With tourism at the heart of this hill-station, Shimla is no less With tourism at the heart of this hill-station, It is no less than brimming with option for food. There are a number of eateries here from Dhabas, Bakeries, Local eating joints, Restaurants as well as fine dining restaurants.
It has a range of restaurants which serve different cuisines like North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Continental etc. Surprisingly one may not find a lot of places in Shimla which serve the local Pahari food, since the cuisine has somewhat shifted to meet he needs of the town’s countless visitors. than brimming with option for food. There are a number of eateries here from Dhabas, Bakeries, Local eating joints, Restaurants as well as fine dining restaurants.
It is easily accessible via road too and Chandigarh-Shimla highway is in good condition and it only takes around 3 and a half hours to reach here from Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the nearest major airport from Shimla and is around 113 km away. The nearest airport is Jubbarhatti Airport which is 25 km away from the heart of Shimla, however, this airport occasionally functions with limited flights from Delhi.
How to reach by flight
The Shimla Airport, also known as Jubbarhatti airport is around 25 km away from the main city and is one of the very few airports at any of the hill stations. Probably one of the smallest airstrips, the ride is pretty bumpy in the plane when it lands. However, since this airport is not functional throughout the year, hence it’s advisable to choose Chandigarh or Delhi as connecting airports. People coming by air till Chandigarh generally prefer to book cabs to reach there, which will take 3-4 hours. There are regular buses too. From Delhi airport, it roughly takes around 7-8 hours to reach there.
Nearest Airport: Chandigarh Airport (IXC) – 60 kms from Shimla
Search for flights to Chandigarh Airport (IXC)
How to reach by road
It is a hot tourist destination and buses run for Shimla from as far as Delhi, Jaipur, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Taxis are widely available to travel to Shimla from Chandigarh and Delhi or from any other local places. It is also very well connected with HRTC buses from almost all parts of Himachal Pradesh.
How to reach by train
The nearest broad gauge railway station from Shimla is the Kalka Railway Station which is only 90 km away. It takes around 5-6 hours from Kalka to reach here by train, but it’s a very beautiful journey with a lot of tunnels and scenery which makes up for the extra time taken on the route.
There are around 3-4 trains everyday from Kalka to Shimla. You can also travel by Rail car which is one of its kind in India).
Chandigarh Railway station is also just 113 km away from Shimla. From both of these railway stations, Shimla is well connected with local buses and cabs. It has its own railway station, but only narrow gauge trains from Kalka arrive here.
Local transport in Shimla
Local bus service is easily available within Shimla from 7 AM to 9 PM. Buses mainly run on the Ring Road. There is a special bus reserved only for women. Himachal Pradesh Tourism also runs special buses for local sightseeing that cover only the tourist attractions.
Private taxis are easily available and economically viable. Local sightseeing charges vary from 800 INR to 1500 INR per day. Auto rickshaws are not very popular in Himachal Pradesh.
To travel to places like Mall, Ridge, Kali Bari, one has to walk to reach there are they are no vehicles zone. But you can avail the facility of elevator run by HP Tourism which links the lowest point of Shimla- Cart Road to the highest point – the Mall.
