Shimla : Queen of Hill Stations with stunning weather, high deodars, outstanding British heritage and one of the most beautiful towns in Himalayan state of India, Himachal Pradesh

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 Delhi/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 -

First thing first - there are different ways to reach Shimla. Primarily I share options to reach places from Delhi. 

If you don't mind traveling in buses, there are plenty of options. 

- HRTC offers different bus services between Shimla and Delhi/Chandigarh. 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. Online booking can be done through this link. 

- 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. 

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. 

Here is a detailed post about options to reach different hill stations of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharmshala and a lot more. 

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. 

Monsoons is the time to avoid given that there is risk of road blocks and probability of getting stuck, although drizzles of Shimla was very special and worth enjoying. So it's all about keeping track of weather forecast and plan in such a way that you have comfortable time. 

Weather in Shimla - 

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 how Nisha shares about her unimaginable experience of Shimla in Monsoons, which is quite inspiring. 

Main Tourist places to visit -

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

Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (Viceregal Lodge) -

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. When I talk about it, I recommend a walk from Viceregal Lodge to Mall Road through beautiful terrains surrounded by high deodars.

A historic landmark of Shimla and a legacy left behind by the Britisher’s, but no matter how many times you visit this architectural marvel you would want to go back again and enjoy its serene environment and immaculate ambiance. Rich in history and with is Victorian edifice, Viceregal Lodge, now famously known as the Indian Institute Advanced Studies (IIAS) was completed in 1888 by Henry Irwin its architect. Lord Dufferin, Viceroy of India during that time personally supervised the construction and the furniture was fitted by Maple & Co., London who perfected in Victorian period. It is also noted that the architectural style drew inspiration from English Renaissance and certain elements of Scottish castles can also be seen here.

Related Blogpost : Interiors of Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (Viceregal Lodge) in Shimla 

In the words of Lady Duffering who recounted her stay on July 15, 1988, “The result of the whole was to make me feel that it is a great pity that we shall have so short a time to live in a house surrounded by such magnificent views”.

Set within the large wooded estate of the Observatory Hill, (one of the seven hills Shimla is built on) IIAS became the Rastrapati Niwas after Independence which was then officially handed over to the Institute by President S Radhakrishnan on October 20, 1965. This place also has historical significance as the 1945 Shima Conference was hosted by the 19th Viceroy of India, Viscount Archibald Wavell, which was attended by major political leaders including Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Liaqat Ali Khan, Master Tara Singh and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Khem Raj Verma, Supervisor of the Institute states, “The old fire station was converted into the Fire Station Café with a Souvenir Shop in 2009. Here tourists can take a well rested break after visiting the Institute. A selected collection of books both in Hindi and English, collectibles such as mugs, sweat shirts, caps and greeting cards with the Institutes images, a small café with few tables serving limited snacks as well as a visitors information centre cum ticketing counter have been opened”.

Notable recent changes that have taken place are the Court Gallery which was once a Squash Court and the Pool Theatre which was a Swimming Pool. The Court Gallery consists of rare collection photographs of the Institute dating since 1888, which were procured from the Bowood Estate, Western Part of United Kingdom and the British Library, London in 2010. Verma added, “With help from the Middlesex University, we were able to get these photographs. The swimming pool built in 1888 is now a plush theatre where movies are featured for resident scholars and the Institute’s students. Conferences, meetings and conventions too are held here from time to time. Efforts are being made to open more and more areas for the tourists while at the same time maintaining the sanctity of the place”.

Guided tours started in 1992, initially there were no charges but after seeing the growing number of tourists nominal charges were taken as part of the maintenance cost. The guide would at lengths explain the history of the Institute and its passing owners. The elaborate wood work, the paneling and pilaster, usages of teak, deodar and walnut woods and impressive carvings are works of marvel. Gitesh Arora and family from New Delhi were ecstatic about their visit and went on and on about the beauty of the building and its architecture. Gitesh said, “The landscaping and the design of the building is very beautiful, but the guided tours are quite dissatisfying. The groups are so large that it is difficult to understand what the guide is saying and the rushed walk around is a little disappointing”. Justifying this Verma added, “Since last year the number of tourist has increased two-fold and weekend rush is huge hence the tour timings are decreased to 25 minutes from a 45 minute tour. This is something which we cannot control as the growing number of tourists needs to be accommodated and this is the only way we can do so. Weekdays are much more relaxed”. Purnima from Mumbai says, “The elements of Victorian architecture are just incredible and a walk around the Institute is equally charming and extravagant. The manicured lawns, the beautiful garden and all around greenery is breathtaking”.

As you walk towards the main entrance, you can see the huge landscaped lawns on to your left and the gravel stone walkway reminds you of the era gone by. Once inside you are greeted with a huge iron-wrought chandelier and immaculate woodwork, a reminder of the elegance, sophistication and grace which the Britisher’s embraced while staying here. Only two rooms are open for the tourists and the insides of the Library can be seen from the huge glass door, the upper floors are off-limits as these are now reserved for the visiting professors and the Director of the Institute. One of these rooms has the round table and chairs that were used during the Simla Conference and another amazing thing about this room is that its roof was built with walnut tree wood which dates almost 125 years now.

The main attraction of the Institute is its Library which was opened in 1965, with exclusive access to members only. Prem Chand, Librarian, who took reins in February 2009 says, “You will find hardcore books on every subject as there are more than 1,30,000 books, around 6000 journals and private compilations of eminent scholars, which constitutes a unique collection and the finest resources not only in India but all over the world. The library obtained rare Sanskrit, Arabic as well as Persian texts and manuscripts. Despite coming from a different background as my work was more about connectivity of all Indian libraries to make a huge pool of resources as well create a database of e-resources, I am using this experience to create something similar at this Library”. He added, “We have done away with the cards system as each book has now been assigned a bar code as it is very easy to track books now. Usage has become very easy and certain norms for usage of the Library have also been relaxed. Apart from the regular 40 scholars who are internal members, 20 professors who come every month from different parts of India for a month, there are another 80 members from outside the Institute such as government employees, teachers or research students who can have access to these vast resources”. The section on rare books and archives is phenomenal but any documents pertaining to Lord Mountbatten and Mahatma Gandhi were taken by the Britishers when they left. The collection includes books on philosophy, religion, fine arts, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, socio-economic planning and development, social and cultural anthropology, ancient and mediaeval Indian history and culture, modern Indian history, and Third World economics, which are considered as stupendous. The electronic system introduced is gaining popularity and with access to more than 8,000 journals which were purchased from Cambridge, Oxford and other Universities helps students in research as per se the Institute can subscribe to only about 250 journals.

Here to check full story on Indian Institute of Advanced Studies in Time of India by Vandana Bhagra.

Dr M Pathak, Associate Professor from the National Defense Academy, Pune, on a one month visit to the Institute says, “I am here under the IUGC programme to present a paper on ‘Transnational Terrorism in Kashmir’, and there are nearly 20 other professors visiting from all over India from different universities. This is a unique Institute with amazing library resources, best hospitality and great people. The collection of rare books is the best I have seen and few particular books written on Kashmir were found here only. Even though this is my second trip, still every time it is quite refreshing and enlightening when I come here”.

Anyone who has seen the Institute’s magnificent aura and charm definitely takes back few good memories. Those visiting can witness the phases of Indian history, coming and going of Viceroys, political documentations and the visiting professors and scholars who will foretell the magnitude of this Institution and what it means to them.

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 buy warm cloths.

Above photograph shows a view of Shimla Townhall which is located on Mall Road. This is sort of main spot on mall road. Lot of other important things are located around Town-hall : Scandal Point, Ridge Ground, Police Station, Gaiety Theatre etc. Check this post to know about this wonderful cafe to enjoy these beautiful views of Mall road. 

On Saturday evenings, Mall road is the most busy place in the town. Check this out to know more. 

Check this out to know why Shimla Mall road is very special in comparison to mall roads in Mussourie, Darjeeling etc. 

Here are some of the main reasons I love Shimla Mall road as compared to Mussourie -

1. Vehicles are not allowed at any time of the day, while in Mussouire vehicles are allowed till 1pm and some specific vehicles can be seen till 4pm on Mussourie mall road.

2. Cleanness of Shimla Mall Road makes the experience unmatchable. On the other side, I noticed open drains in Mussourie and many of them were broken at some places. 

3. You don't find random hawkers on Shimla Mall Road and hence you can peacefully walk and enjoy the weather. 

4. Surrounding walls and the boundaries on Shimla mall road are always neat and well maintained. In mussouire Mall road, I saw some colorful flowers all around but uncovered hills having polybags & construction material of hotels coming up.

5. During busy hours when thousands of folks come to Shimla Mall Road, well dressed traffic policemen ensure that people walk on the appropriate side to avoid any chaos.

6. Mall Road in Shimla is aesthetically much better in comparison to Mussourie. Shimla Mall Road has very beautiful buildings of British era and very well maintained.

7. Crowd on Shimla Mall Road is much more happening as compared to the Mussourie Mall Road.

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. 

The restoration of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla couldn’t have come at a better time. During the last decade, the lifestyle of Indian middle class has seen a tremendous shift from the ‘earn and save’ mode to ‘earn, save, and spend’ mode. They can now afford to use their hard-earned money for recreational activities. There was a time, not too long ago, when theatre, art-exhibitions, and museums were thought to be the pastimes of rich and were never a part of our day-to-day lives. People have started waking up to the importance of arts and literature in the growth of a country. As a result, you can find more and more youngsters visiting art galleries, photography exhibitions, and dramas and studying these subjects as part of their formal education. But this change would have been pointless and self-defeating if the society and the Government had not supported it. And the restoration of the Gaiety theatre is a commendable step in this direction.

The Gaiety theatre opened for the first time in 1887, it was a part of a much larger town hall built in Gothic style with high arches, vaults and flying buttresses designed by Henry Irwin. However, many parts of the town hall were found to be risky and had to be dismantled in early 20th century. This saw the end of the flying buttresses. However, the Gaiety Theatre survived. The website of the Theatre states that from the time it opened, legends such as Rudyard Kipling, Baten Powel, K. L. Sehgal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, the Kendalls, Balraj Sahni, Pran, Manohar Singh, Master Mohan, Master Madan, Shashi Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Naseeruddin Shah, and Anupam Kher have performed here. However, number of performances dwindled significantly as years passed. Not so long back, the theatre was used during the shooting of the movie Gadar when parts of the theatre were hurriedly painted. Years of decay and patch works were threatening to ruin the Theatre when the Government of Himachal Pradesh took up the challenge to restore the complex with the help of various experts.

Today when you walk in the corridors and the halls, it is very easy to find yourself stepping into a bygone era where spectres of Victorian women in their corsets and gowns stroll around with their hands around the arms of their men wearing black tail coats and hats, sipping expensive, old wines while discussing the latest developments in politics and literature. You blink and you are back in the carpeted, empty halls of today with British voices just fading away beyond the frequencies receptive to human ears. Such is the thoroughness of the restoration that I can add without hesitation that the people who undertook and completed this task have every reason to be proud of their achievement.

Theatre has again started hosting events and their full calendar is available on their website http://www.gaiety.in/. You can already see plays, festivals, concerts and exhibitions lined up in the various halls and galleries of the theatre. Their extensive image gallery gives one a fair idea about the Gaiety Theatre before and after the restoration. It also houses some priceless photographs of performances dating back to the late 19th century. The website alone is a proof that the Gaiety Dramatic Society, which is currently responsible for the administration of the Gaiety Complex, is taking its job very seriously. They deserve an active participation and encouragement from us as a pat on their backs for their contribution in providing artists and writers a venue to showcase their talents.

Here you can check a full story in Times of India on Gaiety Theatre written by Vibha Malhotra.

For any country to progress and any society to prosper, cultural development is a must and should go hand in hand with industrial development. Culture gives a society its personality and character and is the soul of a nation. Art in any form be it paintings, poetry, stories, books or drama forces us to reflect upon our society and, as a result, take steps for improvement. One of the key strengths of Indian society right from ancient times has been the ability to change. It has never been easy but change has always had a few eager and open minds that were willing to lend their ears to its reasonings. That has helped us withstand years of plunder and foreign rule and still bounce back as soon as we had the first opportunity as a much stronger and mature society. And this is the reason why Indian society has come such a long way from where it was left, broken, in 1947. Today when a lot of people will see value in restoring an old theatre, a few will still argue that we have too many problems to solve before we can indulge in such luxuries. To them I would like to say that there will never be a time when we will not have problems. However, a healthy development in culture will always be a good move and will only help in making the country a better place to live in. A calculated and positive step in this direction can never come too early.

Ridge Ground and Christ Church -

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.

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.

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.

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.

Over the years Jakhu has become one of the important part of Shimla town and authorities have improved the conditions in past few years. Now this campus has enough space for families to have fun around the Temple. There are some special arrangements for kids. A nice park is built near to main Temple of Jakhu now.

Jakhu temple has an interesting legend behind it. It is said that a deadly arrow injured Lord Rama's brother Lakshmana when he was fighting the battle with the demon king Ravana. A priest diagnosed Lakshmana and said that he needed a particular Sanjeevani herb from the Himalayas to cure Lakshmana. Hanuman was sent to get that herb from he lofty mountains. Upon reaching the Himalayas, Hanuman couldn't make out as to which herb was the Sanjeevani. So he dug up the entire mountain and flew back to where Lakshmana was lying injured.

After Lakshmana was cured, Hanuman went back to place the mountain in its original site. He rested on top of the Jakhu hill for sometime. It is said that the top of the hill got flattened due to Hanuman's weight! The temple has been built around the place that is supposed to have the footprints of Hanuman. It is a highly revered religious place of Shimla and devotees throng in huge numbers to pray.

Jakhu is derived from Hindi word Yakhsa. Yakshas are the mythological character in Hindu mythology, who are a link between human and gods. The original dates of temple is not known, but it is believed to be existing from the times of Ramayana, a pre-historic event as per ancient Hindu texts. The Jakhu hill is the highest peak around Shimla, and is famous for its trekking options. The Jakhu hill offers excellent views of sunrise, sunset, mountains and town. The hill is full of narrow paths and roads which are an enjoyable walks.

Here is detailed post on Jakhu Temple. 

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. 

When seen from a purely tourist perspective, Chail doesn't have too much to do. However there are several hidden treasures that are worth exploring. One of them is the World's highest cricket ground. I have a suspicion that the place would have been quite dull if the weather wasn't so magical. The board indicating that this is indeed the world's highest cricket ground at 7500 feet from the sea level. The cricket ground is used by the Chail Military School, which is close to capital city of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla. The ground was built in 1893 and is still frequently used and well-maintained. 

Sankat Mochan Temple : 

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. 

Sankat Mochan Temple is actually located near to Tara-Devi which comes on the way to Kalka from Shimla Town. It's approximately 10 kilometers from Shimla Town. Place is surrounded by green mountains all around. Temple is adjacent to the National Highway - 22. The temple is a place where one can actually meditate and enjoy the calm and peaceful surroundings.The very first photograph above shows a temple on left, which is located just after main entry into the Sankat Mochan Temple. This temple is created in South Indian Style.

Sankat Mochan temple has many facilities for people and also includes a three-storey building that is used for many purposes. Every Sunday, the huge hall in the building is used for distributing Prasad, also known as Langar. Langar at Sankat Mochan is quite different and very well managed.  One portion of the building is used to conduct marriage ceremonies and is rented out to people who want to conduct marriages. The temple charges a very nominal fee for this. Apart from marriages, there are many other sacred rituals and ceremonies that can be conducted over here. Priests and the maintenance staff, who work here day and night, use the rest of the building as a residential complex. The temple also has an Ayurvedic clinic...

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.

Here is a Himachali song with little context about Shimla in it. It's a whistling version...

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Hidden Treasures of Shimla, which everyone tends to forget :

I have spent 3 years in Shimla and I feel bad when someone says ’Shimla is overcrowded and worthless for vacations’. Yes, it has happened multiple times and I have heard such words from folks who I like as responsible travelers. 

I recollected all those words heard about Shimla and tried to think about the reasons. Probably most of the folks get stuck in traffic jams now, they see lot of tourists on mall road or other main places to visit in Shimla and travelers don’t find it clean. There can be other factors as well. At times, people want to differentiate themselves from others so try to criticise more populated tourist places, to highlight that fact that exploring offbeat stuff is ‘the' thing and it’s 'cool' to talk about that. But honestly speaking, there is lot more to explore in Shimla apart from Mall Road, Viceregal lodge, Ridge etc. And this post talks about some of the interesting options to expire the city in better way. Are you up for it?

Shimla has some of the most interesting walks through high deodars and beautiful landscapes surrounded by British architecture. And I can suggest you few walks in main Shimla where you can avoid the crowd and still enjoy urban landscapes of the Shimla. Hope it sounds interesting. So here is one walk, I highly recommend.

Walk from Boileauganj to Mall Road after enjoying Milk-Jalebi at Krishna Sweets and taking a break at Viceregal Lodge.

Why ?

• Restricted vehicle entry(partially) on this road.
• You would experience Shimla which you see in  Bollywood movies – peaceful landscapes, fresh air, high deodars, old houses from British era and lot more.
• Enjoy delicious Milk-Jalebi at Krishna Sweets
• Read out further to know more…

So there is a a shop called Krishna Sweets, which is just opposite to Boileuganj police station. This shop is very popular amongst the students of Himachal Pradesh university. University campus is nearby and that’s why lot of students come here to enjoy the speciality. So enjoy your sweets and walk towards Viceregal Lodge. If you are in a car, you can take it till Viceregal Lodge and plan to walk ahead. The road connecting Boileuganj with Viceregal lodge is comparitively less crowded and one can peacefully walk.

You spend some time around Viceregal Lodge (Indian Institute of Advanced Studies) and enjoy lush green lawns & flora around it. As out walk out from Viceregal lodge, walk straight towards Mall road. After 100 meters from the gate, you would see a narrow road going up on the left. It’s slightly steep, but worth if you are interested in watching colourful birds of Himalayas. There is small bird enclosure where you can also find state bird of Himachal Pradesh - ‘Monal’ .

After coming from this bird enclosure, keep walking up and you would be around beautiful property of Himachal Tourism – Peterhoff hotel. Hotel has beautiful lawns offering brilliant views of hills around. If you are little tired by now, order tea and some snack and enjoy the sunshine.

It’s time to walk down by keeping your eyes open. On the right hand side, you would see a beautiful bungalow surrounded by lush green lawns and colorful flowers around the boundaries. The bungalow is spread over significant area, which reminds you of bollywood movies. 

Keep walking towards the Mall road and beware of monkeys. Usually this part of Shimla has lesser number of monkeys, but it’s always good to take precautions. Avoid carrying polybags or something which may look tempting to monkeys :).

Soon you will be around Chaura maidan, a place with wide ground in the middle of the road with few seating benches on both sides. The famous Oberoi property Cicil is close by. Almost everyone in Shimla wants to visit this hotel once and nowadays some of the families celebrate their special days at this place. There is great history associated with this property. Mohal Lal Oberoi, owner of Oberoi hotel group started at Cicil as clerk for 50 Rs. Read on more at Wikipedia, if it sounds interesting :)

There are few shops near Cicil, so it’s time if you want to buy few munchies or fresh fruits. 

The walk becomes more interesting as you cross Cicil hotel. This is the area, where you see army buildings on both sides of the road. The road is peaceful and you can enjoy the grandness of these buildings. This may take you back in Birtish era. As you proceed further you will see Legislative assembly on right side of the road which is surrounded by MLA flats and beautiful deodars. The surrounding become more beautiful. There are benches around the road, if you want to take rest and enjoy the views. You can see the huge ground on the left, which is anadale, the controversial ground. This is maintained by Indian Army. The place is beautiful and the next post would be about Anadale, Army museum and beautiful walks around the woods.

As you walk ahead, you would start sensing more hustle bustle which indicates that Mall road is not too far now. But still some places on the way will make you take pauses and enjoy the beauty. State Accounting office in right side is a beautiful British building, which looks awesome. Just adjacent to that there are various such buildings from British era. As you walk further, there is huge campus of Indian Army on the right and a beautiful temple on the left. If you are interested, take a little cut on the left and go to Kalibari temple. Which also offers great views of the surrounding hills. If it’s sunset time, don’t miss the temple. Sunset looks awesome from the top.

You would also notice a beautiful building of SBI bank. I am sure that you wouldn’t have imagined such a beautiful office of a bank with sufficient open area outside. Lot of fruit vendors sit outside the bank, so you can buy few exotic and local fruits. Most of them would be fresh. During winters, boiled egg vendors makes this place more happening.

And as you walk further, you are on Mall road and don’t miss to take a walk of Mall road, Ridge Ground, Lakkar Bazar. If time allows, go inside the Gaiety theatre to see how grand theatres were built in British era. 

Main Statues of Shimla Town in Himachal Pradesh :

Here, let me take you to a quick tour to all statues in the amazing city of Shimla. 

1. First and most amazing statue in Shimla is Hanuman ji's statue at Jhakhoo temple. This is considered as world's tallest statue at 108 feet at the highest altitude of over 8100 feet and constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crores, which surpasses the current tallest statue of 'Christ the Redeemer', which measures at 98 feet and stands at an altitude of 2296 feet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 Check this for more amazing pics from Jakhoo Temple, Shimla

2. Laxmi bai's horse riding statue at Rani Jhansi Park, Shimla. This is 15 feet high, 3 tonnes weighing horse riding statue of Queen of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai. The statue sculptured by Faqir Charan Parida of Haridwar and cost of the Statue is Rs. 26 lakh.

3. Mahatma Gandhi at Ridge, Shimla. The Ridge houses a large water reservoir which acts as the main supply of Shimla town.

4. Indira Gandhi's statue at Ridge, Shimla.

5.   Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar, Founder of Himachal. Dr. Parmar was the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. 

6. Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Places to Skip in Shimla :

When we mention some places from Shimla here, we share some of the deciding factors in terms of when you are visiting, how and who is accompanying you. This is just to keep you informed and we would strongly encourage to take your own call and share your opinions through comments on this post. 

I feel more motivated to write such posts by looking at something like what you see on Tripadvisor -

Please notice in above image (screenshot from Tripadvisor website, taken on 14th Nov'16). Please note that Viceregal Lodge & Indian Institute of Advanced Studies is same. Some folks also call it Rashtrapati bhawan. And check out the image used for Tara Devi temple. It's not correct image and it's a hindu temple, not a monastery.  Moreover places are listed from different cities as well. And many places are more than 50 km from Shimla town. Wondering if the list is for Shimla and around or whole district?

Many times some queries on google give misleading results. Mainly because of the fact that major websites take place in top searched and some of them don't really care reviewing the content carefully. This usually happens with common places because big websites have tough competition for lesser known places or relatively less popular destinations. You can get misleading results for 'Top 10 places to visit in Shimla', 'Must visit places in and around Shimla' etc.

Here is the list of places you may skip, along with my reasoning (please feel free to share your thoughts in comment, if you don't agree. I would really appreciate that. Because idea is not to portray myself correct but to come up with right information for better decision making. ) The details also cover what makes them interesting, so if it aligns with your priorities then why not.

1. Jakhu Temple - Jakhu temple is most popular temple as per web articles and here is why - it's comparatively near to mall road and ridge. But be aware about monkeys around this temple. So it depends about your reason for visiting a place. If you like doing small treks and interested in visiting temple, why not Tara Devi? It also covers your toy train ride from Shimla till Tara Devi (the best landscapes around the rail track). Tara Devi temple is not in the town, but you can take toy train till Tara devi and take the trek to the temple. It's located on a hill which offers panoramic view of Shimla and surrounding valleys. 

2. Green Valley - This is one of the most overrated place around Shimla. It's nothing but a view from road, which connects Shimla to Kufri. There is a deep valley full of deodars and called as Green valley because it's green throughout. 

3. Summer Hill - Summerhill is mentioned on various website and i have no clue why. It's near Viceregal lodge and himachal pradesh university is here. Summerhill is mainly known because of the huge university campus. There is nice walk from Inidian Istitute of Advanced studies to university but such walks are there all across the place. 

4. Naldehra Golf Course - I don't want to give a strong verdict here because different people have different opinions about the place. If you are keen to see a golf course in hills, certainly go there and have some snacks at HPTDC hotel. But son't expect much apart from this golf course. It's little away from the town, so you need to go specifically to visit this Golf Course. 

5. Kamna Devi Temple - If you keen to visit lot of temples in and around Shimla, then you may want to visit this place which is on a hill and a little away from Mall road. 

6. Kali Bari Temple - Above logic applies to it. But it's near to the mall road and at walkable distance. So if you are around Mall road and walk more, visit this temple. It offers some nice views on one side facing the road & valley. This is one the road which connect Mall Road with Indian Institute of Advanced studies. 

7. Be aware of distances of places you chose and accessibility. Some of the places may seem near but traffic may take more time and some of the places are not directly accessible through roads. 

I couldn't come with a long list here because most of the places are Shimla are beautiful. All depends when you are visiting them. 

If you have time and can drive a little away from Shimla Town, here are some special places for you to explore :

World's Highest Hockey Stadium in Shilaroo - Stunning location surrounded by snow covered Himalayan Peaks in Himachal

8 Days itinerary to explore different parts of Himachal Pradesh - Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Dharmshala, Dalhousie 

10 places to find snow in North India

Top 10 hill stations of Himachal Pradesh state of India