Must-see attractions in Shimla

  • Viceregal Lodge is the official residence of a Viceroy, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India . (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Viceregal Lodge

    Shimla

    A cross between Harry Potter's Hogwarts and a Scottish baronial castle, this 1888 pile was the official summer residence of the British viceroys until…

  • The Ridge

    Shimla

    Along the central ridgetop, this broad pedestrian esplanade diverges from The Mall at Scandal Point, guarded by a fancifully hatted policeman. Thronged…

  • Jakhu Hanuman Statue

    Shimla

    A 108ft (33m) vermillion-pink statue of monkey-god Hanuman pokes his head above the treetops on Shimla’s highest hilltop. Appropriately, hundreds of…

  • Gaiety Theatre

    Shimla

    Lovingly restored between 2004 and 2009 and hoping for Unesco status, this remarkable 320-seater theatre opened in 1877, originally as part of a bigger…

  • Bantony

    Shimla

    Whimsical and photogenically dilapidated, this 1880 red-brick mansion looks like a place for a Scooby Doo adventure. There's a wobbly central spire-turret…

  • Himachal State Museum

    Shimla

    On a hilltop some 2.5km west of Scandal Point, the state museum sits right at the base of the prominent TV Tower. Rich if somewhat static displays include…

  • Ripon Hospital

    Shimla

    One of Shimla's most atmospheric timber-framed buildings, the green-and-white Ripon Hospital building (1885) has a couple of exterior wooden stair-spirals…

  • Town Hall

    Shimla

    Shimla's half-timbered old town hall building originally dates from 1908–10, but has been so restored that it looks essentially new.

  • Christ Church

    Shimla

    This 1840s square-towered church would turn few heads in an English market town but in Shimla it's a treasured landmark, prominent at The Ridge's east end.

  • Gorton Castle

    Shimla

    Gorton Castle (1904), a massive and austere grey-stone edifice with neo-Gothic touches, was formerly the colonial government secretariat. Repairs are…

  • Railway Board Building

    Shimla

    The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…

  • Rothney Castle

    Shimla

    On the way up to the Jakhu temple, you can peep through the gates to see the glass verandas of this 19th-century mansion that was built for colonial…

  • Shimla Heritage Museum

    Shimla

    This small, one-room gallery displays enlargements of a few historic photos of old Shimla, with cursory explanations, but you can see it all in five…

  • Kali Bari Mandir

    Shimla

    The Bengali hut–style Kali Bari Mandir enshrines an image of Kali as Shyamala.

  • Himalayan Bird Park

    Shimla

    Opposite the Viceregal Lodge's gate, the Himalayan Bird Park is a little aviary that's home to a small collection of exotic birdlife, including the…

  • Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara

    Shimla

    This major Sikh temple isn't a particular attraction but makes a useful landmark beside busy Cart Rd below the bazaar area.