Shimla, The Queen of Hills, is a small beautiful town praised and celebrated by tourists for its breathtaking locales and quaint hotspots. You just need one day for sightseeing in Shimla. However, a two-day Shimla tour will be comfortable if you’re traveling up to Kufri.
Day 1 itinerary of Shimla Tour
Jakhu Temple
It’s an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The temple rests on top of the Jakhu Hill at an altitude of 2455m, the highest point in Shimla. The Jakhu Temple lodges a colossal 108 ft. tall Hanuman statue among other murals, paintings and smaller idols. The temple can be reached either by trekking, resorting to a pony ride or availing the awe-inspiring Jakhu Ropeway. A 6-minute ride of the ropeway gondola takes you to the temple while offering picturesque views of Himalayan hills. The temple is superabundant with friendly monkeys.
The Himachal State Museum
It’s situated atop Mount Pleasant just about a kilometer away from the railway station. The museum and its conjoined library were built in 1974.The opulent building with spellbinding colonial architecture amidst lavishly appointed lawns preserves the state’s bountiful cultural heritage and exquisite archaeological artifacts.
The Ridge
It’s an expansive open space that acts as a veritable hotspot for tourists visiting Shimla. The Mall Road which embraces the Ridge is home to a major shopping arena. Other unmistakable scenic places like Jakhu Hill, Scandal Point and Lakkar Bazar are linked to the Ridge. It offers prepossessing views of snow-topped Himalayan ranges, dense oak woods and blooming rhododendrons. The arena holds the annual Summer Festival famed for its gaiety and exuberance.
Day 2 itinerary of Shimla Tour
Kufri
A tiny and charming hill station, Kufri has garnered immense popularity as a ski resort. It boasts of the state’s oldest skiing slopes. In addition, Kufri offers latitudes for adventurous trekking and hiking trails. Renowned for its gratifying climate and stunning natural beauty, Kufri is a perfect retreat for nature aficionados and wildlife enthusiasts with the vast reserves of the Himalayan Nature Parksituated close by. Kufri is also famous for its distinctive and pleasurable Yak or a Pony Ride.
Kali Bari Temple
Highly revered as a prominent pilgrimage, the temple is dedicated to Shyamala, an incarnation of Goddess Kali. It’s believed that the name Shimla has its origin from the name of the presiding deity made from blue wood. Consecrated in 1845, Kali Bari offers devotees an opportunity to pray and pay obeisance to Kali’s various avatars that are enshrined inside the sanctum. The temple bears testimony to great fervor and devoutness during the Navratri and Durga Pooja festivals when thousands of pilgrims throng the spot.
Vice Regal Lodge
Designed and constructed by British architect Henry Irwin in 1880, the building was made from local pine and cedar woods to bring a Jacobethan style architectural marvel to fruition.Girdled by sweeping pine trees and sprawling gardens on all sides, the building currently serves as the center for the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS). It was chosen as the venue for the Shimla Conference held in 1945.With only its entrance hall and grounds open to general public, the place is an ideal haven for scholars and the best minds.
