Shimla’s sights fall into three groups: the town itself — the Ridge and the Mall, Christ Church, Jakhoo, the Viceregal Lodge, the Gaiety and the toy train; day trips into the surrounding hills, from the snow at Kufri to the palace at Chail and the hot springs at Tattapani; and the road beyond — Narkanda, Kinnaur, Spiti and Manali. Each has its own guide below, with what to see, how to get there and which tours cover it.
Things to See in & Around Shimla
Sixteen places that make Shimla and its hills one of India’s great mountain escapes.
Shimla town
Shimla town The Ridge & Mall Road
The open-air living room of the Queen of the Hills
The wide, traffic-free promenade along the crest of the town and the shopping street that curves below it. Scandal Point, the Town Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, Lakkar Bazaar and the best mountain views in Shimla are all within a few minutes’ walk.
Shimla town Christ Church
The pale-yellow landmark on the Ridge
Completed in 1857, this neo-Gothic church is one of the oldest in northern India and the image everyone takes home from Shimla. Inside are fine stained-glass windows and brass memorials from the days of the Raj.
Shimla town Jakhoo Temple
Hanuman’s hilltop, the highest point in town
An ancient Hanuman temple on the summit of Jakhoo Hill, around 2,450 m up, crowned since 2010 by a giant orange statue of the monkey god visible across Shimla. Walk up through the deodars or ride the ropeway — and mind the monkeys.
Shimla town Viceregal Lodge
Where the Raj governed India each summer
The grey-stone Jacobethan mansion built in 1888 for the Viceroys of India, scene of the 1945 Simla Conference and now the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Guided tours show the teak-panelled halls, and the lawns look out over the mountains.
Shimla town Gaiety Theatre
A Victorian playhouse on the Mall
Opened in 1887 as part of the Town Hall complex, the Gaiety is one of the few surviving Victorian theatres in Asia. Restored and still in use, it hosts plays, exhibitions and short guided visits of its jewel-box auditorium.
Shimla town Kalka–Shimla Toy Train
A UNESCO narrow-gauge climb through 100-plus tunnels
The 96 km narrow-gauge railway from Kalka in the foothills to Shimla, opened in 1903 and part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site. It takes around five to six hours, crossing hundreds of bridges and threading more than a hundred tunnels.
Day trips from Shimla
Day trips from Shimla Kufri
Snow, yaks and ponies, half an hour from town
A high ridge about 16 km east of Shimla, where Shimla’s visitors come for their first snow in winter and pony rides to the viewpoints in summer. It is busy and commercial, but the Himalayan Nature Park and the views of the snow peaks are genuine highlights.
Day trips from Shimla Mashobra
Orchards and deodar forest, the quiet side of Shimla
A green, peaceful village about 12 km from the Ridge, surrounded by apple orchards and dense forest. It is home to the President’s summer retreat and some of the region’s best resorts, and makes an ideal base for walks away from the crowds.
Day trips from Shimla 
Day trips from Shimla 
Day trips from Shimla 
Day trips from Shimla 
Day trips from Shimla Tara Devi Temple
A hilltop goddess above the Kalka road
A much-loved temple to the goddess Tara on a forested hilltop about 11 km from Shimla, rebuilt in the traditional carved-wood hill style. The drive up is steep, and the views over the Shimla hills are superb.
Further into the Himalaya
Further into the Himalaya Narkanda & Hatu Peak
Apples in autumn, skiing in winter
A hill town about 65 km from Shimla on the old Hindustan–Tibet road, at roughly 2,700 m. Drive or hike up to Hatu Peak and its wooden temple for a vast panorama of the snow ranges; in good snow years its slopes are used for beginner skiing.
Further into the Himalaya Kinnaur & Spiti
The great road east from Shimla
Beyond Narkanda the highway follows the Sutlej deep into Kinnaur — Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa beneath the Kinnaur Kailash range — and on into the high-altitude desert of Spiti. A multi-day journey, best from May to October.
Further into the Himalaya A sensible four-day plan: Day one, arrive by toy train or road and walk the Mall and the Ridge at sunset. Day two, Jakhoo in the morning, the Viceregal Lodge and the State Museum in the afternoon. Day three, Kufri and Fagu, or Mashobra and Naldehra. Day four, Chail — or push on to Narkanda for the night.
Plan your days in the hills
Colonial lanes, a UNESCO railway and Himalayan views — in one trip
Walk the Ridge with a storyteller, ride the toy train through the tunnels, climb to Jakhoo and head out to Kufri, Mashobra or Tattapani. Compare guided tours and day trips and book in a couple of taps.