Tourist Information - Shimla

Location

Himachal Pradesh has beautiful natural sceneries and architectures. One the best well known is its hill station of Shimla. Shimla has been the summer capital of the British Raj and was called as the 'Queen of the Hill Stations'. Location of Shimla is at an altitude of 2159 metres and therefore it is always cool during the summers.

Shimla covers an area of 18 sq. km on a crescent shaped ridge. It includes many hills like the Jakhu, Prospect Hill, Observatory Hill, Elysium Hill and Summer Hill. The city is surrounded by forests of pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron. It is well connected by rail, road and air. Shimla is connected to Kalka by train which takes 6 hours. There is also an overnight train from Delhi which reaches Kalka early morning. From here you can catch the connecting narrow gauge train from here to Shimla.

Climate

Summer : 28 °C - 15 °C Winter : 7 °C - -4 °C

Best time to visit

May to July and September to November.

Tourist offices

Himachal Pradesh Tourist Office

Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation
Block No. 28, SDA Complex
171009 Shimla INDIA
Phone : 0177 - 2625864
Phone : Toll free : 1800-180-8077
Fax : 0177 - 2625864
Email : tourismmin-hp@nic.in Website: http://himachaltourism.gov.in

Short description

Shimla, was the Summer capital of India under British rule . Presently, it is the state capital of Himachal Pradesh, with its population around 1.6 lacs (Shimla town only). Shimla has seen many important historical events such as the famous Shimla Pact between India & Pakistan which was signed here. The place is also famous for its natural beauty, architectural buildings, wooden crafts and apples.

Languages

Pahadi, Hindi, Punjabi, English

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