Shimla location

Shimla also called queen of the hills and capital city of Himachal Pradesh,  lies in the north-western ranges of the Himalayas. The latitude and longitude of Shimla is 31.61°N and 77.10°E respectively. The average altitude of Shimla is 2397.59 meters (7866.10 ft) above mean sea level, the city is spread on a ridge and its seven hills. The highest point in Shimla is the Jakhoo hill at 2454 meters (8051 ft) which also has the famous Jakhoo temple. The closest river is the Sutlej about 21 km from Shimla at Tattapani.

Shimla being a famous tourist spot as well as the capital of Himachal Pradesh is well connected by road, rail and air. The heritage narrow gauge toy train has also found its place in the list of UNESCO heritage sites. The travel to Shimla by rail and road is itself a distinct experience as the tracks pass through lovely mountains and valleys and the view changes at every turn.

Shimla by road

Shimla lies on Ambala Khab National highway number 22. Khab is near China border so this road is also called Hindustan Tibet Road. The hill stretch starts from Kalka onward. Shimla is 90 kilometers from Kalka, 117 kilometers from Chandigarh, 162 kilometers from Ambala and 370 kilometers from New Delhi. Travel time by car from Kalka is 2.5 hours, Chandigarh 3 hours, Ambala 4 hours and New Delhi 8 hours. The road from Chandigarh to Shimla is well maintained and there are a number of eating joints along the highway where you can find veg non veg both. With the commissioning of a new 10 kilometers long Pinjore Parwanoo four laned Bye-pass the highway is now rid of traffic jams  on the narrow stretch between Pinjore Kalka and Parwanoo.

Delhi to Shimla Volvo Buses

Shimla By train

Kalka is the nearest broad gauge rail head from Shimla and is well connected by major cities in India including Chandigarh, Delhi and Mumbai. The Kalka to Shimla section is connected by the UNESCO heritage 90 kilometers long narrow gauge railway track. The ravel time between Kalka and Shimla by train is 5.5 hours. The Himalayan Queen, Railcar and the Shivalik Deluxe are the major toy trains. They are connected with the Howrah Kalka Mail and  Shatabdi Express and Himalayan Queen trains from Delhi.

Kalka Shimla toy train | Kalka Shimla train time table

Shimla by Air

The nearest airport from Shimla is the Jubbarhattii Airport. It is situated at a distance of 28 km from Shimla. Indian Airlines, Jagson and Deccan airlines operate limited regular flights for Shimla from Chandigarh, Delhi, Dharamsala and Kullu. The services are unreliable and remain suspended for months due to commercial non viability and exit of service providers.

The distance from Shimla airport to the Mall Road (city center)  can be covered in about one hour by taxis which are easily available. As the airstrip is small only small planes can land at this airport

The preferred airport is Chandigarh (120 Kms from Shimla). Chandigarh has better air connectivity with other Indian cities than the Shimla airport. Indian Airlines, Kingfisher, Deccan, Go air, Jet airways operate multiple daily regular flights.

Delhi to Shimla by road | car | Volvo buses

Delhi to Shimla Distance

Delhi to Shimla distance by road is 360 kilometers and travel time by road is 7 to 10 hours. Delhi Chandigarh Shimla road map in graphical presentation for easy understanding

Delhi to Shimla by Road

While travelling from Delhi to Shimla you will pass through Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra & then Ambala on national highway number 1. From Ambala the highway will branch out. One goes to Amritsar and the other one towards Chandigarh. You need to take the Chandigarh one. After about 45 kms you will reach Panchkula. From Panchkula proceed on to Kalka. The hill terrain of around 90 kms starts from Kalka. Overall Shimla from Delhi is around 360 kms and takes about 7-8 hours by car.

Delhi to Shimla by car

The national highway connection Shimla with Chandigarh is an excellent road including the hill stretch with many food joints along the highway (7 hours from Delhi, 3 hours from Chandigarh). Journey from Chandigarh to Shimla by car is cozy drive as the national highway is well maintained as compared to other hill roads so you can plan your trip easily.

The road to Shimla is a foodie’s delight. Don’t miss the food at Giani Ka Dhaba at Dharampur ( 50 Kms from Chandigarh), between Kalka and Shimla. Dharampur along the highway now has nearly 36 well-established dhabas, restaurants and fast food joints.

If you want to go to Kasauli then take a left just after Dharampur. For Chail, go till Kandaghat, and take a right. For Shoghi, go straight till Shoghi. For Shimla, simply keep going.

There is never a boring moment on this road. The eating joints lined up on both sides of the road and the cool breeze from the hills make for a heady combination.

Parking issues in Shimla

Shimla is congested town and one can face parking problem if coming by own vehicle. Main parking places in Shimla are near Lift, N ear. Hotel Holiday Home, Main Bus Stand, Railway Station Godown, High Court Parking. MC Parking largest in Shimla town situated just 100 meters away from lift has capacity for about 400 vehicles at a time.

Delhi Shimla Taxi service

One way pick up and drop taxi services are available between Delhi and Shimla. All kind of vehicles are available all 24 hours a day. Find more details on taxi fare and types of vehicles available at this link: Delhi Shimla taxi service

Delhi to Shimla Bus Services, Volvo, Deluxe and Semi Deluxe

There is 24 hours bus service from Chandigarh (travel time 4 hours) and Delhi ( travel time 9 hours) and buses depart at short intervals of time. Both ordinary and luxury buses are available. Some transport agencies are running deluxe VOLVO coaches also. Check with the concerned authorities for the timings and bookings. Buses are frequently available from Chandigarh to Shimla at a gap of half an hour.

New Delhi to Shimla Volvo buses by HRTC and HPTDC

Himachal Roadways, HRTC and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation ( HPTDC) is operating VOLVO Air Conditioned Volvo Buses ( 2X2 ) to and from Delhi to Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala. Theses buses are equipped with latest and comfortable facilities to the passengers. These buses reach Chandigarh after fours hours of departing from Shimla and five hours from departing from Delhi.

HRTC Advance reservation counters in Delhi

ISBT Kashmiri Gate

Advance Reservation Counter No. 40 & 8, 1st Floor, ISBT Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi-110 001

Timings 7:00AM to 9:00PM, Telephone Number:  91-11-23868694, 91-11-23863473

HRTC Traffic Manager: 099687-74008

HRTC Counter at Himachal Bhavan

H.R.T.C. Advance Reservation Counter, Himachal Bhawan Camps,  Mandi House, New Delhi, 110001

Timings: 2.00 PM to 8:00 PM, Contact Number:  092124-02085

Online booking of HRTC buses can be done at this link: https://hrtc.gov.in/hrtctickets/

Bus time table Delhi Chandigarh and Chandigarh Shimla HRTC bus services

S.No	Source	Destination	Bus Type	Departure	Arrival	Fare
1	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	06:45	16:30	980/-
2	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	08:00	17:30	980/-
3	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	09:25	19:00	980/-
4	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	11:55	22:30	980/-
5	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	21:02	07:15	980/-
6	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	21:36	07:00	980/-
7	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	22:00	08:00	980/-
8	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	22:30	08:30	980/-
9	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Volvo	23:00	08:00	980/-
10	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	2X2 AC	19:24	6:29	730/-
11	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	2X2 AC	20:24	07:15	730/-
12	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	2X2  Non AC	08:05	19:00	620/-
13	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	2X2  Non AC	21:00	08:15	620/-
14	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	22:30	08:45	450/-
15	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	08:50	18:50	450/
16	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	11:00	22:00	450/
17	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	12:30	22:15	450/
18	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	15:30	01:30	450/
19	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	16:50	01:30	450/
20	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	17:59	04:15	450/
21	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	18:31	05:30	450/
22	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	19:30	05:30	450/
23	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	20:10	06:15	450/
24	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	20:30	06:30	450/
25	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	21:25	07:40	450/
26	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	21:58	07:45	450/
27	Delhi  ISBT	Shimla	Ordinary	23:40	09:30	450/

HPTDC  Delhi Shimla Volvo bus timings fare and contact numbers

For information, queries and reservation of HPTDC buses, please contact at following reservation telephone numbers:  Dharamsala: 01892-224212; Manali: 01902-252116 ; New Delhi: 011-23717473, 011-23325320; Shimla: 0177-2800073, 0177-2652561

Online booking of HPTDC ( Himachal Tourism) buses can be done at this link: https://www.hptdc.nic.in/bus.htm

S. No	Source	Destination	Bus type	Departure	Bus Fare
1	Himachal Bhavan Delhi	Shimla	Volvo	8:30 PM	880