Shimla

Shimla district is located in the middle western ranges of the Himalayas This region has a hilly terrain and has an uneven cover of evergreen pine forests. The Shimla city spreads over the hill at an average altitude of 2000 meters

Being the capital of the state, Shimla is the hub for cultural activities in Himachal.
The Summer Festival held in May June every year is a very famous festival. Many cultural activities and festivities go on for 2 weeks. Many great artists have performed at this festival including Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, etc.

Railway
The heritage Kalka Shimla Railway narrow gauge railway line runs daily passenger trains between Kalka and Shimla. The train speed is slow but the scenic beauty and 103 big and small tunnels en route make the train trip memorable. Kalka is connected by a regular rail line to other major Indian cities.

Places of interest

Heart of the city

The ridge and the adjacent Mall form the heart of the city. Vehicular traffic is not allowed on the Mall, making it a favorite place for walking. Everyday many youngsters can be seen roaming ,which considered to be favorite pastime of the youth of the city. Saturdays attract heavy crowds.Friendship day, karvachauth , valentine's day, first snowfall of year ,new year eve all make mall road the default public celebration place .This is also the main shopping area with most of the shops still housed in old time buildings.Many reputed schools of the city are from waking distance from the Ridge. One tier below this shopping area is the Middle Bazaar with smaller shops mixed with residences. A tier below Middle Bazaar is the Lower Bazaar which houses small shops catering to everyday needs and the vegetable market called the Sabzi-Mandi. This market is the most crowded of the three though the going can get tough on the Mall Road during peak tourist season. Most of the locals shop from the Lower Bazaar using the Mall road to shop for durables. The famous Shimla Summer Festival(in May or June every year)of Shimla , which lasts for 3-4 days, is celebrated on the RIDGE only. Many noted singers come here every year to perform in the festival.

Gaiety Theater

Gaiety Theater, on the Mall, opened on the 30th of May, 1887, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year. Notable film personalities like K.L. Saigal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendall, Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Manohar Singh, Nasseerudin Shah, frequently performed on the stage of the Gaiety theatre. Today, the Gaiety is primarily known for its social club. Different colleges and schools use this theater for performing their functions. Presently the theater is being renovated with the original structure untouched to keep its heritage preserved, but make it more attractive. The renovation is expected to complete very soon.

Viceregal Lodge
On the Observatory Hills is located the Viceregal Lodge. Also known as Rashtrapati Niwas, it was formerly the summer residence of the British Viceroys. Another name for the lodge is IIAS, i.e. Indian Institute of Advanced Study, which offers higher studies for fellows from other universities. The institute is located inside the actual Viceroy building with a big library containing rare books for fellows. The lodge is situated on a very beautiful location. A big ground in front of the lodge makes the place look even better. Tourists and local young couples are often seen here. The lodge is declared as a heritage building, so one has to buy ticket to enter the premises. The place is also used for shooting Bollywood movies. The famous movie Black starring Amitabh Bachhan had some sequences shot here. Some other music videos such as the famous one of Babul Supriyo, Sochta Hoon have also been shot here.

Kufri
19 km from Shimla,is the highest point in the surrounding region[citation needed]. Kufri has a Himalyan Wild Life Zoo which hosts rare Antelopes, Birds and rare feline species. Monal the state bird of Himachal Pradesh is worth watching. A meandring path trough the potato plantations turns into a popular Ski track in Winters here. Kufri is located on the national highway between Shimla and Rampur. A road bifurcation from here leads to Chail which is about 20 km from here. Chail is famous for Palace built by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh (Raja of Patiala riyasat) and a hill top ground which is highest cricket ground in the world.
The famous heritage hotel The Wildflower Hall is also located on way to kufri at Charabada.

Naldehra
Naldehra is about 25 km from shimla and is popular for a nine hole golf course, located on a gradual slope on scenic hill top surrounded by fir trees, and a picnic ground on hilltop. The down hill road from Naldehra leads to Tatta Pani which is approximately 22 km from here.

Tatta Pani
The name Tatta Pani, translates to "Hot - Water" in local dialect. This is about half a square kilometer area on the banks of Satluj river with boiling hot Sulpher water springs. Bathing with this water is known to be good for skin. The place is also famous for the rituals of Tula Daan, which is known to be very effective if done at tattapani on a specific day. Many pandas (people who perform the tula daan) can be seen sitting on the banks of river Satluj on those days(normally Saturdays).

Places of worship
Kali Bari (a temple of the Hindu goddess Kali) is near the Mall. Jakhoo Temple (a temple of the Hindu god Hanuman) is located at the highest point in Shimla (2600 m above mean sea level. Sankat Mochan (another Hanuman temple) is located on Shimla-Kalka Highway. Tara Devi Temple is about 10 km from Shimla, directly visible from the city. A Gurudwara is adjacent to the Bus Stand. There are a few churches also scattered around the city. Another very important religious place is Tara Devi mandir placed on a hill near the national highway. Approximately 5 km up road from shoghi , this place attracts huge number of pilgrims on navratra. This place gives a very beautiful view of shimla.

Market Places
The four main bazaars namely Lower Bazaar, Sabji Mandi, Ganj Mandi and Ram Bazaar are juxtaposed and cater to the day to day commodity requirements of the population. Lakkar Bazaar has shops which specialize in wood worked gifts and branded items. While Mall road is considered suitable for shopping branded things, which are a bit costly.