For the last decades of the Raj, the government of India moved to Simla every summer — and the Viceroy lived and worked in the Viceregal Lodge on Observatory Hill. Built of grey stone in a Jacobethan (English Renaissance) style and completed in 1888 for Lord Dufferin, it had electric light before most of Britain and was one of the grandest buildings in the empire.
History was made here: the Simla Conference of 1945 was held in the lodge, and decisions about Partition were discussed within its walls in 1947. After independence it became the President’s summer residence, Rashtrapati Niwas, and since 1965 it has housed the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Parts of the building and the grounds are open to visitors on guided tours.
Top things to do at Viceregal Lodge
Join the guided tour
Tickets are sold at the gate for short guided tours of the ground floor, where you see the great teak-panelled hall, the galleries and photographs of the conferences held here. Tours run several times a day; the guides are good on the political history.
Walk the lawns
The terraced gardens and lawns are open to ticket holders, with fine views over the hills. The flower beds are at their best in spring and early summer.
Combine it with the State Museum
The Himachal State Museum, with Pahari miniature paintings and hill crafts, is on the way from the Mall. Together they make a good half day, or take a toy train and city highlights tour that includes both.
How to get to Viceregal Lodge
- On foot: about 4 km west of the Ridge — roughly an hour’s pleasant walk along the Mall and past the Oberoi Cecil and the State Museum turn-off.
- By taxi: 10–20 minutes from Cart Road, depending on traffic.
- On a tour: the toy-train city tours include the lodge.
Insider tips
- The lodge is usually closed on Mondays, and hours are shorter in winter. Check before you go.
- Photography is generally not allowed inside the building but is fine in the gardens.
- There is a separate, modest ticket for the building tour and for the grounds only; rates are higher for foreign visitors.
- It is an academic institute: stay on the visitor route and keep noise down near the library and study rooms.
Best tours & tickets for Viceregal Lodge
These experiences are the easiest way to see Viceregal Lodge with a guide and transport sorted:
Guided half-day tour from US$61 Shimla: Toy Train Ride and City Highlights Day Tour
A compact version of the toy-train day: a ride on the narrow-gauge line, the grand Viceregal Lodge on Observatory Hill, the State Museum’s miniature paintings and a walk on the Mall — all in about five hours.
- A short ride on the heritage toy train
- The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (Viceregal Lodge)
- The Himachal State Museum and the Mall Road
Guided day tour from US$73 Shimla: Toy Train Ride and City Tour with Guide
The classic Shimla day in one package: a stretch of the toy train through pine forest and tunnels, then the Viceregal Lodge, the climb to Jakhoo and the Ridge with Christ Church, finishing on the Mall. Your guide handles tickets and transfers, and reviews are consistently strong.
- A ride on the UNESCO-listed Kalka–Shimla narrow-gauge railway
- The Viceregal Lodge, Jakhoo Temple and Christ Church
- A stroll along the Mall Road with your guide
Guided walking tour from US$36 per group Guided Heritage Walk Tour in Shimla
A four-hour guided walk priced for the whole group rather than per person, which makes it one of the better deals in town for families and friends travelling together.
- A longer, half-day walk through Shimla’s heritage
- Priced per group — good value for families
- Flexible pace with time for photographs
