Camel's Back Road
#4of 8 places to visit in MussoorieMussoorie, Uttarakhand
Also known as Camel Back Road
Quick answer
Opening hours: No fixed opening hours. Entry is free. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: 17:00 – 18:30.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- No fixed hours
- Open 24 hours; the road has no gate or ticket point.
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 1.5 hrs
- Best time of day
- 17:00 – 18:30
- Best months
- Oct – Jun
- Address
- Camel's Back Road, between Kulri Bazaar and Library Chowk, Mussoorie, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand 248179
About Camel's Back Road
Camel's Back Road is a level, roughly 3-kilometre pedestrian and horse-track connecting Kulri Bazaar to Library Chowk along the northern face of the Mussoorie ridge, laid out in 1845 as a leisure walk for the British hill-station community. The road takes its name from a natural rock outcrop roughly two-thirds of the way along the route, whose eroded silhouette resembles a resting camel's back and neck when viewed from the correct angle near dusk. Unlike Mussoorie's steeper approach roads, Camel's Back Road holds an almost flat gradient for its entire length, cut into the hillside rather than climbing it, which made it suitable for both walking and horse-drawn carriage traffic in the colonial period. Deodar and oak cover much of the upper slope on the inward side, while the outward side drops toward the Doon Valley in a long, largely unobstructed view corridor that makes the route Mussoorie's most reliable sunset walk.
Best time of day: 17:00 – 18:30. For sunset views over the Doon Valley and the silhouette of the camel-hump rock formation against the western sky.
Camel's Back Road timings
- Opening hours
- No fixed hours
Mon–Sun No fixed hours - Open 24 hours; the road has no gate or ticket point.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: Best walked outside the monsoon months (July–August), when the unpaved shoulder sections turn slippery.
Opening hours compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Camel's Back Road ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian visitors | Free |
| Foreign visitors | Free |
| Children | Free |
| Camera | Free |
Free, unticketed public road. Horse-ride operators along the route charge separately, typically ₹300–₹500 for the full stretch — negotiate before mounting.
Prices compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Camel's Back Road
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
- Very busy
07:00 – 09:00
Morning WalkersBest time to go
Local residents and early joggers use the flat track before the day's tourist traffic arrives. Clear valley visibility before haze builds.
Quiet09:00 – 16:00
Daytime Lull
Steady but manageable tourist footfall and horse-ride business through the middle of the day; rarely congested.
Moderate16:00 – 17:00
Pre-Sunset Build-up
Visitors begin gathering for sunset photography; horse-ride queues form at both ends of the road.
Busy17:00 – 18:30
Sunset Peak
The road's busiest window. Benches facing the Doon Valley fill up and the camel-rock viewpoint sees the heaviest photo traffic of the day.
Very busy
History of Camel's Back Road
The road was laid out in 1845 as part of the British hill station's broader programme of ridge-line promenades, built for the officer and administrator households who summered in Mussoorie away from the Gangetic plain's heat. Unmarried British women and colonial families used the flat, gently curving track for evening strolls and pony rides, a social ritual documented in period accounts of Mussoorie's Mall-adjacent leisure culture.
The camel-rock formation that gives the road its name was a recognised landmark well before formal tourism infrastructure existed here — it appears in 19th-century travel writing about Mussoorie as one of the ridge's natural curiosities, described as best seen in the fading light rather than at midday, a reading still repeated by contemporary guides.
Rules & etiquette at Camel's Back Road
The road carries mixed foot, horse, and occasional light-vehicle traffic on the Library Chowk end; stay to the inner edge when a horse party passes, since the animals are working stock unused to sudden movement from pedestrians. Benches along the route are public and unticketed — no vendor has authority to charge for sitting.
Horse-ride touts cluster at both ends of the road and quote inflated one-way fares to tourists who look unfamiliar with the route; agree a return fare and the total distance covered before mounting, and expect ₹300–₹500 for the full stretch as a reasonable range in 2026.
Tips for visiting Camel's Back Road
- 1
Walking the road end to end from Kulri to Library Chowk (or the reverse) takes about 45–60 minutes at an unhurried pace, making it an easy add-on to an evening in the Mall Road bazaars at either terminus. The camel-rock formation is easiest to identify from the Library Chowk-facing stretch, roughly two-thirds along from Kulri — look for a two-humped grey outcrop below the tree line rather than at the skyline.
- 2
Bring a light jacket even in the warmer months; the ridge-top breeze picks up noticeably once the sun drops behind the western hills. The road has almost no shade cover on its Doon Valley-facing side, so a midday walk in May–June is considerably hotter than the same walk at sunset.
How to reach Camel's Back Road
The red star is Camel's Back Road; the numbered pins are the 3 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.
Camel's Back Road, between Kulri Bazaar and Library Chowk, Mussoorie, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand 248179Directions in Google Maps
From Kulri Bazaar (Mall Road)
0 km · 2–3 min walk from Mall Road junction
Free — walking access.
From Library Chowk
3 km · 45–60 min walk end to end
Free — walking access; horse rides ₹300–₹500 one way or return.
From Dehradun Railway Station
₹900–₹1,30034 km · 1h 10m – 1h 30m
Private taxi to Kulri or Library Chowk.
Nearest airport
From Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED)
36 km, approximately 1h 30m.
Nearest railway station
From Dehradun Railway Station
34 km, approximately 1h 20m.
Camel's Back Road FAQs
Is Camel's Back Road free to walk?
Yes, the road is a free public walkway with no ticket or gate. Only optional horse rides along the route are paid, typically ₹300–₹500 for the full stretch as of 2026.
How long does it take to walk Camel's Back Road?
About 45–60 minutes to cover the full 3-kilometre stretch between Kulri Bazaar and Library Chowk at a relaxed pace. The gradient is nearly flat throughout, making it one of the easiest walks in Mussoorie.
Where is the camel-shaped rock the road is named after?
The outcrop sits roughly two-thirds of the way along the road on the Library Chowk-facing stretch, visible as a two-humped grey rock formation below the tree line. It reads most clearly as a camel silhouette in the low light near sunset.
Can you ride a horse along Camel's Back Road?
Yes, horse operators offer rides along the full length for roughly ₹300–₹500 as of 2026. Agree the fare and route before mounting, since touts at both ends sometimes quote inflated one-way prices to unfamiliar visitors.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
Places to visit near Camel's Back Road
Straight-line distances from our map; times are estimates.
