# 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.

- **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

## 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.

## 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.
- **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. **Shimla to Sarahan.** Night: Sarahan.
2. **Sarahan to Sangla, Kamru fort.** Night: Sangla.
3. **Chitkul and Rakchham.** Night: Sangla.
4. **Sangla to Kalpa.** Night: Kalpa.
5. **Roghi and the orchards.** Night: Kalpa.
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

- **Kalka–Shimla toy train** (5–6 hours · all year): The narrow-gauge heritage railway from Kalka up to Shimla, with a cab waiting at the top.
- **Chitkul day from Sangla** (Full day · from Sangla): Up the Baspa valley to Chitkul, the last village on the road towards Tibet.

## 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.

## How far is Shimla?

| From | Distance | Drive time | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Chandigarh | ~115 km | 3–4 hrs | Via Kalka and Solan |
| Delhi | ~350 km | 7–8 hrs | Overnight Volvo daily |
| Manali | ~250 km | 8–9 hrs | Via Mandi |
| Sangla (Kinnaur) | ~225 km | 7–8 hrs | Via Narkanda and Rampur |
| Kaza (Spiti) | ~420 km | 2 days | Via Kinnaur, most of the year |
| Dharamshala | ~235 km | 7 hrs | Via Bilaspur and Hamirpur |

## Shimla packages

- [Shimla & Manali from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/shimla-manali-from-delhi): Multi-destination, 6 nights · 7 days, road trip. From ₹18,999 per person (Private cab from Delhi · hotels · breakfast & dinner · tolls). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi. Route: Delhi, Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Solang. Best: All year. Himachal’s two best-known hill towns by private cab from Delhi: two nights in Shimla, four in the Manali–Kullu valley.
- [Shimla & Manali from Chandigarh](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/shimla-manali-from-chandigarh): Multi-destination, 5 nights · 6 days, road trip. From ₹15,999 per person (Private cab · hotels · breakfast & dinner · tolls). Starts and ends: Chandigarh → Chandigarh. Route: Chandigarh, Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Solang. Best: All year. Two nights in Shimla and three in Manali by private cab from Chandigarh, Mohali or Panchkula.
- [Shimla & Kufri Weekend from Chandigarh](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/shimla-kufri-weekend-from-chandigarh): Shimla & Kinnaur, 2 nights · 3 days, culture. From ₹6,999 per person (Private cab · Shimla hotel · breakfast & dinner). Starts and ends: Chandigarh → Chandigarh. Route: Chandigarh, Shimla, Kufri, Mashobra. Best: All year. A two-night weekend in Shimla by private cab: the Ridge, Jakhu, Kufri and Mashobra.
- [Kinnaur: Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul & Kalpa](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/kinnaur-sangla-chitkul-kalpa): Shimla & Kinnaur, 5 nights · 6 days, road trip. From ₹19,999 per person (Kinnaur stays · breakfast & dinner · SUV). Starts and ends: Shimla → Shimla. Route: Shimla, Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa. Best: Apr – Jun, Sep – Nov. Kinnaur without going on to Spiti: the Bhimakali temple, the Baspa valley to Chitkul, and Kalpa under Kinner Kailash.
- [Himachal Family Week with the Shimla Toy Train](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/himachal-family-week-toy-train): Multi-destination, 6 nights · 7 days, culture. From ₹19,999 per person (Toy train · family rooms · breakfast & dinner · cab). Starts and ends: Kalka → Chandigarh. Route: Kalka, Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Solang. Best: Apr – Jun, Sep – Feb. The Kalka–Shimla toy train up, two nights in Shimla, four in Manali with Solang, and a cab that carries the bags.
- [Spiti Circuit from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/spiti-circuit-from-delhi): Spiti Valley, 9 nights · 10 days, road trip. From ₹26,999 per person (Volvo · SUV · Spiti Villa & stays · breakfast & dinner). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi (Volvo to Shimla, Volvo from Manali). Route: Delhi, Shimla, Sangla, Tabo, Kaza, Chandratal, Manali. Best: Jun – Sep. Our Shimla-to-Manali Spiti loop with overnight Volvos from and to Delhi, so you arrive rested and lose no days.

## Frequently asked questions

**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

- [Shimla, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimla)
- [Kalka–Shimla railway, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalka%E2%80%93Shimla_railway)
- [Chitkul, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitkul)
- [Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalpa,_Himachal_Pradesh)
- [Kinnaur Kailash, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnaur_Kailash)

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