Shimla.com
The toy train at Summer Hill station among deodar trees

Shimla Tours & Day Trips

Every sensible way to see Shimla, the hills around it and the road beyond — compared and bookable in a couple of taps.

Shimla is a walking town, so the best experiences here are on foot — guided heritage walks, a hike up to Jakhoo, forest trails in the Water Catchment sanctuary — plus the toy train and private cars for the hills beyond. Most products are small or private, and many cost less than a restaurant dinner.

Everything here is booked through GetYourGuide, which means secure payment, free cancellation on most options and reserve-now-pay-later on many. Prices are indicative "from" starting points in US dollars as listed by GetYourGuide — some are per group rather than per person — and change with the season. Tap any card for the live price in your own currency.

Pick by how much time you have

A few hours in town

Heritage walks on the Ridge and Mall, the climb to Jakhoo, a street-food crawl or a home-cooked Himachali meal — perfect for your first afternoon or evening.

Scandal Point on the Ridge in Shimla, with the statue of Lala Lajpat Rai and strolling visitors Private walking tour from US$16
🕒 2.5 hours 📍 From Shimla

Shimla: Private Heritage Walking Tour with Guide

A private stroll through the heart of colonial Simla with a guide who reads the facades for you — the Town Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, the post office and the church — plus the scandal behind Scandal Point and the view from Kali Bari.

  • The Ridge, Scandal Point and the Mall Road
  • Colonial architecture explained building by building
  • The Kali Bari temple above the Mall
Check price & availability
Half-timbered buildings and shopfronts along the Mall Road in Shimla Guided walking tour from US$14
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.0 (11)

Discover the Colonial Trails of Shimla – Guided Walking Tour

A two-hour introduction to Simla’s colonial past, told through the buildings of the Mall and the Ridge. The most-reviewed walk in town and one of the cheapest — a good first activity on your first evening.

  • The story of Simla as the summer capital of the Raj
  • The Mall, the Ridge and the landmark buildings
  • Lots of anecdotes about the town’s people and past
Check price & availability
The Jakhoo Temple buildings among deodar trees on the summit of Jakhoo Hill Private guided hike from US$14
🕒 3 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 5.0 (9)

Shimla: Hiking Tour to Jakhu Hill with Local Guide

Walk up through the deodars from the Ridge to the summit of Jakhoo, with a guide who knows the shortcuts, the stories of Hanuman’s visit and how to keep your sunglasses away from the resident monkeys. Excellent reviews and a low price.

  • The steep climb to Shimla’s highest point, around 2,450 m
  • The Jakhoo Hanuman temple and the giant statue
  • Local legends — and monkey management — from your guide
Check price & availability
A Himachali dham meal of rice and curry served on a leaf plate Food experience from US$14
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.4 (10)

Shimla: Himachali Traditional Local Home Food Experience

Himachali food is very different from the North Indian menu served on the Mall. This meal in a local home is the easiest way to taste it — and to ask all the questions you like about how people really live in Shimla.

  • A home-cooked Himachali meal with a local family
  • Dishes rarely found in restaurants, explained by your hosts
  • A glimpse of everyday life in the hills
Check price & availability

A full day around Shimla

The toy train with the Viceregal Lodge and Jakhoo, a private best-of-Shimla day, the forest of the Water Catchment sanctuary or the hot springs of Tattapani.

A blue-and-cream carriage of the Kalka–Shimla toy train at a hill station platform Guided day tour from US$73
🕒 8 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.6 (5)

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
Check price & availability
The Ridge in Shimla with its lamp posts, benches and the town spread over the hillside Private day tour from US$62
🕒 8 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 5.0 (6)

Shimla: Experience the Best of Shimla with a Local Guide

A flexible private day that goes deeper than the headline sights — the lanes below the Mall, stories of the Raj and of the hill people who were here long before it, and a taste of local food. Every review so far is five stars.

  • A private full day with a Shimla-born guide and car
  • The Ridge, Mall Road, Christ Church and the old bazaars
  • Local folklore, colonial stories and Himachali snacks along the way
Check price & availability
The Kalka–Shimla toy train pulling into Summer Hill station among deodar trees Guided half-day tour from US$61
🕒 5 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.7 (4)

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
Check price & availability
Tall deodar forest on a misty monsoon hillside near Shimla Guided nature walk from US$50
🕒 4–5 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.6 (8)

Shimla: Wildlife Sanctuary & Water Catchment Guided Tour

Shimla’s best-kept secret: the forest that has protected the town’s water supply since British times, now a wildlife sanctuary with some of the finest deodar forest in the hills. A calm, green half day and a real change from the Mall.

  • The protected Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Old-growth deodar and oak forest away from the crowds
  • Birds, forest trails and a guide who knows them
Check price & availability
The Sutlej river gorge at Tattapani with a footbridge and riverside buildings Private day trip from US$142
🕒 6 hours 📍 From Shimla

Shimla: Day Trip to Tattapani

A private car takes you from the cool ridge of Shimla down to the warm Sutlej valley, where hot sulphur springs have drawn pilgrims and bathers for centuries. A good winter outing, when the warm water is at its most welcome.

  • The drive down to the Sutlej valley via Naldehra
  • Tattapani’s natural hot sulphur springs
  • River views, temples and a riverside lunch stop
Check price & availability

Several days — Himachal and beyond

Shimla and Manali together, Shimla from Delhi, or the great road trip through Kinnaur into Spiti.

The snow-streaked Kinnaur Kailash range seen from Kalpa Multi-day adventure tour from US$660
🕒 9 days 📍 From Delhi

From Delhi: 9-Day Kinnaur and Spiti Valley Tour with Meals

The great road journey that starts where most Shimla visits end: east along the Sutlej through Kinnaur’s apple villages and up into the moonscape of Spiti. Meals included; best from late spring to early autumn.

  • The Hindustan–Tibet road beyond Shimla and Narkanda
  • Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa and the high desert of Spiti
  • Ancient monasteries and remote Himalayan villages
Check price & availability
Live availability

Book now — real-time prices

Tours in Shimla and across Himachal Pradesh, straight from GetYourGuide.

Powered by GetYourGuide
The full list

Every Shimla tour we recommend

Nineteen experiences, from a two-hour evening walk to nine days in Kinnaur and Spiti.

A blue-and-cream carriage of the Kalka–Shimla toy train at a hill station platform Guided day tour from US$73
🕒 8 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.6 (5)

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
Check price & availability
The Ridge in Shimla with its lamp posts, benches and the town spread over the hillside Private day tour from US$62
🕒 8 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 5.0 (6)

Shimla: Experience the Best of Shimla with a Local Guide

A flexible private day that goes deeper than the headline sights — the lanes below the Mall, stories of the Raj and of the hill people who were here long before it, and a taste of local food. Every review so far is five stars.

  • A private full day with a Shimla-born guide and car
  • The Ridge, Mall Road, Christ Church and the old bazaars
  • Local folklore, colonial stories and Himachali snacks along the way
Check price & availability
The Kalka–Shimla toy train pulling into Summer Hill station among deodar trees Guided half-day tour from US$61
🕒 5 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.7 (4)

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
Check price & availability
Scandal Point on the Ridge in Shimla, with the statue of Lala Lajpat Rai and strolling visitors Private walking tour from US$16
🕒 2.5 hours 📍 From Shimla

Shimla: Private Heritage Walking Tour with Guide

A private stroll through the heart of colonial Simla with a guide who reads the facades for you — the Town Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, the post office and the church — plus the scandal behind Scandal Point and the view from Kali Bari.

  • The Ridge, Scandal Point and the Mall Road
  • Colonial architecture explained building by building
  • The Kali Bari temple above the Mall
Check price & availability
The Jakhoo Temple buildings among deodar trees on the summit of Jakhoo Hill Private guided hike from US$14
🕒 3 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 5.0 (9)

Shimla: Hiking Tour to Jakhu Hill with Local Guide

Walk up through the deodars from the Ridge to the summit of Jakhoo, with a guide who knows the shortcuts, the stories of Hanuman’s visit and how to keep your sunglasses away from the resident monkeys. Excellent reviews and a low price.

  • The steep climb to Shimla’s highest point, around 2,450 m
  • The Jakhoo Hanuman temple and the giant statue
  • Local legends — and monkey management — from your guide
Check price & availability
Tall deodar forest on a misty monsoon hillside near Shimla Guided nature walk from US$50
🕒 4–5 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.6 (8)

Shimla: Wildlife Sanctuary & Water Catchment Guided Tour

Shimla’s best-kept secret: the forest that has protected the town’s water supply since British times, now a wildlife sanctuary with some of the finest deodar forest in the hills. A calm, green half day and a real change from the Mall.

  • The protected Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Old-growth deodar and oak forest away from the crowds
  • Birds, forest trails and a guide who knows them
Check price & availability
A Himachali dham meal of rice and curry served on a leaf plate Food experience from US$14
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.4 (10)

Shimla: Himachali Traditional Local Home Food Experience

Himachali food is very different from the North Indian menu served on the Mall. This meal in a local home is the easiest way to taste it — and to ask all the questions you like about how people really live in Shimla.

  • A home-cooked Himachali meal with a local family
  • Dishes rarely found in restaurants, explained by your hosts
  • A glimpse of everyday life in the hills
Check price & availability
The Sutlej river gorge at Tattapani with a footbridge and riverside buildings Private day trip from US$142
🕒 6 hours 📍 From Shimla

Shimla: Day Trip to Tattapani

A private car takes you from the cool ridge of Shimla down to the warm Sutlej valley, where hot sulphur springs have drawn pilgrims and bathers for centuries. A good winter outing, when the warm water is at its most welcome.

  • The drive down to the Sutlej valley via Naldehra
  • Tattapani’s natural hot sulphur springs
  • River views, temples and a riverside lunch stop
Check price & availability
Half-timbered buildings and shopfronts along the Mall Road in Shimla Guided walking tour from US$14
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Shimla ⭐ 4.0 (11)

Discover the Colonial Trails of Shimla – Guided Walking Tour

A two-hour introduction to Simla’s colonial past, told through the buildings of the Mall and the Ridge. The most-reviewed walk in town and one of the cheapest — a good first activity on your first evening.

  • The story of Simla as the summer capital of the Raj
  • The Mall, the Ridge and the landmark buildings
  • Lots of anecdotes about the town’s people and past
Check price & availability
The four-lane Kalka–Shimla highway climbing through the Shivalik hills Private transfer from US$35
🕒 3.5–6.5 hours 📍 From Chandigarh, Shimla, Manali or Dharamshala ⭐ 5.0 (3)

One-Way Transfer: Chandigarh / Manali / Shimla / Dharamshala

A private car and driver between Chandigarh and Shimla, or onwards to Manali or Dharamshala. Taking the hassle out of the mountain roads is well worth it, especially if you are arriving by air or on the Shatabdi.

  • Door-to-door private car between the hill towns and Chandigarh
  • Fixed price agreed in advance
  • Experienced mountain drivers
Check price & availability
The snow-streaked Kinnaur Kailash range seen from Kalpa Multi-day adventure tour from US$660
🕒 9 days 📍 From Delhi

From Delhi: 9-Day Kinnaur and Spiti Valley Tour with Meals

The great road journey that starts where most Shimla visits end: east along the Sutlej through Kinnaur’s apple villages and up into the moonscape of Spiti. Meals included; best from late spring to early autumn.

  • The Hindustan–Tibet road beyond Shimla and Narkanda
  • Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa and the high desert of Spiti
  • Ancient monasteries and remote Himalayan villages
Check price & availability
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.

Browse Shimla tours Compare all tours
Good to know

Booking questions

Frequently asked questions

Which Shimla tour is best for first-timers?

The toy train and city tour covers the railway, the Viceregal Lodge, Jakhoo and Christ Church in one day. If you prefer walking, a two-hour heritage walk on your first evening is a great start.

Are the tours private or shared?

Many Shimla products are private — just your party and a guide — and the walking tours run in small groups. Some are priced per group, which is excellent value for families.

Do tours include the toy train ticket?

The toy-train tours include the ride as described on the listing, but check which stretch you travel on. For the full Kalka–Shimla journey you usually need to book your own Indian Railways ticket.

What is included in the price?

Walking tours include the guide; day tours usually add a car and driver. Entry tickets (such as the Viceregal Lodge), meals and ropeway fares are often extra — each listing spells it out.

Can I cancel if my plans change?

Most listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, and many let you reserve now and pay later. The exact terms are shown before you confirm.