Two nights in the old summer capital of the British Raj: ride the UNESCO toy train, walk the Ridge and Mall Road, climb to Jakhoo temple, chase snow at Kufri, and escape to Chail and Naldehra. A warm, practical, fact-checked weekend guide for Indian travellers.
Shimla is the hill station most Indian families cut their teeth on, and for good reason. Perched at about 2,076 metres in the lower Himalayas, the old summer capital of British India still wears its colonial bones proudly, but it is close enough to Delhi and Chandigarh to work as a genuine long weekend. Two nights is enough to ride a heritage train, walk the Ridge, climb to a hilltop temple, chase a little snow at Kufri, and still slow down over coffee. Here is how to spend that weekend well, without rushing and without overspending.
Getting there: the Kalka-Shimla toy train
The most memorable way to arrive is on the Kalka-Shimla railway, a narrow-gauge line of just 762 mm that UNESCO added to its Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site in 2008 (the listing itself dates to 1999, when the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was first inscribed). Opened for traffic in 1903, it climbs roughly 96 km from Kalka at 656 metres up to Shimla, gaining nearly 1,400 metres through more than 100 tunnels and over 800 bridges. The Barog tunnel, the longest on the line at over a kilometre, is the celebrated one. Depending on the service the ride takes about four and a half to five and a half hours; the Shivalik Deluxe, with cushioned seats and big windows, does it in around four hours forty-five minutes. Book well ahead in peak season, as seats sell out fast.
The Ridge, Mall Road and Christ Church
The heart of Shimla is a car-free spine made up of the Ridge and Mall Road, and a weekend here is mostly walked, not driven. The Ridge is the wide open promenade where everyone gathers for mountain views, and standing over it is Christ Church, consecrated on 10 January 1857 and the second oldest church in North India after St John's in Meerut. Its neo-Gothic yellow facade and stained glass are the most photographed sight in town. From here Mall Road runs downhill past bookshops, bakeries and Scandal Point, the famous meeting square. Keep evenings free for this stretch; it is at its best after dark when the lights come on and street performers appear.
Jakhoo temple and the giant Hanuman
For the best view in Shimla, climb to Jakhoo temple, which sits on the town's highest point at about 2,455 metres, roughly 2.5 km east of the Ridge. The temple is dedicated to Hanuman, and above it stands a 108-foot statue of the deity, unveiled in November 2010 and visible from much of the city. You can walk up in around 45 minutes to an hour through the deodar forest, but be warned: the resident rhesus monkeys are bold and will snatch glasses, phones and food, so carry as little loose as possible. If the climb is too steep, the Jakhoo ropeway runs cabins to the top in about five minutes, usually between 9:30 am and 6 pm, for roughly 470 rupees return for adults plus GST as of 2026.
Leave your spectacles, snacks and dangling earrings in the hotel before Jakhoo. The monkeys there are professionals, and the temple priests literally sell little sticks to shoo them off.
Kufri and a taste of the outdoors
About 20 km from town, Kufri sits higher again at around 2,510 metres and is where most day visitors go to find snow between roughly December and February. It gets very crowded and quite commercial, so treat it as a short outing rather than a full day. The genuinely rewarding part is the short walk or pony ride up to Mahasu Peak, the highest viewpoint in the belt, from where on a clear day you can see the higher Himalayan ranges. Go early to beat the crowds and the mid-morning traffic jams on the narrow approach road.
Day trips worth the drive
If you have a slower second day, three easy escapes reward you. Chail, about 45 km away, is home to the world's highest cricket ground at 2,444 metres, laid out in 1893 by the Maharaja of Patiala, and it is far quieter than Shimla itself. Naldehra, around 23 km out at about 2,044 metres, has one of India's oldest golf courses ringed by cedar. And Mashobra, only about 13 km away, is a green, orchard-dotted village that makes a lovely half-day of forest walks and tea. Any of these can be done by taxi and paired with the drive back.
When to go
The most comfortable window is March to June, when days are pleasant at roughly 15 to 30 degrees Celsius and the town is at its greenest. For snow, come between December and February, when temperatures swing from around 8 degrees down to below freezing and December-January snowfall is common; pack proper woollens and expect the odd road closure. October and November bring crisp air and clear long-distance views. The one season to avoid is the monsoon from July to September, when heavy rain triggers landslides and blocks mountain roads.
A simple weekend plan
- Day 1: Arrive by toy train or road; settle in and spend the evening walking the Ridge, Christ Church and Mall Road.
- Day 2: Morning climb or ropeway to Jakhoo temple, then a half-day at Kufri and Mahasu Peak.
- Day 3: A relaxed day trip to Chail, Naldehra or Mashobra before heading home.
- Carry cash for small vendors, comfortable walking shoes, and warm layers even in summer, as evenings get cold.
Shimla rewards travellers who slow down, and the trickiest bits, toy-train seats, a good central hotel near the Ridge, and a car for the day trips, are exactly the things worth planning in advance. If you would like a fully customised Shimla weekend built around your dates and budget, message the Croudy Trips team on WhatsApp or give us a call, and we will put the whole trip together for you.
