The Ridge & Mall Road
Promenade · 2–3 hoursPedestrian, level, and the reason Shimla suits older travellers.
Hill station · Himachal Pradesh
The old summer capital, and still the most accessible hill station from Delhi. The Mall and Ridge are pedestrian and pleasant; everything else involves gradient, which matters if anyone in the party is older or unfit. Two nights covers it comfortably. The Kalka–Shimla toy train is a UNESCO line and a far better way to arrive than the road — five hours of switchbacks and tunnels rather than a queue on the ghat. Kufri is on every itinerary and is, honestly, the weakest thing here.
What to see
Pedestrian, level, and the reason Shimla suits older travellers.
Steep climb or the ropeway. Watch your belongings — the monkeys are practised.
UNESCO narrow gauge. Book weeks ahead in season.
On the Ridge. Second-oldest church in North India.
Durations
Shimla works well as a 2–3 night stay. Tell us your dates and party and we'll price a tailored itinerary.
Multi-city
The classic Himachal loop from Delhi. Long drives — worth knowing before you book if anyone travels badly by road.
Good to know
The Mall and Ridge are level and pedestrian, which makes it one of the better hill stations for that. Jakhoo and Kufri involve real climbing — take the ropeway or skip them.
It is on most itineraries and it is the weakest part of them. If your time is short, spend it on the Ridge and the toy train instead.
Nearby
Manali is two places: the crowded new town, and Old Manali and the Solang side, which is why you came. Three nights works because the drives are long …
View guide →Hill townThe seat of the Tibetan government in exile, and quite different in character from the rest of Himachal. McLeod Ganj above the main town is where visi…
View guide →Planned cityLe Corbusier's planned city, and for most travellers a staging post on the way to or from Himachal rather than a destination. It is unusually easy to …
View guide →Port cityKochi is where almost every Kerala trip starts and it is worth a night rather than a transfer. Fort Kochi is the old colonial quarter — Portuguese, Du…
View guide →Hill stationTea country at around 1,600 metres, and the coolest place in Kerala by a distance. The appeal is the landscape rather than any single sight — hillside…
View guide →BackwatersThe backwaters are the reason most people come to Kerala and a houseboat night is the way to see them properly. Boats leave around noon, cruise until …
View guide →Lake cityDal Lake and the Mughal gardens are the reason to come, and a houseboat night is the version of Srinagar people remember. The shikara ride at dawn — w…
View guide →Mountain resortA meadow at 2,650 metres that becomes India's main ski resort in winter. The gondola is the draw in either season and runs in two phases — the second,…
View guide →Plan it properly
We price the real configuration rather than an average — exact adults, children and rooms — and come back within one working day.