Dehradun is the gateway to the famous hill station of Mussoorie and the pilgrimage spots of Haridwar and Rishikesh. It boasts of some of India’s finest schools like the Doon School, Welham School for girls and boys and institutions like the Forest Research Institute, the Indian Military Academy. An important product of Dehradun is Dehradun Basmati Rice which is famous all over India. In Skanda Purana, Dehradun is mentioned as a part of the region called 'Kedar Khand', the abode of Shiva. Dehradun is one of the oldest cities in India and is believed that Lord Rama and his brother did penance here for killing Ravana.

The district of Dehradun was taken out from the Meerut Division in 1968 and included in the Garhwal division. The city of Dehradun is now the capital of Uttaranchal and the headquarters of Dehradun district. Dehradun is surrounded by the Shivalk Hills to the north, the Yamuna to the west and the Ganga to the east.

The city of Dehradun has various tourist spots like the Tapkeshwar Shiv temple which derives its name from water droplets originating from a rock falls on the Shivling placed in the shrine. The Sahastradhara is a sulphur spring located about 14kms from the city. It literally means thousand fold springs. The Malsi Deer Park is located 8kms from Dehradun enroute to Mussoorie. It is a wonderful picnic spot and can be enjoyed with children. The Robber’s Cave is another important picnic spot located 8kms from Dehradun. The Tibetan temple on Rajpur Road is a colourful Buddhist temple. 15kms from Dehradun is the Santaula Devi temple. While at Dehradun, you can undertake excursions to places like Lacchiwala, a beautiful picnic spot; Rajaji National Park which displays a variety of flora and fauna and Dakpathar which is located 45kms from Dehradun. Dehradun also hosts some important fairs of the region like Jhanda Fair, Tapkeshwar Fair, Laxmansidh Fair, Bissu Fair, Mahasu Devta Fair, and the Shaheed Veer Kesri Chandra Fair. The city of Dehradun has some lovely shopping complexes from where you can buy curios and woollen clothes.