Varieties of tourist places attract tourists of all genres and numerous adventure sports make Shimla one of the most visited and preferred hill stations of north India. Shimla has shops where one could buy handicrafts and art work of the region. Eating houses, coffee shops, restaurants and other eating outlets in Shimla has lots to offer to the tourists who keep coming here.
Transport in Shimla
Buses and private vehicles are the means of local transport in Shimla. There are taxi services too within the city. Local bus services within the city are quite frequent available from 7 AM to 9 PM. The bus services cover all the places of Shimla City. The places that are covered with the local bus service are Summer Hill, Victory Tunnel, Sanjauli, Kasumpti, Ring Road, Lift, Summer Hill, Boileauganj.
For sightseeing and local travel, taxis are also available in Shimla city from all places of the city. HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation) runs daily tourist buses and the booking for the same can be done at HPTDC office. As the city is located on a hilltop and all important places of the city like The Ridge, The Mall, Kali Mandir, Lakkar Bazar are located on the hill, walking is the only way to reach these places. The life facility managed by Himachal Pradesh Tourism can also be availed form Cart Road to Mall.
No private vehicles are allowed on the Ridge, the Mall and the markets around.
Following taxi services are available:
- Sanjauli-Lakkar Bazaar,
- Kasumti-Shimla Club,
- Mall Raod-Bus Stand
Weather and Best Time to Visit Shimla
Pleasant weather and the beauty of the hills make Shimla one of the most preferred hill stations. Located about a height of 2000 meters, Shimla has extreme weather condition during winters. Summers have warm and moderate climate and the average temperature during summers, March to June ranges between 14°C - 20°C. The winter months are from November to February when the minimum temperature could be - 7°C and the maximum could be 10°C. Snowfall is experienced in December around the Christmas time. For the people who come to Shimla between November and February, heavy woolen clothes must be brought. July and August months have rains.
Source: Flickr
The best time to visit Shimla is during summer months between March-June if travelers want to see flowers and enjoy colors of live. They can even join the summer carnival. Winter months are preferred by many as they could enjoy snowfall and adventure activities like ice-skating, skiing etc. in this city. Christmas time is the peak season time of Shimla. Tourists come here to join the Winter Carnival during the month of December.
Eating Out in Shimla
Shimla has many eating houses, coffee shops, and bars. Good Ambience, mouth-watering food, good coffee and tea, fresh juices, cakes, pastries are available in these eating and drinking houses. Both budget and luxury eating and drinking houses are in Shimla to cater the needs of visitors. The famous restaurants, coffee houses, and bars of Shimla are:- Qilaa
- New Plaza Restaurant
- Loveena Restaurant
- Ashiana & Goofa
- Silver Oak
- The Lutyens Room
- The Oberoa Cecil Restaurant
- Balijees
- Ashiana & Goofa
- Sher E Punjab
- Indian Coffee House
- Wake & Bake Café
- Lobby Lounge
- Café Coffee Day
- Fire Station Cafe
Shopping in Shimla
Shimla is a paradise for shopping freaks. Lakkar Bazar houses shops where wooden items are sold. The Mall has many shops that sell woolen items and the specialty is Kullu Shawls. Tourists buy wooden toys, carpets, Walking sticks from these shops. Food processing industry is a major industry of Shimla and tourists get to buy jams, jelly, squashes, and juices from the outlets in the Mall.
Many shops sell Chinese shoes which have beautiful handicrafts. Shimla has book houses too and some of them sell antique books. Bakery Houses across Shimla are also popular. Himachal Emporium, Maria Bros, Minchys, Dockers San Francisco, Honeyhut etc. are some of the famous shops in Shimla.
Places to Visit in Shimla
The scenic beauty of Shimla is more than enough to captivate visitors. Apart from hills, waterfalls, forests and lakes, Shimla has many other interesting tourist places and houses many adventure activities. Tourists can visit Jakhoo Hills, enjoy the panoramic view of Glen Forest which is another picnic spot of Shimla. Religious spots like Christ Church, Tara Devi Temple and Sankat Mochan Temple are the must visit for the local people as well as tourists. Prospect Hill, Chadwick Falls etc. , are some other places nestled in the lap of nature that mesmerize the visitors. Shimla has many interesting places around the city. They are Naldehra, Tattapani, Mashobra,Kurfi, Craignano and others.
Adventure Activities in Shimla
Shimla being a hill station has tough terrains, rivers, dense forests and all these are ideal places for varieties of adventure activities. Mountaineering and trekking are very popular activities for the adventure enthusiasts. Camping is also arranged on frequent basis. River Rafting, ice skating, skiing are also very popular adventure sports in Shimla.
Other adventure activities that can be enjoyed in Shimla are Para-gliding, horse riding, Bungee Jumping, golfing and Wild Life watching.
Hotels in Shimla
As hordes of tourists from all parts of the nation keep coming to Shimla especially during summers, springs and autumn, many budget hotels, dormitories and luxury resorts are available in Shimla. Here is the list of some hotels in Shimla:- Hotel Gulmarg
- Hotel Woodland
- Hill Bloom Hotel
- Hotel Dreamland
- Hotel Holiday Home
- YMCA
- Shimla Youth Hostel
- Hotel Mayur
- Hotel White
- Dalziel
- Amar Palace
- Hotel Combermere
- Woodville Palace
- Clarke’s Hotel
- Hotel Landmark
- Hotel Pererhoff
- Honeymoon Inn
- The Oberoi Cecil
- Chapslee Hotel
- Radisson Hotel
Tourist Information in Shimla
In Shimla, two offices of HPTDC are there. The HPTDC buses also leave from these centers. The location of the HPTDC office and contact number is listed below:Near Victory Tunnel
Phone No.: 0177 265 4589
Bye Pass Road
Phone No.: 0177 283 2498
Railway Station
The Mall
Phone No.: 0177 265 2561
Fax: 0177 265 2557
Email Id: [email protected]
