Hidden Places in Mukteshwar: 10 Secret Gems You Must Visit

Most people who visit Mukteshwar leave having seen two things: the temple and the cliff.

They click a photo at Chauli Ki Jali, buy some Bal Mithai from the market, and head back to Nainital before dark. And Mukteshwar lets them go – politely, without offering its real self. Because the real Mukteshwar isn’t at the viewpoint everyone stands at. It’s down the unmarked lane. It’s in the hamlet that doesn’t have a signboard. It’s at the waterfall you hear before you see.

This guide is for the traveller who wants to stay longer and look closer – a map to the hidden places in Mukteshwar that don’t make it onto the weekend itinerary blogs, but make it into the stories people tell for years.

1. Bhalu Gaad Waterfall – The Sound Before the Sight

There’s a moment on the trail to Bhalu Gaad when you hear the waterfall before the trees open up to reveal it. That moment – the sound of water over rock arriving through a canopy of oak and rhododendron – is why this place deserves to be first on any honest Mukteshwar list.

The trailhead is about 4 km from Mukteshwar market, and most visitors drive right past it. The walk in is easy-moderate, taking roughly 45 minutes each way.

Why it stays hidden: There’s no hoarding, no entry gate, no chai stall at the top. Just the trail, the birdsong, and eventually, a waterfall that fills a small, cold pool where you can sit for an hour and think about nothing important.

• Best visited on weekday mornings when the path is empty
• In spring, the trail floor turns red with fallen rhododendron blooms
• Carry water – there’s nothing on the route

2. Peora Village – The Fruit Bowl That Time Forgot

About 10 kilometres from Mukteshwar lies Peora, a quaint village often referred to as the Fruit Bowl of Uttarakhand due to its abundant orchards. Apple, plum, and peach trees line the village lanes, and on a clear morning, the Himalayan range sits on the horizon like something painted rather than real.

Peora is what Mukteshwar was twenty years ago – unhurried, unposted, unfiltered.

• Walk the village lanes at your own pace and the orchards open up around every bend
• More than 200 bird species have been spotted around this area – carry binoculars if birdwatching is your thing
• Some organic stays here will let you pick fruit directly from the tree
• The drive from Mukteshwar to Peora is 20 minutes of pure Kumaoni hill road – beautiful enough to justify the trip on its own

3. Banlekhi Village – The Place Not on Google Maps

Banlekhi is a remote hamlet near Mukteshwar set amidst rocky mountains, gushing waterfalls, and expansive meadows – a place waiting to be your next summer getaway.

The people of Banlekhi are its real hidden gem. The locals are welcoming and will happily invite you into their homes – explore the village on foot, ask about their daily lives, and a new world opens up entirely.

No café. No booking page. No Instagram geotag. Just a village that exists beautifully on its own terms, and travellers who arrive on foot and leave slower than they came.

• Reach via an unpaved trail from the main Mukteshwar road – best navigated with a local guide
• Visit between April and June for the clearest skies and greenest meadows
• Pair the visit with Bhalu Gaad Falls, about 12 km away, for a full day out

4. Nathuakhan – The Village That Breathes Slowly

Nathuakhan is a hidden paradise near Mukteshwar – a small village surrounded by dense forests and terraced fields, ideal for soulful travellers seeking rolling meadows and a slow pace of life.

If Mukteshwar is where city people come to rest, Nathuakhan is where Mukteshwar itself goes to think.

• Perfect for camping and stargazing – the night skies here are exceptionally dark
• A genuine spot for meditation, yoga retreats, and anyone who needs silence that isn’t just the absence of noise
• About 19 km from Mukteshwar market – a 30-minute drive that transitions from town to total countryside

5. Sitla – Colonial Silence in the Forest

Located approximately 12 kilometres from Mukteshwar, Sitla is a charming hamlet known for its colonial-style bungalows and dense forests.

The British left Mukteshwar long ago, but Sitla still carries the quiet weight of that era – thick stone walls, overgrown garden paths, and an atmosphere of studied calm that no resort designer could manufacture.

• The dense forest cover makes it noticeably cooler than open hillside areas – even in May
• An ideal photography destination; the colonial architecture against the green forest creates extraordinary frames
• Few travellers make the short detour here, which means you’ll usually have the lanes to yourself

6. IVRI Campus – A Living Museum Nobody Visits

The Indian Veterinary Research Institute has stood in Mukteshwar since the British era, and exploring its colonial-era buildings and lush green campus makes for a genuinely absorbing afternoon that most tourists completely overlook.

The campus spreads across a large, well-maintained green belt with old buildings, research facilities, and a museum that documents the institute’s history. It’s open to visitors and charges a nominal entry.

• The museum inside is genuinely interesting – a window into Mukteshwar’s colonial-era significance as a hill station chosen specifically for scientific research
• The campus garden views of the Himalayan range are as good as any dedicated viewpoint in town
• Best visited in the late morning when the light hits the old stone facades cleanly

7. Mukteshwar Inspection Bungalow – Heritage at the Edge of the World

Built during the British era, the Mukteshwar Inspection Bungalow is a heritage spot offering majestic views of Nanda Devi and Trishul peaks – a hidden gem for those who love history and vintage architecture.

Most people don’t know this bungalow exists. It sits at a vantage point that rivals any formal viewpoint in Mukteshwar, but with no crowds, no railing, and no souvenir sellers – just the Himalayan panorama and the sound of wind through old pine trees.

• Ideal for sunrise and sunset photography
• The colonial architecture itself tells a story; the bungalow is a portrait of the era in which Mukteshwar was a British administrative and research outpost
• Go early morning for the cleanest view – mist rolls in from the valley by mid-morning

8. Ramgarh – The Orchard Town That Doesn’t Rush

About 25 kilometres from Mukteshwar, Ramgarh is known for its peaceful ambiance and fruit orchards – an excellent place to unwind and enjoy the simple pleasures of rural life.

Ramgarh was once a favoured retreat of Rabindranath Tagore – and you understand why the moment you arrive. The air here has a quality that’s different from busier hill towns: slower, sweeter, and faintly scented by the orchard country that surrounds every road.

• The drive from Mukteshwar to Ramgarh is a highlight in itself – narrow roads through thick forest and terraced farmland
• Visit Tagore’s cottage if accessible – a genuine piece of literary history in an unexpected place
• Pair with a Peora visit for a full day in Kumaon’s orchard country

9. Kodia Forest – Where the Trees Are Older Than the Town

Between Mukteshwar and the surrounding villages lies a stretch of old-growth forest – oak, deodar, and rhododendron – known locally as Kodia Forest. This quiet stretch is one of the best places in the region to enjoy a secluded retreat away from the crowds, with nature walks through the trees and open sky camping on clear nights.

This is not a trekking destination with a summit and a certificate. It’s a walk through a living, breathing forest where the oldest trees have watched the town grow around them.

• Best explored with a local guide who knows the forest paths – homestay hosts in Mukteshwar can usually arrange this
• Bird diversity here is exceptional; carry binoculars and patience
• Avoid the monsoon months – paths get slippery and leeches are active

10. Mauna Village – The Place Between Mukteshwar and Almora

Mauna is a small village silently tucked between Mukteshwar and Almora – a place where you find much-needed tranquillity while still having easy access to both towns.

Mauna doesn’t advertise itself. It simply exists at the intersection of two worlds – close enough to both Mukteshwar and Almora to be accessible, far enough from both to feel removed from them entirely. The landscape shifts here: wider valleys, older farmland, and a stillness that has nothing to do with silence and everything to do with pace.

• A 40-minute drive from Mukteshwar market
• Best explored on foot – the village paths connect terraced fields, small temples, and occasional viewpoints that only locals know about
• An ideal stop for travellers driving between Mukteshwar and Almora who want to step off the main road and breathe for an hour

The Real Mukteshwar

The places that make Mukteshwar worth remembering are rarely on the first page of any search result. They don’t have entry fees or curated Instagram moments. They have mud paths, village elders sitting in the afternoon sun, fruit dropping from trees that nobody planted on purpose, and views that open up suddenly when you’ve stopped looking for them.

The hidden places in Mukteshwar listed here aren’t secrets because they’re inaccessible – they’re secrets because most visitors don’t give the town enough time to show them.

Contact for Direct Bookings: +91 9350935932

Read our other resources: Cottages in Mukteshwar, Best time to visit Mukteshwar