Nomad Saikat
Shimla, a quaint hill station located in the foothills of the Himalayas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Once the summer capital of the British, this is currently a favourite summer destination for many tourists as well. A lot of people visit here to get a little respite from the summer as the temperature there is always pleasant. With breathtaking views and lush greenery this is also one of the picturesque locations that you can visit. With various sightseeing spots, toy train rides, adventure activities the site definitely offers a lot to its visitors. However that is one of the main reasons why this location is one of the loved hill stations as well. But to visit there you definitely need to know how to reach Shimla from various locations.
How to Reach Shimla
No matter whichever part of the country you are in you can reach this location and I will share how to reach Shimla from major locations. This will be a helpful read for you as you will get an insight about how you can travel to this hill station. Here I will mention everything about how to reach Shimla along with flight, train and bus details and distances. So keep on reading so that you can plan a trip to this beautiful location as soon as you can.
From Delhi
By air
The nearest airport to reach Shimla is the Jubbarhatti airport but communication by this route is not very convenient. This is not a very popular or functional airport and flights are also very less and infrequent. So in that case if you are travelling from Delhi to reach Shimla by flight the next nearest airport is the Chandigarh airport. You can get regular flights from Delhi to reach Chandigarh and you can reach there in about 1 hour. The flight fare usually starts from Rs. 2500. So you can opt for that to reach Chandigarh. From Chandigarh there are multiple options to travel to Shimla. You can take a bus or a taxi to reach there conveniently in about 3 and a half hours.
By train
If you are travelling by train from Delhi to reach Shimla the nearest railway station is the Chandigarh Railway Station. There are basically no direct trains to reach Shimla from Delhi. From Delhi to Chandigarh the train goes through a broad gauge line and from there, it is a narrow gauge line. Kalka is the nearest railway station if you are going to Shimla. From Chandigarh however you can get trains to reach Kalka. And from Kalka you can reach Shimla by the Kalka Shimla Toy Train. It can be extremely exciting as a journey to travel to Shimla from Kalka. The ride is scenic and offers breathtaking views.
From Delhi there are trains to reach Kalka. These are KLK Shatabdi Express, UHL Janshatabdi Express, Kalka Shatabdi, Paschim Express, Netaji Express etc. It takes around 4 hours to reach there. And from Kalka the distance to Shimla is about 96 km by train and it takes about 5 to 7 hours to reach here. It can be a unique experience to travel via this route for sure because of the beauty it offers.
By road
If you wish to travel by road then you can get buses from Delhi to Shimla. There are regular buses, AC Buses, Sleeper Buses as well as Volvo Buses as well. You will also find some night buses to complete this distance as well. From Delhi the total distance to Shimla by road is about 343 km. if you are travelling by bus then it would take around 7 hours to 10 hours to reach there. The bus fares vary according to the type of buses and start from Rs. 500.
You can also travel by your own vehicle as well or you can take a cab as well. There are multiple routes to reach there from Delhi. The shortest route is via Panipat, Karnal, Kurukhshetra, Ambala, Pinjore, Kasauli and finally Shimla. Via this route it would take around 7-8 hours to reach there from Delhi.
From Mumbai
By air
If you are travelling by air then the Jubbarhatti Airport is the nearest airport to reach Shimla. But the airport is not very functional. So in that case the nearest airport to reach there would be the Chandigarh Airport. You can get regular flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh and it would take around 2 hours and 50 minutes to reach there. And then from Chandigarh the easiest and most convenient way is to take a cab to Shimla. From Chandigarh it would take around 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel to Shimla and the distance by road is 113 km.
By train
There are no direct trains from Mumbai to reach Shimla and the nearest railway station is the Kalka Railway Station. You can take trains like Sampark Kranti or Paschim Express to reach there. It would take approximately 28 hours to reach Kalka from Mumbai. And from Kalka you can opt for the Kalka Shimla toy train to reach there. By train it would take about 7 to 8 hours to travel to Shimla from Kalka. Also you can even take a cab from Kalka as well and the distance to Shimla is about 87 km. You can reach there by road in about 2 hours and 42 minutes.
From Chandigarh
By road
The most convenient way to reach Shimla from Chandigarh would be to travel by buses. You can find multiple buses from Chandigarh to reach there and the distance is 114 km. It would approximately take around 3 hours to 4 hours to travel by bus to Shimla. The bus fare starts from Rs. 250 and ranges up to Rs. 1700. You will get AC buses, Non AC Buses, Volvo Buses plying on this route and the bus fare ranges depending on the type of buses you are travelling in.
However you can travel by your own vehicle as well. In that case you can reach there from Chandigarh in about 3 hours and 25 minutes. Also you can opt for taxis as well from Chandigarh. The fare usually starts from Rs. 2300. While travelling in a car you will have to pass through Bilaspur and Kurali to enter Shimla finally. However the shortest route from Chandigarh is through Panchkula, Saproon, Mansar and Kashmari and finally Shimla. So if you are travelling from Chandigarh by road the journey can be enjoyable and scenic at the same time.
From Kolkata
By air
If you are travelling by air then it would be convenient to take a flight to Chandigarh from Kolkata. You will get regular flights to reach Chandigarh from Kolkata. The aerial distance from Kolkata to Chandigarh is 1459 km. It would take around 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the Chandigarh airport from Kolkata. The flight fare starts from Rs. 6500. From Chandigarh there are multiple options to go to Shimla. You can take a cab or a taxi or hire a car to reach there. Buses are available from Chandigarh as well to reach there which you can opt for.
By train
If you are travelling by train then the nearest railway station is the Kalka Railway Station. There are trains like Netaji Express or Kalka Mail that you can opt for to reach Kalka. The ticket price starts from Rs. 900. It would take around 29 hours to reach Kalka from Kolkata and from Kalka you can easily take a cab to Shimla, or else you can also take the Kalka Shimla Toy Train as well if you wish to cover this scenic journey.
By road
You can also travel by road if you wish to go to Shimla from Kolkata. The total road distance is 1889 km and it would take around 33 hours to reach there. You can take buses to reach Chandigarh as well. And from Chandigarh again you can take another bus to reach Shimla.
From Chennai
By air
If you wish to travel by air from Chennai to Shimla then there is no direct flight connectivity to reach from one location to the other. However there are alternate options though to reach there from Chennai. You can take a flight to Chandigarh airport from Chennai first. From Chandigarh you can take a bus or a cab to Shimla. Alternatively you can also take a flight to Kullu and from there you can opt for buses to go to Shimla. Another option is to take a flight to Delhi from Chennai. And from there you can either take a bus or take a train to Shimla.
From Chennai it would take around 5 hours to reach Chandigarh. And from Chennai it takes 9 hours to reach Kullu and it takes 3 hours to reach Delhi from Chennai by flight. Flight fare stars from Rs. 3500 and ranges up to Rs. 12,000.
By train
Again there is no direct train connectivity between Chennai and Shimla. To go to Shimla from Chennai there are interconnecting trains that you need to opt for. The shortest option would be to take a train from Chennai to reach Delhi first. From Delhi you can get buses to Shimla. It would take around 33 hours to reach Delhi from Chennai and from Delhi you can go to Shimla in about 8 to 9 hours by road.
By road
The total road distance to reach Shimla from Chennai is 2534 km and it will take around 46 hours to cover the journey. With halts in between you can drive through your own vehicle or take a cab or a car to reach there as well. However you can also opt for buses as well. However you can take buses from Chennai to reach Delhi as well and it will take 23 hours to reach there. From Delhi again you can get buses to Shimla which would take around 10 to 11 hours to reach. So you can opt for that as well.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the options on how to reach Shimla from major locations. You can easily travel to these nearest destinations as well if you are travelling to Shimla. Here I have shared most of the details about the journey to Shimla. Let me know if there is anything else that you would like to know more about. You simply cannot miss out on visiting this hill station and enjoy the pristine beauty of the location. So when are you planning a trip to Shimla and from which location? Also let me know if this particular article on how to reach Shimla is helpful for you in planning a trip there.
