Dehradun in October: clear skies, Dussehra, Diwali and Founder’s Days

Dehradun weather in October

October is the month the rain switches off. On IMD’s 1991–2020 normals, Dehradun gets about 306 mm of rain in September and only about 38 mm in October, on two days or so. The afternoons are still warm, around 29 °C. The nights drop to about 16 °C, which is the first real cool of the year after the long, humid summer.

That gap between day and night is what to plan for. A cotton shirt at 2 pm, a light layer after sunset. As we put it on our Instagram on 8 October 2026: “Bring light jackets and enjoy pre winters.” It is not sweater weather yet. That comes in November.

The first week can still feel like the end of the monsoon. In 2026, according to The Hindu, IMD declared the monsoon gone from the whole country only on 15 October, and a late western disturbance can bring a stormy evening any time in the month. By the second half of October the sky is usually clear and the hills to the north stand out sharply. These are averages, not a forecast, so check the IMD Dehradun forecast and district warnings for your week.

The days shorten fast. Sunset moves from about 6 pm on 1 October to about 5:30 pm by the 31st. In the valley the sun goes behind the hills a little before the official time, so plan outdoor afternoons to end by five.

Hill roads after the monsoon

The rain stops, but the slopes take time to settle. Monsoon damage can take weeks to repair, and a slip can still close a hill road for a few hours. Check the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and IMD on the morning of any hill drive, and read our guide to checking roads and weather. Rivers and waterfall pools still run high and fast after the rains. Look, don’t get in.

Dussehra: Saturday 9 October 2027

On the central government’s 2027 list, Dussehra falls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t make a long weekend on its own. The Navratri days before it are only restricted holidays on that list: Saptami on Wednesday 6, Mahashtami on Thursday 7 and Mahanavmi on Friday 8 October. Anyone who can take Thursday and Friday off gets a four-day break.

Watch for the state list too. Uttarakhand’s 2027 holidays aren’t out yet, and the state sometimes adds one late. In 2026, according to The Statesman, the Chief Minister announced on Saturday 17 October a public holiday for Maha Navami on Monday 19 October, the day before Dussehra. That turned it into a four-day weekend at two days’ notice, and the roads filled up accordingly.

The big evening in the city is the Ravan Dahan at the Parade Ground. In 2026 the Bannu Biradari Dussehra committee planned its 79th Dussehra festival there, with a 181-foot Ravan burned alongside Kumbhkaran and Meghnad, according to Dainik Bhaskar. On the evening, the Chief Minister attended, as ANI reported. There are other burnings around the city the same evening, such as the one at Hindu National College that ANI also covered. If you go to the Parade Ground, go on foot from wherever you can park, and expect a very big crowd at the end.

Diwali: Friday 29 October 2027

Diwali is on a Friday in 2027, which makes the last weekend of October a natural three-day break: Diwali on Friday, Govardhan Puja on Saturday 30 and Bhai Duj on Sunday 31. Naraka Chaturdasi, the day before, is a restricted holiday. A lot of people from Delhi and the plains will use that weekend to come up, and a lot of Dehradun families will be travelling to theirs.

The markets get very crowded in the run-up to Diwali. In 2026, ahead of the festive season, the district administration said vehicles would not be allowed into Paltan Bazaar between 11 am and 7 pm, according to Uttarakhand News Network (23 October 2026). Expect something similar in 2027, and shop on foot. Our Paltan Bazaar page has the details on parking.

If you’re coming by train for Diwali, book as early as reservations allow on IRCTC and check your train’s running status on NTES before you leave for the station.

Igas Bagwal: Garhwal’s own Diwali, just after October

In Garhwal, the festival of lights comes twice. Igas Bagwal, sometimes called Budhi Diwali, is kept on the Ekadashi about eleven days after Diwali. Uttarakhand made it a state holiday, and in its 2026 list it fell on 20 November. In 2027 the Ekadashi after Diwali, Prabodhini Ekadashi, is on Wednesday 10 November, according to Drik Panchang, so Igas is expected that day. It is not yet announced.

So Igas belongs to November, not October. But if your trip runs from late October into the second week of November, you get both Diwalis. The state list for 2027 will settle the date. Our Dehradun in November guide covers Igas in more detail.

Founder’s Day month for the schools

Dehradun is a school town, and autumn is when many of the boarding schools hold Founder’s Day, the big weekend of the school year when parents and old students come back. The dates move from year to year, often around Dussehra and Diwali.

• The Doon School held its 91st Founder’s Day from 22 to 24 October 2026, as the school announced on its Facebook page.
• Welham Girls’ School held its 2026 Founders’ Day on 4 and 5 November, on the school’s own calendar. In 2025 it was mid-October: the 68th Founders’ Day ended on Friday 17 October, according to the Times of India.

None of the 2027 dates are announced yet, and your child’s school will tell you first. Our advice: once you have the date, fix your stay straight away, because the same weekend brings many families to the city at once. Plan to arrive the day before, and keep the evenings free for the school programme. For more on school visits, see visiting your child at school and our family occasions page.

How we’d spend an October week

• Keep Mussoorie for a weekday. October long weekends are heavy on the Mussoorie road. On 3 October 2026, ETV Bharat reported that the 35 km drive up was taking close to five hours on weekends and holidays. Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, leave early and come down before dark.
• Look for the first winter birds. Migrant waterbirds start arriving at the Asan wetland in October. In 2026 the first two dozen ruddy shelducks were in by 8 October, according to Amar Ujala. Our Asan Barrage page has the rest.
• Do the city between the festivals. The week of 11 October, after Dussehra, is a good gap: dry weather, and before the Diwali shopping rush builds.
• Mornings outside, afternoons slow. Clear October mornings are lovely here. Start early, and keep the warm middle of the day for lunch and rest.

Staying with us in October

Fyonli Nest has two bedrooms, the green room and the red room, each with a king bed, and sleeps 4 adults, or up to 6 guests with children aged 2–12. The courtyard catches the morning sun, which is the right place for tea on a cool October morning, and there’s parking in the courtyard too. A pahadi breakfast of mandua roti, aloo and seasonal fruit is ₹350 per guest per morning; tell us the night before. There’s a full kitchen if you’re cooking for a festival.

We live ten minutes away and meet guests at the gate. If you’re coming for Dussehra, Diwali or a Founder’s Day, send us your dates on WhatsApp or through the booking request on our stay page as soon as you know them. We confirm on WhatsApp, there’s no payment until we do, and cancellation is free until 7 days before arrival.

Sources: IMD climatological table, Dehradun (1991–2020); IMD Meteorological Centre Dehradun; Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority; Sunrise-Sunset.org: Dehradun, October 2027; DoPT: holidays for central government offices, 2027; Dainik Jagran (Hindi, 24 Dec 2025): Uttarakhand public holidays 2026; The Statesman (17 Oct 2026): Maha Navami holiday; Drik Panchang: Prabodhini Ekadashi 2027; The Hindu (15 Oct 2026): monsoon withdraws from the country; Dainik Bhaskar (Hindi, 19 Oct 2026): Parade Ground Dussehra; ANI (21 Oct 2026): Ravan Dahan in Dehradun; The Doon School: Founder’s Day 2026; Welham Girls’ School calendar 2026–27; Times of India (17 Oct 2025): Welham Girls’ 68th Founders’ Day; ETV Bharat (3 Oct 2026): Mussoorie road traffic; Uttarakhand News Network (23 Oct 2026): festive traffic plan; Amar Ujala (Hindi, 8 Oct 2026): first ruddy shelducks at Asan.