15 Best Things to Do in Shimla Handpicked by Travellers!

There are plenty of exciting things to do in Shimla including trekking, river rafting, ice skating and shopping from the Mall Road of Shimla. Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh is located at a distance of 342 km from the national capital, Delhi, and is among the most visited tourist destinations in India.

Shimla is a popular summer destination. A large number of tourists travel to Shimla during summers, evading the scorching sun, just the way Britishers did when Shimla served as the Summer Capital of British India. The pleasant climate of Shimla is just one of the many reasons why it is among the most preferred tourist destinations. Other reasons being plenty of great places to visit and numerous activities to do in Shimla.

Shimla is popular as an adventure getaway because of the plenty of adventure activities that are available here. From amazing trekking expeditions to lazy walks on the Mall Road, there is a wide array of fun things to do on a Shimla trip to meet your urge for activity.

The trekking options in Shimla range from strolls into Pine and Oak forests to exhilarating treks to summits with stunning panoramas. Other popular activities you must experience in Shimla are paragliding, camping, river rafting, etc.

Leave behind the monotony of your busy urban schedule by trying some activities in the refreshing atmosphere of Shimla. If you do not wish to limit your travels to sight-seeing, Shimla is the place to visit where the options are boundless.

Here are some of the best things to do in Shimla:

01Go Trekking in Shimla
Image Credit : Jo Simon-Flickr
Trekking is popular in Shimla as the mysterious and the beautiful ranges of Himalayas are just the right sites for you to try your hand at trekking.

Location: Trekking can be tried at several undulating terrains as well as hills in Shimla. Some of the popular and common routes for trekking include:

Shimla - Luhri - Ani - Khanag - Jalori Pass - Jibhit - Banjar
Shimla - Narkanda - Hattu Peak - Chaupal - Kedi - Halau - Kandol - Koti - Chakrata
Shimla - Narkanda - Khadrala - Sungri - Devidhar - Rohru - Shimla
Banjar - Bathad - Sarahan - Arsu - Rampur - Shimla

You can check here the list of best treks you can opt-in Shimla.

Highlights: Treks usually vary from each other and one can pick the length of the trek depending on the time and the capability. There are several shelters as well as the rest houses that have been set for the tourists to rest and re-energize.

Cost: Variable and depends on the length of the treks.

Best Time: December to February.
02Camping
The true essence of a beautiful hill station can really be experienced in an outdoor accommodation in nature. Since Shimla serves as an excellent base for many trekking expeditions, camping is among the popular things to do in Shimla.

Despite being a home to a large population, Shimla still possesses thick vegetation. The hills of Shimla are laden with Pine, Oak and Deodar forests that make the atmosphere soothing and apt for camping.

There are some perfect campsites in Shimla, offering magnificent views of the green hills around. You can pick a campsite among the major ones like Shoghi, Sarahan, Sandasu, and Chirgaon. Camping in Shimla is a must-experience activity for every adventure enthusiast or nature lover visiting Shimla.
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03Shopping at Lakkar Bazaar
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Any vacation or holiday to Shimla is just incomplete without Shopping at Lakkar Bazaar. Lakkar Bazaar is an ideal shopping destination for people who enjoy colourful street shopping.

Highlights: The Shimla’s Lakkar Bazaar is famous especially for its woollen apparels. In the Bazaar, you can come across a diverse range of artefacts, pashmina shawls, woollens and handicrafts for you to pick from. Dry fruits and the "Kullu Shawls" of the bazaar are also very famous.

A popular eatery here in the Lakkar Bazaar is the Sita Ram. It serves the best sumptuous ‘chole bhature’ to satiate your hunger post shopping. Other things found at the Bazaar include wooden handicrafts, Chinese shoes, Tibetan mats and carpets. Shops also house handmade shoes, woollen caps and dolls.

Best Time: April to August and December to January is the best time to visit this Bazaar. The bazaar stays open from morning till midnight.

You can also go for local sightseeing in Shimla near the Bazaars.
04Indulge in River Rafting
River Rafting is one very popular adventure sports in Shimla. The free-flowing rivers of Shimla offer the most ideal conditions for river rafting in the city.

Location: The river Sutlej that flows near Shimla offers great options for river rafting. The very popular whitewater rafting place in Shimla is carried out from the Chabba to Tattapani. The length of this stretch is 12 km and takes about 2 hours to challenge the much rapid and aggressive Sutlej river.

Highlights: This adventure sport is usually carried out on an inflatable rubber dinghy.

Best Time: The summer months are believed to be the most ideal time for river rafting in Shimla. River rafting during the monsoon and the winters are strictly prohibited.

Cost: Variable and depends on the length of the duration and the track you choose for rafting.

Difficulty Level: May seem tough in the beginning thus proper training and security equipment are mandatory.

Check here: Some of the best packages of River Rafting in Shimla.
05Paragliding
If you have ever dreamed of flying, Shimla is the place where you can come and make your dream of flying come true. Due to its perfect hills, ideal for paragliding, Shimla serves as an excellent paragliding destination and makes it a mecca of thrill seekers.

The vistas of the mighty mountain ranges you can witness during the activity are enough to make it an unforgettable experience. Try this activity in Shimla to shoot up the level of adrenaline running through your blood.

The best place in Shimla to experience the exhilarating fun of paragliding in Shimla is Kangra Valley. Fly gracefully over the enchanting valley of Kangra and land like a champion on its meadows on your next visit to Shimla.
Go through the list of different packages for Paragliding so that you can choose the best one for you.
06Cycling in Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary
If you are looking for the Shimla tourist places that would provide you with a peace of mind, walking or cycling around the Shimla water catchment wildlife sanctuary would be the right choice for you.

While tourists visit this place often, the deep green forest doesn’t allow many people to gather at the same place together. Hence, tranquillity exists in the air and you can cycle around peacefully without anyone to disturb.

The silent forest gives people an experience of a lifetime as they get exposed to the intertwining fir, pine, cedar, deodar, spruce, and oak trees. Besides, more than 300 species of plants and animals surviving in the forest would come to your notice while your cycle riding journey.

Due to the vast stretch of unique flora and fauna, the sanctuary is often termed as the bliss of mother-nature, or the jungle paradise. It’s a perfect place for nature lovers.

Location: Shimla water catchment wildlife sanctuary is located north to Kufri, East of Shimla, and adjacent to the national highway 22.
07Hike to Jakhoo Hill
Jakhoo Hill is the highest point of the city. It is covered with the Alpine trees. On the top of the flat hill is the colourful Jakhoo Temple as well as the newly built Hanuman statue.

Said to be the favourite escape for the visitors who enjoy calm and peace, you just need to be beware of the criminally minded monkeys who are ready to rob food from the visitors.

Location: In order to reach the hilltop, you’ll have to walk for approximately 30 minutes. Thereafter, there is a pleasant route that will direct you to the Jakhoo Hill.

Highlights: The summit of Jakhoo Hill Shimla is some 2,455m and about 200m higher than the central ridge of Shimla. Temple at the Jakhoo Hill is dedicated to the Lord Hanuman who is believed to be the Hindu monkey god. Monkeys clearly rule the Jakhoo hill.

Best Time: Ideal to visit during winter months of November to March. Open Daily.

Check out the list of some of the best and affordable tour packages of Shimla.
08Enjoy Natural Ice Skating in Shimla
Image Credit : Enrique T- Flickr
Ice skating is said to be one of the most popular adventures sports in Shimla. It is known that Shimla has one of the largest ice skating rinks in India.

Highlights: To the surprise of many, Shimla is the only ‘natural’ ice skating rink of India. This is the reason why this largest open-air rink, tends to attract both tourists as well as local, alike.

Best Time: Ice skating in Shimla usually commences in the month of December and goes on till late February. During this time, the skies are clear and the weather is cold thereby ensuring undisturbed sessions of ice skating.

Cost: Cost will depend on the length of the session. Sessions of ice skating take place twice a day i.e. both in the morning as well as in the evening. The rink offers membership in both short-term as well as long-term basis.

Safety: Equipment like a cap, knee pads and skates are needed for the ice skating.
09Visit the Shimla Ridge
The Ridge is a wide open area situated in the center of Shimla. It is hands down the most popular place in Shimla and is popularly called the ‘heart of Shimla’ because of its location and the liveliness you can experience here.

Situated along the shopping center of Shimla, the Mall Road, it serves as the hub for numerous cultural activities in Shimla. The major attractions of Shimla like Jakhoo Temple and Christ Church can be seen from here. This is also a great spot for clicking selfies.

You can come and relax here after a shopping-spree to witness the beautiful city in all its glory after the sun goes down from this spot located at a height of 7234 ft. Count yourself very lucky if you get to witness the snow-covered ridge after a snowfall because that is a heavenly sight to treasure.
10Experience the Ride on Toy Train
There’s a special kind of joy involved with riding toy trains. These trains are available only in the Himalayan regions. And Shimla is one of the most important hill stations among such places where you can enjoy a thrilling toy train ride.

During your toy train ride, you would cross slopes, will be able to look down the hill slopes from high altitudes, observe the tranquil nature accompanied by the local flora and fauna, and many more.

Shimla sightseeing would be incomplete if you miss a toy train ride in the town. The Kalka-Shimla toy train journey will take you on a ride where you would cross the green forests, scorched hill slopes, ancient post office and other things.

While the ride will be gentle, you would often come across the rough tracks where a slight rocking in the train coaches would give you the ultimate thrill in hilly slopes.

Timings: Shimla toy train ride can be enjoyed throughout the year. However, while in the winter seasons the toy train tracks lay covered with snow, it’s still the best time to enjoy toy train ride in the town.
11Take a Walk in Kuthar Fort
Kuthar Fort is placed in the undying serenity of the Himalayas and is one of the best places to visit in Shimla to get into the history. The fort spans an area of about 52.8 square kilometres and is located in the middle of the exotic background, pools as well as the beautiful gardens.

Location: Kuthar Fort is located at a small distance from both Arki and Subathu that are both an hour away from the Shimla airport, Jubbarhatti. Situated in Solan, the fort is one of the key attractions here.

Highlights: Some sectors of the fort are as old as 800 years however there are some new sectors that have been built and are a mere 8 decades old. Stretched in the large area of the region, there are a number of fresh-water springs flowing through here. It is surrounded by different picturesque locations such as the Gurkha Fort from Subathu, Kunihar, and Kasauli hill station.

Best Time: Open all year round.
12Johnnie’s Wax Museum
Image Credit : quora.com
Shimla, the land of charm, has now come up with a new museum known as Johnnie’s wax museum. It was established by the company MBM brothers in the initial months of 2016. The main purpose of the wax museum was to put wax statues of famous personalities into the display.

So far, the museum has put 16 wax statues of different personalities starting from Bollywood stars to Hollywood celebrities, and from Indian to international sports personalities. Some of the statues include famous personalities such as Daniel Radcliffe, Mahatma Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Lionel Messi, Tony Stark, and more. Most of these statues are crafted by artists who work in the famous museum of Madame Tussauds, London.

Fees: Adults need to pay Rs 250/- person to take entry whereas, for children below 5 years, entry is free of cost.

Location: Johnnie’s wax museum is situated at the Willow Banks estate, Bemloi, in the capital city of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Highlights: Interested tourists can now get a wax replica of their hands by paying Rs 450/-.
13Summer Hill
Summer Hill is an exceptionally beautiful tourist spot in Shimla. It is situated at an altitude of 1283 meters. The area is beautified by the serene beauty of quiet hills that give it a nice and breathtaking aura.

Location: Located on the way from Shimla to Kalka, Summer Hills is just about 5 km from the Ridge Road of Shimla. The place is surrounded by the serene beauty of quiet hills, which give it a breathtaking aura.

Highlights: This is an ideal place for those who wish to take a leisurely walk amidst the tranquillity of Mother Nature. The hilly trees of pine and deodar add to the beauty of the place. Snow clad mountains make it an ideal romantic gateway.

Best Time to visit: Summer Hill is open all around the year courtesy its pleasant climate. However, the best time to visit the place is during winters when the weather is cool and humid.
14Chadwick Waterfall
The clear waters of the Chadwick Waterfall cascade deep down a gorge at a height of approximately 86 m. What amplifies the beauty of the place is the surrounding hills as well as the thick green trees of Pine and Deodar. After you have had a hectic travel schedule exploring the entire Shimla, you can come back here and unwind. This place will give you ample ‘me’ time.

Location: Chadwick Waterfall is situated within the dense and the very beautiful Glen Forest. This waterfall lies at a distance of about 7 km from Shimla and about 4 km from Summer Hill.

Highlights: The place was originally famous as the ‘Chidku Jhaar’ where Jhaar stands for waterfall and in the local dialet ‘Chidku’ means the bird. It is so called because the waterfall is at such a height that only a bird can reach to the top. Britishers gave it the name ‘Chadwick Falls’.

Best Time: Can be visited anytime of the year but it is advised to go there in a group.
15Kiala Forest
Kiala Forest is located in the valley of Kotkhai in Shimla and is one of the perfect Shimla tourist places. Definitely, an interesting place to visit, the forest is beautified with the lush green vegetation as well as many indigenous animals.

The forest is said to be an ideal destination for all the wildlife enthusiasts as well as nature lovers. A number of visitors from a different place both far and near come to this to bask in the natural beauty.

Highlights: Kiala Forest boasts of rich foliage and wildlife. Photographers, as well as visitors, can click incredible pictures of the beautiful landscapes as well as the animals in their wilderness. Bathroom facilities are available here. Those who wish to store their luggage and baggage can make use of the lockers as well as the storage facilities available here.

Best Time: Open all around the year. Ideal to visit during the daytime one can plan a visit to the Forest during months of March to October.

Check here: Some of the best resorts to stay in Shimla to feel the comfort and luxury of Shimla.