Shimla Travel Guide

Overview

Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is India's most celebrated hill station — a charming colonial-era town perched at 2,200 metres in the foothills of the Himalayas. Once the summer capital of British India, Shimla's Victorian architecture, ridge-top promenades, and cedar forests create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the subcontinent. The Mall Road is the beating heart of Shimla — a car-free pedestrian thoroughfare lined with colonial buildings, boutique shops, restaurants, and the historic Gaiety Theatre where British officers staged plays. The Ridge, adjacent to the Mall Road, is an open amphitheatre with sweeping views of the surrounding ranges and hosts Shimla's major festivals and open-air events. Jakhu Hill at 2,455 metres is crowned by an ancient Hanuman temple, accessible by a steep forest trail through rhododendrons and pine trees inhabited by mischievous resident monkeys. Kufri, just 16 kilometres from Shimla, is Himachal's most accessible ski resort, also offering yak rides, snow activities, and a mini zoo. The Kalka-Shimla Railway — another UNESCO World Heritage Toy Train — climbs through 102 tunnels and across 864 bridges in one of the world's most remarkable feat of mountain railway engineering. Naldehra's undulating golf course, the scenic Chail hill station (once home to the world's highest cricket ground), and the colonial Christ Church on the Ridge round out Shimla's many charms.

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