About Shimla
Shimla sits at about 2,200 metres in the Himachal hills and was the summer capital of British India. Its ridge-top town still has a Victorian character, with pedestrian streets, mock-Tudor buildings and cedar forest on every side.
It is an easy first mountain holiday, and it pairs well with nearby Kufri or the quieter orchards beyond.
The Mall and the Ridge
Vehicles are kept off the central stretch, so the town is made for walking. Christ Church, built in the mid-1800s, stands on the Ridge, and the Gaiety Theatre still hosts performances on the Mall.
The toy train
The Kalka-Shimla railway opened in 1903 and is part of UNESCO's Mountain Railways of India. It takes around five hours, crossing arched bridges and running through more than a hundred tunnels. Book ahead in peak season.
Beyond the town
Jakhoo Temple has a very tall Hanuman statue and wide views. Kufri offers snow play in winter, while Mashobra and Naldehra are calmer, with pine walks and apple country nearby.
