Himachal Pradesh · road trip
Shimla, Chail & Narkanda by Road
Ahmedabad to the Himalaya and back in our own car: two long driving days each way, and four quiet days of cedar forests, orchards and stars in between.
May 2025
- Duration
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Season
- May, clear skies
- Driving
- About 2,600 km
- Getting around
- Our own car
- Stays
- Jaipur, Mashobra, Narkanda
The route
We drove from Ahmedabad to Mashobra via Jaipur, stayed above Shimla with a day trip to Chail, moved on to Narkanda for the orchards and Hatu Peak, and drove home via Jaipur again.
Driving up
- Ahmedabad start
- Jaipur 1 night
In the hills
- Mashobra 3 nights, base for Shimla
- Chail day trip via Sadhupul
- Thanedar apple orchards
- Narkanda 2 nights, Hatu Peak
Driving home
- Jaipur 1 night, Amber Fort
How the trip went
If you only read one part of this page, read this. The full day-by-day table is below it.
Days 1–2
Ahmedabad to Mashobra
Two days to the hills
Driving from Ahmedabad to Himachal is not the fast way, but it is the fun way. We broke the journey in Jaipur, with a Rajasthani thali at Spice Court and a pyaz kachori from Rawat to keep morale up.
The second day was another eleven hours, and we rolled into Mashobra in time for an evening walk on Shimla’s Mall Road.
Draft note for Manan: the moment the plains turned into hills.
Days 3–4
Shimla, Mashobra, Chail
Cedars and a stream
Mashobra was our quiet base above Shimla: Jakhu Temple, Kali Bari, the Mall Road and Lakkar Bazaar, and a long walk under the cedars at Craignano. Wake & Bake and the Hideout Café kept us fed.
The Chail day trip had one rule: get to Sadhupul early, before the crowds, for chai and Maggi with your feet in the stream. Then the short walk up Kali Ka Tibba and the forest glades of Chail.
Days 5–6
Thanedar, Narkanda
Apple orchards and starry skies
We moved deeper in, past Tani Jubbar lake to the apple orchards of Thanedar, Stokes Farm and the Paramjyotir temple, then on to Narkanda. Most food here is at your stay, and it is worth it.
The trail up Hatu Peak, the pine forest at golden hour and two nights of skies full of stars made this the slowest, happiest part of the trip.
Draft note for Manan: the night sky in Narkanda.
Days 7–8
Back via Jaipur
Down again
The drive back was as long as the drive up, with one treat on the way: the Amber Fort sound and light show in Jaipur. One more early start, and we were home.
Day-by-day itinerary
Distances and drive times are the ones we planned with.
| Day | Route and travel | Sightseeing | Stay | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving up | ||||
| Day 1 | Ahmedabad to Jaipur (10–11 h) | Dinner: Rajasthani thali at Spice Court, pyaz kachori at Rawat Mishtan Bhandar | Jaipur | 670 km |
| Day 2 | Jaipur to Mashobra (about 11 h) | Evening walk on Shimla’s Mall Road | Mashobra | 590 km |
| In the hills | ||||
| Day 3 | Shimla and Mashobra | Jakhu Temple (walk, car or ropeway), Kali Bari temple, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazaar, Craignano and the Mashobra cedar forest walk | Mashobra | |
| Day 4 | Mashobra to Chail and back (leave by 8 am) | Sadhupul streamside café, Kali Ka Tibba (1.5 km walk), Chail forest glades | Mashobra | 45 km each way |
| Day 5 | Mashobra to Thanedar (3 h), then Narkanda | Tani Jubbar lake, Stokes Farm and Paramjyotir temple, Thanedar village walk, stargazing | Narkanda | 90 km + 30 km |
| Day 6 | Narkanda | Hatu Peak trail (2 km), pine forest walk behind the HPTDC hotel at golden hour, stargazing | Narkanda | |
| Driving home | ||||
| Day 7 | Narkanda to Jaipur (about 12 h) | Amber Fort sound and light show (7 pm or 8 pm) | Jaipur | 650 km |
| Day 8 | Jaipur to Ahmedabad (about 12 h) | 680 km | ||
What has changed since our trip
- Recent trip: This is our most recent trip, so nothing has changed that we know of. Spotted a change? Tell us in the comments.
- Monsoon: From July to September, check road status before driving in Himachal.
Last checked: November 2026
If you are planning this route
- Our homestay checklist. Parking, breakfast and a working geyser.
- Reach Sadhupul before noon. The streamside cafés get crowded fast.
- Plan a night for stargazing. May skies over Narkanda are usually clear.
- Jaipur veg favourites. Spice Court, Anokhi Café, Rawat Mishtan Bhandar and Masala Chowk.
- Shimla cafés. Wake & Bake for breakfast, Hideout Café and Wood Street Café for lunch.
- Narkanda food. Under Tree Café for breakfast with a view, Negi Dhaba for simple dal-rice, and siddu at your stay.
Useful links
- Himachal Tourism, official state tourism site
- Rajasthan Tourism, Amber Fort and Jaipur