Shimla

Shimla (Hindi: शिमला), previously spelt Simla, is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is a very popular holiday retreat during the summer months and is well known for its Victorian architecture, which is reflected in certain areas of the Mall and the Ridge. It is also a famous holiday spot for honeymoon.

Understand
Shimla has a population of around 172,000 (which may increase by another 100,000 with the seasonal influx of voyagers). Most residents are from the Pahadi community (the natives of Himachal Pradesh), but there is also a sizable minority from Punjab and Sindh, who moved to Shimla during the partition. As a result, the languages spoken in Shimla include Hindi, Punjabi, Pahadi and English which serves as a lingua franca.

There are quite a few theories regarding the origin of the word Shimla. Locals insist that the name originates from Shyamali Devi, a reincarnation of the fearsome Goddess Kali.

Tourist information
There are two main official tourist information centres in Shimla, as well as a small office at the train station that isn't always open. The victory point office is less busy and helpful. It's also near where some government buses leave from. All accommodation arrangements as well as any additional side trips, sightseeing, onward transportation, etc., can easily be arranged without the help of the touts. (Visit the office of the state-run Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (phone +91 177 265-2561 or 265-8302), located in the central place downtown called "The Scandal Point", before Christ Church on The Ridge (across from the City Hall), for any impartial information or guidance you may require: the staff there are well informed and reasonably professional. There are no alternatives to this office as the source of impartial, reliable information on all aspects of Shimla and on travel.
 * State tourism website
 * State tourism website
 * State tourism website

Orientation
The location is that of a majestic Himalayan perch above the searing plains. From the 1820s, the British started to build summer cottages on the ridges, and by 1863 Shimla was designated the summer capital of the Raj, from April to October, until 1947 - Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Mountbatten had their last pre-Partition talks here, actually. The higher levels of the town reflect this British connection, comprising mostly buildings in the Victorian style, while the lower slopes are occupied with Indian bazaars and restaurants. Traffic is banned from the historic central area, known as the Mall, which means that the atmosphere is calm and the air pristine.

Cart Road runs south of the Mall and is connected to it via the lifts. The Ridge, north of the Mall, is a good place to view the seven majestic hills of Shimla. Further along the same road is Lakkar Bazaar, which is a good place to buy some handicrafts and other souvenirs.

Climate
Shimla's cool climate is the precise reason why it is such a popular summer retreat. At an altitude of approximately 2,200 m above sea level, the region has a hilly terrain and is covered by dense evergreen forests.

A few visitors choose to visit Shimla during spring or autumn, when the place is less crowded and the views are too spectacular for words.

By bus


Government and private buses are available from Chandigarh to Shimla within a gap of half an hour. Deluxe and semi-deluxe buses are also frequently available from different places.

The bus from Mandi leaves around 9AM, for about ₹300 (as of Aug 2023).

Buses, for example to Manali and Dharamsala, can be booked in advance or on the day of travel up to a few hours before departure from the government office next to the official tourist information centre at Scandal Point.

By train
The nearest broad gauge station is at Kalka, a four-to-seven hour journey from Delhi. After that, take the mountain train from Kalka to Shimla. This railway track was granted the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The view is stunning, with the line passing through an amazing 102 tunnels. The fastest way to get to Kalka is to catch the Shatabdi Express, which departs early morning from the New Delhi Railway Station, arriving at Kalka four hours later. A detailed list of trains between Delhi, Kalka and Shimla is available here.

You can also choose to get off at Chandigarh (en route to Kalka), and catch a taxi from there.



While the Shivalik Deluxe Express can be reserved 120 days in advance like most Indian trains, most of the other mountain trains can only be reserved 30 days before journey date. Passengers on the Shivalik Deluxe Express are served meals on the train: breakfast on the way to Shimla and dinner on the way down.



By road
Shimla is nicely connected by road to different major cities.

By plane


After landing at the airport, take a pre-paid taxi to minimize hassle. Chandigarh is a good four-hour drive away, so stop for a bite on the Kalka-Shimla highway.

Jets can all land at the larger Chandigarh airport. Chandigarh Airport, 120 km from Shimla along far better roads and at an elevation of only 308 m above sea level, offers far better flight options. Major airlines including Air India and Air Deccan operate flights to Delhi, Jammu, and Mumbai. Most of the flights to Mumbai require a stopover in Delhi. Confirm the flights as bad weather often delays flights during the winter fog.

Get around
Getting around in Shimla is easy as compared to other cities in Himachal Pradesh.

On foot
Most, especially downtown with the ridge, can be walked but due to the hills Shimla is on, it can sometimes be exhausting.

By bus
You can get a local bus from 7AM to 9PM for ₹10, and that too for any destination in the city.

By taxi
In case you choose to travel by taxi, it is affordable and convenient for sightseeing.

By tour
Apart from this, there are some tourist buses run by HPTDC every day for getting around in Shimla, e.g. from the Rivoli Bus Stop. As Shimla is known for its picturesque location and serene environment, you can also consider traveling some distance on foot. Inquire with HPTDC.

See










Jakhoo Hill
Jakhoo Hill is Shimla's highest point and the site of Jakhu Temple. The summit offers spectacular views of the town and its surroundings; on a clear day it is possible to see the snow-capped Western Himalaya about 75 km to the north. However, trees and vegetation somewhat obscure the views, preventing them from being truly panoramic.

The climb up from the Christ Church is a physically demanding 2 km walk that takes 30–60 minutes depending on your level of fitness. Taxis are available to take you up the hill or you can drive yourself - 4WD is recommended - however, parking is limited at the top. Another option is the Jakhu Ropeway, an aerial tram located slightly downhill and east of the church.

The hillside and Jakhu Temple are populated with very aggressive and cunning monkeys. Be extremely careful with your camera, glasses, bag and (especially) food. (Sticks for warding off the monkeys can be rented at the entrance to the temple for ₹5).



Museums and galleries
Shimla houses a few excellent museums. The State Museum is perhaps the most well known.





Do

 * Take a leisurely walk at the Mall &mdash; this 7-km thoroughfare is famous for its Victorian Architecture, and retains much of its Raj-era charm. To get there, take the lifts from Cart Road, an ingenious system designed to save pedestrians from walking. ₹10 per trip. The central area of The Mall is composed of half-timbered buildings and is the place to rub shoulders and clash knives and forks with Shimla's elite. A statue of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai is located at Scandal Point, the highest point on The Mall. Further along is the very pleasant Clarke's Hotel, which is an excellent place to take a break and relax over a coffee.
 * Ice skating is possible in Shimla from November to March, though Kufri and Chail on the outskirts of town offer better options.
 * Trek in the local mountains. Walk along the meandering roads to the meadows at Annadale, 5 km out of town. The Glen, further west, is a favorite picnic spot with locals. Head north and visit Wildflower Hall, the former retreat of Lord Kitchner. Furthur on along the Hindustan-Tibet Road lies the quaint village of Mashobra – A gravel-road indicates the entry to the Seog Wildlife Sanctuary. The annual Sipi Fair is held in a little steep pathway off Mashobra.
 * Tee off at the Naldehra Golf Course, on the northern outskirts of the town, at a distance of about 25 km from Shimla. The 9-hole golf course, set amidst sloping meadows at an elevation of 2,050 m above sea level, was designed by Lord Curzon in the 19th century. The flora is impressive, ranging from alpine grass to pine and deodar. But the tourists are not permitted to enter the golf course and they can only have a distant view of the golf course. There are two separate entries, one for walking and the other for horses, which lead to a vast ground surrounded by pine trees and golf course. It is better go up by own instead of taking horses and enjoy the serenity.
 * Kinnaur Kailash Parikrma Trek – Kinnaur is one of the most beautiful places but very less known district of Himachal Pradesh. This place is surrounded by Tibet, Garhwal Himalayan, spitti valley and Kullu. Sutlej River also flows from the Kinnaur valley. Tourists can experience a Buddhism life style, due to its proximity to Tibet.

Buy
Further down the Mall Road is the Lakkar Bazaar, which has quite a few shops selling wooden handicrafts. The Mall is full of shops selling woolens (most of which find their way to Shimla from Ludhiana, Punjab) and Kullu shawls. Other favorites have included wooden toys, walking sticks and Tibetan carpets made in nearby Kinnaur. As the centre of the food-processing industry in Himachal, jams and squashes made from local produce are indeed worth purchasing. The stretch between Combermere Bridge and the Telegraph Office is full of small stores which stock handcrafted Chinese shoes. The more well-known ones include Hopsons, Tatung and Hugh & Co.


 * Maria Bros., 78-A The Mall. Antique and rare book dealers. Absurdly overpriced. Try the couple of other options further down The Mall.
 * Minerva Book House, Hotel Minerva, +91 177 225-2043. A good selection of novels.
 * Minerva Book House, Hotel Minerva, +91 177 225-2043. A good selection of novels.
 * Minerva Book House, Hotel Minerva, +91 177 225-2043. A good selection of novels.

Eat
Most of the restaurants in Shimla are cheap, comfortable, atmospheric and offer good multi-cuisine food. However, if you are looking for local cuisine, the options are surprisingly limited. Along the highway there are more than thirty restaurants, dhabas and fast food places.





Drink
Himachal is known as the fruit bowl of India. It has a thriving food processing industry that churns out fruit-based drinks, squashes and concentrates. The most famous flavors are plum, litchi, strawberry, mango and guava.

Alcohol
For alcoholic drinks, try the locally brewed wines such as apricot, plum and apple & ginger cider. In predominantly Tibetan areas, a rice wine known as Chang is popular.


 * "Rendezvous" located less than a minute walk from Christ Church on The Mall, across from "Alfa Restaurant". Somewhat hidden, this restaurant/bar plays Bollywood tunes, a nice cozy interior and strong drinks.
 * "Rendezvous" located less than a minute walk from Christ Church on The Mall, across from "Alfa Restaurant". Somewhat hidden, this restaurant/bar plays Bollywood tunes, a nice cozy interior and strong drinks.

Sleep
There are lots of options from dormitories to luxury resort hotels. Online booking is the most convenient way to reserve a room. Alternatively, the tourist office can supply a list of hotels, and you can phone or trek over a reserve a room in person. Rooms in Shimla range US$5–600.



Budget


Other cheaper areas of the city are through Victory tunnel and on Circular Rd and Kaithu to Kali Bari Rd. In high season, rooms can be ₹1,000–1,500 a night.

Splurge
For travellers requiring luxury accommodation during their stay in Shimla, the advantages offered by The Oberoi Cecil, a luxury hotel of the Oberoi chain, as regards both the location and the in-house amenities, are unbeatable by any establishment in town. Their lesser-grade affiliate, The Oberoi Clarke's, another hotel of the Oberoi chain with a great ambiance and rich history, has the advantage of a more central location on The Mall, but its facilities in general and its cuisine in particular are not a match for The Cecil. A close runner-up to The Cecil in the luxury lineup is The Radisson Hotel Shimla, but its location in a low-lying locality known as Goodwood Estate, on Lower Bharari Road (which is in a state of shocking disrepair and dangerous to walk on), which is difficult of access and too out of the way for virtually all sightseeing to be done in Shimla, makes this otherwise swanky new hotel impossible to recommend except for those wishing to spend all their time within the confines of their hotel proper or who do not mind relying on the hotel's fleet of private cars to get to town and back (a relatively expensive proposition on a daily basis). Those preferring genteel seclusion would be much better served by Woodville Palace Hotel (see "Mid-range", above), accessible on foot from the centre of the town but located in a pleasant quiet woody cove requiring a 20 minutes' walk along The Mall to town, or the 14 km distant Wildflower Hall (see "Accommodation options outside of Shimla", below), a spectacular resort of the expensive Oberoi chain with its own mountain in a forested area outside of town, near the village of Charabra (accessible from Shimla by car only, available, at cost, at the hotel).



Stay safe
Beware of greedy monkeys which may attack anytime to grab food from your hands. Don’t make any eye contact with them. Try to ignore them while passing by. Any abrupt move from your side may pass the wrong message on these creatures.

Sometimes, temperature goes below freezing level, especially during winter season. So travelers are advised to carry appropriate clothing.

Do not exchange the currency/money in black market. Ask for receipt when exchanging money at any authorized establishment.

Touts
Avoid touts at all cost, whether locals or outsiders (many are in fact Kashmiri chisellers disguised as locals, and calling themselves euphemistically "guides", who have been working the Shimla beat for years and decades); they scour the railway and bus stations for incautious or vulnerable looking victims among the new arrivals, and foreigners carrying luggage are their prime targets in the streets as well. The experience of being "led" by an unscrupulous but ingratiating manipulator with his own interest in mind rather than yours can be the ruin of one's visit to Shimla. The touts can be extremely importunate and persevering in pursuit of their illegal trade while at the same time feigning "friendship" intended to ensnare the gullible. If you allow them to lead you to your hotel you will be manipulated in manifold ways:
 * Your daily room rate will surreptitiously be inflated to cover the commission they will receive from the hotel for their unnecessary services (resulting in an increase in hotel price of as much as 200%).
 * The touts will, unbeknownst to you, steer you away from hotels which do not give commission but which may be better for you.
 * You will subsequently be pestered by your tout, who will now "own" you during your stay, to buy additional "services" from him.
 * Give being additional misinformation.

Connect
The area dialling code for Shimla is 0177. From overseas, dial +91 177 XXX-XXXX. There are plenty of STD/ISD booths. The amount is calculated on a digital meter, and is paid after the call. A short STD call costs around ₹10.

Go next

 * Chail – 43 km from Simla. Originally a private reserve created by the Maharaja of Patiala, who was banned from Shimla. Now a 75 acre resort that meanders over undulating hills.
 * Rewalsar – Rewalsar is equally sacred to Hindus, Sikhs & Buddhists. There is a temple, gompa and gurudwara, besides the holy lake with floating islands, in a nice mountain setting.
 * Dharamsala – Home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan-Government-in-exile. Many Buddhist monasteries in the area.
 * Gadda Gusaini – Near Jibhi, which is also famous with backpacker. The valley is virgin and has not been explored by many adventure loving tourists. One finds nature at its best offering beautiful surroundings, green forests and pollution free environment. Madhopur Fort was also built by former rulers of Mandi district who had kept their arms and ammunition in it. Besides the fort was used as punishment to hardcore criminals in the state. One more fort named Tungasi was built in the valley and the remains of the fort are still visible. (updated Aug 2023 | edit)
 * Kasauli – Kasauli is a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh located at an altitude of 1,927 m. The town is 77 km from Shimla and 70 km from Chandigarh.
 * Kinnaur – 230 km from Shimla. An area on the Tibetan border. Home to ethnic Tibetans. Several traditional Buddhist monasteries.
 * Manali – In Kullu Valley (260 km). An area of hot springs, traditional buildings, and Buddhist monasteries.
 * Chamba – 380 km from Shimla. Chamba is full of river streams, interesting temples and historical palaces showing its rich past.