Shimla, India

2024

Shimla, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, is absolutely stunning. It was the summer capital of British India because it’s much cooler than Delhi / Mumbai. It’s now the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

We went by train from Delhi to Kalka which took 4 hours. Trains in India can get incredibly busy, so make sure you book a seat, ideally upgrade to first class for plenty of leg room. We even got breakfast included!

When we got to Kalka, there was a quick change to a nearby platform where the Himalayan Queen Toy Train was waiting…

This train is an experience in itself and actually the main reason we went to Shimla was because dad had seen the toy train on a train programme – it really didn’t disappoint…

It took 5 hours to cover just 93km, but it was so worth it for the stunning views. There are a couple of stops where you can get out, stretch your legs and take photos.

Again, the train can get very crowded so make sure you have a seat. 5 hours is a long time to be standing up. Also, the toilets aren’t nice so would highly recommend avoiding drinking too much the morning you travel. The views were unbelievable for every second of the 5 hour journey.

Accommodation
This was my favourite hotel of the trip, just a short drive from Shimla train station. You can book online from GBP 75 per night.

The team there were SO lovely and attentive, they have beautiful views from the rooms, and the food was outstanding!

You only need a day to explore. Here’s what we did…

First stop was Rashtrapati Niwas / Viceregal Lodge which looks very British – that’s because it was designed in the 1880s as residence of the British Viceroy of India.

It’s now a prestigious university for higher education but open to the public for tours. It was the location of the Simla Conference in 1945 to approve Indian Self Government and the end of the British rule in India.

Then we went to Shri Hanuman Mandir Jakhoo – the monkey temple. Beware of the monkeys as they can get aggressive and have been known to steal things from tourists. You can walk here from Shimla centre if you’re feeling like a hike. Impressive and beautiful views.

We then drove to a couple more look-out points.

As you can see, all views were absolutely stunning.

Then we went into Shimla which felt incredibly British due to the architecture, church and bunting!

You find some people in Shimla speak in Hindi with some English words mixed in which was interesting to hear. We spent some time wondering around, there are lots of shops and restaurants about.

We didn’t have much time, but if you had longer, you could definitely do some hiking / visit other towns nearby.

As you can see from the pictures, it really was beautiful – not a destination to be missed.