Budget Trip to Shimla Kufri (INR 3500)

My buddy rode the railway from Sonipat to Kalka, and I was scheduled to catch the same train from Ambala; however, our train arrived considerably later than expected. We opted to go by train because we wanted to savour every moment of adventure as well as the spectacular wooden-built, glass-roof panoramic dome carriages. Due to a lack of sleep and an hour-long stay at Chandigarh station, the trip to Kalka was a touch frenetic. Because of the steep elevation, long trains from Chandigarh cannot ascend to Kalka, hence most trains are split up in Chandigarh before continuing.

We were captivated by the beauty of Kalka Railway Station, a little station nestled in the Himalayan foothills of the Himalayas. Several toy trains were ready for passengers.

We boarded our lovely coach and began our adventure; it was our first time travelling mountains by rail, a journey packed with magnificent scenery and sights. The rapid descents, ascents, and abrupt twists seemed like we were on a roller coaster. It was a fantastic journey, looking out the enormous train window at these steep twists and rises.

The rail line itself is rather distinctive; it spans more than 90 kilometers and includes 102 tunnels, the longest of which is the Barog tunnel (Tunnel 33; 1.14 Km), and over 800 Colonial-era arch bridges. Despite a plethora of tales about tunnel #33 being haunted, this is not the case; the tunnel wherein Colonel Barog committed suicide is now an abandoned locked shaft.

We snacked on a "Bharwa Kulcha" while admiring the tranquil scenery at Barog Station.

Shimla station was like something out of a dream, set in the midst of mountains and thick deodar woods, with a 108-foot-tall Hanuman Ji statue stationed at an altitude of 8500 feet overlooking Shimla's resplendent town. We checked into our train retiring suite (600 INR per day). We chose this option because it was a budget trip during peak tourist season and all hotels were charging exorbitant rates.

We were already running late from our planned route, so we started exploring. Climbing the main road from the station was a challenge in and of itself. Our route planning was thwarted when we discovered we'd have to ascend and descend these uphill roads. We took an unusual path to the mall because we were unaware of the proper track. We were initially greeted by the colonial-era structure Gorton Castle, which was built in 1904 to serve as the Government Secretariat under Lord Curzon and today remains as a government office fortified and inaccessible to commoners or visitors. The first day was foggy, and visibility wasn't great. We went for a walk along Ridge Road and ended up eating supper at Indian Coffee House, which transported us back to the 1950s when such cafés were hotbeds of political discussion.

To our astonishment, we awoke to rain that quickly stopped, as we were ready for another day of adventure. We asked some locals about the best way to get to middle and upper Bazar, then walked along the rail tracks and boarded a local bus till the lift (10 INR one way), which took us to the top Bazar, where we strolled around The Mall for a while before having breakfast at a local eatery in middle Bazar and some crispy Jalebi at Nathuram Lachman Das Sweet Shop in lower Bazar.

Our next stop was Kufri, so we took a local bus to the Kufri bus station, then a cab (200 INR) to Horse Point, Kufri.

They charged the following rates:

A two-way horse ride costs 500 INR.

Snow boot rental is 200 INR.

Renting a snowsuit costs 500 INR.

We scheduled a horse ride and snow boots for a total of 700 INR because the walk was slippery and muddy. It was our first time riding a horse, let alone on such a treacherous sloped route with no border fencing and deep ditches.

We arrived to see a wide area blanketed in snow, we were ambulating on snow for the first time. We went ahead to explore untouched snow, throwing snowballs at each other for fun. We explored a little and trekked at the apex of Nag Temple which overlooks dense forests. Had some momos, with authentic Tibet Chutney and the "MANDATORY" Maggie in mountains. My companion was too scared to go back on a horse, so he chose to walk, but I chose to ride. Before riding back, the caretaker instructed me on how to regulate the horse's pace and direction, and happily, we reached down.

To relish the scenic route we opted to trek down to Shimla on foot rather than by cab.

We took the cable car to the crest (295 INR one way), and while touring the Jakhoo, we discovered a Ramayana-era shrine devoted to Lord Hanuman. Hanuman Ji rested here while searching for "Sanjeevni Booti" for Laxman Ji. The surroundings were lovely, and there was a Giant Hanuman Ji Statue (108 Feet; 33M). We took only a one-way cable car journey and hiked down to The Mall. After some soft serve, we went to the Middle Bazar for supper.

Day 2 ended pleasantly; we returned to our lodgings and slept well.

We went on a culinary tour after covering the key sites and tried the famed local dishes. One of them was Parati Kulcha or Bheega Kulcha from an 85-year-old store. We had Parati Kulcha for breakfast at Sharma Chat Shop (Est. 1937)

Once our bellies were full, we walked on to tour The Bantony Castle, a 125-year-old Tudor-style constructed castle that was once a Summer Palace to the Royal Family of Sirmaur but is now owned by the government and renovations are underway.

We started touring Ridge after having coffee and wedges at ICH. We went to the Gaiety Theater's art exhibition, saw some beautiful items, and had Famous Meetha Pan from a local shop. When the rain began to fall while we were meandering around Upper Bazar, we dashed to the famed Trishul Bakery (Est. 1959), where we enjoyed the best veg steam momos, as well as their USP Japanese pastry and Chocolate Eclairs. They were excellent and distinctive. We returned to the railway station in order to catch our toy train back to Kalka, and while we waited, we had lunch at the Railway Canteen (Veg Thali 60 INR). We boarded our train and so concluded our journey.