3-5 hour Day Hikes, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Go for amazing, scenic, adventurous & insightful day treks in Shimla through deodar, chestnut & oak treeline. Shimla Day Hikes are the best way to explore and photograph the scenic outskirts of Rupshu region.
The best way to get to know Shimla is to walk on some of its quiet roads. Inspite of a lot of construction in recent years, some of these roads still retain a certain charm. They bring out the stark contrast between Simla, the erstwhile summer capital of British India and Shimla, the present day capital of Himachal Pradesh. There are enchanting experiences to be found in deodar and oak woods, pleasant weather, deep blue skies, the play of shade and light as you walk through the groves of trees and new vistas opening up after every curve.
It is a pleasure to explore this hill town all year round. On a bright winter day, when you venture out all wrapped in woolens, your breath condenses. The chill necessitates frequent stop at roadside dhabas for a glass of hot, sweet and strong tea. In summer, the pleasant cool winds are a welcome relief from the scorching heat of the plains. Autumn is wonderful with deep blue skies and wild flowers. The old oak, horse chestnuts and rhododendrons shed their older leaves amidst the majestic conifers. The monsoons are a good time to be here if you don’t mind a little dampness. This is the time when the town is at its quietest, not too many tourists, gentle rain and mist and, when the skies clear, the most awesome sunsets !
A walk on the lawns of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (the former Viceregal Lodge) on a rain-washed, foggy afternoon can be a wonderful experience. On these walks you can stop and sit in the rain shelters with sloping tin roofs or on roadside parapets – not because you are tired but because it is a pleasure to just sit and watch the mists rising and settling around you.
Delicious hot food like rice, rajma, karhi, chapatis and stuffed paranthas, besides a variety of other cuisines are available at dhabas and restaurants, all over Shimla and its suburbs like Summer Hill, Boileauganj, Chhota Shimla, Sanjauli, Dhali and Mashobra.
One road goes to Jakhu Temple (climbs up to the right, or north), the other goes to Ramchandra Chowk (goes straight and descends south-west) while the third one goes to Rich Mount (descends to the right, or north). Follow the road to Rich Mount, a residential area, and then on to Dream Land Hotel before descending back to the Ridge visible below. Enjoy the view of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks to the north-west as you walk past the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (popularly known as Snowdon Hospital). Bask in the silence, birdsong and dappled sunlight on your way to Five Benches, and finish your walk, with mouth-watering chaat on top of the Ridge, at Taka Bench.
Start at the Ridge and head north to Lakkar Bazaar and then turn east for Sanjauli (3km). At Sanjauli Chowk, turn to your right (south-west) and move up a narrow road ascending steeply up to Jakhu Hill. This road leads to the boy’s hostel of Indira Gandhi Medical College. The climb end at the point where the road forks. Take the road going left (south). The road to the right leads to the hostels and then back to Lakkar bazaar. Called the Upper Forest Road, the left hand road heads towards Indus Hospital. After about a kilometre, there is another bifurcation, follow the road going up to the right. It leads to a place called Five Benches (no benches now). At Five Benches, three roads branch off.
₹ 1,750 per person Group Tours (Min 5-7 pax)
₹ 2,750 per person Custom Tours (Min 2-3 pax)
Ex Shimla
*5% GST applicable on trek charges
Inclusions – veg. snacks, juices, lunch + permits & trek guide
Exclusions – personal expenses on food & transport
Start at the Ridge and climb east up to Hotel Dreamland, and then to Rothney Castle. A proper road leads to the Hanuman Temple on the Jakhu Hill (2,453m). Legend claims that Lord Hanuman stopped here when he was carrying the sanjeeevani booti (the miracle herb) to cure Lakhshman, who was injured in a battle with Ravan. Descend the same way or wind down to the Five Benches on the Forest Walk (described earlier).
₹ 1,750 per person Group Tours (Min 5-7 pax)
₹ 2,750 per person Custom Tours (Min 2-3 pax)
Ex Shimla
*5% GST applicable on trek charges
Inclusions – veg. snacks, juices, lunch + permits & trek guide
Exclusions – personal expenses on food & transport
Start from the Mall and walk west to the Vidhan Sabha. Follow the road going down to the right (north). Past the HP State Electricity Board Office and a concrete rain shelter, the road turns right to descend to the Anandale Meadow (a golf course now), while a broad path goes on straight before descending left to the Glen.
₹ 1,750 per person Group Tours (Min 5-7 pax)
₹ 2,750 per person Custom Tours (Min 2-3 pax)
Ex Clouds End
*5% GST applicable on trek charges
Inclusions – veg. snacks, juices, lunch + permits & tour guide
Exclusions – personal expenses on food & transport
Start from the Mall heading south-east to Chhota Shimla. The road goes past Oak Over, official residence of the Chief Minister. Take the road going left, leading to Raj Bhavan (the erstwhile Barnes Court), the governor’s residence. It was in this historic building that the 1972 Shimla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. At the entrance of the Raj Bhavan, take the going left(north-east) to Nav-Bahar. This road is known as the Lovers Lane. It is a quiet road winding through oak and conifer trees, past Churail Baori (the witches’s spring) to the crossroads above St Bede’s College. From here, you can take a bus back to Shimla, if you don’t feel like walking !
₹ 1,750 per person Group Tours (Min 5-7 pax)
₹ 2,750 per person Custom Tours (Min 2-3 pax)
Ex Clouds End
*5% GST applicable on trek charges
Inclusions – veg. snacks, juices, lunch + permits & trek guide
Exclusions – personal expenses on food & transport
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