Skip to content
Know Your Himachal

Shimla

Headquarters: Shimla Best time: March to June, and December to February for snow

Overview

Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and was the summer capital of British India. The city is known for its colonial architecture along the Mall Road and the Ridge, the Jakhoo hill temple, and toy-train access on the UNESCO-listed Kalka–Shimla railway. The wider district includes hill stations such as Kufri, Narkanda, Chail and Mashobra.

Reviewed places in Shimla

Loading map…

Mall Road, Shimla

Shimla

Shimla's main pedestrian street, running below the Ridge, lined with colonial-era buildings, shops and cafes.

Human-reviewed

Jakhoo Temple

Shimla

A hilltop Hanuman temple on Shimla's highest point at about 2,455 m, marked by a very tall Hanuman statue visible across the city.

Human-reviewed

Kufri

Kufri

A small hill stop about 15 km from Shimla at roughly 2,720 m, known for winter snow, a Himalayan wildlife park and wide ridge views.

Human-reviewed

Narkanda

Narkanda

A small ridge town about 60 km from Shimla at 2,700 m, known for apple orchards, winter skiing and the short climb to the Hatu Peak temple.

Human-reviewed

Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan

Sarahan

A tower temple to the goddess Bhimakali at Sarahan, the former summer capital of the Bushahr state, built in the Kath-kuni style with two leaning towers.

Human-reviewed

Christ Church, Shimla

The Ridge, Shimla

The yellow neo-Gothic church on the Ridge, consecrated in 1857 and the second-oldest church in north India, still in regular use.

Human-reviewed

Kalka–Shimla Railway

Kalka to Shimla

A narrow-gauge mountain railway from Kalka to Shimla, opened in 1903 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, climbing about 1,400 m through 100-plus tunnels on a 96 km line.

Human-reviewed

Rashtrapati Niwas (Viceregal Lodge)

Observatory Hill, Shimla

The former residence of the British Viceroy of India on Observatory Hill in Shimla, built in 1888, where the 1945 Simla Conference and 1947 partition talks were held; now a research institute open for guided tours.

Human-reviewed

More places worth visiting

  • Mall Road
  • The Ridge
  • Jakhoo Temple
  • Kufri
  • Chail
  • Narkanda
  • Mashobra
  • Tara Devi Temple

Detailed pages for these are being written and reviewed before they go live.