The Hosteller Chakrata

The Hosteller Chakrata sits in the village of Tungra, outside the main Chakrata town, with unobstructed views of rolling valleys and distant snow-capped ridges. It's a well-run backpacker hostel with a genuine community feel — the kind of place where solo travellers end up staying five nights instead of one. Dogs are welcome, but only if you've booked a private room.

What the property is actually like

The hostel is built around a lush garden with birdhouses and birdbaths scattered through the grounds, which gives it a calmer, more nature-forward feel than a typical city hostel. Interiors take cues from the Uttarakhand landscape — mustard yellows, greens, handcrafted Pahadi decor, copper utensils, and traditional instruments on the walls. Private rooms come with balconies that open directly onto mountain views. There's a sunrise viewing deck and a vegetarian-only café called Myngl (Unbox Café) that runs on a self-service model, keeping with the hostel's backpacker ethos.

For pet parents specifically

The garden setup works well for dogs — there's outdoor space to decompress after a drive up the mountain roads. Chakrata itself is a quieter, less commercialised hill town than Mussoorie or Nainital, which means lower traffic stress and more open walking around the property. The community host-led sunrise and sunset hikes are a real draw here — worth checking if your dog is trail-ready. Note that the café is self-service and vegetarian only, so plan accordingly for your dog's food needs on the road.

Around Chakrata

Tiger Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Uttarakhand, is the headline attraction nearby. Ram Tal Horticultural Garden is a couple of kilometres from the hostel and worth a morning walk. Deoban, Chilmiri Top, and Kanasar are all accessible for day trips. Chakrata is a restricted area (Inner Line Permit required for non-Uttarakhand residents) — sort this before you arrive. The roads up from Dehradun are winding mountain roads; arriving in daylight makes the drive significantly easier.