SHIMLA TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO SHIMLA
Hill Station
About Shimla
#1 of 9 Places to visit in Himachal | #5 of 100 Places to visit in India
Among Top Places to visit near Delhi
Ideal Trip Duration: 3 Full Days
Nearest City to Shimla: Shimla, Chandigarh (112 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Shimla: March to June & October to December
Peak Season: December to January & May to June
At a distance of 112 km from Chandigarh, and 348 km from New Delhi, Shimla is a mesmerizing hill station in Himachal Pradesh. Often called the 'Queen of Hills', Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, and one of the top tourist places in India.
The pristine hill station of Shimla derives its name from 'Goddess Shyamala', an incarnation of Goddess Kali. It was developed by the British and declaring Shimla as their summer capital. Covering the area of 18 sq. km at a height of 7,238 ft. Shimla is surrounded by pine, deodar, and oak forests. It's well developed facilities, easy accessibility and numerous attractions make it one of prime attractions of Himachal tour packages.
Kali Bari Temple, Annandale, Vice Regal Lodge, Jakhu Temple / Jakhu Hill, The Mall, Tara Devi Temple, Christ Church, and Kalka - Shimla Railway are some of the best places to visit in Shimla. Besides being the ultimate summer retreat it remains an ideal spot for adventure sports. Tourists can go in for the various treks to the Kullu valley or indulge in trout fishing at the Pabbar River. The more adventurous may ski at the Narkanda and Kufri from January to mid-March. The nine-hole golf course at Naldehra is also a major draw for the tourists as part of Shimla tour packages.
A narrow railway connects Kalka with Shimla was built in 1924 and its toy trains still ply between the two stations passing through 105 tunnels and beautiful rail-road stations. This hill station amidst the lofty snow-clad Himalayan ranges surrounded by lakes and lush green pastures. The unique thing about Shimla is that it still retains its colonial charm. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful hill stations near Delhi.
Rhyali festival is celebrated to keep the rain Gods happy so that the agricultural produce does not get affected. The Summer Festival is held every year in the month of May on a grand scale. Other most important festivals celebrated in Shimla are Baisakhi (mid-April) and Lavi fair.
About 22 km away from Shimla, the Shimla Airport or Jubbarhatti airport is the nearest airport. However, this airport occasionally functions with limited flights from Delhi, hence it's advisable to choose Chandigarh or Delhi as connecting airports. The nearest broad gauge railway station from Shimla is in Kalka which is 89 km away that has well-connected trains from the cities like Delhi and Kolkata. From Kalka station, one can take the pleasure of a toy train as well as can hire private cabs to reach Shimla. There are quite a good number of trains from the cities like Delhi and Calcutta. From Kalka station, one can take the pleasure of toy train as well as can hire private cabs to explore the beauty of this city. Shimla is a hot tourist destination and buses run for Shimla from as far as Delhi, Jaipur, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Shimla is one tourist destination that can be visited any time during the year. The climate of Shimla varies from a maximum of 10-11 degrees in winter to a maximum of 25-26 degrees in summer. In spring we see flowers of all kinds, both wild and cultivated. During the monsoon, we see some of the best sunsets in the world. Summers are warm with cool and pleasant evenings while winters are bone-chilling and the temperatures can fall below zero. But this difference is what makes Shimla all the more special.
Shimla Winter Festival (Feb), Ice Skating Carnival (Dec/Jan), Rhyali Festival (Jul), Baisakhi (Apr), Bhoj Fair (Nov), Rohru Fair, Christmas, Diwali, Lavi Fair (Nov), Navaratri, Sipi Fair (May) and Sair Festival (Sep)
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