Shimla: Colonial Walking Tour with Local Stories & Castles
Walk Shimla’s colonial past from Christ Church to IIAS
You’ll walk Shimla’s colonial trails with a local guide who shares stories behind every castle and street corner. From Christ Church to IIAS, expect laughter at Scandal Point, temple bells at Kali Bari Mandir, and glimpses into everyday hill station life. The city’s layers will stick with you long after your shoes are dusty.
What’s included
Your day includes a guided one-way walking tour from Christ Church to Indian Institute of Advanced Study with a local English-, Hindi-, and Pahari-speaking guide sharing stories along every stop—plus plenty of laughs and local gossip as you go.
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2h
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1 — Guided walk exploring Shimla landmarks
- Start outside Christ Church
- Walk through The Ridge road
- Visit Scandal Point
- See Telegraph Office on Mall Road
- Explore Bantony Castle on Kalibari road
- Visit Kali Bari Mandir temple
- View Shimla Railway Board building
- Stop at Gorton Castle
- See Kennedy Cottage near Annadale
- Pass Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
- View The Cecil hotel
- Pass All India Radio Centre
- End tour at Indian Institute of Advanced Study
Ever wondered what it feels like to walk through history and kind of lose track of what century you’re in? That’s what happened to me in Shimla. We started outside Christ Church — yellow walls, stained glass, the whole thing felt like a movie set until Rev. Sohan Lal waved at us and reminded me this is just daily life here. The air was cool, almost sharp, and I remember the faint smell of pine needles mixing with incense drifting from somewhere nearby. Our guide, Rakesh, joked that if you listen closely, you can hear the old British ghosts arguing about tea.
The Ridge was busy but not overwhelming — families eating roasted corn, school kids laughing too loud, a group of old men playing cards on a bench. We paused at Scandal Point (the name made me laugh), and Rakesh explained how some Maharaja once ran off with a British lady here. He pointed out Bantony Castle up ahead — I’d never seen a palace painted that shade of faded pink before. You could almost feel the stories layered into the bricks. At Kali Bari Mandir, bells rang out so suddenly I jumped; Rakesh grinned and said it’s good luck if you flinch.
We wandered past the red-brick Telegraph Office (Scottish architect, apparently) and then the Railway Board Building — all cast iron and steel from Glasgow. There’s something odd about seeing these European buildings surrounded by Himalayan hills. Gorton Castle looked like it belonged in Scotland but smelled faintly of chai from a vendor nearby. By the time we reached the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (which used to be Viceregal Lodge), my feet were tired but my head was buzzing with half-remembered facts and local gossip. I still think about that view over Shimla as the sun started dipping behind clouds — it felt both grand and ordinary at once.
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