auli-Tour-Packages

Shimla Tour Packages FAQs Q. Can I get a direct flight to Shimla from Delhi? A. As you scour for Shimla packages, you might want to first figure out how to get to your destination from Delhi. Jubbarhatti is the nearest airport to Shimla, around 22 kilometre off the Mall Road. There is limited connectivity from the airport, but there is service between New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Shimla airport offered by the national carrier Air India and its subsidiary Alliance Air. The airlines offer direct connectivity between Delhi to Shimla with the flight taking 1 hour 10 minutes. The connectivity although isn’t wonderful. So, flights may not be available through the week. Q. Which is the best season to experience snow in Shimla? A. Ahead of booking one of the Shimla tour packages, consider what sort of experience you seek in Shimla. If you wish to see snow and see the hill station transform into a winter wonderland, head to it in mid-December or anytime up till early February. This encompasses the holiday season when Christmas and New Years festivities are in full swing, there is festive cheer in the air, the shops are choc-a-block with merchandise, the cafes dishing out steaming meals and the carnival atmosphere is all pervading. The season is marked by snowfall, boisterous winds and intermittent rainfall. The temperature dips to sub-zero levels and reaches a maximum of 8 degree during the day. Skiing and ice-skating are popular activities pursued by the winter visitors. For more snow and panoramic views, you can make day trips to nearby Mashobra, Kufri and Narkanda. Not to mention, you need to be clad in thick woollens for a winter visit, carry your boots, mufflers, gloves and caps. Q. What are the popular treks and adventure sports in Shimla? A. When going through Shimla holiday packages make sure it is tailored to suit your interests. Shimla is an adventure enthusiasts’ paradise, what with the surrounding ranges replete with some brilliant hiking and trekking slopes. Trekkers love to take up the scenic hike all the way to the hilltop which houses the solitary and atmospheric Tara Devi Temple. You begin at the Tara Devi Railway Station and scale up the slopes for around 4 kilometre. A little arduous perhaps, but an extremely rewarding trek. For a water sports enthusiast, there isn’t anything better than covering the 12 kilometre stretch of the Satluj River on a raft, beginning from Chabba and rounding up at Tattapani. This is definitely the best white-water rafting experience in Shimla. For some skiing and ice-skating, visit between late-December and early February when Shimla receives snow. The hill station is home to a number of world-class ice- skating zones. Skiing opportunities galore in Narkanda and Kufri and there isn’t another place better than Naldehra for golfing, also home to Shimla’s oldest golf course. Q. When can I see snow in Shimla? A. Going through a bunch of Shimla packages for a winter holiday in the hill station can be tedious, but just as you zero in on one ensure it gives you enough glimpse of snow. Shimla is covered in a white blanket between mid-December and early February and the perfect time to enjoy your year-end holiday, celebrate a white Christmas and bring in the New Years. Snowfall, frequent hailstorm, intermittent rains and raging winds mark the days, and it is great pleasure walking around the Mall, participating in the winter carnival in such an atmosphere. Ice-skating and skiing very popular in this season as the temperature hovers between 8 and 0 degree Celsius. You can even visit the nearby areas like Kufri, Mashobra, Narkanda among others. Carrying layers of woollens, caps, gloves and thick boots are essential to withstand a snowy Shimla winter. Q. Which is the best time to visit Shimla in the summer? A. There are several Shimla tour packages that aim at bringing the summer tourist from the plains. But it is imperative to know the peak season for summer travels to Shimla. Shimla in the months between March and June offer a perfect respite from the heat of the plains with the temperatures lingering between 15 and 30 degree Celsius. The days are warm and pleasant with a cool breeze blowing in from the mountains and breaking a quick hot spell. It is the time adventure activities in and around Shimla gather steam. Go trekking, paragliding, white water rafting, camping. If not, walk around Shimla’s vibrant Mall Road, eat at its cafes, visit the Lakkad Bazaar, the iconic Christ Church, Jakhu Temple and the Tara Devi Temple, and soak up the atmospherics of this erstwhile colonial hill station. Q. What are the adventure activities I can pursue in Shimla? A. For an adventure enthusiast, just any of the Shimla travel packages won’t do. Your itinerary needs to cater to your desire for the adrenaline. Shimla has some avant-garde trekking slopes on the Himalayan ranges. A popular mountain trek is to the Tara Devi Temple nestled on a hilltop. Begin from the Tara Devi Railway Station and climb 4 kilometre uphill to the temple. You can go rafting on the Satluj River. A 12-kilometre stretch starting from Chabba and winding up in Tattapani, it is a haven for white-water enthusiasts. December to February is the time for ice-skating where you have powdery snow, crisp air and clear skies to take on some of Shimla’s extensive ice-skating zones. Places like Mahasu Ridge in Kufri and Hattu Peak in Narkanda offer perfect skiing slopes for the skiing enthusiasts. For some golfing, head to Shimla’s oldest golf course in Naldehra. Mountain bicycling and paragliding are among your other adventure sport options. Q. What is the local language of Shimla? A. Shimla is highly multilingual. The locals and shopkeepers understand and speak in both Hindi and English; English partly for its colonial heritage and since the advent of tourism to the hill station. Otherwise the local population speaks Pahari and Punjabi. So, as long as tourists can communicate in either English or Hindi, they can easily get by in Shimla. Q. Which is the nearest airport to Shimla? A. The Shimla Airport located in Jubbarhatti, about 22 kilometre from main Shimla is the primary airport of the hill station. The airport operates limited flights between New Delhi and Shimla with Alliance Air and Air India being the only airlines operating direct flights between the two destinations. Such a flight takes 1 hour 10 minutes to complete the journey, though it may not be available on all days of the week. Q. Which is the monsoon season in Shimla? A. The Shimla monsoons last between July and August and partially spill into the first week of September when the building low-pressure over the Thar Desert lashes the hill station will intense rains. The conditions gently peter out by mid-September. The evenings can be chilly and rains could derail your sightseeing plans. The hill slopes are prone to landslide, several shops and cafes stay shut much of the time, and owing to the gathering nip and lack of activity there is a general dip in tourist footfalls. You cannot go on hikes or treks, and adventure activity of any kind come to a halt. And you can’t even walk about the town or get any photographs. Q. What can I shop from Shimla? A. The art and craft scene of Himachal is vivid and thriving. It is a hotbed for several ancient traditions and practices that have led to centuries of handwork distinct in their identity and intricate in their craft. Not just the woodwork rendered into fine wooden toys, fruit baskets, jewellery boxes, furniture and artifacts, you will find here handicraft made of clay, ivory, gems, marble, bamboo and wicker. A fine place to shop for woollens, extensive Chikankari, Phulkari and Bagh-work on fabric, jackets, and stoles. You will even chance upon fine filigree work on metals rendered into wall art and figurines. Venture beyond the all-pervasive Mall and visit places like Lakkar Bazaar, Lower Bazaar, Tibetan Market, Ram Bazaar, Himachal Emporium, Minchy’s and Middle Bazaar, to land some finds. Q. What are the things to do in Shimla? A. Shimla, a year-round destination serves up a plethora of activities to pursue and places to sightsee. Some of your best options include a visit to the Ridge, Tattapani, Mall Road, visit to nearby Chail, Kalka Shimla toy train ride, Christ Church, Jakhu Temple, Green Valley on the way to Kufri, Naldehra, Mashobra, Himachal State Museum, Himalayan Bird Park, Bantony Castle, Fagu, Tara Devi Temple, Chadwick Falls, Gorton Castle, Kharapathar among others. Q. What is the local mode of transport in Shimla? A. Shimla has a substantial public transport system which includes private and state-run buses. They ply both inter-city as well in its outskirts. For buses to Naldehra or Kufri, board from the Lakkar Bazaar near Shimla’s ice-skating rink, though their frequency isn’t great compared to those within the city limits. It is, however, more advisable to hire a private taxi to get within the city unless it is not within walking distance. At least it gives you the flexibility to make stops along the way, enjoy the setting, take in mountain views and if needed stop at a cafe for some tea and Maggi. But for a cheaper all-round experience, public buses are a better bet considering you are travelling within Shimla. Q. Are there sufficient ATMs across Shimla? A. There are enough ATMs scattered across Shimla making it very easy to withdraw money and cutting down your need to carry excessive cash. You will find ATMs by Co-operative Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, and Punjab National Bank to name a few.