Shimla is one of the most famous hill-stations of India. It is also known as the queen of hills. It is located in the shiwalik range of Himalayas and is a very beautiful place to visit. Almost, every Indian have a dream of visiting here once.
Here are all the important things you need to know for planning your journey to this beautiful place so that you can have a insight of all the information that you should know before planning your journey.
Table of Contents
History of Shimla:
As we can see the Shimla is a beautiful hill station with all the modern amenities but how was it founded? Who founded it? What is the history of Shimla?
Getting curious?
let’s know about it in detail…
So, Shimla was founded and recognised by the Britishers in 1819 after the Gorkha War. At that time, Shimla was most popular for the temple of goddess Shayamala devi, a hindu goddess.
In 1822, first british summer home was constructed here by a British civil servant named Charles Prett Kennedy. Later, Shimla was made to be the summer capital of the britishers during the colonial era and the british officers started to come here to get relief from the unbearable heat during the summers in plains.
Later, the Britishers found it the climate of Shimla is similar to their country and they declared it as the Summer Capital of british india in 1864 and invested a lot to build the infrastructure of the city.
Shimla has seen many historical events and the famous Shimla pact between India and Pakistan is the best example of it. Other important historical events of Shimla include the Simla convention, which was held in 1913-14 over the status of Tibet.
shimla manali tour package
You can get the tour package for Shimla-Manali combined starting from about ₹9000 approx. and can cost upto ₹50000 depending upon the services they provide. The cost of the packages may vary according to the seasons and the rush of tourists there. These packages usually gets expensive in the tourist seasons and gets cheap in the off-seasons.
If you are new to the place, it is always best to hire a company or buy a package to explore better and utilize your time in the best possible way. However, always check the ratings and reviews of the previous clients before booking a tourist company and always compare the prices and facilities offered by them to get the best deal.
Check on the sites of the tourist companies or contact them on call to get the latest updates on the prices of these packages.
shimla tour package
Tour package for Shimla starts from just ₹3999 and it can go upto 30,000+ depending upon the facilities they provide. The costs may also vary at the time of your visit due to the tourists traffic and the bookings rush. You can check the latest prices on the sites of the travel agencies offering these packages or call them directly to confirm the prices.
If you traveling for the first time and want to make the best use of your time, then hiring a travel agency is a good idea as they are locals and they know the best time to visit every location. This will help you to explore things in a much better way.
Shimla Tourist Places:
1. The Ridge of Shimla:
The Ridge of Shimla is a large open space situated in the centre of simla. Ridge is the hub of a number of cultural activities in shimla. You can see a lot of tourists walking here and enjoying the views as well as the local culture of the area.
The Ridge of Shimla is connected to all the important tourist locations of Shimla and you can reach here very easily. You can get a direct stairs route from here to Jakhoo temple which is situated on the Jakhoo hill.
The Ridge of Shimla is a non-motor-able area and you can’t take your vehicles there. It is a peaceful location where you can walk with your loved-ones and friends and enjoy the view of valley as well as the other cultural activities of the locals.
You can get various options of food here from street vendors to cafes, everything is available. However, due to the most rushed place of the Shimla, cafes here can be a bit costly but the views from here are totally worth it to visit.
The Ridge of Shimla is famous for various Government activities and functions which are held here. Summer festival of Shimla is the one among them. Summer festival of shimla is the most famous festival held in the months of April -May in which whole of simla gets alive with colors and a lot of activities.
As the Ridge is located near to the mall road, You can get a large number of hotel options here and you can easily reach here from your hotel with a 5-10 minutes of brisk walk.
What is the Shimla ridge?
The ridge of shimla is a elevated place and actually a water reservoir for the whole of the city! Isn’t it amazing…
Yes, Shimla gets its water supply from the reservoir built under the ridge of Shimla.This reservoir has a capacity of approximately 4,500,000 litres of water. This reservoir is believed to have been built in 1880s by the britishers and is used to supply water to the city.
2. Christ church-Shimla:
This church is built in Neo-Gothic style and is one of the oldest churches in the history of India. It is situated on the Ridge in the Shimla and was built in 1857 by the britishers, who later established shimla as their summer capital.
It is one of the important landmarks of Shimla is a very beautiful view can seen from here. Most of the tourists are seen spending their time here in the evening, walking around and looking the adorable views of the Ridge.
3. Mall Road of Shimla:
Mall Road of Shimla is the centre of attraction of almost every tourist who visits Shimla. Mall road is the prominent shopping and hanging out point of Shimla.
Basically, Mall road of Shimla can be seen as a local market which is full of unique products mainly found in the hills which catches the eyes of the tourists.
It is located almost parallel to the ridge of Shimla but a level below it in elevation. You can say that they are located on stairs which are parallel but the Mall road is on the lower stair and the ridge of shimla is on the upper stair.
The Scandal Point, Gaitey theatre, Kali Bari Temple and Town hall are the main attractions of the Mall Road of Shimla.
4. Viceregal Lodge – Shimla / Rashtrapati Niwas Shimla:
Viceregal lodge or rashtrapati niwas is located on the observatory hills of Shimla. It was the residence of the viceroy of india during the British era.
Viceregal lodge was designed and built by the britishers in 1888. It contains some of the ancient documents and photographs of the British era.
It is approximately 3-5 km away from the Mall road and the ridge of shimla. You can hire a taxi or walk to it.
5. Green Valley of Shimla:
Green valley or Hasan valley is nearly 10-12km away from Shimla. You will this valley while you will going to the Kufri. The green valley is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Shimla. There is a dense forest of deodar trees which is lush green in the summers and densely covered with snow in winters.
6. Jakhoo Temple
Jakhu Temple or Jakhoo Temple is an ancient temple of Lord Hanuman located in the east of Shimla ridge at a height of 8054 ft. On The Jakhoo Hill. It is one of the ancient temple of lord hanuman.
Jakhoo Hill is situated on the tallest hill of Shimla. A tallest statue of Lord Hanuman is situated on this Jakhoo hill, Which is the tallest statue of lord hanuman in the World. It is 108ft. Tall.
According to Ramayana, Lord hanuman rested here while he was in search of Sanjeevani booti to revive Lakshman, the brother of lord Rama.
You can reach the temple by taxi, horse , by walking and by ropeway which you will get from the centre of Shimla.
How to reach Shimla/how to go Shimla
You can go to Shimla by Bus, Train or your personal vehicle. All the three means of transport are easily available and convenient to go Shimla. All the means of transport are best but you should definately try the toy train journey from Kalka to Shimla. You will the amazing experience and views in this 6 hours of journey.
Here are the details of all the means of transport to visit Shimla:
How to go Shimla by Bus?
Going to shimla by bus is very easy and convenient. You can get the bus to shimla from Delhi or Chandigarh very easily. There are a number of buses operating from delhi and Chandigarh to Shimla on daily basis.
Apart from these, the buses of Himanchal government are also frequently available from all the leading places like Delhi, Chandigarh, and other various locations of Punjab, Haryana and other northern states.
How to Reach Shimla by Train?
Going to Shimla by train is very convenient and cost effective and the amazing journey of toy train from Kalka to Shimla is an amazing Lifetime experience. There are 6 trains which runs between Kalka and Shimla.
To go shimla by train, You just have to reach the Kalka railway station for which you will get the trains and buses easily from all the leading cities. To check the train for Kalka, you can visit the official site of irctc.
Toy Train from Kalka To Shimla:
Toy train is basically a narrow gauge train which is smaller than the normal trains designed due to its compatibility to train easily in the mountains as its tracks are narrower than the normal train tracks. This railway track was built between 1898 to 1903 by the Britishers to connect Shimla, which was their Summer Capital to the rest of the Indian railways.
In 2008, Unesco added Kalka-Shimla Toy train to the mountains railways of India,World Heritage Site.
Shimla to Kalka Toy train timetable:
There are 7 trains which runs between Shimla to Kalka. These trains takes almost 6 hours to reach Shimla from Kalka and it stops on almost 17 stations in its way. Here are the details of these trains along with the ticket charges and the time:
| Train Name | Source Timing | Destination Timing | ticket charges (approx.) |
| SHIMLA KALKA EXPRESS | 5:45 PM | 10:50 PM | from ₹75 to ₹1000 |
| Shimla kalka Special | 2:15 PM | 8:10 PM | from ₹475 to ₹700 |
| Shimla Kalka Express | 3:50 PM | 8:55 PM | from ₹650 |
| Shimla Kalka Special | 4:50 PM | 9:40 PM | from ₹75 to ₹1000 |
| Himalayan Queen | 6:30 PM | 11:25 PM | from ₹265 to ₹500 |
| Shivalik Deluxe Express | 5: 25 PM | 10:05 PM | from ₹600 |
| Shimla kalka Express | 10:55 AM | 4:35 PM | from ₹630 |
Kalka to Shimla Toy Train Timetable
| Train Name | Source Timing | Destination Timing | ticket charges (approx.) |
| KALKA SHIMLA EXPRESS | 3:45 AM | 8:55 AM | from ₹75 to ₹1000 |
| Kalka Shimla Special | 4:45 AM | 10:05 AM | from ₹475 to ₹700 |
| Kalka Shimla Express | 6:20AM | 11:50 AM | from ₹65 to ₹300 |
| Kalka Shimla Special | 8:05AM | 1:05AM | from ₹75 to ₹1000 |
| Himalayan Queen | 11:55 AM | 4:45PM | from ₹265 to ₹500 |
| Shivalik Deluxe Express | 5:45AM | 10:50 AM | from ₹600 |
| Kalka Shimla Express | 3:50 PM | 8:55 PM | from ₹630 |
Shimla-Kalka toy train fare/ticket charges:
The ticket charges of the kalka shimla toy train varies from ₹75 to ₹1000. These charges depends on the train and the coach you book. This price is totally worth it for this wonderful journey. You are definately going to enjoy it.
How to reach shimla by Car?
The journey to Shimla by road is quite interesting and you will see a lot of small and big towns in your way to Shimla. Apart from these towns, you will a lot of scenic views on the way. There are mountains on both the sides of roads and a four lane highway running between them.
As you can see in the picture above, it is a most scenic road journey you will ever have.
The details of the route can be easily found on the google maps so, let’s not talk about it but the views in the journey are very amazing that your heart will say you to stop at every point and take pictures and feel the beauty of the place.
Best hotels and stays in Shimla:
There are hundreds of options if we talk about the hotels and restaurants in Shimla. The hotels which are nearby the Mall road are comparatively costly than the hotels which are situated at a distance from the ridge and the Mall road.
If you are travelling by your own vehicle, you should take a hotel which is a bit away from the Mall road as it can save you some money but if the budget is not a problem to you then you should definitely take a hotel near the Mall road.
There are various options for hotels but which I liked the most was the Hostellers Shimla. It is a nice accommodation with a lot of fun to do activities and a good staff.
You can check the hotels options from the Booking.com which provides the best options and their prices are the cheapest among all the platforms. Additionally, you don’t have to pay a single rupee before reaching the place. Full payment is done at the property only. So, you can pay after looking at the hygiene of the rooms and if you don’t like it, then you can cancel it also. This is the best feature I like about this Platform.
Best restaurants in Shimla:
There are a lot of options for food in Shimla. Food is available at a very affordable price and that too with good quality.
If we talk about the best restaurants they are cheap eats, local eats, budget friendly bites etc.
But the most recommended is that you should visit the options available near the mall road and find the best one.
Best way to reach Shimla?
However, you can reach Shimla by Bus, train and by your personal vehicle but if you don’t want to travel by personal vehicle then, train is the best medium to reach shimla with the scenic views of the toy train which runs from kalka to Shimla.
Delhi to Shimla Flight/Bus/Train?
You can easily get Flight and buses to Shimla from Delhi. Most of the volvo buses starts from Kashmere Gate. You can book them online.
What is the Best Weather to visit Shimla?
Summers and winters both are best to visit Shimla. If you love greenery then you should go in summers and if you want to see Snowfall then you can go in winters.
Things to do in shimla?
There are various activities to do in shimla. The best thing to do is exploring every location of this beautiful city.
best time to visit Shimla?
In summers April -May is the best time to visit Shimla and in Winters December-January is the best time.
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