Toy Trains, Mountains and Monkeys

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Shimla
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights (flexible)
Price:
from £ 239.- per person (excluding flights)

Take the toy train in Shimla, a breezy hill station packed with holiday spirit and scampering monkeys. It’s a quirky place where Tudor England meets modern India, heaving with quaint wooden-beamed houses, wandering balloon-sellers and hillside views. Ride the scenic toy train and savour the fresh air. During this trip, you’ll spend 2 nights in Shimla, strung along a steep ridge in the Himalayan foothills. Take high tea in an English country manor, climb up to the monkey-guarded Jakhu Temple, stare out over distant snowy peaks and take curl around the forested slopes aboard the legendary toy train.

Day 1 – Arrival in Shimla

Today, you’ll be collected from your hotel in Dharamsala or Manali and transferred to Shimla, another hill station with a whole different personality. It’s a long drive through gorgeous scenery and twisting mountain roads. You’ll stay in a comfortable heritage hotel packed with old world colonial charm. Reminiscent of an English country manor, it’s set within a shady alpine forest, with terraced gardens and lawns. The hotel is within walking distance to The Mall, a dramatic mountain ridge crammed with shops and cafes.

Day 2 – Explore independently

Today is free for you to explore Shimla and its surrounds. Once you’ve wandered the length of the main mall you can visit bazaars that form tangled, steep lanes packed with stalls and eateries. From ‘Scandal Corner’, there’s a steep climb up to the Jakhu Monkey temple – one of the highest points on Shimla ridge. Here, dozens of monkeys scamper around against a backdrop of distant snow-capped peaks.

Day 3 – Departure by toy train

This morning you’ll be taken to the train station, where you’ll board the legendary toy train for the scenic journey from Shimla back to Kalka. The train goes at a steady pace and you can jump off at quaint little stations to grab a chai, admire the view and take some photos. In Kalka, you’ll connect to a train bound for Delhi, travelling in air-conditioned chair class and arriving late in the evening. This is where you trip ends.