Shimla

Introduction

Shimla, also known as Simla, is the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and its largest and most developed city. It serves as the state's principal commercial, cultural and educational centre, making it a natural starting point for exploring the region.

The city's identity was shaped by its colonial past: in 1864 it was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence it became the capital of East Punjab, and it was later made the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.

Before you go

Shimla sits on a Himalayan perch above the plains, and its cool climate is the very reason it became a summer retreat — at roughly 2,200 m, the terrain is hilly and covered in dense evergreen forests. Winter temperatures can drop below freezing, so pack appropriate clothing if you're travelling in that season. Spring and autumn are quieter, and the views then are spectacular. The town's higher levels are largely Victorian in style, a legacy of its days as the summer capital of the Raj, while the lower slopes hold Indian bazaars and restaurants. Traffic is banned from the historic central area, the Mall, which keeps the atmosphere calm and the air pristine.

Expect to hear Hindi, Punjabi, Pahadi and English, which serves as a lingua franca. Before you arrive, know how you'll handle touts: they work the railway and bus stations looking for new arrivals, and foreigners carrying luggage are prime targets on the streets too. If you let one lead you to a hotel, your room rate can be inflated to cover their commission, you may be steered away from places that don't pay commission, and you'll be pestered for further "services" for the rest of your stay. Arrangements for accommodation, side trips, sightseeing and onward transport can all be made without their help. For impartial guidance, the state-run tourism office at The Scandal Point, before Christ Church on The Ridge, is well informed and professional, and there are official tourist information centres near Victory Tunnel and on Bye pass road. Beware of monkeys, which may grab food from your hands — don't make eye contact and don't move abruptly around them. Exchange money only at authorised establishments and ask for a receipt.

Getting there

Shimla has no broad-gauge railhead of its own, so most rail journeys begin at Kalka, reached from Delhi by the Shatabdi Express, which leaves New Delhi Railway Station early in the morning and arrives about four hours later. From Kalka you switch to the mountain train, a UNESCO World Heritage line that climbs through a long sequence of tunnels with striking views; the Shivalik Deluxe Express can be reserved well in advance and serves meals on board, while most other mountain trains open for booking closer to the journey date. You can also leave the main line at Chandigarh and continue by taxi. The nearest airport, at Jubbarhatti, sits on a short single runway in mountainous terrain and handles only turboprop aircraft, so a pre-paid taxi is the simplest way into the city; Chandigarh's larger airport, reached along better roads, has far more flights, though winter fog often causes delays, so confirm before you travel.

By bus, three terminals serve different purposes. The New ISBT at Tutikandi is a large building well outside the city and handles the major long-distance connections to Mandi, Manali, Chandigarh and Delhi; local buses link it to the Old ISBT for a small fare. The Old ISBT, west of the Lower Bazaar, is the hub for most regional, local and city buses, which run through the day, and also connects to the New ISBT and the IGMC Bus Station. The IGMC Bus Station, near the medical college, covers nearby destinations to the south and east. Government and private buses run frequently from Chandigarh, with deluxe and semi-deluxe services also available, and seats on routes such as Manali and Dharamsala can be booked in advance or shortly before departure at the government office next to the tourist information centre at Scandal Point.

Getting around

Getting around Shimla is generally easier than in other cities in Himachal Pradesh, but the terrain shapes everything. The city is built across steep Himalayan slopes, so expect stairs, gradients and winding roads rather than flat, straight streets. Downtown, especially around the Ridge, is the most natural area to explore on foot, and many central sights and the main shopping and strolling streets sit close together. Be realistic about the hills, though: the slopes are steep and a walk that looks short on a map can be genuinely exhausting, so comfortable shoes and a willingness to take breaks help.

• On foot: The best way to cover downtown and the Ridge, as long as you allow for the gradients.
• Local buses: The workhorse of everyday movement, running from roughly 7 AM to 9 PM with a flat local fare applying to any destination within the city.
• Taxis: Affordable and convenient, and a good choice for sightseeing when you want to cover several spread-out viewpoints without wearing yourself out. For airport transfers, a pre-paid taxi is the least hassle.
• Organised tours: HPTDC runs daily tourist buses for getting around Shimla, departing for example from the Rivoli Bus Stop; inquire with HPTDC for current routes and timings.

For longer journeys, Shimla has three main bus terminals. New ISBT at Tutikandi handles major intercity connections to Mandi, Manali, Chandigarh and Delhi, with regular local buses linking it to the Old ISBT near the centre. The Old ISBT, west of the Lower Bazaar, is the hub for most regional, local and city buses and also connects to the New ISBT and the IGMC Bus Station. The IGMC Bus Station near Indira Gandhi Medical College serves nearby destinations to the south such as Chail and Giripur, and to the east such as Kufri. For onward travel to places like Manali or Dharamsala, you can book in advance or on the day of travel up to a few hours before departure at the government office next to the official tourist information centre at Scandal Point. Rather than always heading to a terminal, it often makes more sense to pick up your bus on the road that leads toward your destination. Note that Shimla has no metro or tram network; the mountain railway from Kalka is a scenic connection rather than an urban transit system.

Where to stay

Shimla offers accommodation ranging from dormitories to luxury resort hotels, and booking online is the most convenient way to reserve a room. Alternatively, the tourist office can supply a list of hotels, and you can phone or visit in person to reserve. Rooms across the city generally fall within a broad range, and in high season expect to pay more.

• Budget: Amar Palace, up the hill behind Christ Church, offers 24-hour hot water and some rooms with ridge views. Hotel Mayur sits centrally on The Ridge just behind Christ Church, with clean attached bathrooms and colour television, though rooms are somewhat run down. Hotel White in Lakkar Bazaar offers clean, spacious rooms, and its suite includes a balcony with valley views. Shimla Youth Hostel in Lakkar Bazar provides budget accommodation with a discount for Youth Hostel members. YMCA, a Victorian-style building behind Ritz Cinema on The Ridge, has en-suite and common-bathroom rooms plus a limited complimentary breakfast; pre-book by phone in peak season, as noise and vermin problems have been reported. Cheaper areas lie through Victory tunnel and along Circular Rd and Kaithu to Kali Bari Rd.
• Mid-range: Clarke's Hotel on The Mall is an immaculately maintained heritage building with period charm and southern valley views, though you should eat and drink out. Honeymoon Inn on The Mall is a small boutique hotel with attractive views. Hotel Ashiana Regency in Chōṭā Shimla offers a terrace with southern valley views, a bar, and a spa with sauna and jacuzzi, but sits a long walk from the centre. Hotel Combermere on The Mall has a bar, chargeable wi-fi, a terrace garden, gym and spa, and its own private lift to Circular Road. Hotel Landmark, west of Scandal Point, has clean modern facilities, marble bathrooms, a private lift, and northern valley views. Hotel Peterhoff in Chaura Maidan has air-con, heaters and mini-bars, but is a government-run property with indifferent staff and poor food. Woodville Palace on Raj Bhavan Rd is a converted 1938 palace with private woodlands, attentive service and homely food.
• Splurge: The Oberoi Cecil is a luxury hotel whose location and in-house amenities are hard to beat. Its affiliate, The Oberoi Clarke's, has a more central location on The Mall and rich history, but its facilities and cuisine fall short of The Cecil. The Radisson Hotel Shimla is a close runner-up, but its out-of-the-way location on Lower Bharari Road, which is in poor repair and difficult to walk on, makes it hard to recommend unless you plan to stay within the hotel or rely on its private cars.

Food & drink

Most restaurants in Shimla are cheap, comfortable and atmospheric, serving good multi-cuisine food, though options for local Himachali cooking are surprisingly limited. Along the highway you'll find more than thirty restaurants, dhabas and fast food places. For a taste of Himachali cuisine, try the twin restaurants Ashiana and Goofa at The Band Stand on The Ridge in Lower Bazaar, run by Himachal Tourism and set one above the other in a circular elevated glass building on the site of a historic bandstand. The food is neither cheap nor the best in town, but it is safe, and the location is good for people-watching; you can sit in or take away.

Elsewhere, The Devicos on The Mall, one storey below street level, serves Indian food of every description along with some Chinese and Continental dishes, and its twin bar upstairs is popular with locals. Indian Coffee House on The Mall is possibly the cheapest food in Shimla, with good south Indian food and western breakfasts. Sher E Punjab on Ridge Sanjauli Road offers home-style food at reasonable prices, with the mixed vegetable dish and butter chappathi recommended. Qilaa on Mall Road is a favourite among locals and frequent visitors, with cosy interiors, homely food, a good mezze platter and banoffee pie. The Oberoi Cecil Restaurant in Chaura Maidan serves European and Asian dishes amid chandeliers and wood-panelling. Himachal is known as the fruit bowl of India, and its fruit-based drinks, squashes and concentrates come in plum, litchi, strawberry, mango and guava flavours. For alcohol, try locally brewed wines such as apricot, plum and apple & ginger cider, or the rice wine known as Chang in predominantly Tibetan areas. For coffee, Cafe Coffee Day sits inside The Devicos on The Mall, while the Fire Station Cafe at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study lets you relax over a cup of coffee or tea after a conducted tour.

What to see and do

When to go

Shimla's high-altitude setting keeps the climate cool year-round, which shapes when it's worth visiting. Summer is the peak season, when the hill retreat's cool air draws crowds escaping the heat elsewhere — expect the busiest conditions and the most visitors of the year.

If you'd rather avoid the crush, spring and autumn are quieter periods, with fewer crowds and views described as spectacular. The cool hill climate persists in both, keeping conditions pleasant for exploring the terrain and forests.

Three days in Shimla

Day one: Arrive in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, and take your bearings along the Mall, the pedestrian spine of the town. The Ridge opens out from here, with Christ Church standing over it and The Scandal Point nearby, where the views run out across the Himalayan foothills. Expect a Victorian Raj flavour in the architecture, and expect traffic to be kept away from the Mall itself, so you can walk it at ease. Hindi, Punjabi, Pahadi and English are all spoken here, so you will not struggle to be understood.

Day two: Give the day to the Mall and The Ridge, lingering at Christ Church and The Scandal Point and watching the light change over the hills. Shimla was the summer capital of British India, and the Victorian character of the centre still shows in its buildings and its scale. After the heat of the plains, the air here is cool, and in winter it turns bitterly cold, with snow on the surrounding slopes. In spring the hillsides green over and the weather is mild and pleasant.

Day three: If you have time before you leave, make arrangements for the journey back down to Kalka, where you can pick up the Shatabdi Express to Delhi or onward from New Delhi Railway Station. The narrow-gauge line from Kalka to Shimla is a UNESCO World Heritage railway, and the Shivalik Deluxe Express runs it. Beware of touts and exchange offers around the stations, and keep an eye on your belongings. Bye for now — you will leave Shimla with the Himalayan air still in your lungs.