By road
~110-120 km from Chandigarh, ~344 km from Delhi
North India · Himachal Pradesh
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Colonial ridges and cedar air · ~110-120 km from Chandigarh, ~344 km from Delhi
Getting there
By rail
Shimla's own station on the narrow-gauge, UNESCO-listed Kalka-Shimla line; the broad-gauge terminus is Kalka, ~89-96 km away
By air
Jubbarhatti Airport, ~20-25 km, has limited seasonal flights; Chandigarh (~110-120 km) is the reliable choice
Best time to visit
March to June and December for snow; October for clarity
Don't miss
The Ridge
Christ Church
Jakhu Hanuman statue
Viceregal Lodge
Kufri
Things to do
Kalka-Shimla toy train
Mall Road evenings
Jakhu temple hike
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia, Photo: UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Woollens, good walking shoes — Shimla is vertical
A quieter corner
The walk from the Ridge to sunset at the Viceregal Lodge lawns
About Shimla
- Hills
Where it is
Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is spread along a ridge of the lower Himalaya at about 2,200 m, among forests of deodar, oak and rhododendron.
History
The British came to these hills after the Anglo-Nepalese War of the 1810s, and Shimla became the summer capital of British India from 1864, when the government moved up from Calcutta for months each year. It later became the capital of Himachal Pradesh, which became a full state in 1971.
People
Shimla's people speak Hindi and Pahari dialects, and the surrounding hills are known for apple orchards and woollen shawls. Government, schools and tourism are the city's main employers.
Known for
- The Ridge, the Mall and Christ Church
- The Kalka–Shimla toy train
- The Viceregal Lodge
- Jakhu Temple
- Apple orchards
Did you know?
The Kalka–Shimla Railway, opened in 1903, climbs to Shimla through more than 100 tunnels and is part of the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.