Flights from Simla

  About Shimla

Think vacation in India and Shimla is the first name that pops on anyone's mind. The city is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla has been recognised as the summer capital of India, owing to the pleasant weather and touristy activities that one can engage in. The city has great roadway connectivity from Delhi and Chandigarh. Since the city is the largest in Himachal Pradesh, the accommodation options are also quite varied from luxurious to budget-friendly. You can book your hotel in Shimla with the Beas river in view, or you can go for cheap and affordable rooms facing the Himalayas.

Best time to visit Shimla

Shimla's different seasons attract different kinds of travellers. The hill-station experiences pleasant summers as well as cold, snowy winters, making it ideal for travellers from all walks of life. Depending on the choice of weather you wish to experience, you can decide which month would be ideal. Tourism continues to thrive most of the year, except for during monsoons. The winters in Shimla experience snowfall and extremely low temperatures from November to January. The city turns into a white canvas that has been pulled out of a fairy tale setting. The pine trees are covered with snow as are the streets. Often the temperatures go in the negative too. The place becomes ideal for winter excursions such as treks, hikes and other winter sports that you've wanted to try out. It also has a rather romantic vibe, making the weather ideal for honeymooners to opt for this as their staycation.

The city's Spring-Summer setting is ideal for tourists who want the pleasant cool summers that they don't find in tropical cities. The city turns into an emerald paradise as the snow melts to welcome the summer sun. The temperatures range from 16 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius from March to June. The weather is practically perfect for tourism and sightseeing. The flight tickets to Shimla during the peak season could be quite high-priced. However, you can take a bus journey to reach the city.

Monsoon is the only season when the city remains shut. All touristy services are put to a halt between July to September as the heavy rainfall takes over Shimla. With the rains come the risks of landslides and other natural concerns. Even though it becomes easier to book a hotel in Shimla and get everything for cheap and affordable rates, one might not enjoy the best of the city.

Places to visit in Shimla

During summer

The summer weather opens a gateway of treks and tourism in Shimla. The place brims with a crowd of tourists coming from different parts of the world. You can take up pilgrimage as a way to spend your day in Shimla by visiting temples like Kali Bari, Jakhoo temple, Tara Devi temple, Gurudwara Sahib, Sankat Mochan temple and more. Shimla also houses some of the finest Victorian-styled castles such as Bantony Castle, Gorton Castle, Naggar Castle, to name a few. Some of them even face the gorgeous Beas river. You can further be marvelled by the lovely biodiversity that resides in Shimla by visiting the Himalayan Nature Park, Manjathal Sanctuary and some of the forests surrounding the hill-station.

During winter

With winter, avenues of winter sports are opened in Shimla. As the city witnesses extreme climate and snowfall too, the place turns ideal for some winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Places such as Ridge of Shimla and Kufri organise fantastic excursions and activities for tourists.

Things to do in Shimla

Shimla has far too many touristy opportunities to explore. The hill station is surrounded by amazing sights and activities that only make Shimla one of the best vacation destinations. The hill station turns into a white expanse of awesomeness during winters. Take up this time to ski and snowboard in Kufri. Winter is also a good time for you to go on a trek to Shaily Peak. You can carry tents and camp at the peak too. You will have to take the Naldehra hills hike, which might be a lot of work but definitely worth it.

With summers, the city's white hills turn emerald green open avenues for many more treks. Use this opportunity to explore the Green Valley by trekking up the trails. You must visit the Chadwick Waterfalls too and enjoy sitting under the falls. You can also rent a cycle and explore the city of Shimla and the lovely trails that ventures into the dense forests.

Food and Restaurants in Shimla

Shimla is known to entertain international cuisine. The city has a slew of cafes and restaurants which specialise in continental and global fusion food. Restaurants such as Cafe Sol and The Devicos restaurant and bar are some of the first names that come to find. If you wish to upscale your Shimla diaries, you can visit the Oberoi Cecil. The fancy setting of the place with its penchant for divine wine will put a smile on your face. Not to mention how its colonial vibe will transport you to the old times.

The hill-station has some highlighted tourist attractions including the famous Indian Coffee house, yes, the same shop that found fame thanks to the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's countless visits. The coffee here, though, is definitely worth all the hype. Interestingly, some entrepreneurs in the city have also undertaken interesting culinary projects such as the ubiquitous Honey Hut. The place is known for its eco-friendly approach towards opening new avenues for their honey products.

The city has far too many small cafes facing the lovely Himalayas. Every cafe has a distinct quality to offer that makes it one of the best in the neighbourhood. Cafe Shimla Times and Eighteen71 are quite recent in Shimla's cafe bandwagon, but their great ambience and food have enabled them to reach fame.

Thanks to the tourism culture of Shimla, finding the local cuisine is next to impossible. However, there is a diamond in the rough. To get the best of Himachal cuisine, there is only one place, Himachal Rasoi restaurant. Located within the city centre, the quaint restaurant will marvel you with some impeccable local dishes that you probably didn't know about.

How to reach Shimla (Transportation)

By Air

Jubbarhatti Airport, popularly known as Shimla Airport, is located about 20 km away from the city centre. Due to Shimla's high altitude and its location on a hilltop, there are several strict restrictions imposed on airlines to carry only a certain number of passengers. The airport was actually constructed by slicing off an entire mountaintop and levelling the area to make a smooth single runway. The number of passengers that flights can fly is 40 at a time. With such restrictions, the ticket prices to Shimla automatically surge. The flights to Shimla are minimum, and only Alliance Air has services reserved for the hill-station.

The closest airports to Shimla are Delhi airport and Chandigarh airport. The runway is known to be a little bumpy due to its location. Also, the airport doesn't function throughout the year as the hill station witnesses snowfall and torrent rain, making travelling a bit challenging. The flight connectivity from Shimla airport is not the best due to some of the airport's restrictions. However, you can find flights to Shimla from Delhi and Chandigarh. From the airport, there are taxi cab services that you can hire to reach the main city.

By Rail

Shimla doesn't have a railway station of its own, and the nearest one is the Kalka Railway Station, located about 90 km from the city. Travelling to Shimla by train is not considered by travellers as the travel duration exceeds and it is not convenient. In fact, Chandigarh railway station is also close to Shimla with a distance of 113 km. The railway stations do have buses stationed that go to Shimla. From Kalka railway station, it would take you approximately five to six hours to reach Shimla. The journey is known to be amazing with exquisite scenery and the presence of various tunnels. Many choose to avoid train as an option because it is not a sensible option.

By Road

The best option to reach Shimla without the concerns of number of passengers and distance are buses and roadways. Shimla is not too far from cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Haryana and some parts of Uttar Pradesh as well. There are private, as well as public bus services available from these cities to Shimla. The buses would directly reach you to the city centre from where you can head straight to the hotels you have booked in Shimla. It takes roughly seven to eight hours from Delhi to reach Shimla. Travellers opt to take evening buses to Shimla as it would save them an entire day. In fact, cities only provide evening Volvo buses to reach Shimla while there is a handful who have day-time buses.

The city's bus stand is well-connected and helps travellers to reach the main city without much hassle. There are taxi cabs in the city that you can hire to traverse within Shimla. Buses within the city are also available, in case you wish to go on a budget trip. Himachal Pradesh Tourism has some provisions for tours within the city and around some tourist attractions.