Day trips from Shimla — Kufri, Tara Devi, Chail and Narkanda
Day trips from Shimla by measured drive time: Kufri, Tara Devi, Chail and Narkanda, with what each gives you and which ones fit a single day.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
Snowfall in Shimla — which month, and where the snow is
When it snows in Shimla on the IMD record: January and February carry most of it, December only a little. Where snow lasts (Kufri, Narkanda), roads and cold.
The short answer
Snow in Shimla is a January and February thing. The town's IMD record puts 42 cm of snow in January and 43 cm in February, about four snowy days in each, and very little either side of them: 7 cm in December, 7 cm in March, almost none in November. Wikipedia, citing a Tribune report, adds that snowfall which once arrived in December has for years landed mostly in January or early February.
Photos: UnpetitproleX (CC BY-SA 4.0) · SidduGhee (CC BY 4.0) · Aggkanika (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jeyasree S.B (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ashish Gupta from Noida, India (CC BY 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
So if the trip is for snow, aim for the second half of January and the first half of February, keep the dates loose, and watch the forecast in the week before you leave. If your dates are fixed in December, plan for a cold, clear town and go higher for the snow.
Month by month, on the record
- December: 7 cm of snow, 1.3 snowy days; days 11.9 °C, nights 4.0 °C.
- January: 42 cm, 4.2 snowy days; days 9.3 °C, nights 1.7 °C.
- February: 43 cm, 4.2 snowy days; days 10.3 °C, nights 2.4 °C.
- March: 7 cm, 1.4 snowy days; days 14.5 °C, nights 6.1 °C.
The averages hide big single falls. On 17 and 18 January 2013 the town took 63.6 cm of snow in two days, 38.6 cm of it on the second day. The record lows sit far below the averages: −12.2 °C in December, −10.6 °C in January, −8.5 °C in February. A week of clear sky can pass with no snow at all; one storm can close the roads for a day.
Where the snow lasts
The town itself. Shimla sits at 2,205 m, high enough for snow and low enough for it to go within days on the sunny slopes. After a fall the Ridge, the Mall and Christ Church are the pictures everyone wants; the forest on Jakhoo hill and the north-facing lanes hold it longest. Go the first morning after the fall, before the paths turn to slush.
Kufri, the snow nearest the town. Kufri is 15 km and about 29 min by road and noticeably higher, at 2,720 m. It keeps snow after the town has melted, and in a good winter a path through the potato fields becomes a ski track for the season. The nature park and the Mahasu ridge above it are white for longer still. This is the half-day most December visitors should plan around.
Narkanda, for real cover. Narkanda is 59 km and about 113 min up the Rampur road, at 2,708 m on the open ridge below Hatu Peak. Wikipedia describes it as a ski area in winter. Make it a night away rather than a rushed day, because the road is slower in snow and the light goes early. Before setting off, ask how far the road to Hatu is open: after a heavy fall it may not be.
Roads, crowds and getting in
The drive up from Delhi is about 367 km by road; free-flow routing says about four and a half hours and the real drive with traffic and the hill is longer. The Kalka–Shimla Railway is the calm way up when the road is busy. After a heavy fall the town's roads are cleared before the ones above it, so a morning plan for Kufri or Narkanda can turn into an afternoon one; leave room for that. The how to reach Shimla guide has the full set of routes.
The weekends after a fresh fall are the busiest days of the Shimla winter, when the Delhi and Chandigarh crowd drives up for one night; the Christmas and New Year week is busy whether or not it has snowed. Midweek in late January is the quiet version of the same snow.
What to pack and how to plan the days
Real cold kit: thermal layers, a heavy jacket, gloves, a hat over the ears, sunglasses for the glare, and boots that grip, because packed snow on the Mall's slopes is slippery. Ask for a room with a heater. Plan the days short: the sun leaves the north-facing lanes early, and the warm hours are ten to three.
The three-day Shimla snow plan strings these together: the town and Kamna Devi on day one, Kufri on day two, a night at Narkanda on day three. For a shorter trip, the two-day plan with Kufri works in winter too. Chail, 40 km away, is the quieter forest alternative. For the rest of the year, see the best time to visit Shimla and things to do in Shimla.
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Questions people ask
Which month does it snow in Shimla?
January and February. On the town's IMD record they bring 42 cm and 43 cm of snow and about four snowy days each; December averages 7 cm and March 7 cm. Wikipedia notes the falls, once a December event, have for years come mostly in January or early February.
Will I see snow in Shimla in December?
Sometimes, rarely for long. December averages about one snowy day and 7 cm on the record, so a Christmas trip is a gamble in the town itself. Your better chance is Kufri, 15 km and about half an hour up the road at 2,720 m, or Narkanda further on at 2,708 m.
Where is the nearest snow to Shimla?
Kufri, 15 km and about 29 min by road at 2,720 m, keeps snow after the town has melted, and its winter ski track runs through the potato fields when the cover is deep. Narkanda, 59 km and about two hours, is higher on the Rampur road and is a ski area in winter.
How cold is Shimla in January?
Days average 9.3 °C and nights 1.7 °C on the IMD normals, which means near-freezing evenings and frost on the Ridge. The record lows are colder: −10.6 °C in January and −12.2 °C in December. Pack thermals, a heavy jacket, gloves and shoes that grip on packed snow.