Two days in Shimla from Delhi NCR: drive up early, walk the Mall and Ridge, climb to Jakhu, tour the Viceregal Lodge and get home by night, with train and bus options.
Quick summary
This 2-day Shimla itinerary from Delhi NCR covers the colonial core on Day 1 and Jakhu Temple and the Viceregal Lodge on Day 2, with realistic drive times on a road that takes about 8 hours each way with breaks. It is written for a Saturday–Sunday trip by car, with versions for the toy train and the overnight bus below. For background on the town, see the Shimla destination guide.
Before you go
- Do not plan Day 2 on a Monday or a national holiday: the Viceregal Lodge is closed then.
- Book a hotel with parking or near the Lift parking. Private cars cannot drive up to the Mall.
- Check the weather and road status from July to September (landslides on NH5) and after snowfall in winter.
- Sunset on the Ridge is around 5.20 pm in December, about 5.50 pm in mid-October and after 7 pm in late May and June. Adjust the Day 1 evening to match.
Day 1: Delhi to Shimla, the Mall and the Ridge
5.00 am: leave Delhi
Take NH44 north through Panipat, Karnal and Ambala. An early start keeps you ahead of the plains traffic and the weekend queue at the Parwanoo entry barrier. Stop for breakfast at a highway dhaba around Murthal or Karnal.
10.00 am: Zirakpur and Parwanoo
Turn onto NH5 at Zirakpur, past Pinjore, to the Himachal border at Parwanoo, where non-Himachal private cars pay the entry tax (₹170 from April 2026). The four-lane highway climbs from Parwanoo to Solan; expect work zones on the last stretch to Shimla.
1.00 pm: arrive in Shimla
Go straight to your hotel's parking or the Lift parking on the Cart Road. Do not try to drive up to the Mall side: those roads are sealed or restricted. Check in and have lunch.
3.00 pm: Mall Road
Take the public Lift from the Cart Road up to the Mall and walk east along Mall Road past the colonial shopfronts towards Scandal Point and the Gaiety Theatre. Stop at the Indian Coffee House if you want a coffee break.
4.00 pm: the Ridge and Christ Church
Walk onto the Ridge and visit Christ Church, consecrated in 1857, for its stained-glass windows. Then walk through Lakkar Bazaar, next to the Ridge, for its wooden handicrafts.
5.30 pm: sunset on the Ridge
Be back on the Ridge for the evening light and the promenade. In late spring and summer, sunset comes after 7 pm, so use the extra daylight for a longer walk along the Mall towards the Lift.
7.00 pm: dinner
Eat in Middle Bazaar or Lower Bazaar below the Mall, or at your hotel. Turn in early for the Jakhu walk.
Day 2: Jakhu, the Viceregal Lodge and the drive home
6.30 am: walk up to Jakhu Temple
From the Ridge, the path to Jakhu Temple is about 2.5 km and steep; allow 45 minutes to an hour up. In December and January, start at about 7.15 am, when it is light. At the top is the 33-metre Hanuman statue, with views over the town. Keep glasses, phones and food zipped away from the monkeys, and do not feed them.
8.30 am: breakfast in Lakkar Bazaar
Walk back down to the Ridge and have chana bhatura at Sita Ram in Lakkar Bazaar, or breakfast at your hotel.
9.45 am: Viceregal Lodge
Take a taxi to the Viceregal Lodge on Observatory Hill at the western end of town. The building opens at 9.30 am and the first guided tour starts at about 10.30 am; tours last about 30 minutes. Entry is ₹100 for Indian adults. Walk the lawns before or after the tour. Photography is not allowed inside.
11.30 am: check out and lunch
Head back, check out and have an early lunch near your hotel.
1.00 pm: leave Shimla
Leaving by early afternoon avoids the worst of the Sunday traffic heading down. Expect Solan by around 2.30 pm and Parwanoo by about 3.30 pm. Take a dinner break on NH44 and reach Delhi around 9 to 9.30 pm, depending on traffic at the city entry.
Toy train version
Day 1: take the Kalka Shatabdi (12011), which leaves New Delhi at 7.40 am and reaches Kalka about 11.40 am. Change to the Himalayan Queen (52455), which leaves Kalka at about 11.55 am and reaches Shimla around 5 pm. The connection is tight, so book both trains together as soon as the 60-day window opens and confirm timings on NTES. From Shimla station, take a taxi or walk up to your hotel, then head to the Ridge for the evening. In December and January, sunset is around 5.20 to 5.30 pm, so you will reach the Ridge around dusk; from March to October there is more light to spare.
Day 2: follow the same morning plan, then leave Shimla by taxi by about 1.30 pm for Kalka, about 80 km and 3 hours away. Catch the Kalka Shatabdi (12012), which leaves Kalka at 5.45 pm and reaches New Delhi at about 9.50 pm. Alternatively, take an afternoon HRTC bus back to Delhi.
Overnight bus version
Take an evening HRTC ordinary bus or Himsuta AC Volvo from Kashmere Gate ISBT; overnight services take about 9 to 10 hours and reach the ISBT at Tutikandi early in the morning. Start with breakfast and Jakhu, then the Viceregal Lodge, then Mall Road, the Ridge and Lakkar Bazaar in the afternoon and at sunset. Take a night bus back the same evening, or stay the night and follow Day 2 above. Check current departure times and book on the HRTC website.
If you have a third day
- Mashobra and Naldehra: forest, orchards and the Naldehra golf course, about 12 km and 22 km north.
- Kufri and Chail: Kufri, about 16 km away, for snow in winter, then on to Chail, about 44 km from Shimla, for the palace and the cricket ground at 2,444 m. Drive back before dark.
- Tattapani: hot springs on the Sutlej, roughly 50 km away down a long, steep descent. It is a full day out, so start early.
Details for each are in the guide to the best places to visit in Shimla.
Practical notes
- Pack a warm layer for evenings in every season, and proper winter clothing from December to February.
- Wear good walking shoes; the Mall area is all slopes and steps.
- From July to September, avoid driving during heavy-rain alerts, and do not stop beneath cut slopes.
- Carry some cash for small eateries, taxis and porters.
Estimate your spend with the Shimla trip cost breakdown and the fuel calculator, check the best time to visit Shimla, or adjust the plan in the trip planner.