How to reach Shimla, Flights, Buses and Taxi to Shimla

How to Reach Shimla

The nearest broad gauge railway station from Shimla is in Kalka which is 89 km away. One can either take a taxi, local bus or the toy train to Shimla. Shimla is easily accessible via road too and Chandigarh-Shimla highway is in good condition and it only takes around 3 and a half hours to reach here from Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the nearest major airport from Shimla and is around 113 km away. The nearest airport is Jubbarhatti Airport which is 25 km away from the heart of Shimla, however, this airport occasionally functions with limited flights from Delhi.

Most frequently searched routes to Shimla

Route Name	Distance	Time	More Information
Chandigarh to Shimla	114 km	3 hours 24 mins	View Details
Delhi to Shimla	344 km	6 hours 44 mins	View Details
Manali to Shimla	247 km	6 hours 41 mins	View Details
Amritsar to Shimla	335 km	7 hours 6 mins	View Details
Mumbai to Shimla	1,764 km	1 day 4 hours	View Details
Kolkata to Shimla	1,813 km	1 day 5 hours	View Details
Agra to Shimla	559 km	9 hours 42 mins	View Details
Jaipur to Shimla	630 km	10 hours 34 mins	View Details
Pune to Shimla	1,814 km	1 day 6 hours	View Details
Ahmedabad to Shimla	1,295 km	20 hours 3 mins	View Details
Bangalore to Shimla	2,480 km	1 day 13 hours	View Details
Chennai to Shimla	2,516 km	1 day 15 hours	View Details
Hyderabad to Shimla	1,891 km	1 day 6 hours	View Details
Gurgaon to Shimla	381 km	7 hours 34 mins	View Details
Jodhpur to Shimla	953 km	15 hours 28 mins	View Details
Varanasi to Shimla	1,142 km	17 hours 50 mins	View Details
Srinagar to Shimla	700 km	15 hours 2 mins	View Details
Udaipur to Shimla	1,012 km	16 hours 1 min	View Details
Jaisalmer to Shimla	909 km	17 hours 1 min	View Details
Goa to Shimla	2,231 km	1 day 13 hours	View Details
Kasol to Shimla	210 km	7 hours	View Details

How to reach Shimla by flight

The Shimla Airport, also known as Jubbarhatti airport is around 25 km away from the main city and is one of the very few airports at any of the hill stations. Probably one of the smallest airstrips, the ride is pretty bumpy in the plane when it lands. However, since this airport is not functional throughout the year, hence it's advisable to choose Chandigarh or Delhi as connecting airports. People coming by air till Chandigarh generally prefer to book cabs to reach Shimla, which will take 3-4 hours. There are regular buses too. From Delhi airport, it roughly takes around 7-8 hours to reach Shimla.

Nearest Airport: Chandigarh Airport (IXC) - 60 kms from Shimla

Search for flights to Chandigarh Airport (IXC)

How to reach Shimla by road

Shimla is a hot tourist destination and buses run for Shimla from as far as Delhi, Jaipur, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Taxis are widely available to travel to Shimla from Chandigarh and Delhi or from any other local places. Shimla is also very well connected with HRTC buses from almost all parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Destination	Kms	Time Taken by Bus	Time Taken by Cab
Kalka - Shimla	80 Kms	03:15 Hrs	03:00 Hrs
Chandigarh - Shimla	119 Kms	04:00 Hrs	03:30 Hrs
Delhi - Shimla	370 Kms	09:00 Hrs	08:00 Hrs
Manali - Shimla	280 Kms	09:30 Hrs	07:15 Hrs
Dalhousie - Shimla	345 Kms	14:00 Hrs	11:00 Hrs

How to reach Shimla by train

The nearest broad gauge railway station from Shimla is the Kalka Railway Station which is only 90 km away. It takes around 5-6 hours from Kalka to reach here by train, but it's a very beautiful journey with a lot of tunnels and scenery which makes up for the extra time taken on the route.

There are around 3-4 trains everyday from Kalka to Shimla. You can also travel by Rail car which is one of its kind in India).

Chandigarh Railway station is also just 113 km away from Shimla. From both of these railway stations, Shimla is well connected with local buses and cabs. Shimla has its own railway station, but only narrow gauge trains from Kalka arrive here.

Local transport in Shimla

Local bus service is easily available within Shimla from 7 AM to 9 PM. Buses mainly run on the Ring Road. There is a special bus reserved only for women. Himachal Pradesh Tourism also runs special buses for local sightseeing that cover only the tourist attractions.

Private taxis are easily available and economically viable. Local sightseeing charges vary from 800 INR to 1500 INR per day. Auto rickshaws are not very popular in Himachal Pradesh.

To travel to places like Mall, Ridge, Kali Bari, one has to walk to reach there are they are no vehicles zone. But you can avail the facility of elevator run by HP Tourism which links the lowest point of Shimla- Cart Road to the highest point - the Mall.