Attraction · Shimla
Kufri
The high open shoulder sixteen kilometres east of Shimla where the ranges finally come into view — a nature park, a snow slope in winter, and a great many horses.
Time neededHalf a day
AltitudeAbout 2,720 m
Where16 km east of Shimla
Drive45 minutes each way
WinterSnow, roughly Dec – Feb
Also hereHimalayan Nature Park
About
Kufri
Kufri sits sixteen kilometres east of Shimla on the Hindustan–Tibet road at about 2,720 metres, which is five hundred metres higher than the town, and the difference shows: this is where the deodar thins, the ground opens out and the snow ranges to the north become properly visible. It was developed as a winter sports location in the 1920s and still functions as one in a modest way, with a slope that carries snow from about December to February. The Himalayan Nature Park beside the road holds high-altitude species — musk deer, Himalayan monal, bears — in enclosures, and is the substantive thing to do here. The rest of Kufri is a viewpoint with a great deal of commercial activity attached to it, principally horse rides up to the top of the hill, and how much you enjoy the place depends almost entirely on how you feel about that.
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What to See
What to see
A nature park, a viewpoint and a snow slope in season. Half a day covers all of it comfortably.
The Himalayan Nature Park
- High-altitude species in enclosures — musk deer, Himalayan monal, barking deer, Himalayan black bear and others.
- It is a conservation and breeding facility rather than a zoo in the ordinary sense, and it is the reason to make the trip.
- Allow forty-five minutes to an hour; it is walked on made paths through forest.
The viewpoint
- The open shoulder above the road, which gives the clearest northern view available from anywhere near Shimla.
- On a clear day the ranges are properly visible in a way they never quite are from the Ridge.
- The top is reached on foot, on horseback or by a rough vehicle track, and the walk is about twenty minutes.
In the snow
- Snow on the ground from roughly December to February, with a modest slope used for tubing and informal skiing.
- Boots, jackets and gloves are hired at the roadside, and hiring in Shimla is generally the better arrangement.
- It is very busy at weekends and through the New Year period, and the road can back up badly.
Getting There
Getting there
Sixteen kilometres east on the Hindustan–Tibet road, and the last stretch is walked or ridden.
From Shimla
- About 16 km east — forty-five minutes by taxi in normal conditions, and considerably longer in the snow season.
- A taxi for the half-day, waiting, is the usual arrangement and is what the Shimla packages use.
- The road is the Hindustan–Tibet highway and is scenic in its own right.
The last stretch
- Vehicles stop at the roadside; the top of the hill is reached on foot, on horseback or by a rough shared vehicle.
- The walk is about twenty minutes uphill on a track that is muddy in the wet and icy in winter.
- Horses are the heavily promoted option and are the source of most complaints about Kufri.
Combining it
- With the Viceregal Lodge in the morning, which is the standard Shimla day.
- With Chail or Naldehra further along the same road, if you have a full day rather than a half.
- Not with Jakhoo on the same day; both involve a climb and one is enough.
Best Time
When to visit
Clear autumn mornings for the view, mid-winter for the snow, and never a peak weekend.
Time of year
- September to November gives the clearest air and the best chance of the ranges being visible, which is the main reason to come.
- December to February brings snow and the largest crowds of the year.
- March to June is warm and pleasant, with haze building through most days.
Time of day
- Early morning for the view and for the road, both of which deteriorate as the day goes on.
- The nature park is best early, when the animals are active.
- Afternoons in season mean queueing on the road in both directions.
How long
- Half a day including the drive, which is what every itinerary allows.
- Two hours on the ground covers the nature park and the viewpoint.
- Longer only if you are continuing to Chail or Naldehra.
Visitor Intelligence
Visitor intelligence
Kufri divides visitors sharply, and knowing why in advance is most of the solution.
The horses
- Horse rides to the top are pressed hard and are the single most common complaint about Kufri.
- Look at the animal before agreeing to anything — condition varies a great deal and walking away is entirely reasonable.
- The walk up takes about twenty minutes and is a perfectly good alternative for most people.
Managing the visit
- Do the nature park, which is the substantive part, and treat the summit as optional rather than the reverse.
- Fix prices for everything — rides, clothing hire, photographs — before, not after.
- Go early. Almost every problem at Kufri is worse after eleven.
Altitude and weather
- At about 2,720 m it is five hundred metres above Shimla and meaningfully colder in every season.
- Take a layer even in June, and proper footwear year-round — the track is mud or ice most of the time.
- Sun at this altitude is strong even when the air is cold.
Access
- The nature park is walked on made paths with gradient but no steps of consequence, and is the accessible part of Kufri.
- The summit track is rough, steep and unsuitable for anyone unsteady.
- There is no step-free route to the viewpoint.
Nearby
Nearby
Shimla and its sights are three quarters of an hour west.
The Viceregal Lodge
The other half of the standard Shimla day, at the far end of town.
Christ Church and the Ridge
Central Shimla, and where the evening goes.
Shimla
Sixteen kilometres west and five hundred metres lower.
Chail and Naldehra
Further along the same road, for a full day rather than a half. Neither has a page here.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
It depends what you go for. The Himalayan Nature Park is genuinely worth an hour — high-altitude species including musk deer, monal and Himalayan black bear, on made paths through forest — and the northern view from the open shoulder above the road is the clearest available anywhere near Shimla. What disappoints people is the commercial apparatus around the summit, principally the horse rides. Go early, do the nature park, treat the summit as optional, and it is a good half-day.
Roughly December to February, most reliably in January. At about 2,720 m it is five hundred metres higher than Shimla and holds snow when the town does not, which is why it fills with domestic visitors through the winter. Weekends and the Christmas–New Year fortnight are extremely busy and the road can back up badly. As with anywhere, snow is weather rather than a schedule and no month guarantees it.
No, and this is worth knowing before you arrive because the rides are pressed hard. The walk to the top of the hill takes about twenty minutes on a rough track and is perfectly manageable for most people. If you do want to ride, look at the animal first — condition varies a great deal and declining is entirely reasonable. Agree the price and what it includes before getting on, not afterwards.
A conservation and breeding facility beside the road at Kufri holding high-altitude Himalayan species in enclosures — musk deer, Himalayan monal, barking deer, Himalayan black bear and others — walked on made paths through forest. It takes forty-five minutes to an hour and it is the substantive thing to do at Kufri rather than a sideshow to the viewpoint. Early morning is best, when the animals are active.
Half a day, which is what every Shimla itinerary allows for it. The drive is 16 km and about forty-five minutes each way in normal conditions, considerably longer in the snow season when the road backs up. Two hours on the ground covers the nature park and the viewpoint comfortably. It only becomes a full day if you continue along the same road to Chail or Naldehra.
Partly. The Himalayan Nature Park is walked on made paths with gradient but no significant steps and is manageable for most people, and it is the better half of Kufri anyway. The summit track is rough, steep, and mud or ice for most of the year, and there is no step-free route to the viewpoint. A visit that does the nature park and skips the top is a perfectly complete one.
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