The road up from Bhowali
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Coming from outside India.
Delhi to our gate is about 320 km. Here is every way to do it, and what nobody tells you.
Ramgarh sits at about 1,750 metres in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, in northern India. The nearest international airport is Delhi, and there is no way to avoid the drive up. This page is written for someone who has never done it.
The three ways to reach us
| Route | Time | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi to Ramgarh by road | 7 to 9 hours | Rs 9,000 to 13,000 by private taxi |
| Train to Kathgodam, then taxi | 6 to 7 hrs train, 1 hr 45 taxi | Rs 800 to 2,500 train, Rs 2,500 to 3,500 taxi |
| Fly to Pantnagar, then taxi | 1 hr flight, 2 hrs 22 taxi | Varies. Read the warning below |
Prices are indicative and change. Confirm with us before you book anything.
By road from Delhi, the simplest
One car, door to door, no changes. Delhi to Hapur, Moradabad, Rampur, Rudrapur, Haldwani, Kathgodam, then the climb through Bhowali to Ramgarh.
Leave Delhi early. Five or six in the morning. The Moradabad stretch is slow after mid morning and you want the hill section in daylight. Arriving after dark on a hill road you do not know is unpleasant.
Tell us your flight number and we will arrange a driver to meet you at Delhi airport. That is easier than negotiating at the terminal after a long flight.
By train, the most comfortable
Kathgodam is the railhead. The line ends there and the hills begin. From Kathgodam we are 45.5 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes by road.
Useful trains from Delhi: the Ranikhet Express runs overnight and gets you in early. The Shatabdi Express runs in the day and is faster and more comfortable. Book at irctc.co.in, though foreign cards are sometimes refused there, so book through a travel agent if the site fights you.
Tell us your train number and we will have a driver waiting on the platform with your name.
By air to Pantnagar, and an honest warning
Pantnagar is 79.6 km away, about 2 hours 22 minutes. On paper it is the fastest option.
In practice it is the least reliable. Flights are few, the airport is small, and cancellations in poor weather are common. If you fly here, do not book a same-day onward international connection. Keep a train booking as a fallback, or take the train in the first place.
Do not drive yourself
Hill roads here are narrow, unsigned, and shared with buses that do not yield. Indian traffic is its own discipline. Hire a car with a driver: it costs little more and it is the normal thing to do.
What you need at check in
- Passport and a valid Indian visa. Both, for every foreign guest. This is not our rule, it is Indian law.
- We are required to file Form C with the authorities for every foreign national. We do this for you, but we cannot skip it.
- Bring a printed or digital copy of your visa as a backup.
Money
The currency is the Indian Rupee. Roughly Rs 100 to US $1.20 or 1 euro, though it moves.
- We accept international cards at the hotel.
- Almost nothing else here does. Temples, viewpoints, tea gardens, waterfalls and small restaurants are cash only.
- There is no ATM in Ramgarh. The nearest are in Bhowali, 12 km, and Nainital, 25 km. Draw cash before you come up.
- Carry small notes. Nobody has change for a Rs 2,000 note at a chai stall.
Phone and internet
Buy an Indian SIM at Delhi airport on arrival. You need your passport and visa, and it takes about twenty minutes. Airtel and Jio both work here, though signal in the valleys is patchy.
We have wifi in every room. It is a hill connection, so it is fine for messaging and email and unreliable for video calls.
What to expect when you get here
- The kitchen is pure vegetarian. No meat, no fish, no eggs, for any guest. If that does not suit you, know it before you book.
- Cool, not cold, most of the year. Below 20 degrees for much of it. Bring a jacket even in summer. December to February is genuinely cold and rooms have heaters.
- No lift. The property runs across floors and you will use stairs with your luggage.
- Altitude is about 1,750 m. Too low for altitude sickness. You may notice the stairs on the first day.
- Electricity is 230 volts, plug types C, D and M. Bring an adapter.
- India is UTC plus 5 hours 30 minutes. The half hour catches people out.
Monsoon, and why it matters to you
From July to mid September, landslips close hill roads without warning. A route open in the morning may be shut by evening.
If you are travelling in these months: build a spare day into your plan, call us the morning you set out and we will tell you what the road is doing, and never schedule an international flight for the same evening you leave the hills.
Just ask us
We arrange taxis from Delhi, Kathgodam and Pantnagar every week. Send one message with your arrival date, your flight or train number and how many people, and we will tell you exactly what it costs and have someone there.