How to reach Shimla and main places to visit around summer capital of India

A white Christmas is referred to the presence of snow on Christmas Christmas Eve or Christmas Day depending on local tradition. This phenomenon is most common in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, Shimla always expects snow during the last week of December. Many of the folks reach Shimla to celebrate Christmas. Today Shimla has got snow and it seems that White Christmas is confirmed there. What about other parts of the world and who would witness the white Christmas in 2013?The definition of 'White Christmas' varies in different parts of the world. In most of the countries, it simply means that the ground is covered by snow on Christmas, but some countries have more strict definitions. In United States, people expect think layers of snow everywhere. In fact many of the countries have defined metrics to declare if it's a white Christmas or not. In UK, white Christmas simply means a complete covering of snow on Christmas Day... In the United Kingdom the most likely place to see snowfall on a Christmas Day is in North and North Eastern Scotland.In most parts of Canada it is likely to have a white Christmas every year, except for the coast and southern interior valleys of British Columbia, southern Ontario, southern Alberta, and parts of Atlantic Canada. Most part of Canada is already white and people are excited about white Christmas celebrations.This snow in Christmas not only creates excitement during Celebrations but also adds lot of fun thereafter. New Year celebrations with snow all around is one of the main excitement factors of White Christmas. It overall takes the excitement level high for a week at least, when most of the folks are busy in celebration Christmas & New Year. And everyone has different ways of celebrating Christmas in snow. Above photograph shows a enthusiastic biker riding on snow covered region during last week of December in Himalayan State of India - Himachal Pradesh.Although the term 'White Christmas' is usually referring to snow, if a significant hail accumulation occurs in an area on Christmas Day, which has happened in many of the areas in past including Melbourne. This results into white appearance of the landscape resembling snow cover, this can also be described as a White Christmas.Making Santa Claus of snow is one of the fun filled activity which kids enjoy the most. It's fun to make bigger Snowman and dress him with red colored cap and a jacket to make him look like Santa. Now, caps comes with Santa masks, so it has become easy to make this snowman look like Santa. 10 year back, we had lot of fun celebrating Christmas on Ridge ground in Shimla, in front of Christ Church. A huge group of students made a 3-4 feel Santa Claus with fresh snow and lot of the folks were playing with snow-balls around it. What a celebration mood it was. Everyone around us was very cheerful with red noses due to chill around us :)For many of us, snow is synonymous with Christmas. Christmas cards, songs and movies all portray a 'white Christmas'. During my childhood, I used to think that when hills get snow, it's called as Christmas, because in most of the movies we have seen people celebrating Christmas either on grounds full of snow or parties in glass covered halls through which snowfall could be seen outside. However, for most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is right at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow and at times it doesn't even happen. Looking at climate history, wintry weather is more likely between January and March than December and same applies to hilly regions of India.White Christmases were quite frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries and that where the expectations have set that Christmas almost every-time comes with snowfall. Over the decades, climate change has also brought higher average temperatures over land and sea and this generally reduced the chances of a white Christmas. I keep a closer track of snowfall in Shimla, which is one of the main celebration destination for Indians. Shimla hardly gets snowfall in last week of December, which used to happen many years ago. This year is very lucky that Shimla is alreadt white and folks are excited about the White Christmas in 2013 !!!In different parts of the world, people start tracking weather forecast to understand if white Christmas will happen or not. In fact, many of the local media channels start giving forecasts for different regions.White Christmas also comes with an opportunity for Travel enthusiats to move to the locations having snow and appropriate arrangements for celebrating Christmas or New year Eves. As an example, many of the Indian folks move towards Shimla, Manali or other towns to celebrate Christmas in snow. Today only Shimla has got snow and all hotel owners are excited to welcome more tourists to come to Shimla and enjoy the special festival in snow.Here we wish a White Christmas to everyone who is eagerly waiting for snow to come and add extra excitement to the celebrations. Merry Christmas !!!
Shimla is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North India and that's why we also receive lot of queries through form on our blog. Most of the folks commonly ask - Shimla Weather, Shimla Hotels, How to reach Shimla from Chandigarh, main places to visit in Shimla, Shimla mall road etc. In past, we have shared some of these details on our blog, but here is an attempt to write a comprehensive post which helps you with details like - ways to reach Shimla by bus, car, train or by air, main places to see, how to find hotel/resort which fits your budget, how to plan your time well in the town or around etc. 


How to reach Shimla -
Small and Beautiful Railway Stations on Kalka-Shimla narrow track: Posted on www.travellingcamera.com by VJ: The Kalka-Shimla Railway built to connect the summer capital of India in 1903 at an altitude of 2076 meters offers a panoramic experience of the picturesque Himalayas from the shivalik foot hills at Kalka to several important points such as Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Taradevi, Barog, Salogra, Summerhill, Shimla and beyond up to the silvery snow line near the towering peaks.Sonwara Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...Himalyan Queen waits for 30 minutes at this station to let Shivalik Express pass through.... KOTI Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...I have clicked these photographs during recent visit to Shimla.... We reach KOTI Railway Station after crossing longest Barog tunnel....Jabali Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...Kandaghat Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...Located at an altitude of 4680 ft above sea level Kandaghat is the nice place in Himachal Pradesh for you if are looking for a quiet and peaceful vacation. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh built his palace in Kandaghat after which this place received the attention. Raja Bhupinder Singh was the ruler of Patiala and when he was expelled from Shimla, he set up base in Kandaghat. Today, this is one of the most popular destinations to travel in India. A reflection of Kandaghat Railway Station on train window...Dharmpur Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka..Just 15 km from Kasauli on the National highway No.22 Dharampur has one of the best hospitals in India for the cure of tuberculosis. It is also connected by Kalka Shimla railway line.... Shoghi Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...SHoghi is a small town near Shimla and now its being developed as new tourist destination in Himachal. There are many resorts with good facilities in Shoghi and have reasonable arrangements for tourist groups..Kandaghat Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka..Delux Rail-Car standing @ Shoghi Station...Tara-Devi Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka...Tara Devi temple is located on Tarav Parvat, in the western side of Shimla. Temple provides an overwhelming view of the mountains below and Shimla Town. Every year thousands of pilgrims visit Tara Devi temple, which has a great spiritual and heritage value. Historically speaking, the temple was built approximately 260 years ago ...Salogra Railway Station on the way to Shimla from Kalka..Kalka Railway Station...Kalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana in India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla and is the terminus of the Kalka-Shimla Railway. To the south of Kalka is Pinjore and the industrial town of Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) is to the north on the NH 22. Industrial development has led to a continuous urban belt from Pinjore to Parwanoo, but Kalka remains largely unaffected by these developments. Nearby is Chandimandir Cantonment where the Western Command of the Indian army is based. SHIMLA became the summer capital of British India in 1864 and was also the headquarters of the British army in India. Prior to construction of the railway communication with the outside world was via village cart.The railway was constructed by the Delhi-Umbala-Kalka Railway Company commencing in 1898. The estimated cost of Rs 86,78,500, however, the cost doubled during execution of the project. Because of the high capital and maintenance cost, coupled with peculiar working conditions, the Kalka-Shimla Railway was allowed to charge fares that were higher than the prevailing tariffs on other lines. However, even this was not good enough to sustain the company and the Government had to purchase it on January 1, 1906 for Rs 1,71,00,000.

First thing first - there are different ways to reach Shimla. Primarily I share options to reach places from Delhi. If you are looking for options from other cities, please drop a comment and we assure to respond back within a day.

If you don't mind traveling in buses, there are plenty of options. HRTC offers different bus services between Shimla and Delhi/Chandiagrh. Most comfortable Volvo buses are available for overnight journey. They start late in night and reach Shimla early in the morning. Apart from that, you have options of TATA-AC, Deluxe, Semi-Deluxe and ordinary buses.  Apart from that lot of private operators run luxury buses to & from Shimla. Himachal Pradesh Tourism buses are also available from different cities in North India. Online bookings are possible through HRTC as well as Himachal Tourism website.

If you like train journey, then ensure that you are aware of train options near Shimla. One can take train till Kalka/Chandigarh and then either take slow speed toy train till Shimla. Or take taxi/bus from Kalka to Shimla. Before making a decision, ensure that you are aware of fact that toy train takes almost whole day to reach Shimla. 

If you plan to self-drive, please ensure that you have arranged parking in the Shimla town. Many of the hotels don't have appropriate parking, so ensure that you book with hotel which provides convenient parking. 

Right Time to visit Shimla -
Very obvious time to visit Shimla is summers, but one needs to ensure that your visit is not overlapping with holidays in Punjab and Delhi. Because there are few slots in summers when Shimla is overcrowded. This is also a personal preference if you like lot of people around you or not. Winters is also a good time, when you can enjoy snowfall and related activities. My recommendation is always to visit such tourist places in off season to explore them in best way at much lower cost. E.g. - Room worth 5000 in season can be booked at 2000/2500 in off-season. 

Weather in Shimla - 
During recent trip to Shimla, I was travelling on bikes most of the time. Our bikes even hit the restricted regions like Mall Road, Ridge and Lakkar bazar... Let's have a quick Photo Journey of Shimla !!!New look of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. This Theatre is situated on Mall Road and now open for all. There is small ticket amount one needs to pay to explore it inside. Various plays, exhibitions and other cultural events take place at Gaiety Theatre. Some part of Gaiety is also visible from Ridge.Afternoon view of Ridge, Shimla !!! Some Himachal Tourism activity was going and Aneesh was allowed to take his bike to Ridge with proper care. Ridge, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazar regions are restricted areas where vehicles are not allowed.Birds roaming around Ridge/Mall Road during Saturday Evening :) ... Saturday evenings are very popular for folks in Shimla and Mall road is too much crowded during Saturday evenings. Bird watching could be one of the reasons..A view of Shimla from High Court building. This photograph is clicked from Mall Road only, but near High Court of Himachal Pradesh !!!I am completely in love with Shimla Architecture and my camera couldn't resist clicking all those building on Shimla streets & roads. This photograph was clicked while we were climbing up towards Mall Road from HHH hotel.More beautiful buildings from Shimla, but increasing vehicles are becoming one of the main challenges when parking is biggest issue in the city. But it's amazing to these folks driving so fast on narrow roads with lots of curves here and thereHere comes Mr. Aneesh Awasthi. Here he is trying typical short cuts in Shimla, but mostly they are for walking people not for bikers. Since it's difficult for Aneesh to walk, so he thought of riding down these stairs.During noon there is nothing on Mall road so came down towards Shimla Market and thought of going towards Naldera Golf ground... Although plans changed later. I hope you noticed the density of houses on these hills. There is no difference between these hill stations and metros like Delhi now.Here is a view of Mall road after sunset. Folks have started coming to Mall Road and soon it will be fully loaded, or in fact overloaded.Here is another view of Ridge in Shimla. Ridge and Mall road are well connected with each other and have many decent restuarants around the place. Ridge is basically a huge tank of water which is main supply for various parts of Shimla. There is also an underground makrket called Indira Market and Press Club of Shimla is also situated in this market.Wonderful view of Christ Church on Ridge, Shimla. Bright blue sky make this photograph more intersting... This was a qick photo journey with no plans and thought of sharing here... Hope to be there in Shimla for Christmas and wish to click some the same places with snow !!!
Summers are most popular amongst Tourists and travellers to visit Shimla and many other tourist places in Himachal Pradesh. If we talk about summers, weather is pleasant overall. Usually days are little hot because these hills get direct sunlight. When in Shimla, it's recommended to carry a light jacket because weather may change anytime :). If there are rains in summers, it can get cold. During winters, it's chilling so be ready with multiple layers of warm cloths. Rainy season should be avoided to visit Shimla, although Shimla is little safer in rains as compared to other hill stations. Road condition is mostly in control. 


Here is the list of main places to visit in Shimla and click on the names of places to know more. 

During one of my recent visits to Shimla, schedule was really busy and I also wanted to visit Viceregal Lodge. Usually I go to Viceregal Lodge via HPU route or walk down from Mall Road. This time the route changed and first time I climbed from Boileuganj...Here is first view we get after climbing a hill from boileuganj.I have stayed in Shimla for 3 years approximately but never went through this route, although it's quite easy and quick one to reach Viceregal Lodge. Buses for Boileuganj are very easily available from bus stand and Himachal Pradesh University. And then it's a 15 minutes climb which is not very steep.It starts from the chowk where roads from Tutoo, Summerhill, Bus-Stand and University meet. And lagoors will be there to welcome you. It's not very special because they can be found anywhere in Shimla to welcome you :)During the climb, HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp.) Hotel 'Peter Hoff' can be seen just below the TV tower of Shimla. Peter Hoff is one of the good hotels in Shimla and it's situated next to Viceregal Lodge. Exactly it's in the middle of Chaura Maidaan and Viceregal Lodge. Via bus, it's accessible from 103. 103 is a bus stop near tunnel-no 103 and very popular stop in Shimla.New Bus Stand of Shimla is also visible during the climb. This is first time I saw this bus stand and it was amazing. I wanted to compare it with IGI airport but stopped myself :) ... But for sure, it's best among all the bus stands we have in North India at least. it's situated near Dhali. Old bus stand has been converted into Local bus stand and there are regular shuttles between new and old bus-stands. While coming back to Delhi, I did some mobilegiri at Shimla Bus stand and will share soon...Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy also comes on the way from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge.It's a wonderful walk from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge as whole stretch is full of trees and nice flowers around. At times it feels like you are crossing through some garden. There are some governments residences as well, which makes this hill more lively.Apart from some institutes and houses, there are some buildings which seemed to be locked for last many years. But somehow, colors lie about these buildings. The building above shown was closed from all the directions and there seemed to be a long silence around the place.After a quick climb, we reached Viceregal Lodge. It was so quick that I forgot to mention that one of my cousin was accompanying me and we also discussed some changes happening in his institute in HPU (UIIT). Overall this was a fastest route to Viceregal Lode but probably I will still prefer the longer route which comes through Vidhan-Sabha, Cecil etc.
Shimla is one of the very few destinations which offer diverse experience. Shimla was summer capital for Britishers in past and hence the town still has impressions of british era. There are various heritage buildings in the town and one of the most important one is Viceregal Lodge which is also known as Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. If you walk from Viceregal Lodge to Mall Road through beautiful terrains surrounded by high deodars

Mall Road - Mall road a special place to hang around, enjoy good food, shopping and lot more. I don't think mall road needs any sort of introduction. Mall road is one of the most popular places and something which can't be ignored by you. All young souls like walking around Mall road and shopping freaks don't want to miss the place. There are some brilliant shops on Mall Road to by warm cloths.


Gaiety Theatre - While you are on mall road, don't miss to see the famous Gaiety Theatre. Theatre is now renovated and some interesting plays and exhibitions keep happening. So go & checkout. It's on mall road and generally a good place to explore. Do mind your time to visit the place. Daytime is best to be there. 

During recent trip to Shimla, I was travelling on bikes most of the time. Our bikes even hit the restricted regions like Mall Road, Ridge and Lakkar bazar... Let's have a quick Photo Journey of Shimla !!!New look of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. This Theatre is situated on Mall Road and now open for all. There is small ticket amount one needs to pay to explore it inside. Various plays, exhibitions and other cultural events take place at Gaiety Theatre. Some part of Gaiety is also visible from Ridge.Afternoon view of Ridge, Shimla !!! Some Himachal Tourism activity was going and Aneesh was allowed to take his bike to Ridge with proper care. Ridge, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazar regions are restricted areas where vehicles are not allowed.Birds roaming around Ridge/Mall Road during Saturday Evening :) ... Saturday evenings are very popular for folks in Shimla and Mall road is too much crowded during Saturday evenings. Bird watching could be one of the reasons..A view of Shimla from High Court building. This photograph is clicked from Mall Road only, but near High Court of Himachal Pradesh !!!I am completely in love with Shimla Architecture and my camera couldn't resist clicking all those building on Shimla streets & roads. This photograph was clicked while we were climbing up towards Mall Road from HHH hotel.More beautiful buildings from Shimla, but increasing vehicles are becoming one of the main challenges when parking is biggest issue in the city. But it's amazing to these folks driving so fast on narrow roads with lots of curves here and thereHere comes Mr. Aneesh Awasthi. Here he is trying typical short cuts in Shimla, but mostly they are for walking people not for bikers. Since it's difficult for Aneesh to walk, so he thought of riding down these stairs.During noon there is nothing on Mall road so came down towards Shimla Market and thought of going towards Naldera Golf ground... Although plans changed later. I hope you noticed the density of houses on these hills. There is no difference between these hill stations and metros like Delhi now.Here is a view of Mall road after sunset. Folks have started coming to Mall Road and soon it will be fully loaded, or in fact overloaded.Here is another view of Ridge in Shimla. Ridge and Mall road are well connected with each other and have many decent restuarants around the place. Ridge is basically a huge tank of water which is main supply for various parts of Shimla. There is also an underground makrket called Indira Market and Press Club of Shimla is also situated in this market.Wonderful view of Christ Church on Ridge, Shimla. Bright blue sky make this photograph more intersting... This was a qick photo journey with no plans and thought of sharing here... Hope to be there in Shimla for Christmas and wish to click some the same places with snow !!!

A huge ground on top of one of the biggest water tanks in Shimla, which is close to Mall Road in capital city of Himachal Pradesh. Above photograph shows Ridge ground and church on other end. Kids can enjoy horse riding on Ridge ground.

Lakkar Bazar -  Lakkar Bazar is just next to Ridge ground and has huge variety of wooden articles. Different kinds of wood is used to create some wonderful art pieces for home decor and daily utility. Stuff from Lakkar Bazar can be good souvenir for your friends and family back home.

This PHOTO JOURNEY is about one of the wonderful walks around capital city of Himachal Pradesh, INDIA. Since Shimla is blessed with wonderful weather throughout the year, people love to walk from one place to other and now many tourists love to explore these walks and few of them avoid due to age issues. Above photograph shows Sanjauli from the road which connects Sanjauli Market with Mall Road through IGMC and Lakkar Mazar...The first thing which comes on the way to Mall Road from Sanjauli Market. Sanjauli College 'Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya, Sanjauli' ... It's one of the popular educational institution in Shimla !!!This is new building on Government College Sanjauli... Somehow all the buildings in Shimla are beautiful and each one sets new standards in terms of architecture ...This is huge complex of biggest Medical College of Himachal Pradesh. Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.Main building on Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla !!! This whole campus has one hospital and a Medical college. This is one of the most advanced hospital in Himachal Pradesh, INDIA. Place is also known as snowdown.This is one of the popular walks around Mall Road. Few years back, cycles were also available on rent for this route form Sanjauli to Mall Road !!! This is approximately 3 kilometers walk through some of the beautiful spots on the way...It's impossible to reach Mall Road, without meeting monkeys on the way and we were lucky to have a silent meeting :) ... This family was happily sitting on roof-top !!!It was evening time and after crossing IGMC, we got to see the hues of sunset in Shimla. Have you see clear sun like this? It's easy to find full moon like this but brightness around the sun always hide the actual shape.After few miles of walk on relatively calm roads, we hit Lakkar Bazar. Lakkar Bazar is one of the main markets in Shimla and popular among tourists. There are lot of shops offering wooden materials for home and offices.Since none of us was interested in shopping, we moved towards Ridge with wonderful lighting around Christ Church... Sky was clear on that day and it was blue hour...After having some tea and snacks, we moved towards Mall Road. The building in above photograph is Gaiety Theatre building on Mall Road. This building is renovated last year only.For a change we also visited Lower Bazar, which is relatively cheap and a decent place to buy woolens. This market has various sections - cloth market, spice market, meat market etc...This walk ended in Lower Bazar of Shimla, but most of the folks from Sanjauli love to take this walk for mall road. The other way to reach Mall road is via bus, which is longer route of 8 kilometers. After that one needs ot climb up till Mall Road or take Lift.










Toy Train ride and trek to Tara Devi -
Toy train experience of Shimla-Kalka train is incomparable. At the same time, I don't recommend to travel in toy train from Kalka to Shimla, because it takes lot of time. If you have enough time in hands, you can plan this. Otherwise plan to have a ride from Shimla railway station to Tara Devi Railway Station. This is most beautiful ride. There are two reasons that I recommend this ride - one is to save time and other is about the beautiful trek to Tara Devi temple from railway station. This trek exposes you to amazing panoramic views of Shimla town and surrounding areas. This trek is through dense forests. One can come back to town from Tara Devi temple by taking local bus.

This PHOTO JOURNEY is about one of the wonderful walks around capital city of Himachal Pradesh, INDIA. Since Shimla is blessed with wonderful weather throughout the year, people love to walk from one place to other and now many tourists love to explore these walks and few of them avoid due to age issues. Above photograph shows Sanjauli from the road which connects Sanjauli Market with Mall Road through IGMC and Lakkar Mazar...The first thing which comes on the way to Mall Road from Sanjauli Market. Sanjauli College 'Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya, Sanjauli' ... It's one of the popular educational institution in Shimla !!!This is new building on Government College Sanjauli... Somehow all the buildings in Shimla are beautiful and each one sets new standards in terms of architecture ...This is huge complex of biggest Medical College of Himachal Pradesh. Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.Main building on Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla !!! This whole campus has one hospital and a Medical college. This is one of the most advanced hospital in Himachal Pradesh, INDIA. Place is also known as snowdown.This is one of the popular walks around Mall Road. Few years back, cycles were also available on rent for this route form Sanjauli to Mall Road !!! This is approximately 3 kilometers walk through some of the beautiful spots on the way...It's impossible to reach Mall Road, without meeting monkeys on the way and we were lucky to have a silent meeting :) ... This family was happily sitting on roof-top !!!It was evening time and after crossing IGMC, we got to see the hues of sunset in Shimla. Have you see clear sun like this? It's easy to find full moon like this but brightness around the sun always hide the actual shape.After few miles of walk on relatively calm roads, we hit Lakkar Bazar. Lakkar Bazar is one of the main markets in Shimla and popular among tourists. There are lot of shops offering wooden materials for home and offices.Since none of us was interested in shopping, we moved towards Ridge with wonderful lighting around Christ Church... Sky was clear on that day and it was blue hour...After having some tea and snacks, we moved towards Mall Road. The building in above photograph is Gaiety Theatre building on Mall Road. This building is renovated last year only.For a change we also visited Lower Bazar, which is relatively cheap and a decent place to buy woolens. This market has various sections - cloth market, spice market, meat market etc...This walk ended in Lower Bazar of Shimla, but most of the folks from Sanjauli love to take this walk for mall road. The other way to reach Mall road is via bus, which is longer route of 8 kilometers. After that one needs ot climb up till Mall Road or take Lift.
Jakhu Temple - (Personally I don't recommend a visit to Jakhu Temple which is always under attach of terror by monkeys) Not sure if you would want to visit this temple. More than a trek or a religious place, it's an adventurous place where you need to be aware all the time and overall environment can be threatening for you.  Monkeys around the temple are really mischievous.

During one of my recent visits to Shimla, schedule was really busy and I also wanted to visit Viceregal Lodge. Usually I go to Viceregal Lodge via HPU route or walk down from Mall Road. This time the route changed and first time I climbed from Boileuganj...Here is first view we get after climbing a hill from boileuganj.I have stayed in Shimla for 3 years approximately but never went through this route, although it's quite easy and quick one to reach Viceregal Lodge. Buses for Boileuganj are very easily available from bus stand and Himachal Pradesh University. And then it's a 15 minutes climb which is not very steep.It starts from the chowk where roads from Tutoo, Summerhill, Bus-Stand and University meet. And lagoors will be there to welcome you. It's not very special because they can be found anywhere in Shimla to welcome you :)During the climb, HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp.) Hotel 'Peter Hoff' can be seen just below the TV tower of Shimla. Peter Hoff is one of the good hotels in Shimla and it's situated next to Viceregal Lodge. Exactly it's in the middle of Chaura Maidaan and Viceregal Lodge. Via bus, it's accessible from 103. 103 is a bus stop near tunnel-no 103 and very popular stop in Shimla.New Bus Stand of Shimla is also visible during the climb. This is first time I saw this bus stand and it was amazing. I wanted to compare it with IGI airport but stopped myself :) ... But for sure, it's best among all the bus stands we have in North India at least. it's situated near Dhali. Old bus stand has been converted into Local bus stand and there are regular shuttles between new and old bus-stands. While coming back to Delhi, I did some mobilegiri at Shimla Bus stand and will share soon...Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy also comes on the way from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge.It's a wonderful walk from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge as whole stretch is full of trees and nice flowers around. At times it feels like you are crossing through some garden. There are some governments residences as well, which makes this hill more lively.Apart from some institutes and houses, there are some buildings which seemed to be locked for last many years. But somehow, colors lie about these buildings. The building above shown was closed from all the directions and there seemed to be a long silence around the place.After a quick climb, we reached Viceregal Lodge. It was so quick that I forgot to mention that one of my cousin was accompanying me and we also discussed some changes happening in his institute in HPU (UIIT). Overall this was a fastest route to Viceregal Lode but probably I will still prefer the longer route which comes through Vidhan-Sabha, Cecil etc.

Another lush green region around Shimla in Anadale ground, which is maintained by Indian Army. A good place to plan some walks in the morning or evening. This is comparatively calm place and nothing much to do, but a good experience if you have time available with you. Army Museum is sort of unique. Most of the folks who love exploring museums have loved it and many of them are super impressed. 

 Chadwick Falls - It's a little place located at a peaceful region of Shimla. I visited Chadwick falls 10 years back and after that I heard mixed feedbacks about the place. But I enjoyed the place during my college days in Shimla. So please do check latest reviews about the place at http://www.tripadvisor.in/.

Himachal State Museum - If you are accompnying or have interest in knowing about Himalayan state of India, Himachal State Museum is best way to know about the state, it's culture, history, trends, politics and lot more. It's located near Viceregal lodge, so it's easily approachable and hence can be planned without much pain. 

 Kufri - Kufri is one of the most popular tourist places for many years now. There was time, when tourists used to visit Kufri and skip Shimla. Many folks do it till date during winters. Kufri is the place which retains snow for maximum time. Dense forest of deodars makes it a special place around Shimla. There are few interesting activities to do here, especially for kids - horse riding,  photo-shooting activities, snow games etc.

 Chail - Chail is a serene place around Shimla and greener than other places around. Chail has a nice temple and highest cricket ground in the world. 

During recent trip to Shimla, I was travelling on bikes most of the time. Our bikes even hit the restricted regions like Mall Road, Ridge and Lakkar bazar... Let's have a quick Photo Journey of Shimla !!!New look of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. This Theatre is situated on Mall Road and now open for all. There is small ticket amount one needs to pay to explore it inside. Various plays, exhibitions and other cultural events take place at Gaiety Theatre. Some part of Gaiety is also visible from Ridge.Afternoon view of Ridge, Shimla !!! Some Himachal Tourism activity was going and Aneesh was allowed to take his bike to Ridge with proper care. Ridge, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazar regions are restricted areas where vehicles are not allowed.Birds roaming around Ridge/Mall Road during Saturday Evening :) ... Saturday evenings are very popular for folks in Shimla and Mall road is too much crowded during Saturday evenings. Bird watching could be one of the reasons..A view of Shimla from High Court building. This photograph is clicked from Mall Road only, but near High Court of Himachal Pradesh !!!I am completely in love with Shimla Architecture and my camera couldn't resist clicking all those building on Shimla streets & roads. This photograph was clicked while we were climbing up towards Mall Road from HHH hotel.More beautiful buildings from Shimla, but increasing vehicles are becoming one of the main challenges when parking is biggest issue in the city. But it's amazing to these folks driving so fast on narrow roads with lots of curves here and thereHere comes Mr. Aneesh Awasthi. Here he is trying typical short cuts in Shimla, but mostly they are for walking people not for bikers. Since it's difficult for Aneesh to walk, so he thought of riding down these stairs.During noon there is nothing on Mall road so came down towards Shimla Market and thought of going towards Naldera Golf ground... Although plans changed later. I hope you noticed the density of houses on these hills. There is no difference between these hill stations and metros like Delhi now.Here is a view of Mall road after sunset. Folks have started coming to Mall Road and soon it will be fully loaded, or in fact overloaded.Here is another view of Ridge in Shimla. Ridge and Mall road are well connected with each other and have many decent restuarants around the place. Ridge is basically a huge tank of water which is main supply for various parts of Shimla. There is also an underground makrket called Indira Market and Press Club of Shimla is also situated in this market.Wonderful view of Christ Church on Ridge, Shimla. Bright blue sky make this photograph more intersting... This was a qick photo journey with no plans and thought of sharing here... Hope to be there in Shimla for Christmas and wish to click some the same places with snow !!!
During recent trip to Shimla, I was travelling on bikes most of the time. Our bikes even hit the restricted regions like Mall Road, Ridge and Lakkar bazar... Let's have a quick Photo Journey of Shimla !!!New look of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. This Theatre is situated on Mall Road and now open for all. There is small ticket amount one needs to pay to explore it inside. Various plays, exhibitions and other cultural events take place at Gaiety Theatre. Some part of Gaiety is also visible from Ridge.Afternoon view of Ridge, Shimla !!! Some Himachal Tourism activity was going and Aneesh was allowed to take his bike to Ridge with proper care. Ridge, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazar regions are restricted areas where vehicles are not allowed.Birds roaming around Ridge/Mall Road during Saturday Evening :) ... Saturday evenings are very popular for folks in Shimla and Mall road is too much crowded during Saturday evenings. Bird watching could be one of the reasons..A view of Shimla from High Court building. This photograph is clicked from Mall Road only, but near High Court of Himachal Pradesh !!!I am completely in love with Shimla Architecture and my camera couldn't resist clicking all those building on Shimla streets & roads. This photograph was clicked while we were climbing up towards Mall Road from HHH hotel.More beautiful buildings from Shimla, but increasing vehicles are becoming one of the main challenges when parking is biggest issue in the city. But it's amazing to these folks driving so fast on narrow roads with lots of curves here and thereHere comes Mr. Aneesh Awasthi. Here he is trying typical short cuts in Shimla, but mostly they are for walking people not for bikers. Since it's difficult for Aneesh to walk, so he thought of riding down these stairs.During noon there is nothing on Mall road so came down towards Shimla Market and thought of going towards Naldera Golf ground... Although plans changed later. I hope you noticed the density of houses on these hills. There is no difference between these hill stations and metros like Delhi now.Here is a view of Mall road after sunset. Folks have started coming to Mall Road and soon it will be fully loaded, or in fact overloaded.Here is another view of Ridge in Shimla. Ridge and Mall road are well connected with each other and have many decent restuarants around the place. Ridge is basically a huge tank of water which is main supply for various parts of Shimla. There is also an underground makrket called Indira Market and Press Club of Shimla is also situated in this market.Wonderful view of Christ Church on Ridge, Shimla. Bright blue sky make this photograph more intersting... This was a qick photo journey with no plans and thought of sharing here... Hope to be there in Shimla for Christmas and wish to click some the same places with snow !!!
If you have interest in Temples, there is another beautiful temple near Tara Devi Temple - Sankat Mochan Temple. This is highly recommended for folks having interest in religious places and even otherwise this temple is nice place to hang around. If you are there on Sundays, don't miss the food served in bhandara, which is very unique. Place is clean and hygienic. 



Shimla town has some of the most beautiful walks in hills surrounded by dense forests full of high deodar trees. One needs to be aware of such walks and make best of these while there in Shimla. One of my favorite walks is Mall Road to University through Legislative Assembly of the state & Viceregal Lodge. This is a beautiful road, which crosses through some of the amazing buildings of town. Clean, well maintained, almost no traffic and surrounded by beautiful trees & green landscapes. 


If I start thinking about other approachable destinations around Shimla, following names come to my mind - Mashobara, Naldehra, Narkanda, Hatu Peak, Tanijubber Lake etc. One of the recommended one is Chail. And in fact, it's recommended to stay around Chail area, which is naturally more beautiful and peaceful. There are quite a good options to stay around Chail.

 Please drop a comment with your feedback and inputs around this topic. 

Trending Post Today !

Image

How to reach Kasol/Malana and top things to do around this stunning hill-station of Himalayan State of India

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera , you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer.  One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana . Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay , things to do and lot more.  Related post -  Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
Image

Main places to see & Top things to do around Dalhousie : Stunning Hill Station in Himalayan State of India

  Dalhousie is one of the most popular Hill Stations in Himachal  and there is lot to explore around Dalhousie. This is small and very well maintained town in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh . This Photo Journey shares some of the exciting places around Chamba and how to plan a good one day tour through Khajjiar, Chamba & Chamera etc. CHAMERA HYDROLIC PROJECT Chamera Hydroelectric Project is located in Banikhet, 7 kms from Dalhousie. The water body near the lake is very scenic and is a popular boating spot. Chamera Dam is around 40 kilometers from Chamba Town. It takes approximately 1.5 hrs to reach the place is road condition is good. Overall it’s a little dry terrain as compared to Dalhousie and Khajjiar. And temperature also goes up as we go towards Chamera Dam.  As you move out from Chamba town, you follow Ravi river for some time and then take right. After 45 minutes of drive, you get a glimpse of Chemera Dam.