Summers are on the way and soon the heat will be unbearable in most parts of India. Thankfully there are some places where some relief can be found. You must have understood that we are talking about hill stations here.
If you are going to stay in a hotel in Delhi NCR for a long time or live in NCR, then you have many hill stations to choose from. Read further about the best hill stations near Delhi:
Mussoorie (279 km)
Unless there is talk of the queen of mountains, the talk of mountains is incomplete. Mussoorie, which is more than 6500 feet high, has a combination of cool air, clear sky and bright sunshine, making it very beautiful in summer. It was established by a British officer, who came here for exploration. Soon, its beauty made it famous under British rule, and people of high status started visiting here, especially during the summer season. Several trains run from Delhi to Dehradun, from where it takes just 1 hour 20 minutes by road to reach the hill station.
Places to visit: Mussoorie Lake, Kempty Falls, K Devbhoomi Wax Museum, Dhanaulti, Soham Heritage & Art Centre, George Everest’s House, Adventure Park, Christ Church, Bhatta Falls, Moss Falls, Gun Hill.
Nainital (287 km)
One of the most famous hill stations near Delhi within 300 km, Nainital needs no introduction. It is located in the state of Uttarakhand at an altitude of about 6830 feet above sea level. People from all over the country visit here with their family, friends or partner to have a memorable time. The temperature here rarely goes beyond 25 degrees Celsius in summer. There are trains available till Kathgodam, from where you have to take a bus or taxi. Roadways buses are also available from Anand Vihar ISBT to Nainital city.
Places to visit: Naini Lake, Naina Peak, Tiffin Top, Snow View, Eco Cave Garden, Bada Patthar, Thandi Sadak, Bada Bazaar, Raj Bhavan, Naina Devi Temple, Pashan Devi Temple, Hanuman Garhi, Observatory, G B Pant High Altitude Zoo
Bhimtal ( 296 km)
Bhimtal is another wonderful hill station near Delhi within 300 km. Like Nainital, Bhimtal too is set around a natural lake; This lake is much bigger than the lake of Nainital, this city with a height of 4500 feet above sea level, there is an influx of couples coming from all over the world. Regular buses and taxi services are available from Kathgodam, there are also many trains from Delhi.
Places to visit: Bhimtal Lake, Bhimtal Island, Bhimeshwar Mahadev Temple, Syed Baba’s Tomb, Folk Culture Museum
Things to do: Boating, Hiking, Walking around the lake, Shopping on the Mall Road
NaukuchiaTal (306 km)
Surrounded by pine trees, situated near the big lake, Naukuchiatal is the perfect retreat for peace seekers. Situated at an altitude of about 4000 feet, this natural spring has nine corners hence it is called Naukuchia. About 40 feet below the ground, Naukuchiatal is the deepest lake in the region.
Places to visit: Naukuchiatal Lake, Hanuman Temple, Jangliya Village
What to do: Relax amidst the pine trees, Hiking, Boating, Fishing
Sattal (313 km)
Want to be surrounded by shimmering lakes? Then come to Sattal, its name is derived from the seven lakes here. 4500 feet above this sea level, this place is surrounded by pine trees and it has its own distinct smell. Apart from tourists from all over the world, birds like parrots, woodpeckers, pheasants, sparrows, finches, Himalayan griffon vulture, fish eagle, serpent eagle, black eagle, mountain hawk eagle also come here.
Places to visit: Garuda Tal, Nal Damayanti Tal, Purna Tal, Sita Tal, Ram Tal, Laxman Tal, Sukha Tal, Subhash Dhara, Butterfly Museum, Methodist Ashram
Things to do: Nature watching, Hiking, Photography, Bird watching, Boating
Ranikhet (337 km)
Do not forget to carry a camera when you visit Ranikhet as you will not want to miss out on the memories of seeing the snow-clad mountains here. The incredibly green and serene environment is a great place to let you unwind from the workload of everyday life. The heat is never too much in this area with an altitude of 6100 feet. There are many buses and taxis plying from Kathgodam to Ranikhet. Kathgodam is connected to Delhi via taxis, buses and trains.
Places to visit: Target, Upat Kalika Temple, Rani Lake, Ranikhet Golf Course, Asiana Park, Mankameshwar Temple, Haidakhan Baba Temple, Binsar Mahadev Temple, Bear Dam
Things to do: Golfing, boating, fishing, mild hiking, temple visit
Chail (340 km)
At an altitude of 7300 feet, this small village in Himachal Pradesh is known for having the highest cricket ground in the world. Since it is not yet very commercialized, it is a more peaceful hill than other hills of the Himalayas. It is easily accessible from Chandigarh by taxis and buses. You can go from Delhi to Chandigarh by bus, train, taxi or flight.
Popular places to visit: School PlayGround, Sadhupul Lake, Chail Palace, Kali Ka Tibba, Gurudwara Sahib, Siddh Baba Temple, Chail Sanctuary
Things to do: Lake and nature viewing, wildlife viewing, temple viewing, fun at waterfalls
Almora (346 km)
About 60 km from Nainital, Almora is another charming town in Uttarakhand. It is also lesser known than other places so here you will surely find the peace you seek. Due to the height of about 5380 feet, the weather remains pleasant here.
Visit this hill station near Delhi NCR during summer holidays
Shimla (360 km)
The cool weather, lush green deodar and the grandeur of the British era will make you fall in love with Shimla. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, has an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level, due to which the weather here is very pleasant in summer. You can first take a train till Chandigarh, from where buses and taxis are easily available to reach Shimla. You can reach this hill station near Delhi by car and the journey through this beautiful route is really spectacular.
Popular places to visit: Christ Church, Jakhu Hill, Jakhu Temple, Rashtrapati Niwas, Kali Bari Temple, Johny’s Wax Museum, Shimla Heritage Museum, Himachal State Museum, Summer Hill, Mall Road, The Ridge, Town Hall, Gaiety Theatre, Bantony Castle, The Glen, Gorton Castle, Annandale, Army Heritage Museum,
Things To Do: Appreciating the mountain views from the ridge, shopping at Mall Road, enjoying ice skating, Kalka-Shimla toy train ride, light hiking.
Auli (364 km)
Auli with a height above 10000 ft above sea level is one of the coolest hill stations near Delhi in summer.
During the summer season, it is covered with a carpet of grass, and the sun shining on it captivates your mind.
Trains and Buses are available from Delhi to Haridwar from where you can cover the distance by road and enjoy your road trip. You can take a bus or cab till Auli or till Joshimath town, from where a cable car connects you to your destination.
Popular places to visit: Artificial lake
Things to do: Relaxing in the meadows, trekking, nature watching, Gondola ride, enjoying the snow clad mountains
Kufri (374 km)
A ski resort in winters, Kufri gets covered with a carpet of lush green grass in summers. Whenever you go to Shimla, do not forget to visit Kufri as Kufri is only 17 km away from Shimla.
It is at an altitude of more than 8600 feet above sea level, which means that the temperature here remains low even in summer.
Since it is a very popular place for tourists in India, taxis and buses are easily available to reach it from nearby places like Shimla.
Popular places to visit: Indira Bungalow, Mahasu Peak, Himalayan Nature Park
Things to do: Trekking, photography, relaxing under the trees, horse riding, go-karting, valley crossing, commando net, Burma bridge
Narkanda (420 km)
Not far from Shimla is Narkanda, another great hill station to enjoy a relaxing summer break in the mountains; So, when you are in the capital of Himachal, do not miss to visit here.
It is at an altitude of more than 9000 feet, so the weather here is very pleasant. When it is scorching heat in the rest of the country, the weather is just the opposite here. It is the coldest hill station near Delhi and it is the only such station among all other stations. Buses and taxis are easily available from Shimla to Narkanda.
Popular places to visit: Hatu Peak, Stokes Farm, Mahamaya Temple at Kacheri
Things to do: Relaxing on the meadows, paragliding, rafting, mountain biking
You can book a Delhi Taxi to go on your hill destination vacations or you can use public transport.