Shimla Kullu Manali Tour From Kolkata 2024

We two couples visited Shimla Manali for our honeymoon. It’s the most beautiful and best tourist destination in India. So a holiday in Shimla is our first choice. We took the Kalka mail from Howrah in April. If you want to save money, there is no need to book any tour package; follow my guide.

It’s an 11-day Shimla Kullu Manali tour plan from Kolkata and a two-day, two-night journey by train. When we reach Kalka, it’s 4 am, and the Shivalik Express toy train awaits us.

Shimla Kullu Manali tour guide from Kolkata
Shimla Kullu Manali tour guide from Kolkata

Trip Itinerary for Shimla Kullu Manali

  • Day – 1 and Day 2: Train journey Howrah–9 no platform at 7:40 pm, and train journey continued the 2nd day.
  • Day – 3: Arrive at Kalka at 4:30 am and go to Simla by toy train at 5:00 am, arrive at Simla at 10:00 am & check in to the hotel, and rest. Enjoy the mall, Kali Mandir, and State Museum, and buy cookies and drinks at 3:30 pm–Book a small car for the next day’s local side seen and book for Manali.
  • Day – 4: Local side saw at Simla- Chadwick Falls, Jakhoo Temple, Sankat Mochan, Tara Devi, Fagu, Kufri, and Zoo.
  • Day – 5: Check out Simla at 6 am and go for Manali -distance-260km. Check-in in Manali at night, including Manikaran (It’s on the way) and Sundar Nagar Lake. Our hotel is near Club House and in front of the Beas River. Note – Best Bengali food available in Gumpha Hotel.
  • Day – 6: Local side seen at 7 am – Hidimba Devi temple, Jagatsukh, Kothi, Manu temple, Mountaineering Institute, Nehru Kund, Basistha muni ashram Rahala waterfalls, Naggar fort, Kulu temple, village side temple, and Beas river by footsteps.
  • Day – 7: Morning at 5 am, Rohtang pass, adventurer game at Solang valley, and return to Manali market.
  • Day – 8: The next day, we eat a lot of local food, hire a small car for Kulu, and book a Volvo bus for Chandigarh at night.
  • Day – 9: Visit Chandigarh from Manali. One night travel.
  • Day – 10: All-day activity in Chandigarh by Chandigarh tourism government bus. Visit the rose garden, rock garden, Sukna Lake, museum, etc. Therefore, we took the train from Chandigarh.
  • Day 11 and 12: Full-day train and return at Howrah at 11:30 am -29 April.

Shimla Kullu Manali tour plan from Kolkata

Kolkata to Simla distance is 1834 km by train, and Simla to Manali is 248 km by car. The average temperature is 12 degrees in April. In return, we are not back again in Kalka via Simla (In the same way), so we have added Chandigarh to our plan.

18 April–KALKA MAIL–time–7:40 pm–a departure from Howrah. 20th April toy train Shivalik Express (5:00 am) is a departure from Kalka station (toy trains start earlier; please check in IRCTC). Toy train tickets can also be bought earlier from the Indian railway.

The last day we spent in Chandigarh. Because returning via Simla and Kalka is just a time-killing matter for me, I choose to move to a new destination instead of returning to Simla and Kalka. We stay in Simla for two days, Manali for four days, and Chandigarh for two days.

Weather history for Shimla
Weather history for Shimla

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fagu himachal pradesh shimla
Fagu Himachal Pradesh Shimla

Kolkata to Shimla Travel – Our Holiday Story

If you think about travelling to India, spending holidays in Shimla comes to mind first. It was a dream destination and a two-day, 2-night, incredible journey. We visited in April, but you can visit anytime throughout the year.

We reach Kalka at 4 am and want to take the Sibalik express toy train for Simla. While we entered the Kalka station, we saw many people boarding the same toy train as a local train.

Also, we don’t have a reserved ticket for the same because IRCTC does not confirm that.

At that time, the TTE r gave us an idea; we bought a general ticket for 20 rupees and converted it into a reserved ticket, which was charged around 350 rupees.

Shivalik Express is an excellent toy train, and I have to say the journey was speechless. At the station “Barog” they provide breakfast included with the ticket. It’s one of the best luxury tours by train.

From Kalka to Simla, it was a 4 hours journey. After reaching Simla, we took a cab (100 rupees and a 5-minute journey) to the lift station, and from there, we went up to Shimla Mall Road by lift. It takes less time to reach Mall Road and is cost-effective.

shimla mall
Shimla mall

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Reached Shimla from Kalka

We reached our hotel, rested, and finished lunch at the hotel. In the evening we went to the mall called the Ridge Shimla and bought some socks, a shawl etc.

We also booked a car for the next day’s local sightseeing and bought food for dinner. In Shima restaurant, Gupta Hotel is cheap and good but serves only veg food.

The next day, We went to Green Valley, Jahku temple, Fagu, Kufri, Zoo, Chinese park, ‘Sankat Mochan‘ temple, and returned to the hotel. Kufri was very bright, and the sky colour was deep blue. 110 ft Hanuman Ji is the unique attraction in Jakhu temple, which is viewable anywhere in Simla.

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jakhu temple hanuman statue shimla
Jakhu Temple Hanuman statue

Simla to Manali

After a good sleep, we woke up and started our tour of Manali. Shimla to Kullu-Manali is one of India’s most famous road trip routes. We finished our breakfast at a Dhaba and started our journey.

Anybody can feel the ups and downs of the hill area. We finished lunch at a roadside hotel and bought juice from the government juice centre. It’s a 250 KM journey by car.

In the same way, we went for Manikaran (the hot bath is available here ). We reached Manali at 10 p.m. and checked in to our hotel beside the Beas River, and we saw an excellent water flooding view from our window.

manikaran gurudwara manali tour
Pictures of Manikaran Gurudwara

You can visit Simla Manali throughout the year, but June (warm weather) to February (snowfall) is the best time.

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Shimla Kullu Manali chandigarh route map
Shimla Kullu Manali chandigarh route map

Manali visiting places

The next day, we first visited Hirimba Mata temple, Basista Muni ashram (the hot bath is available), Nehru Kund, Manu temple and returned to Manali Mall road; Gumpha monastery was there.

Bengali Hotel Most of the hotel staff are Bengali. We finished our dinner with Bengali food and returned to our hotel. The next day, we went for what we had been waiting for: Rohtang Pass and Sangla Valley. For tourist information, visit here.

Rohtang pass trip

We did an all-day activity on the ice here and spent the whole morning there. Many adventure rides are exciting, like paragliding in Rohtang Pass and skiing here and in Solang Valley. Anyone can directly come from Shimla to Rohtangpass, which is 300 km.

rohtang pass manali tour guide
Rohtang pass Manali

We got up early and went for the Rohtang pass. As it’s a single and narrow road, you should hurry for the Car parking. Also, there are lots of locals ready to rent on the spot.

We again went to the mall to buy saffron Kaju from a reputed shop and finished dinner at the Ghumpha Hotel in the evening.

On the last day in Manali, we go to Nagar fort, Tibetian monastery, Buddhist monastery, Gayatri Mandir, swale factory, Mata Vaishno Devi temple at Kullu, etc., and buy some good quality woollen garments from Kullu.

We completed all the Simla and Manali tours on this day. Therefore, that day night, we went to Chandigarh by a Volvo bus.

Chandigarh tour and sightseeing

In the early morning, we reach Chandigarh and book a hotel there. We are moving to the city all day and buying T-shirts at sector 22. I found Good quality everyday use garment products here.

The temperature is very different from Manali; it’s almost 35 degrees in Chandigarh. We drink lots of juice/shakes there.

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Chandigarh tour by bus

The next day, we visited the Chandigarh Tourism Development Corporation office and booked our last tour with the Chandigarh tour bus, 55 rupees per head. 

We saw the museum, Rose Garden, Santi Kung, Rock Garden, Sukna Lake, etc. Moreover, the main attraction is the rock garden and Sukna Lake (boating is available) in Chandigarh. At night, we took the train from Chandigarh and returned to Howrah.

chandigarh tour bus
Chandigarh tour bus

Pinjore Garden in Chandigarh

While coming from Simla and reaching Chandigarh, you can visit Pinjore Garden or Yadavindra Garden. After many years of the Mughals king of Patiala, Maharaj Amar Singh reopened the garden. Mughal architecture is fantastic.

It’s under Panchkula Zilla in Haryana State, and this Mughal garden is approx 22 km away from Chandigarh. You can see a small zoo, a park and a playing area for kids. Add this place to your Shimla Kullu Manali tour plan.

rock garden chandigarh
Rock Garden Chandigarh

How to go to Simla Kullu Manali from Kolkata by train

Please note that no direct train is available for Simla Kullu Manali. Kalka mail from Howrah reach Kalka. Afterwards, take the toy train or ride a car/ bus to Simla.

Shimla Kullu Manali tour plan tips

  • We Booked a car for the entire tour from Simla, which is cast 11000 for three days. We bear the one-night stay cost for the driver, which is included in the car package. But in Manali, there are lots of cars available.
  • When we came from Simla to Manali, we went to Manikaran on the same journey; we reached late at the hotel around 11 p.m.
  • Buy saffron only from reputed shops. Try to find this shop in the mall market.
  • In Rohtang Pass, many locals are ready to rent the dress on the spot.
  • Simla Zoo is a time taking place; avoid this place.
  • Kalka to Simla, we convert local tickets to reserve tickets by helping from the ticket checker. That will allow us to get the Shivalik Express toy train.
  • We added an extra trip to Chandigarh from Manali.

Shima Kulu Manali Shopping Guide

In Simla, we buy a few good shocks, blankets, etc. There is a market around the mall. We brought a few fruit juices from the Himachal Govt juice centre on the journey from Simla to Manali. In Kullu, we buy sweaters and shawls from the shawl factory.

In Manali, we bought some saffron, dry apricots, and apple pickles from a reputed shop in Manali mall market, and in Chandigarh sector 22, we bought a t-shirt (big size & good quality).

Food

In all the locations, “Paratha” is common. Various types of “Parathas are available”. In Chandigarh, juice/shake lassies with a big-sized glass/mug are available on every corner.

At the top of the Rohtang pass, we eat hot Maggi. All over Simla and Manali, this kind of food is available.

Packing list

Excluding all the dresses, we carry gloves, socks, caps, a knife, a small rope, moisturizer cream, a multipurpose plug, a small torch, etc.

Note

In addition, please get in touch with the hotel two days before the journey date & always carry an identity card.

Find Save money while travelling | How to travel cheaply in India

How can I plan a trip to Shimla Kullu Manali? 

Plan which month you want to go to 2. Make your budget 3. Arrange 11 days for this vacation if you are planning from Kolkata.

Which month is best for Shimla and Manali?

You can avoid the winter between November and January (snowfall time). Other months are perfect for visiting Shimla and Manali.

Where can we find snow in Manali? 

You can play with the snow in Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley.

Can I book a hotel in Manali in the season of April?

Yes, you can do that. The average room rent is approx 1000 to 1500 rupees (for pre-booking). March to May is the high season in Manali.

8 Comments

  1. Hi Ruma,

    your blog is indeed informative, keep travelling and post more.

    Cheers

  2. Sandeep Mishra says:

    Thank you for posting such a detailed tour experience.

  3. Sujoy Pal says:

    Could you illuminate on the returning from Manali to Kolkata excluding Chandigarh tour? Like how can we reach back to Kalka. Is there any service of bus or cab to Kalka from Manali?

    1. If you want to reach Kalka, come back to Simla and get down by the same toy train or car, No Other route.

  4. Thank you so much for putting up such a fantastic blog. Your website is an excellent source of Manali information. We have Also good service .

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