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Shimla’s houses spread across a forested ridge

Shimla & Kinnaur tour packages & travel guide

Shimla, the old British summer capital at about 2,200 m, is the easiest hill town to reach from Delhi and Chandigarh. Beyond it, the Sutlej road leads into Kinnaur: Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa under Kinner Kailash, and on to Spiti.

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Altitude
Shimla 2,200 m · Kufri 2,700 m · Chitkul 3,450 m
Best season
March – June; Sept – Nov; snow Dec – Feb
From Chandigarh
~115 km · 3–4 hrs · or the toy train from Kalka
Permits
None for Indians in Kinnaur up to Kalpa
Enquire

Shimla and Kinnaur at a glance

Shimla spreads along a ridge of deodar and oak. The Ridge, Christ Church and the Mall Road are pedestrian, and the Kalka–Shimla railway, a UNESCO World Heritage line, still climbs up from the plains through more than 100 tunnels. Kufri and Narkanda, higher up, get the most snow.

Kinnaur is the green, apple-growing valley on the road to Spiti. The Baspa valley leads up to Sangla and Chitkul, the last village on the Indian road towards Tibet, and Kalpa looks straight at the Kinner Kailash range.

Wooden houses in Chitkul village under a dramatic sky and bare mountains

Highlights

  • The Ridge & Mall Road

    Car-free

    Christ Church (1857), Scandal Point and the colonial shopfronts of the Mall.

  • Kalka–Shimla railway

    96 km · UNESCO

    A narrow-gauge line through 100-odd tunnels; about 5–6 hours from Kalka.

  • Jakhu temple

    2,455 m

    The highest point in Shimla, with a giant Hanuman statue and views across the hills.

  • Kufri & Narkanda

    2,700 m

    Snow in winter, apple orchards and the deodar forest at Hatu peak.

  • Sangla & Chitkul

    2,680 – 3,450 m

    The Baspa valley, Kamru fort and the last village before the Tibet border.

  • Kinnaur

    Kalpa

    2,960 m

    Old temples, apple orchards and sunrise on Kinner Kailash (6,050 m).

Best time to visit Shimla and Kinnaur

  • Best

    March – June

    Mild in Shimla, blossom in Kinnaur, clear roads.

  • Good

    Sept – Nov · Dec – Feb

    Apple harvest and clear views in autumn; snow at Kufri and Narkanda, sometimes in Shimla, in winter.

  • Wet

    July – August

    Monsoon. Shimla is fine, but the Kinnaur road has frequent landslides.

Sample itinerary: Kinnaur: 6 days from Shimla

  1. Day 1

    Shimla to Sarahan

    Night: Sarahan
  2. Day 2

    Sarahan to Sangla, Kamru fort

    Night: Sangla
  3. Day 3

    Chitkul and Rakchham

    Night: Sangla
  4. Day 4

    Sangla to Kalpa

    Night: Kalpa
  5. Day 5

    Roghi and the orchards

    Night: Kalpa
  6. Day 6

    Kalpa to Shimla

    Trip ends in Shimla

From June to mid-October you can carry on from Kalpa into Spiti; see our Spiti Circuit.

Things to do in Shimla

All experiences

Where to stay in Shimla and Kinnaur

  • Mall Road & the Ridge

    Central Shimla

    Walk everywhere; cars can’t reach most hotels, so porters carry bags. Best for a short stay.

  • Chhota Shimla & Mashobra

    Quieter

    Easier car access and forest views, 15–30 minutes from the Mall.

  • Sangla & Chitkul

    Kinnaur

    Riverside camps and guesthouses in the Baspa valley.

  • Kalpa

    Kinnaur

    Hotels facing Kinner Kailash; the views are why you come.

We book hotels we have used before and send you their names and photos with your quote.

How to reach Shimla

  • By road

    • Chandigarh ~115 km · 3–4 hrs
    • Delhi ~350 km · 7–8 hrs

    Four-lane most of the way to Shimla. HRTC and private Volvos run overnight from Delhi.

  • By toy train

    • Kalka → Shimla · 5–6 hrs

    The narrow-gauge railway from Kalka, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Book early in May–June and December.

  • By air

    • Jubbarhatti Airport · ~22 km

    A small airport with few flights. Chandigarh airport, 3–4 hours away, is the reliable choice.

  • Permits

    Indian citizens: no permit for Shimla, Sangla, Chitkul or Kalpa.

    Foreign nationals: an Inner Line Permit is needed beyond Kalpa, from Jangi towards Nako and Spiti. We help with it.

    Rules change. We confirm them before you travel.

How far is Shimla?

FromDistanceDrive timeNotes
Chandigarh~115 km3–4 hrsVia Kalka and Solan
Delhi~350 km7–8 hrsOvernight Volvo daily
Manali~250 km8–9 hrsVia Mandi
Sangla (Kinnaur)~225 km7–8 hrsVia Narkanda and Rampur
Kaza (Spiti)~420 km2 daysVia Kinnaur, most of the year
Dharamshala~235 km7 hrsVia Bilaspur and Hamirpur

Taxi routes

Shimla tour packages

All Shimla trips

Indicative “from” prices per person. Your planner confirms the exact price for your dates on WhatsApp.

Shimla FAQ

What is the best time to visit Shimla?

March to June for mild weather, September to November for clear skies, and late December to February for a chance of snow (Kufri and Narkanda get more). Shimla is fine in the monsoon, but Kinnaur is not.

Does it snow in Shimla?

Some winters, usually a few days between late December and February. Kufri (16 km) and Narkanda (60 km), higher up, get snow more often and keep it longer.

How do I reach Shimla from Delhi?

By road (about 350 km, 7–8 hours), by overnight Volvo, or by train to Kalka and the toy train up (5–6 hours). Chandigarh is the nearest big airport.

Is Chitkul worth the drive?

Yes, if you have two extra days. It is about 250 km from Shimla, the last village on the Indian road towards Tibet, at about 3,450 m in the Baspa valley.

How much does a Shimla trip cost?

Our Shimla weekend from Chandigarh starts from about ₹6,999 per person, and Shimla with Manali from about ₹15,999 (Chandigarh) or ₹18,999 (Delhi), with hotels, breakfast and dinner and a private cab.

Sources

Roads, weather and permit rules change. We check them before you travel; please confirm locally too.

Last updated

Shimla: read before you go

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Plan your Shimla or Kinnaur trip

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