Tempo Traveller on rent in Dehradun

Dehradun is where the plains stop and the Garhwal hills begin, and a Tempo Traveller in Dehradun is built for exactly that change of gradient. RutzIndia.com rents 12, 17, 20 and 26-seat Force Travellers with chauffeurs who take the Mussoorie climb, the Chakrata road and the Char Dham highways in their stride. Families visiting boarding-school children, wedding parties from Delhi, office retreats and pilgrim groups can book a van online with a fixed fare and pay by card or UPI.

What a Dehradun Tempo Traveller costs

Local work in Dehradun is priced on a 0.97 multiplier. Outside the city, every kilometre costs the same as anywhere else in India, which is why the trip table below is shown by distance rather than by package.

Each round trip is charged on whichever is higher, the distance you actually cover or 250 km for every calendar day. Nights away add the chauffeur's allowance of Rs 1,500 each, and tolls, the Mussoorie entry fee, parking and any state permits are paid at actual cost with receipts. The general method is set out on our fares page.

Rates by seat size: per km, daily minimum, allowance

Here is the full rate card by vehicle size for trips that leave the Doon valley, with a worked example from Dehradun's most interesting three-day trip, the Harsil valley below Gangotri, billed at 750 km over three days.

Add two nights of allowance for Harsil, 5% GST on the vehicle fare, and tolls, permits and parking at actual cost. Inside the city, long event days, school annual functions and wedding days are best booked as a 12-hour, 120 km block, priced at one and a half times the 8-hour fare plus 40 km at the per-km rate: about Rs 31,470 Pay Now to Reserve for a Traveller (Rs 18,900 Pay Now to Reserve x 1.5 + 40 x Rs 78), about Rs 43,380 Pay Now to Reserve for an Urbania and about Rs 66,510 Pay Now to Reserve for a mini bus.

Every Traveller size, and where it works in the Doon

All our Dehradun vans are high-roof Force Travellers with roof-duct AC, push-back seats, a music system and a luggage carrier, driven by chauffeurs who handle the Mussoorie and Chakrata roads every week. Length is what separates them.

9 seats: parents' weekend and senior travellers

Boarding-school parents' weekends are a Dehradun institution, and families travelling with grandparents often want a van but not a cramped one. Nine wide 2x1 recliners in a 12-seat body give that space at the standard Traveller rate. For a lower step and softer ride on the Mussoorie climb, the 10-seat Force Urbania is the alternative.

12 seats: airport runs and hill circuits

Twelve seats and a proper boot make this the van for Jolly Grant arrivals and for any trip with hairpins: Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Kanatal or the Char Dham roads. The shorter body turns cleanly at Kincraig and fits the small car parks near Landour. The national 12-seater Tempo Traveller page compares layouts.

17 seats: team retreats and college groups

Seventeen seats suit an office offsite at a resort on the Sahastradhara or Shimla bypass roads, or a college group heading to Chakrata for a weekend. It climbs well; parking at the top is the main constraint, so we plan drop points in advance.

20 seats: wedding shuttles and IMA parade days

Twenty-seat vans are the ones in demand on passing-out parade days at the Indian Military Academy and during the Doon's winter wedding season, looping families between Rajpur Road hotels and venues. On the flat roads of the city they are ideal.

26 seats: school tours and big conference groups

The 26-seater is best for school trips from Dehradun's many boarding and day schools to Rishikesh, Haridwar or the Forest Research Institute, and for conference groups at the city's hotels. For Mussoorie or the upper hills we suggest two smaller vans instead, and for 27 to 35 people the mini bus on rent or a larger bus.

Standard, maharaja or Urbania in the hills

• Standard Traveller: push-back fabric seats, AC ducts, roof carrier; the dependable choice.
• Maharaja or deluxe interior: fewer, wider seats and better trim, at the same per-km rate when available; ask on booking.
• Force Urbania: independent suspension and a flat floor make it the calmest van on winding hill roads; Rs 102 per km, Rs 26,190 for a Dehradun local day.
• Innova Crysta: for a family of six, Rs 57.6 per km or Rs 12,210 for the local day.

Eight more trips from Dehradun, totals included

The trip table above covers the classic outings. This one prices eight further trips as an estimated total, adding 5% GST and the chauffeur's allowance for each night away. Tolls, permits, parking, hotels and entry tickets are extra.

Smaller parties can price the same destinations by car on our Rishikesh taxi service, Shimla taxi service and Delhi to Nainital taxi pages.

State entry permits from Dehradun

Our Dehradun vans are registered in Uttarakhand, so trips within the state pay no entry tax. Paonta Sahib, Shimla, Kufri and the rest of Himachal Pradesh are across the Yamuna, and Himachal charges a tourist-vehicle entry tax at the border; trips to Delhi, Haryana or Uttar Pradesh pay the corresponding entry charges too. The chauffeur pays each one, keeps the receipt, and the amount appears on your bill at actual cost. Fee schedules are set by the states and available through the national transport portal, Parivahan. For extended Himachal circuits beyond Shimla, see our Himachal taxi service.

For Char Dham departures, each yatri also registers with the state before travelling; the free registration is on the Uttarakhand yatra portal.

Dehradun pickup areas

We collect from homes, hotels, school gates, hostels, offices and stations across the valley:

• Central Dehradun: Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar), Paltan Bazaar, Rajpur Road, Dalanwala, Race Course, Survey Chowk, Karanpur, EC Road
• North and east: Jakhan, Kaulagarh, Sahastradhara Road, IT Park, Raipur, Mussoorie Diversion, Malsi
• West and south: Ballupur, Vasant Vihar, Indira Nagar, Garhi Cantt, Prem Nagar, Clement Town, Patel Nagar, Selaqui
• Airport side: Doiwala, Jolly Grant, Bhaniyawala

For school campuses and cantonment areas, share the gate and pass details in advance; the chauffeur cannot enter restricted areas without them.

What is inside the van

Each Dehradun Traveller is cleaned before every duty and carries a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and a seat belt for every seat. Most rows have charging points, and the music system pairs with a phone. In winter the chauffeur carries snow chains for trips above Mussoorie and Chakrata. Smoking and alcohol are not permitted inside, and on long hill days we suggest dry snacks rather than full meals on board. Water for passengers can be added through the travel desk.

Monthly vans, schools and companies

Dehradun's boarding schools, coaching institutes, hospitals and the offices around IT Park sometimes need a van every day. For them, a monthly car rental with driver plan fixes the chauffeur and a monthly kilometre allowance, invoiced once a month with GST. Companies and government-linked institutions that book vans for visiting teams through the year can use a corporate car rental account for consolidated billing. Families arriving from Delhi in a group can also start with our Delhi Tempo Traveller team and drive up the new expressway.

Seats and vans for Dehradun groups

The standard Traveller comes in four lengths. The 12-seater handles hill roads best and still carries a family's luggage; the 17 and 20-seaters suit day trips with light bags; the 26-seater is ideal for school and college groups on the wide roads around the city but is slow on tight hairpins. For a group of eight to ten who want captain seats and a softer ride on the climb to Mussoorie, look at the Force Urbania, and for the smallest groups the 12-seater Traveller page explains the premium layouts. Groups of six or fewer should compare the Dehradun taxi service, where an Innova costs Rs 12,210 Pay Now to Reserve for the local day.

Mussoorie by van: the practical details

Mussoorie is about 35 km and roughly an hour and a half above Dehradun, but the last kilometres are where group trips go wrong. A few points our chauffeurs will brief you on:

• Start early. Weekend traffic backs up from the Kolhukhet barrier towards Kincraig by mid-morning in May, June and during the Christmas-New Year week. Leaving Dehradun by 7:30 am makes the difference between a pleasant day and three hours in a queue.
• Mall Road is not for vans. Large vehicles park at the designated lots near Library Chowk or Gandhi Chowk and the Picture Palace end; the group walks the Mall between them.
• Kempty Falls sits about 15 km beyond the town, down a winding road. Combine it with Company Garden on the way back.
• Landour and the Char Dukan area above the town have narrow lanes. The van usually stops lower down and the group walks up.
• Entry fee: the town collects a vehicle entry charge at the barrier, which we pass on at cost.

Delhi families often do Mussoorie directly from the capital; our Delhi to Mussoorie taxi page covers cars, and the same Traveller can be booked one way from Delhi as well.

Chakrata by Traveller: the quieter hill day

Chakrata, about 90 km north-west of Dehradun via Kalsi, is where Doon residents go when Mussoorie is too crowded. The road climbs steadily through deodar and oak forest, narrower than the Mussoorie road and with fewer places to pass, so a 12 or 17-seater is the right size. The town is a cantonment and parts of it are restricted; carry photo ID for everyone and follow the chauffeur's advice about where the van may stop. Most groups visit Tiger Falls, a short walk from the road head, and the Deoban viewpoint for the Himalayan panorama on a clear day, stopping at the Asokan rock edict at Kalsi on the way up. Leave by 7 am to be back before dark; our chauffeurs do not drive this road at night. The day bills as one outstation day, Rs 19,500 Pay Now to Reserve in a Traveller before GST and parking.

Peak weeks for Dehradun vans

Five periods fill our Dehradun calendar early. May and June bring summer holidays and the Char Dham opening rush. IMA passing-out parades in June and December commit most large vans for two or three days. Christmas and New Year send families to Mussoorie and Dhanaulti hoping for snow. The winter wedding season from November to February keeps 20-seaters busy on weekends. And school founders' days and parents' weekends in autumn cluster around a few dates. For these, book two to four weeks ahead; at other times a few days' notice is usually enough.

Pickups at Jolly Grant, the station and school gates

• Jolly Grant Airport (DED): about 25 km south-east of the city centre, typically 45 minutes to an hour to the Clock Tower. The Rs 10,410 Pay Now to Reserve transfer covers up to 40 km; the chauffeur tracks your flight and meets you with a name board, and waiting is free for the first 30 minutes after landing, after which the hourly rate applies.
• Dehradun railway station: Shatabdi and Nanda Devi arrivals from Delhi come in early morning and late evening; the van waits in the station forecourt.
• ISBT on the Haridwar bypass: useful for groups arriving by overnight bus.
• School campuses: many parents book a Traveller for the whole family on founders' days and parents' weekends at the city's boarding schools. Campus gates have their own vehicle rules, so share the pass details in advance.
• Rajpur Road and Sahastradhara Road hotels: where most wedding and conference guests stay.

The passing-out parades at the Indian Military Academy in June and December bring thousands of families into the city on the same two days. If your son or daughter is commissioning, book the van as soon as the date is announced.

Jolly Grant transfer fares by destination

Jolly Grant sits south-east of the city on the Rishikesh side, which is why it serves Rishikesh and Haridwar almost as well as it serves Dehradun. The transfer fare of Rs 10,410 Pay Now to Reserve covers the first 40 km; beyond that each kilometre costs Rs 78.

Waiting is free for 30 minutes after a domestic landing and billed at the hourly rate afterwards. For couples and small families, a sedan from our Dehradun taxi service is the cheaper way to make the same journeys.

A two-day Mussoorie weekend for a family group

This is the plan we suggest for a family of twelve based in Dehradun or arriving at Jolly Grant, built to beat the weekend queues rather than join them.

The two days bill 500 km at the daily minimum, Rs 39,000 Pay Now to Reserve in a Traveller before GST, plus one night of allowance, the Mussoorie entry fee and parking. Staying overnight in Mussoorie also means the chauffeur rests in the hills and the group avoids the Sunday evening crawl down.

Passing-out parade day at the IMA

Twice a year, in June and December, families of the gentleman cadets commissioned at the Indian Military Academy arrive in Dehradun for the passing-out parade. Parade mornings start very early, entry is by pass only, and roads around Prem Nagar and the Chakrata Road are controlled. A Traveller on the 8-hour package at Rs 18,900 Pay Now to Reserve is the practical way to move an extended family from a Rajpur Road hotel to the parking area, wait through the parade and pipping ceremony, and take everyone to lunch afterwards. Vans for parade weekends are usually booked out weeks ahead, so reserve as soon as your cadet's batch date is announced, and share the pass instructions with the desk.

Our Dehradun chauffeurs

Our chauffeurs in Dehradun hold commercial passenger licences, are police-verified and drive the valley and the Garhwal hills every week. They know the Mussoorie barrier timings, the one-way loops on the Mall approaches and the places where a long van must stop short. They do not drink on duty, do not drive hill roads after dark and stay with the same group throughout a multi-day trip.

Char Dham, Auli and the high roads

Dehradun competes with Haridwar and Rishikesh as the starting point for the Char Dham yatra, and for families flying into Jolly Grant it is often the most convenient. A ten-day four-shrine circuit is billed at 2,500 km, Rs 1,95,000 Pay Now to Reserve before GST for the Traveller, with night allowances, permits and tolls on top; our Char Dham yatra by car guide covers routings and the pilgrim registration, which the state requires from every traveller. Families starting in the plains may prefer our Haridwar Tempo Traveller team, which works the same circuit from the Ganga's side.

Beyond the shrines, Auli above Joshimath is the winter trip: ski slopes and the Nanda Devi view between late December and February. Snow can close the upper road for a day or two, and the chauffeur will not attempt a snowbound stretch without chains and clear police permission. Hill-driving norms apply on every Garhwal road: the uphill vehicle has priority on single-lane stretches, horns before blind bends, and no hill driving after dark. The state tourism board's Uttarakhand Tourism site lists seasonal openings and advisories.

Plan a Dehradun hill trip

Weddings, school events and retreats in the Doon valley

Dehradun has become a quiet favourite for destination weddings and company retreats, with resorts along the Sahastradhara and Mussoorie roads, heritage properties in the valley and hill hotels towards Dhanaulti and Kanatal. The pattern for a wedding is usually two or three Travellers running loops between guest hotels and the venue for two days, plus airport and station pickups as guests arrive on different flights and trains. For a 150-guest wedding we would typically suggest two 26-seaters on loops and one 12-seater on arrival duty, but the right mix depends on how spread out the hotels are; send the plan to the desk and we will suggest the smallest fleet that keeps waiting times short.

Company retreats follow a simpler pattern: one pickup at Jolly Grant or the station, a transfer up to the resort, local excursions on the 8 hr / 80 km package, and a return transfer. School groups on educational tours of FRI and the Survey of India area use the half-day package. In every case the fare for each van is fixed before you pay, so the organiser can budget per head.

Monsoon and winter: driving the hills safely

The monsoon, roughly July to mid-September, makes the Doon valley lush and the hill roads unpredictable. Landslides on the Mussoorie, Chakrata and Char Dham roads can close a stretch for hours; our chauffeurs check police updates before leaving and will turn back rather than push through debris. Winter brings fog in the valley in the early mornings of December and January, and snow on the heights above Mussoorie, Dhanaulti and Chakrata. On snow days the van may stop short of the highest point and the group walks or takes a local vehicle. Neither season is a reason not to travel; both are reasons to keep a little slack in the plan.

City sightseeing and local packages

Inside the Doon valley a full local day at Rs 18,900 Pay Now to Reserve covers the Forest Research Institute and its museum, Robber's Cave at Guchhupani, Sahastradhara's sulphur springs, the Tapkeshwar cave temple and the Mindrolling Monastery at Clement Town, with time for shopping on Paltan Bazaar. A half day at Rs 11,340 Pay Now to Reserve is enough for FRI and Robber's Cave. Traffic on Rajpur Road is slowest between 9 and 10:30 am and again between 5 and 8 pm, and the Clock Tower area gets congested during festival shopping around Diwali. The Dehradun district administration posts diversion notices for big events.

Bags, trekking gear and school trunks

Dehradun groups carry an unusual mix of luggage. Boarding-school families bring trunks and bedding rolls at the start and end of term; trekkers bound for Har ki Dun, Kedarkantha or Nag Tibba bring rucksacks, poles and sometimes tents; wedding guests bring garment bags. The Traveller's rear boot holds about eight to ten medium suitcases, and the roof carrier takes trunks and rucksacks under a waterproof cover, which matters in the July and August rains. For trekking groups heading to Sankri or Mori, the van drops at the road head and returns on the day you finish, billed at the daily minimum only for the days it actually drives, plus an allowance for any night the chauffeur waits in the hills. Tell the desk about bulky items when booking so the right van is sent.

Dehradun traffic and the best times to drive

Inside the city, the slowest stretches are Rajpur Road near the Clock Tower, the Haridwar bypass at Ajabpur and the Chakrata Road at Prem Nagar, all heaviest roughly 9 to 10:30 am and 5 to 8 pm. Weekend mornings on the Mussoorie road are the worst of all in summer. School-run hours around Dalanwala and Rajpur Road add their own jam at 2 pm. Our dispatchers schedule pickups to slip between these windows where they can; a 7 am departure on a Saturday typically saves an hour of queueing at the Mussoorie barrier compared with a 9:30 start.

Booking, invoices and our cancellation terms

Book on the RutzIndia.com booker with your pickup, the trip and the seat count, and the fare is fixed before you pay by card or UPI. Schools, companies and wedding hosts can ask for a GST invoice in the organisation's name, and multi-van events are planned by the travel desk. The chauffeur's name and the van number reach you the evening before; call us or WhatsApp the desk for changes.

Our Dehradun vans are within four model years, air-conditioned and cleaned before every duty. You can cancel without charge up to 72 hours before the pickup time. After that point 10% of the fare is retained, half is retained once the pickup is less than 48 hours away, and the full fare is due inside the last 24 hours or when nobody turns up. The cancellation policy page explains changes of date and weather-related closures in the hills. For the trip down to the capital, compare the Traveller with a car on our Delhi to Dehradun taxi page.