Shimla Tour - A Complete Itienery for 2019

This summer capital of British is situated at an elevation of 2159 meters above sea level. Shimla is a great popular tourist destination for holidays in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is an ideal place to be retreated for honey moon couples as well. The grand snow-covered Himalayan ranges bordering Shimla, the blossoming greenery & the archaic buildings of the British Era sure make this city 'Queen of Mountains'.

Shimla View

Adventure seekers, who wish to indulge in activities such as angling adventure games, river rafting, trout fishing & rock climbing can enjoy in Shimla at the most. This destination is perfect for those who are looking for a quiet holiday with friends & family and those who want to enjoy camping in this paradise.

As I am a travel freak & I just love Hill Stations, so I planned a trip to Shimla with my family this year in April. In this article I will give you all the details of our trip which will be easy for you as well, if you are planning for a Shimla tour.

River Rafting

The Journey Starts

1. Bangalore to Delhi

We Started for Bangalore to Delhi from Bangalore (Yeshwantpur) Railway Station at 10 pm by Sampark Kranti Express (12649). This train takes 35 hrs approx & reach Delhi (Nizamuddin) Railway Station at 9:00 am approx. After reaching Delhi, we went to Old Delhi Railway Station by cab.

2. Delhi to Kalka

We started from Old Delhi at 9:30 pm by Kalka Mail (12311) and reached Kalka at 4:30 am. The Kalka Railway Station is at a height of 2158 ft above sea level & the view of this location was just breathtaking.

3. Kalka to Shimla

You can reach Shimla from Kalka by Bus, Cab or the most popular “The Kalka to Shimla Toy Train (Himalayan Queen)”. The toy train takes 4-5 hrs approx to reach Shimla. You can book your toy train tickets from the IRCTC website www.irctc.co.in but for confirm reservation you have to book tickets 2-3 months prior to your journey.

Kalka to Shimla Toy Train

As our Shimla tour was a last minute trip, we didn’t get the Kalka to Shimla toy train tickets. That why we decided to reach Shimla by sharing cab. It took 3 hrs to reach Shimla. The cab charged 350 bucks from us (definitely we bargained).

Note: If you take sharing cab please tell the driver to drop you near the lift area in Shimla. Pay them only after confirmation only. Otherwise, these cabs will drop you anywhere in Shimla & you have to trek to the Lakkar Bazaar & the Mall Road area which is very difficult. No vehicle is allowed (except ambulance) in the market & Mall road.

Reached the Queen of Mountains---Shimla

The cab dropped us near the lift area which is opposite to the car parking area. The lift ticket charge is 10 bucks per person and for heavy luggage 20 bucks extra. The lift took us to the Mall road directly. It will be better if you book hotel rooms online in advance, as, it is difficult to get hotel rooms in Shimla Mall road during season time. Even though you get a room, they will charge double/triple the normal charge. If you want budget hotels, than opt for the hotels near Lakkar Bazaar.

Shimla Lift Area

You may also like >>Shillong - The Scotland of East

First Day of Shimla Tour

We checked in our hotel at 9:30 am. Our hotel was near Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.We booked a spacious room with a spectacular view of the Shimla Mall road & theRidge. Most of the hotels in Mall road offer rooms with wonderful view. We decided to have breakfast in Mall road amid nature. Most of the shops in Mall road open after 10: 00 am. You will get many options for breakfast, lunch, snacks & dinner in & around Mall road.

Shimla Mall Road

After breakfast, we walked through Shimla Mall Road & did a little window shopping. From Mall road went to the Ridge. The ridge is positioned at the heart of Shimla. It is a broad open space where you can enjoy horse riding. From ridge you get a panoramic of Shimla & its countryside. If you want your perfect pictures in Shimla, than this is the spot for you. The Shimla Ridge is the center for all cultural activities of Shimla, so you also enjoy witnessing one of them.

The Ridge Shimla

In the Ridge only you can see the most famed or you can say the trademark of Shimla, the Christ Church. This is the 2^nd oldest church of North India. We spent some time inside the church as well.

Then we went to the Shimla State Library, which is at a close proximity to the Christ church. If you are a bookworm, than you will definitely like this place. This old-world gothic style building is open all days except Monday. The interior is mainly made of wood which gives you a glimpse of the British era.

State Library Shimla

After spending almost 1 hour in the Ridge, we went to the Scandal point that joins the Shimla Ridge & the Mall road. The tantalizing story behind this spot is that, during 1892, the Patiala’s King, who was in love with the viceroy’s daughter met her at this spot and eloped from there to Chail, as the British Army was against them. From this incident this spot got its name, ‘Scandal Point’.

Scandal Point

Meanwhile, we had our lunch in a small restaurant in lower bazaar, which is connected to the Mall road by stairs. The food was awesome & the price was also reasonable. In lower bazaar, you will get many stuffs to shop like, dress materials, woollen clothes, souvenirs etc at reasonable price compared to the prices in Mall road shops. All through the Mall road, you will get benches to sit & shades to enjoy the Mountain View & click pictures.

In the evening, we went to Shimla Kali Bari & attented the Sandhya Aarti. This temple is positioned at the hill top & offers amazing view of Shimla city. Beware of the Monkeys in the temple premises as they can snatch Prasad, mobiles etc from you. Shimla looks wonderful in Daytime & night as well. You can enjoy the night view of Shimla by spending some time in the Mall road. Almost all shops get closed after 10:00 am so; the only option after 10:00 pm is to come back to your hotel room. We also did the same.

Kali Bari Shimla

Second Day of Shimla Tour

The second day started with a cup of hot tea & the picturesque view of the Mountain city. Our plan for 2^nd day was to visit the Institute of Advance Studies & the Jakhu temple. So, we started with the Institute of Advance Studies Shimla.

Institute of Advance Studies Shimla

You can go down near the car parking area by lift and take any rickshaw or bus to reach the Institute of Advance Studies. It will take 1 hour approx to look around the entire institute.

This institute is an astonishing piece of Scottish style architecture & is among the well-recognized Indian Institute for Research. The early name of this institute was Viceregal Lodge, where Lord Dufferin used to reside. After independence, it was converted to an institute in the year 1964 by the Indian Government & it started its function in the year 1965.

After entering the institute, it felt like we were in the British era. The building was constructed with the panels of teak wood, the long set of steps & the fireplace took me to that period, when various meetings & events were hosted in this monument. You can’t touch anything there.

The garden surrounding the institute welcomes you with blossoming greenery and you will really take pleasure in walking through it & clicking some memorable moments of your Shimla tour.

Things you should Remember

1. Institute is open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

2. This Institute is closed on Mondays.

3. Entry charge is 40 bucks for Indians, 90 bucks for foreigners &        20 bucks extra if you want to visit the Lawns & Gardens.

4. Photography is seriously restricted inside the institute.

5. Food stalls & washrooms are available inside the institute.

6. Lockers are obtainable to keep your stuffs before going inside the institute.

After spending some quality time in the Institute of Advance Studies, we started the excursion of Jakhu Temple.

Jakhu Temple Shimla

Jakhu temple is the temple of Deity Hanuman & is constructed at the uppermost peak of this area. According to mythology, Deity Hanuman during his journey to bring ‘Sanjeevani Buti’ took some rest in this Jakhu Hill. That is why, the locals believe this Hill to be a sacred place for them. This place is recognized as world’s highest Hanuman shrine with world’s tallest idol of 108 ft height.

We reached there by Government sharing taxi, which we took from the stand behind the Christ church. It took 100 bucks for 4 people to drop us to the temple & again 100 bucks to drop back to the city. You will also get cars (private/sharing) to get to the Jakhu Shimla Hill & they will charge approx 400-500 bucks per ride (you have to bargain). It takes ½ an hour to reach the temple. This place is surrounded by lush greenery & heighted deodar trees & is a perfect place to spend some time, relax and breathe.

This location has the biggest monkey population in the country. So, you have to be very careful while in & around the temple premises. Do not throw stones or anything else on these monkeys as they may attack you.

You can also reach the Jakhu temple by trekking. The starting point of this trek is somewhere beside the Christ church. Please consider your fitness before trekking, as, this temple is positioned at an elevation of 2455 meters. Jakhu temple can be reached via rope-way as well which charges 250 bucks per person.

Things to Remember

1. Always carry a stick with you while you are in Jakhu Hill to keep the monkeys away.

2. Keep your valuable stuffs like mobile, specs etc inside the bag only.

3. The Government sharing cab will be available up to 5:00 pm.

    It takes 1-2 hours to visit the temple & its premises.

4. You will get food stalls inside the temple premises to enjoy tea &  snacks at the topmost peak of Shimla.

5. Beware while clicking pictures as the monkeys may snatch you camera/mobile.

We completed our excursion & came back to the city at 6:30 pm, spend some time in the Mall road & came back to our room as we were very much tired visiting these 2 places.

You may also like >>11 Amazing Places to Visit in Nainital

Third day of Shimla Tour

Summer Hill Shimla

On the 3^rd day of our Shimla tour, we were very much excited to explore the remaining places. The 1^st place we decide to visit was the most famed among the tourists, the Summer Hill.

Summer Hill is just 5 kms away from the Ridge & can be reached easily by public buses, autos & cabs. This hill is among the striking & thrilling of the 7 hills which surrounds Shimla. It is located at an elevation of 2100 feet & allures the tourists by its dense forests of heighted oak & deodar trees and quaint ambience. This spot is a heaven for the photographers as they can make their best out of this location. You can visit Summer Hill throughout the year, as; this spot always offers a serene, chilly & breezy ambience. A visit to Summer Hill just made me speechless. I would definitely like to come here again & again.

Things to Remember

1. Wear covered dresses to keep your body warm as the weather       conditions here are breezy & cold.

2. It is better to keep some winter clothes like shawl, cardigan with   you.

3. Apply good quality sun protection lotion to protect the skin from   high altitude sunlight.

4. You can enjoy horse riding in the forests of Summer Hill.

5. You can also enjoy trekking there.

The next spot we visited was Annandale. This place is also 4.5 kms away from Shimla Ridge & just 2.5 kms away from Shimla Railway Station & is easily accessible by auto or cab. Situated at an elevation of 6200 feet, Annandale offers its tourists a bird-eye view of the snow covered mountains & the Shimla city.

Annandale Shimla

Annandale is famed for the Indian Army Museum, an active Golf Club & also a Cactus Museum. The Army museum basically exhibits the uniforms, photographs, medals & weapons related to the history of Indian Army. In this museum you will get to know many unknown aspects of the Indian Army such as the various flags of various regiments, various wars fought by them. Exploring this museum gave me goose bumps & I really felt proud of our Indian Army. We also visited the ground where the army arranges different activities like parades, sports etc. This ground is also ideal for polo & cricket lovers. The ground is surrounded by pine trees which proffers a serene ambience. The cactus museum includes a wide variety of flower species & cactus species.

Things to Remember

1. No entry charge for visiting the Army Museum & Cactus   Museum.

2. The Museum is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm all days except   Mondays.

3. It takes 1-2 hrs approx to explore the entire museum & ground.

4. You can have tea & snacks in the café near the museum.

5. You can also buy some souvenirs as memories of your Shimla   Tour.

6. Beware of the monkeys at this spot.

We came back to the city & well spent the evening at Johnnie’s Wax Museum in Mall road. This truly unique place allures a large number of tourists’ every day. This museum includes full-size wax statues of famed personalities such as Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Lionel Messi, Michael Jackson, Aamir Khan, Narendra Modi (India’s PM), Salman Khan, Honey Singh (Rap singer) etc. I clicked pictures with my favorite stars and enjoyed a lot there.

Night View Shimla

Things to Remember

1. The entry charge is 250 bucks per individual but is free for kids     smaller than 5 years.

2. This museum is open all days from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.

3. Photography is allowed inside the Museum.

Best Time to Visit Shimla 

1. During summer (March-June) Shimla proffers a very pleasing weather. The temperature mostly varies from 10 degrees to 30 degrees. This time is perfect for enjoying adventure sports such as paragliding, river rafting etc.

2. Monsoon (July-September) is not very much recommendable for the tourists, as in monsoon Shimla experiences heavy rainfall & the risk of land slides are always there.

3. In winter (October-February) tourists can enjoy snowfall & take part in snow sports.

How to Reach Shimla

1. The nearest is Kalka Railway Station. From Kalka you can hire   bus/cab to reach Shimla.

Shimla Railway Station

2. Shimla is well connected by bus with major cities of North India   like Chandigarh, Delhi etc.

Shimla Bus Stand

3. This city is well connected by bus with all the towns of   Himachal Pradesh.

4. The closest airport to Shimla is Jubbarhatti Airport which is approx 25 kms away from Shimla. From airport you will get cabs to get to Shimla.

We enjoyed a lot in our 3-days Shimla tour & in this article I have given you all the possible information about the trip which will help all of you, if you plan a trip to Shimla.