Gucchu Pani (Robber’s cave): Offbeat place in Dehradun

I am always excited to explore offbeat places wherever I am traveling. Ideally, something very few people know of but even if known, it should have that wow factor. I came to know about one such offbeat place in Dehradun called Gucchu Pani (Robber’s cave). 

I was in Dehradun on a work trip and was searching for answers to Is Dehradun worth a stopover? I had a driver throughout the trip so it was simple racking his brains.

Being a local (and not the typical tourist taxi driver), he asked me about my preferences for places to visit in Dehradun. Offbeat, close to nature and adventure are the three things that came to my mind. He smiled and said Gucchu pani. This sounded cute and at first, I thought he was saying something in the local language but then he started explaining that it was actually a place that ticks off these 3 criteria. And I was excited to check it out!

About Gucchu Pani

No longer an unexplored place in Dehradun, Gucchu Pani is quite a favourite among tourists as well as visitors. It is now one of the famous tourist places in Dehradun. Located 8 km away from Dehradun city near Anarwala village is Gucchu Pani.

Gucchu Pani Dehradun is a natural cave formation where rivers flow from inside the cave. It is said that during British times, robbers used to treat this cave as a hideout, and hence, the name Gucchu Pani was given in the local language. For visitors, it is now also known as the Robber’s cave.

My experience at Gucchu Pani (Robber’s cave)

My cab driver dropped me off at the entry gate of this tourist spot in Dehradun. After paying the entry fees, I started walking on the pavement towards the cave. I could see the river flowing on my left with fresh clean water which was actually coming from the cave.

A little ahead I started seeing food stalls. I mentally made a note to treat myself post the Gucchu Pani visit with hot coffee and Maggi noodles. There were also stalls giving flip flops on rent and also advising people in shoes that it would be extremely slippery to wear them and they also get wet. I decided to go with my floaters as they are comfortable in trekking and dry out soon enough even if they get wet.

I noticed people had come prepared with a set of clothes to change into. There were changing huts behind the stalls too. Of Course, I had not prepared myself to drench in the water or so I thought!

After a walk of about 500 meters, I started noticing the cave, the river, and the people walking in! I folded my pants up to my thigh and strapped the floaters tight and started the walk.

Oh, the cold water.. So.. SO COLD! How are people taking a bath in it?

The 600 meters long cave looked appealing. There were shallow areas and then sudden deep drops. There were areas with soft mud and areas with hard stones. There were areas with spring water dripping from the rocks overhead while areas where I just wanted to hold the next person just so I didn’t flow away in the river current.

And then the most dreaded moment arrived when the cave became super narrow and dark, and the water to my waist level. I had to make a quick decision to return back or to keep exploring what was in the end. Whether to further dive into the adrenaline rush that the cold water combined with claustrophobia was giving me. I heard some shrieks from a group of all-college girls ahead of me. I mustered my courage and decided to go on while mentally thinking how will I dry my jeans as I have to catch a flight in a couple of hours and I hope I do not fall ill with wet clothes on me and the blast of air conditioners on the flight!

I had crossed the deepwater area and I sensed I had reached the end of the cave as I saw a lot of people gathered in a small area. I could hardly catch a glimpse of the end of the seemingly long cave and but in the end, it was just a pool of water and students enjoying a cold bath in the natural spring.

I walked back through the same patch of narrow lanes, deep water, and sharp stones and came out stronger than before. Yes, this was an offbeat adventure and super fun.

As promised I treated myself to hot coffee and Maggi with a sense of achievement while my floaters dried in the hot summer sun. 

Tips for visiting Gucchu Pani

• Wear floaters or strappy sandals that can handle sharp stones and a high velocity of water on your feet. Otherwise, walk bare feet, that’s the best way here. You can leave your footwear in the stalls outside for a minimum payment so that they don’t get stolen. Do not buy or rent flip flops as they can’t handle the water pressure and simply float and you have to carry them all along.
• Take the bare minimum of stuff inside the cave as you will probably get drenched along the way. Plastic wrap from phone and wallet!
• Be super careful if you are taking your DSLR with you as there are overhead springs that can spoil the camera. GoPro works the best here!
• There are guided treks that happen around the cave from Anarwala village. One can pre-book them and have an entire day of fun exploring the lesser-known tracks and enjoying nature at its best.

Best time to visit Gucchu Pani

In the mornings! That is when the crowd is less and you can get the area to yourself. I made the mistake of going at noon and it was packed with visitors.

Season wise the water flow is super heavy in monsoon due to fresh rains so ideally avoid it as the water level can be really deep in some areas. In winter the water is extremely cold so not ideal to drench or take a bath. Hence summer is the right time to visit the robber’s cave.

How to reach Gucchu Pani

Private vehicles or rented 2-wheelers are the only two options to reach here. There is no public transportation. If you book Ola/Uber, there is no guarantee that you will get a cab back to the city so it is best to hire it for the entire duration of the visit.

Sustainable tips for Gucchu Pani (Robber’s cave) visit

• While Gucchu Pani is an amazing place for family picnics and student fun, do not litter the place with plastic wrappers. There is a fine of INR 200 for anyone who litters the place. Drop the trash in the dedicated trash bins near food stalls.
• While one may get lured to bring in alcohol to drink in the cold water, do not, it is not allowed.
• Do not carry riverbed stones as souvenirs. They belong to nature and should stay there. 

Read other Uttarakhand Blogs:

• Jim Corbett National Park
• Pangot, Bhimtal, Sattal Birding
• Things to do in Rishikesh
• Places to visit in Nainital
• Chopta Chandrashila Trek

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