The hill station of Nainital in Uttarakhand, nestled between Himalyan Peaks and the Naini Lake, is a popular tourist destination because of the picture perfect combination of lakes and mountains. Lush green forests, serene lakes and the picturesque beauty of the hill town built by Britishers make it the perfect summer destination and attracts a lot of tourists.
If one is to travel from Dehradun the capital of the state, to Nainital, the distance is around 280 kms and the road journey is pleasant but long. It takes around 7-8 hours to reach Nainital from Dehradun by car depending on the car and traffic conditions and 8-9 hours by bus to reach the Nainital bus stand, which is 2 km away from the main city centre. Buses are available from Dehradun to Nainital from morning to evening.
The preferred route by car from Dehradun is along NH 72 to Haridwar then travel along NH 74 to Najibabad-Ramnagar-Nainital. Haridwar is the first major stop fromDehradun, where one can take a short break from the journey and visit the holy town and go to the ghats along the river Ganga or continue the journey and travel towards Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh. From Najibabad one could travel either to Ramnagar which is 214kms from Dehradun or Kashipur, although most travelers take the route from Ramnagar because of the Jim Corbett National Park which is present in Ramnagar. From Ramnagar to Naintal the distance is around 60 kms and the road is in an excellent condition and the drive is extremely pleasant, taking around 2 hours to reach Nainital. Alternately, one could travel via Kashipur on NH 74, skipping Ramnagar and shortening the journey from Dehradun to the hill station of Nainital.
