of Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Seegreen is a rooftop cafe with four rooms under it, looking at George Everest across the valley. Kotadun is a whole farmhouse near Kotabagh with over two hundred bird species around it. Prembasant is a five-bedroom house in Muni Ki Reti you can take entirely. Grandparents Homestay at Matli has a veranda on every room. Pahadi House Kanatal sits highest, at around 2,400 m.

Offbeat stays in Uttarakhand

Most offbeat stays in Uttarakhand turn out to be a hotel five minutes off the highway. Camp George Everest is reached by a 2 km forest trek through pine and oak. You wake up to the Doon Valley below, and on clear days the Garhwal Himalayas behind it. The Himalayan Ganga Retreat sits on a stretch of riverbank away from the rafting-strip noise of central Rishikesh, which is mostly the reason guests book it. Grandparents Homestay is 8 km before Uttarkashi, on the road most people drive straight past on the way to Gangotri. These are not hidden gems in any marketing sense. They are just harder to reach, and quieter once you arrive.

Pet-friendly stays in Uttarakhand

Two of our stays are pet-friendly in the genuine sense. At the Himalayan Ganga Retreat, dogs are welcome on the property, in the gardens and on village walks along the river. Kotadun Birding Retreat near Jim Corbett is a whole farmhouse taken by one group at a time, which makes it the easiest of the eight to bring a dog to. Camp George Everest can take well-behaved dogs in some seasons, but check with us first - it depends on the weather and how full the forest camp is. If you have been searching for dog-friendly mountain stays and getting non-answers, just ask us.

Secluded places in Uttarakhand

Some of the most secluded places in Uttarakhand still do not have a Google review. Camp George Everest sits inside a forest reserve with patchy mobile signal, which is mostly the point. Couples come for that, and so do writers. The Himalayan Ganga Retreat has private river access and no neighbours in sight. Van Tarang is inside the forest belt at Rajaji, where the loudest thing at night is the birds. None of these are set up to entertain you.

Where we operate

The eight are spread across Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Kanatal, Uttarkashi, the Rajaji forest and the Corbett belt at Kotabagh, with a network of partner village homestays behind them across Tehri, Pauri and Kumaon. From Delhi it is a 6-7 hour drive to most of them. Dehradun is about an hour from George Everest. The Rishikesh and Mussoorie stays are about 45 km apart, so people often combine them in one trip, and Kanatal adds neatly onto a Mussoorie leg.

What you get when you stay with us

• A homestay, cottage, camp or farmstay run by people from the area, not a hospitality brand.
• Home-cooked pahadi food: mandua, jhangora, ghee, vegetables from a kitchen garden, cooked over wood fire when the weather allows.
• Practical eco choices - rainwater use, segregated waste, no plastic bottles, and village employment.
• Day hikes, river rafting, stargazing, yoga, village walks and bonfires, either included or arranged for you.
• Rates from ₹2,500 a night with meals. No hidden fees, and no booking forms.

Best time to visit

March to June is the busy window: rhododendron in bloom, summer escapes, and clear Himalayan views. Most Mussoorie and Kanatal bookings happen here. September to November is the other peak, with post-monsoon trails, autumn light and good stargazing at George Everest. December to February is for people who want snow at Mussoorie or Kanatal, or a quiet riverside winter near Rishikesh. Monsoon, July and August, is its own thing - the river and forest stays are the better call then, and the high cottages are not.