Starfish Homestays

Stories from the Valley

The Doon Journal

Local guides written by the team that hosts you — Dehradun's cafés, trails, history and travel wisdom, fresh from the foothills.

The glowing orange winterline over the Doon valley at dusk, seen from MussoorieLatest

Travel Tips

Winter in Dehradun & Mussoorie: Snow Days, the Winterline and Bonfire Nights

From November to February the Doon valley turns golden, Mussoorie gets its famous winterline, and the first snowfields are an hour up the road — here's the local playbook for the cosiest season of the year.

28 July 2026 · 3 min read

Shoppers in the narrow lanes of Paltan Bazaar, Dehradun

City Guide

What to Take Home From Dehradun: Paltan Bazaar, Basmati & Bakery Rusk

The Doon valley's shopping is gloriously old-school — a century-old bazaar, bakeries with cult followings, real Dehraduni basmati and Tibetan woollens. Here's what's actually worth suitcase space.

28 July 2026 · 3 min read

A classic North Indian thali with rice, dal, curry, roti and papad

Food & Cafés

Best Restaurants in Dehradun: Where to Eat, From Local Thalis to Rooftops

Beyond the cafés and street carts, Dehradun has a proper dining scene — old-school institutions, buzzy rooftops and brewpubs. Here's where to eat, sorted by craving.

25 June 2026 · 2 min read

A warm, boho-styled living room in a Starfish homestay in Dehradun

Stay Guide

Where to Stay in Dehradun: A Neighbourhood Guide (Canal Road, Rajpur Road & Mussoorie Road)

Canal Road, Rajpur Road or the Mussoorie climb? Here's an honest area-by-area guide to where to stay in Dehradun — and which homestay fits your trip.

25 June 2026 · 3 min read

The emerald waters of Tehri Lake among the Uttarakhand hills

Travel Tips

Best Day Trips & Short Getaways Near Dehradun

Dehradun is the perfect basecamp: within a few hours you can reach a Himalayan lake, a Ganga aarti, an alpine meadow or a hidden waterfall. Here are the best day trips and short getaways near the Doon valley.

24 June 2026 · 3 min read

The yellow Dehradun railway station nameboard above the platforms

Travel Tips

How to Reach Dehradun: Flights, Trains & Scenic Road Trips

Flying, training or driving up from Delhi? Here's every way to reach Dehradun — Jolly Grant airport, the overnight trains, the new expressway — with times, tips and what to do when you arrive.

24 June 2026 · 3 min read

A fully-equipped kitchen in a furnished Starfish homestay in Dehradun, set up for a long stay

Stay Guide

Monthly & Long-Term Stays in Dehradun: Homestays for Nomads, Students & Relocations

Coming to Dehradun for a month, a semester or a soft relocation? Here's why a furnished homestay beats a rented flat or a long hotel bill — and how to set one up the easy way.

18 June 2026 · 3 min read

Trekkers climbing a green Himalayan ridge near Dehradun under a blue sky

City Guide

Best Treks & Nature Walks Near Dehradun (Easy Strolls to Real Climbs)

From a 20-minute forest stroll to a snow-line summit weekend — the Doon valley is ringed by green. Here are the best treks and nature walks near Dehradun, sorted by effort.

18 June 2026 · 2 min read

The warm, designed living room of a Starfish homestay in Dehradun — sofa, art and a coffee table

Stay Guide

Homestay vs Hotel in Dehradun: Why a Homestay Wins (Almost) Every Time

More space, a real kitchen, a quiet neighbourhood lane and a host who actually knows the city — here's why a homestay in Dehradun beats a hotel room, and when a hotel still makes sense.

17 June 2026 · 3 min read

A glowing sunset sky over the hills near Mussoorie and the Doon valley

Travel Tips

Dehradun & Mussoorie for Couples: A Romantic Getaway Guide

Deodar-shaded walks, sunset over the snow line, candlelit rooftops and a quiet home of your own — how to plan the perfect romantic escape to the Doon valley, close enough to Delhi for a weekend.

16 June 2026 · 3 min read

A neon-lit cocktail at a Dehradun bar at night

Food & Cafés

Where to Party in Dehradun: 9 Best Bars, Lounges & Nightclubs

Doon nights have grown up — rooftop gastropubs, neon cocktail lounges and proper DJ floors. Here's where to go out, from Social and Tonic to T'Qila, with directions to each.

15 June 2026 · 3 min read

Sunset over the forested hills above the Doon valley near Mussoorie

Travel Tips

A Perfect Weekend in Dehradun: The 2-Day Itinerary

Friday-night arrival to Sunday-evening departure — cafés, cave rivers, a Mussoorie sunrise, street food and a proper night out, mapped hour by hour by people who live here.

15 June 2026 · 2 min read

Green Himalayan foothills above the Doon valley under a soft sky

Travel Tips

Dehradun Through the Year: Weather, Seasons & the Best Time to Visit

Blossom springs, monsoon drama, snow on the Mussoorie ridge and crystal autumn skies — a month-by-month guide to the Doon valley's weather, and exactly what to pack for each one.

14 June 2026 · 3 min read

A loaded Indian thali with curries, breads and chaat in Dehradun

Food & Cafés

Dehradun Street Food: 13 Things You Must Eat in the Doon Valley

Katlambe chole, kaladi cheese, bun-tikki and a bowl of momos at midnight — a local's eating order through Khurbura, Paltan Bazaar and the lanes only Doonites know.

13 June 2026 · 4 min read

The Lakshman Jhula suspension bridge over the Ganga at Rishikesh

City Guide

Rishikesh From Dehradun: Ganga Aarti, River Rafting & the Beatles Trail

The yoga capital of the world is an easy hour from your Dehradun homestay. Here's the local's day plan — suspension bridges, café ghats, white water and the evening fire ceremony that sends everyone home changed.

12 June 2026 · 3 min read

Mall Road in Mussoorie with the valley falling away below

City Guide

Mussoorie & Landour From Dehradun: A Local's Day-Trip Guide

The Queen of Hills is 35 minutes from our doorstep — here's how locals do it: the 8 a.m. escape, what's actually worth your time on Mall Road, and why the best part of Mussoorie is the quiet ridge above it.

11 June 2026 · 3 min read

A laptop workspace on a wooden dining table in a bright Starfish homestay living room

Travel Tips

The NCR Escape Plan: Why Remote Workers Are Doing WFH From Dehradun

Same time zone, five hours from Gurgaon, ten degrees cooler and a mountain outside the window — the complete playbook for a week (or a month) of working from the Doon valley.

10 June 2026 · 3 min read

A cappuccino with latte art on a wooden café table

Food & Cafés

10 Lovely Cafés in Dehradun, From Rajpur Road to the Mussoorie Climb

Where the locals actually sit: Tibetan kitchens, garden courtyards, European-style coffee rooms and two Doon institutions that aren't cafés at all — a guide from the team that lives here.

9 June 2026 · 4 min read

A happy dog sitting on a rock with forested hills behind

Stay Guide

Travelling to Dehradun With a Dog? A Pet Parent's Guide to the Doon Valley

Forest trails, canal-side walks, cool mountain air and how to find a stay that genuinely welcomes your four-legged co-traveller — everything we tell pet parents who message us.

2 June 2026 · 3 min read

A bright family-sized living space at a Starfish homestay in Dehradun

Stay Guide

The Toddler-Friendly Airbnb Checklist: How to Pick a Stay in Dehradun With Small Kids

Sterilising bottles at midnight in a hotel bathroom is nobody's holiday. Here's what actually matters in a family stay — and how to plan three unhurried Doon days a two-year-old will love.

26 May 2026 · 3 min read

The Dehradun railway station nameboard

Travel Tips

10 Things to Know Before You Come to Doon

When to come, how to arrive, what to pack, and the small local wisdom — like why you leave for Mussoorie at 8 a.m. sharp — that turns a good Dehradun trip into a great one.

19 May 2026 · 3 min read

The grand colonial facade of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun

City Guide

12 Best Places to Visit in Dehradun: A Local's 2026 Guide

Colonial colonnades, a cave you wade through, a thousand-spring hillside and the momos at the end of it all — the Doon valley's essential sights, ordered the way a local would actually do them.

12 May 2026 · 3 min read

Ghanta Ghar, the historic clock tower at the heart of Dehradun

History

A Short History of Dehradun: How a Guru's Camp Became the Doon Valley's Capital

From Guru Ram Rai's seventeenth-century dera to Gorkha forts, Raj-era institutions and India's youngest state capital — the story of the valley you're sleeping in.

5 May 2026 · 3 min read