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Tiffin Top

Tanbatra · File:Tiffin-top Nainital.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiffin-top_Nainital.jpg

Attraction · Nainital

Tiffin Top

The viewpoint on the southern rim, also called Dorothy’s Seat after the English artist it was built to remember — the other half of the Nainital morning, looking back across the bowl.

Time needed1 – 2 hours
Best timeClear morning
Also calledDorothy’s Seat
WhereThe southern rim
AccessWalk, pony or road
Built forDorothy Kellett
About

The seat on the other rim

Tiffin Top stands on the rim opposite Snow View, which is the whole point of going to both: one looks north to the Himalaya, the other looks back across the bowl at Nainital, the lake and the ridge above it. It is also called Dorothy’s Seat, after Dorothy Kellett, an English artist, for whom the stone seat at the top was built in memory. Three of the five Kumaon itineraries name it alongside Snow View on the same morning. The last stretch is a climb through deodar and oak, on foot or by pony, and that walk is a good part of what makes it worth the time.

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What to See

What you can see

The town from above, and the range beyond it when the air allows.

The view back

  • Nainital in its bowl, with Naini Lake — 1,433 m long and 463 m wide — filling the floor
  • Snow View and Naina Peak on the opposite rim
  • The Himalaya beyond them on a clear day, from a lower angle than Snow View gives

The seat

  • A stone seat and platform at the top, built in memory of the artist Dorothy Kellett
  • The reason for the alternative name it is as often known by

The walk

  • Deodar and oak on the climb, which is shaded most of the way
  • Ponies work the route for those who would rather not walk it
Getting There

Getting there

Up from the town, on foot, by pony or as far as a vehicle can take you.

From the town

  • Up from the Mall end of the lake toward the southern rim
  • The last section is a walk or a pony ride — vehicles do not reach the top itself

In the day

  • The itineraries that include it pair it with Snow View on the same morning
  • Doing both is what makes the pairing work: one rim looks north, the other looks back
Best Time

When to go

Morning, and dry ground.

Time of day

  • Clear mornings give the range; the town-and-lake view holds later into the day
  • It is quieter than Snow View at almost any hour

Season

  • The path is slippery in and after the monsoon, and the view is often closed then
  • The months after the rains are the reliable ones for both the walk and the air
Visitor Intelligence

Worth knowing

A short climb that people underestimate.

The climb

  • It is a genuine uphill walk at over two thousand metres, not a stroll
  • Shoes with grip matter more here than anywhere else on a Nainital day

Ponies

  • Pony rides are offered from the town and are a normal way to do the route
  • Terms are arranged locally and are not something this page can quote

Expectations

  • The Himalayan view is weather and cannot be promised
  • The view over the town and the lake is the one you can rely on
Nearby

Close by

The opposite rim, and the water between.

Snow View
The northern rim, and the other half of the morning
Naini Lake
The floor of the bowl below
Naina Devi Temple
On the far shore of the lake
Nainital
The town guide
Good to Know

Frequently asked

After Dorothy Kellett, an English artist, for whom the stone seat at the top was built in memory. Both names are in common use locally and on signage, and itineraries use them interchangeably.
It is a real uphill walk at over two thousand metres rather than a stroll, shaded through deodar and oak for most of the way. Ponies work the route if you would rather ride it. The ground is slippery in and after the monsoon.
It is different, which is why the itineraries that include both do both. Snow View looks north at the Himalaya; Tiffin Top looks back across the bowl at the town, the lake and the far rim. Tiffin Top is also markedly quieter.
Not to the top itself. A vehicle takes you part of the way and the last stretch is on foot or by pony. That last section is a good part of what makes it worth doing.
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