• May 26, 2025

Shimla Budget Trip Itinerary: A 3-Day Affordable Escape to the Queen of Hills

Himachal Pradesh is the most beautiful state in India. And the capital of Himachal Pradesh is Shimla. The place in the hill station that you will find most beautiful in India.

Every year, lakhs of tourists come to this hill station to visit Shimla, to enjoy the beautiful scenery here, and to cover all the places around Shimla.

📍 Why Shimla? – India’s Queen of Hills

However, what are the top attractions in Shimla that should be visited?

What are the places to eat and drink?

What should be your itinerary?

Where to book hotels?

How to do transportation?

And what will be your total expense?

These are all the questions that we do not know the answer to.

🗓️ This Blog at a Glance

First of all, we will tell you about Shimla and its best time to visit. After that, we will give you the information about the transportation and hotels there. Then we will tell you how many days you can cover Shimla and which attractions you should cover there.

And in the end, we will tell you how much it will cost you to do all this.

And along with that, we will also tell you about a travel agency from which you can book all these trips very easily and cheaply.

So read this blog till the end.

And we have also put a map guide in this blog. So click on that link and take the exact map location of all these places.

Let’s start the first section of today’s blog, in which we will talk about the About section of Shimla.

🗺️ Shimla Uncovered—History & Culture

Now if we talk about the history of Shimla, Shimla has been a very important city in India since ancient times.

The Britishers came here in the 18th century, and they declared this place their summer capital.

They built railroads in Shimla, and many such buildings were built in Shimla, which are still famous today.

And even after their departure, Shimla was an important place.

That is why today, Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh.

Now if we talk about the geography of Shimla, Shimla is located at an altitude of approximately 7500 feet from the sea level.

And it is one of the largest cities of India and Himachal Pradesh.

Shimla is also known as Maa Shaimala, which is also called Kaliwadi.

🌤️ Best Time to Visit – Seasons & Snowfall

Now, what would be the best time to visit Shimla?

Although there is a crowd in Shimla for 12 months, if you want to try different adventure sports in Shimla and want to enjoy the most outdoor activities, then you can come to Shimla from March to June.

Yes, this is the time of holidays, and at this time, there is the largest crowd in Shimla.

However, if you want to enjoy the snow of Shimla and want to see snowfall on the mountains of Shimla, then you can come from November to February.

Because at this time, you will get snow everywhere in Shimla.

Our suggestion would be not to come to Shimla from July to September because, due to rains, there can be a lot of trouble in Shimla.

But still, at this time, the rates of all Shimla hotels are the cheapest.

So this is the off-season of Shimla.

🧭 Shimla Map – Planning Your Route Around the City

Now, before visiting Shimla, you need to have an idea of the map of Shimla.

This is the map of Shimla, in which most of the attractions of Shimla are around the Mall Road.

Although there are many places to visit around Shimla, such as Kufri, Mashobra, or Chail, from where you can go on a day trip from Shimla.

🏞️ Top Places to Visit in Shimla – Complete 3-Day Itinerary

Now let’s talk about the top places to visit in Shimla.

What are the places in Shimla that you can visit, and what are their rules?

We will tell you the attractions of Shimla in the form of an itinerary because, according to us, if you want to visit Shimla properly, then you can make a plan for 2 nights and 3 days there.

In this, your 3-day itinerary of Shimla will look something like this, in which you can visit Shimla and its surrounding areas properly.

🗓️ Day 1 – Shimla City Highlights

In this itinerary, your day 1 in Shimla will look something like this: after coming to Shimla, check in at your hotel, and first of all, go on a tour of Shimla’s Mall Road, or The Ridge.

This is the most visited point of Shimla because this place connects many attractions of Shimla.

Like Mall Road, Scandal Point, or Lakkar Bazar, you can go to all these places from The Ridge.

The Ridge is an epicentre of Shimla, and here you will also see the Summer Festival, which is held in April and May.

If you want to see the spiritual side of Christianity, then do visit this Christ Church on Mall Road.

An amazing experience is waiting for you.

This place is made in the style of Neo-Gothic architecture, and the best thing is that it is absolutely free to go inside this church.

🛍️ Lakkar Bazaar – Shop & Snack

After visiting The Ridge, you can go ahead and visit Shimla’s famous Lakkar Bazar.

If you don’t want to buy branded items from Shimla’s Mall Road and want to shop from Shimla’s local markets, then Lakkar Bazar is the best place for you.

You will also get to eat Shimla’s best street food in Lakkar Bazar.

It is said that this is the market that is most important to visit while visiting Shimla’s Mall Road.

After visiting this Lakkar Bazar, you will definitely get the vibes of Shimla.

 📸 Scandal Point – Shimla’s Love Story

After visiting Lakkar Bazar, you will go a little ahead, and you will get to see Shimla’s Scandal Point.

What is so special about the Scandal Point?

It is a part of the Mall Road, there is nothing special about it, but the story here is very special.

Because of the same story, the name of this place was also Scandal Point.

This story is the love story of the Maharaja of Patiala.

It is said that he used to love a girl, and he chased her away and brought her here.

That is why the name of this place was named Scandal, because it was his love scandal.

That is why it was forbidden for him to come to Shimla.

After that, he built his palace in Chail.

And Chail is also a very famous place to visit around Shimla.

🕉️ Kalibari Temple – Spiritual Side of Shimla

After that, you can also go ahead and see Shimla’s Kalibari Temple.

Yes, you can visit Shimla’s Kalibari Temple while visiting the Mall Road here.

And here, Maa Kali is worshipped.

Here, Maa Kali is also known as Maa Shaimala.

And in her name, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is named.

This temple was built in 1845.

And after coming here, you will feel a different peace.

If you want to come away from the hustle and bustle of the city and want to sit in a peaceful place and worship, then Kalibari Temple is the best place for that.

🍽️ Lunch at Mall Road – What to Eat in Shimla

After visiting the Kalibari Temple, you can go to the Mall Road in Shimla for lunch, which is the most famous place in Shimla.

So guys, we have come to 0 Degree, and we saw the menu here.

They have all the cuisines—Italian, Mexican, and Indian—all three cuisines.

So we tried it here.

There is a burger platter here.

Small burgers come together, three together, veg and non-veg.

So there are different colors, different flavors, different tastes.

So try that.

And along with that, I have made caramel cold coffee.

So now I will eat and tell you how it is.

🐒 Jhaku Temple & Ropeway – Highest Point of Shimla

After lunch, you can go to Dhaku Temple, for which you will have to take the ropeway there.

Dhaku Temple is located on the Jhaku Hills of Shimla, which is the highest point of Shimla.

And here you will also get to see a very high idol of Lord Hanuman.

Dhaku Temple is about 2.5 km from the Mall Road of Shimla.

Or to come here, you can also use the ropeway service here, in which the ticket on one side will be Rs. 250.

After coming up, you can also visit Dhaku Maharaj Ji here.

And you will get the best view of Shimla on this hill.

So this is how your first day in Shimla will pass.

In which you roamed Shimla’s famous Darij, Lakkad Bazaar, Candle Point, Kalibari Temple, Mall Road, and Dhaku Temple.

🗓️ Day 2 Itinerary – Mashobra, Kufri & Chail

Now the itinerary of the second day of Shimla will look like this.

In which you will go to the area around Shimla.

In which the taxi there will take you around this place for Rs. 2,500-3,000.

In which your first place will be Mashobra.

🌲 Mashobra Attractions – Nature Park & Talai Kali Temple

Mashobra is about half an hour away from Shimla.

And this is a very good area.

Where you can see the Talai Kali Temple first.

So guys, the second place to visit in Mashobra, is the Karig Nano Nature Park here.

Yes, this is a nature park, in which you will have to buy a ticket for Rs. 60.

And after going inside, what all you will get here.

Brother, the biggest thing here is that you will get a tree house.

Second, you will get a children’s park here.

And along with that, you will get a lot of picturesque views here.

You will get a butterfly garden.

And you will get a maple area, where you will get to see very beautiful vegetation.

❄️ Kufri in Winters – Snow Adventures, Horse Rides & Scenic Views

After visiting Mashobra, if you go a little further, you can visit Shimla’s famous place, Kufri.

By the way, Kufri is a place where it is better you come in winter.

Because in the whole of Kufri, you will see a snow-covered area.

And from this Kufri, after doing a horse ride for about half an hour, you can go further up, where you will get to see the most beautiful viewpoint of Kufri, a temple, and a shooting point.

That’s why Kufri is also a must-visit if you are coming to visit Shimla.

🏰 Chail – The Royal Retreat & Kali Tibba Temple

Now either you can spend the whole day in Kufri, or if you have time left, you can visit the Chail near Shimla.

So guys, the next place to visit in Chail, is the Chail Palace here.

Yes, this is a very beautiful palace, which is situated in the area of Chail.

And to come here, you have to pay Rs. 200 for a ticket.

After visiting the Chail Palace, we went to visit the second biggest place of Chail, which was called the Kali Tibba Temple.

The most special thing about this Kali Tibba Temple, is that from here, you get a 360-degree view of the entire Himachal mountains.

Yes, on one side, you can see the Himalayan ranges, and on the other side, you can see the beautiful valley of Shimla.

🗓️ Day 3 – Kasol to Sola

Now the itinerary of Shimla’s Day 3, will look something like this.

The first place to visit in this, is the Kasoli, which is situated on the way back to Shimla.

🛍️ Heritage Market Kasol – A Hidden Gem

Our next place in Kasoli, is the heritage market of Kasoli.

Yes, the heritage market of Kasoli.

It is not a very big market, but it is one of the biggest attractions of Kasoli.

Because the heritage market that you can see behind me, you may not get to see such a market anywhere else.

You can come to this market only after entering the army camp area of Kasoli.

And the most special point of Kasoli’s Mall Road, is the heritage market of Kasoli.

Along with Kasoli, there is one more place that you can visit, which is Solan.

So, in your itinerary of these 3 days, you have visited the places around Shimla.

Tour Package Booking – Spin on Holidays

We tell you again, that you can book this Shimla package, from Spin on Holidays.

Because this is the agency from which we had booked.

And, they made a plan for our hotel, transportation, food, and attractions, which was perfect for us.

So, you can click the link here and book your trip to Shimla.

🚗 How to Reach Shimla – By Flight, Train & Road

Now, let’s talk about the transportation of Shimla.

How to reach Shimla, and which modes of transportation you can use,

First of all, you can reach Shimla by flight, train, and by car.

Via Flight: If you want to go to Shimla by flight, then the nearest airport of Shimla is, Chandigarh Airport, and, the airport of Shimla, which is called Jubbarhatti Airport.

Guide: Although you will get very few flights to Jubbarhatti Airport of Shimla, you will get daily flights to Chandigarh Airport. From here, you can come to Shimla by taxi.

🚂 Kalka–Shimla Toy Train – UNESCO Heritage Experience

If you want to go to Shimla by train, then first, you will have to come to Shimla, to Chandigarh.

And, after that, you will have to take the Shimla Toy Train, which will take you from Kalka, to Shimla.

From Kalka to Shimla, there is a Toy Train, which, on the way, many beautiful valleys, This is such a famous train, that, to book it, you may have to book it, 15-20 days before, or even a month before.

So, you must do this Shimla Toy Train, whenever you come to this area.

Yes, in the list of UNESCO World Heritage, this Toy Train, from Kalka to Shimla.

From Kalka to Shimla, this Toy Train, passing through the mountains, through many tunnels, and, through many bridges, and, showing many beautiful valleys, takes you from Kalka to Shimla.

The most beautiful valleys, you will get, in this Toy Train ride.

From Kalka to Shimla, this train, takes approximately, 5-5.5 hours.

And, this train service is available to you, from Kalka.

You can book this ticket, on the official website, of IRCTC.

From Kalka to Shimla, this Toy Train, you can take it, in 3 train services.

In which, the first one is, Rail Motor Car, which runs, from 5 am to 10 pm.

And, takes you to Shimla, at 9.50 am.

And, its price starts, at Rs. 510 per ticket.

The second train is, Shivalik Deluxe Express, which starts, from Kalka, at 5.20 am.

And, takes you to Shimla at 10 pm.

And, its ticket price  at Rs. 470.

The third train is, Himalayan Queen, which starts, at 12.10 pm.

And, takes you to Shimla, at 5.30 pm.

And, its train ticket price starts, at Rs. 235.

🚌 Bus Routes & Self-Drive Options

Now, if you want to come to Shimla by Road, then, there are many buses from Delhi to Shimla, which you can get from, Delhi’s ISBT, Kashmiri Gate, and Majnu’s Teela.

And, Shimla is directly connected, to many big states of North India, by bus.

Like, Chandigarh, Delhi, Kurukshetra, Manali, and Uttar Pradesh.

🚖 Intra-City Travel – Taxi, Government Lift & Two-Wheeler Rentals

Now, if we talk about, intra-city transportation, how to travel in Shimla.

So, the most effective way, is by Taxi.

Yes, local side scene, you can travel by Taxi, in which, a day’s taxi fare, can be Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000.

However, Shimla’s main attraction, is near its Mall Road, where, no cars are allowed.

And, to go to Shimla’s Mall Road, you can use Shimla’s, government lift.

This lift, will take you to Shimla’s Mall Road, And, there is parking outside this lift.

So, if you have come by car, then you can park your car, and go to Shimla’s Mall Road, by its lift.

After which, you can walk, most of Shimla’s attractions.

Like, Shimla’s Darraj, Candle Point, Lakkad Bazaar, Kalibari Temple, Mall Road, and, Jhaku Temple.

If you want to roam around Shimla, then, you can take your daily taxi, and roam around Shimla.

If you are single, or a couple, then, you can hire a two-wheeler, so that, you can easily roam around Shimla.

This two-wheeler, you can get in Shimla, for Rs. 600 per day.

🏨 Where to Stay in Shimla – Hotel Recommendations & Locations

Now, let’s talk about hotels in Shimla.

Where can you get good hotels in Shimla?

And which are those hotels?

If you want to know the best locations of hotels in Shimla, then, according to us, Shimla’s two best locations are, first, getting a hotel near its Mall Road.

Yes, in Shimla’s Mall Road, no car can go there, but there are some hotels in Shimla whose entry, is near the lift of Shimla’s Mall Road, in which you can stay in that hotel, and directly, that hotel is on Shimla’s Mall Road.

And, if you want to get a hotel in Shimla, then, its second-best location would be, getting a hotel 3-4 km away from Shimla’s Mall Road.

Why is this?

This is because Shimla is a very busy city, and, around its Mall Road, there are often traffic jams and crowds.

If you want to avoid this traffic jam, then you can get a hotel 3-4 km away from Shimla’s Mall Road.

Like, we did.

We took a hotel in Shimla, MNP Hotel, from where the lift to Shimla’s Mall Road was only 10 minutes away.

And the view we got from this hotel was the best.

Some good hotels in Shimla are The Mountain Valley View by MNP Hotels, Apple Rose Resort, and Agrawal Regency.

These hotels provide you with rooms in Shimla on a very budget, and we liked their location the most.

The best price of these hotels you will get only from Gyan Rachana Tours.

So, if you want to book Shimla’s package, then get it from Gyan Rachana Tours.

Now, let’s talk about the cost of your Shimla trip.

In Shimla, if you are coming by flight, then your ticket to and from Shimla will cost around 7,000-8,000 rupees per person.

But if you come from Delhi by bus to Shimla, then you will have to pay 800-1,000 rupees per person.

In which your ticket to and from Shimla will cost around 2,000 rupees.

In Shimla, if you are choosing a budget hotel, then, according to us, you will have to book a two-night hotel.

In which a budget hotel will cost around 6,000 rupees and a luxury hotel will cost around 10,000 rupees.

In Shimla, the cost of transportation is not that high.

If you hire your own two-wheeler, then your cost will be around 1,500 rupees.

And, if you travel by taxi, then your cost will be around 5,000 rupees.

In Shimla, your food will cost around 1,500-3,000 rupees.

According to this, a very budget trip, if you are a solo traveller, will cost around 11,000 rupees.

But an average trip with your family, per person, will cost around 25,000 rupees per person.

Conclusion 

So, guys, this was our complete travel guide to Shimla. I hope you liked this blog. If you have any questions, then do write in the comments.

So it was very nice to be with you again.

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• Shimla Budget Trip Itinerary