How to Reach Manali

How to Reach Shimla

The nearest broad gauge railway station to Shimla is located 89 kilometers away in Kalka. To go to Shimla, one can ride the toy train, a local bus, or a cab. The Chandigarh-Shimla route is in excellent condition, making it easy to reach Shimla by car as well. From Chandigarh, it takes about three and a half hours to get here.

The closest major airport to Shimla is Chandigarh, which is located about 113 kilometers away. The nearest major airport is Jubbarhatti Airport, which is located 25 km from Shimla’s center. However, there are often a few flights from Delhi to this airport.
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By Flight

One of the smallest airports at any hill station is the Shimla Airport, sometimes called Jubbarhatti Airport. It is situated around 25 km from the main city. It’s probably one of the smaller airstrips, and the plane ride is a little rough upon landing. But since this airport isn’t open all year round, it’s best to use Chandigarh or Delhi as your connecting airports.

When traveling by air to Chandigarh, most people choose to reserve taxis for the three to four-hour ride to Shimla. Regular buses are also available. Reaching Shimla from the airport in Delhi takes about 7 to 8 hours.

Nearest Airport: Chandigarh Airport (IXC) – 60 kms from Shimla

By Road

As a popular tourist destination, Shimla is accessible by bus from Delhi, Jaipur, Punjab, Haryana, and some regions of Uttar Pradesh. Taxis are widely available from Chandigarh, Delhi, and other nearby locations to Shimla. Additionally, Shimla has excellent HRTC bus connections from practically anywhere in Himachal Pradesh.

By Train

The Kalka Railway Station, located about 90 kilometers from Shimla, is the closest wide gauge railway station. The train ride from Kalka to this location takes about 5–6 hours, but the breathtaking scenery and many tunnels make up for the longer travel time.
There are roughly three or four trains to Shimla from Kalka each day. Another option is to travel by rail car, which is unique in India.
Shimla and Chandigarh Railway Station are about 113 kilometers apart. There are several local buses and taxis that connect Shimla to both of these railway stations. Though Shimla has its own railway station, it is solely served by narrow gauge trains that originate in Kalka.

Local transport in Shimla

Within Shimla, local bus service is easily accessible from 7 AM to 9 PM. Mostly, buses travel along the Ring Road. There is a dedicated bus for ladies alone. Additionally, Himachal Pradesh Tourism operates dedicated buses for local sightseeing that travel just to the sites of interest.

Private cabs are reasonably priced and widely accessible. The cost of local sightseeing varies from 800 to 1500 INR per day. In Himachal Pradesh, auto rickshaws are not particularly common.

There are no cars allowed in areas like Mall, Ridge, and Kali Bari, therefore getting there requires walking. However, you can take advantage of the lift service provided by HP Tourism, which connects the Mall, the highest point in Shimla, to Cart Road, the lowest point.

Conclusion

Shimla, the picturesque hill station, is accessible by multiple modes of transportation. You can reach Shimla by road, with a scenic drive from major cities like Delhi or Chandigarh. Alternatively, the Kalka-Shimla railway line offers a charming train journey through the hills. For those preferring air travel, the nearest airport is in Chandigarh, followed by a road trip to Shimla. These varied options make reaching Shimla convenient for travellers with different preferences.
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Shimla Reviews

     Good  
     Based on 1340 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Gagan Garg 
 2023-10-21
 
 
  It was fun planning my first planned holiday with Pluto. They have very reliable links in local areas. Nitin was my POC for the trip and he managed it so well that every small request and query had the fastest solution and response. I will highly recommend him and will plan my next trip through his dedicated work. Altaf(driver) in Srinagar was very well mannered and entertaining. He was dedicated to best customer service and no doubt he achieved it all the way.

I requested for hotel upgrade and it was handled quickly on last minute.

I highly recommend Pluto and their services for planned holidays. Ask for Nitin and Altaf(if in Srinagar).
  
 
       
   Pradeep Choudhary 
 2023-10-19
 
 
  It was very great experience with Pluto tours Travels. Friendly nature with tourists everyone should be experience with Pluto travels. Helping And Guiding At Every Point on Trip. Ambience was Good like food, Breakfast,Dinner,& Rooms are clean. And they make us my memorable memories Thank You to Pluto Travels & Specially to Nitin to help n Guiding In everything 😊😊 thank you so much ❤️❤️
  
 
       
   Padman Patel 
 2023-10-19
 
 
  Very good services  good staf   food is berry testy. Thnx nitin sir
  
 
       
   Klirmina Bongrungpi 
 2023-10-11
 
 
  Nice experience with Pluto they organised our tour. we all are from Assam and Pluto gave us a reasonable and budgetable tour tq Pluto ....
  
 
       
   ashutosh mishra 
 2023-10-04
 
 
  Tour was good, initial experience was not good with the tour operator, I had asked for aura grand hotel with early check in, at the time of finalising the plan and making the payment, they were saying that we will get the aura grand hotel in Amritsar.
But at last moment same hotel was not provided and they forced us to check-in in their own property which is Diamond Villa in Amritsar which was not so good.
Mr. Vikram Rana tried fooling till last moment, Mr. Anurag also not provided correct information about the hotel booking.

However our driver Mr. VINAY (BUNTY) was very good.

Mr. Nitin of Pluto helped very well in executing the trip in good manner.