Nainital Travel Guide

Nainital is a popular hill station in the state of Uttarakhand located at the height of 2,084 metres above sea level. The town is built around Naini Lake, an eye-shaped lake, which is also the biggest attraction of Nainital. Nainital was founded by the British in 1841 who made it the summer capital of British India’s United Provinces.

This Nainital Travel Guide provides suggestions on things to do, hotel accommodation that will help you plan your Nainital trip.

Table of Contents
1 Best Time to Travel
2 How to Reach Nainital
2.1 Flight
2.2 Train
2.3 Bus
2.4 Car
3 Things to Do in Nainital
3.1 1) Boating at Naini Lake
3.2 2) Explore Other Lakes
3.3 3) Paragliding in Naukuchiatal
3.4 4) Horse Ride to Tiffin Top
3.5 5) Ropeway to Snow View Point
3.6 6) Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House)
3.7 7)  Gurney House
3.8 8) G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo
3.9 9) Eco Cave Gardens
3.10 10) Zip Lining in Naukuchiatal
4 Day Trips from Nainital
4.1 1) Pangot and Kilbury Bird Sanctuary
4.2 2) Jim Corbett National Park
4.3 3) Mukteshwar
4.4 4) Ranikhet
5 How to Get Around in Nainital
6 Stay in Nainital

Best Time to Travel

Like any other hill station, Nainital is most visited in summers (April-June). The weather is pleasant enough for sightseeing during the day. May to June is a time of summer holidays and Nainital get swarmed with families during this time. Prices of hotels and activities are also highest during this period.

If you want to avoid big crowds and still want to enjoy a bit of warm weather, October – November and March is also a good time. Some of the summer activities might remain closed during this period.

The winter season lasts from December to February with January being the coldest month. Light snowfall can be expected during this period. This is the least preferred time to visit Nainital. 

Monsoon season starts from July and lasts till September. Nainital receives close to 80% of its annual rainfall during these four months. There is a sharp increase in humidity. Monsoon is also preferred by many but beware of the landslides as the area is prone to frequent landslides due to heavy rainfall.

How to Reach Nainital

Nainital is approx. 320 kilometres from Delhi and is reachable by all the modes of transport.

Flight

The closest airport to Nainital is Pantnagar Airport (PGH) which is 70 kilometres away. Alliance Air, a regional subsidiary arm of Air India, operates a daily flight from Delhi and Dehradun. From the airport, you can book a taxi to Nainital for Rs 2000 – 2500.

Train

Kathgodam Railway Station (KGM), located 35 kilometres from Nainital is the nearest railway station. There are three daily trains between Delhi and Kathgodam. The fastest among three is New Delhi-Kathgodam Shatabdi Express which takes 5 hours and 20 minutes, and slowest is Ranikhet Express which takes 7 to 9 hours depending on which railway station of Delhi you decide to board. But Ranikhet Express is also a night train which will save you from wasting a significant amount of day time in travelling.

From the railway station, you have the option to take a taxi or bus to reach Nainital. A private taxi although the most convenient but costs around Rs 1000. If you are travelling in a group, it can turn out to be cheap after splitting up the cost. Another option is to take a shared taxi which cost Rs 200-300 per person.

Alternatively, you can take a bus for around Rs 60. The bus station is 1.5 kilometres away from the railway station.

Bus

Uttarakhand Roadways runs daily bus service from Delhi ISBT Anand Vihar Terminal to Nainital. The journey takes close to 9 hours and costs Rs 130. But these are ordinary buses and are not conducive to undertake such a long journey. You can book the ticket from here.

The private buses also ply on this route but frequent delay and bad service are generally a norm with all the private buses and thus, not recommended.

Car

Car is the most popular mode of travel to Nainital. The journey takes 7 to 8 hours from Delhi. If you are not a confident driver, you can hire a sedan car with driver for Rs 2500 – 3000 per day, or SUV for approx. Rs 4000 per day. You can also use it for sightseeing in Nainital, thus avoiding the need to hire a taxi in Nainital. If you consider all this, hiring a car is the most convenient and economical if you are travelling in a group of a minimum of three persons.

Things to Do in Nainital

1) Boating at Naini Lake

Naini Lake is an eye-shaped lake in the middle of the town. Boating is the most popular thing to do in Nainital. You can hire a boat with the boatman for 30 minutes for Rs 210 which can accommodate up to 4 adults. A yacht with boatman can also be hired for Rs 250 per hour. Alternatively, a self paddle boat can also be hired.

Opening hours – 6 AM to 6 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours

2) Explore Other Lakes

There are three other lakes near Nainital – Sattal Lake, Bhimtal Lake, and Naukuchiatal Lake. These lakes are not as beautiful as Naini Lake but still worth visiting. You can visit an aquarium located on a small island in Bhimtal Lake. If Kayaking interests you, Kayaks are available in Naukuchiatal Lake.

3) Paragliding in Naukuchiatal

Naukuchiatal is an adventure area of Nainital region. You can do Paragliding, Zip Lining and Kayaking in Naukuchiatal. The most popular among them is Paragliding. There is an abundance of companies offering paragliding services and most or all of them are unlicensed and do not have great safety standards. After carefully going through many reviews, I found Sky Bird Adventures as the safest. Their cheapest package option is of Rs 2000 which includes 3-9 minutes of flying time.

I had chosen this package but had hardly got the flying time of 2 minutes. On complaining, I was told many factors including weather and wind direction determines the flying time. But there are many reviews on Tripadvisor complaining the same; seems like a pattern with them. Even with less flying time, I loved every moment of it. I have a fear of heights and paragliding was scary, liberating, and exciting. There is no need to make an advanced booking, you can easily make a booking on the spot.

Address – Sky Bird Adventures, Jungaliya Gaon Rd, Uttarakhand 263136
Phone – +91 8006897530 (Manoj), +91 8755080022 (Lucia)
Official Website – http://www.skybirdadventurs.com
Opening Hours – 7 AM to 6 PM (summers), 9 AM to 4 PM (winters)

4) Horse Ride to Tiffin Top

Tiffin Top can be either reached by horse or on foot. Trek to Tiffin Top is only about 2 kilometres long but rather difficult. The path is rocky, steep and full of gravels.

Taking a horse is the convenient and fastest way to reach on top. Many different fixed rate packages are available depending upon the number of viewpoints it includes. The roundtrip packages start from Rs 300 to Rs 810. The highest package of Rs 810 includes six viewpoints including Tiffin Top, Dorothy’s Seat, Lands End. This package is a tourist trap since half of the viewpoints are not even viewpoints and are just named to attract gullible tourists, while rest are similar. Rather go for any single individual package which costs no more than Rs 400.

5) Ropeway to Snow View Point

One of the interesting things to do in Nainital is to reach Snow View Point in a ropeway. At Snow View Point, you get amazing views of snow-clad mountains. The ropeway was closed during my visit in April for the maintenance for the summer season.

Address – Ropeway Booking Counter, Mallital, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 4 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours
Ticket Cost – Rs 300 (Roundtrip for adults), Rs 200 (Roundtrip for a child between 3 – 12 years of age)

6) Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House)

Raj Bhawan was built in the late 19th century by the British who used it as a summer residence. It is a two-storeyed building built in Victorian Gothic architecture. Today it is used as a residence of Governor of Uttarakhand. 

Half-hour guided tour is provided at the start of every hour. The entrance hall is the only portion of the house that is accessible to tourists and that too as part of a guided tour. The hall houses the wooden furniture, chandeliers, Belgium mirror, and various artefacts received as a gift. The tourists are neither allowed to touch objects nor photograph them.

Address – Amghari, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263002
Opening Hours – 8 AM to 5 PM (March to April, September to October), 8 AM to 6 PM (May to August), 8 AM to 4 PM (November to December). Closed on Sunday
Suggested Duration – 1 hour
Ticket Cost – Rs 50 (includes guided tour)

7) Gurney House

Gurney House was Jim Corbett’s house in Nainital. It is now owned by Dalmia family of New Delhi. The house still has many objects and furniture of Jim Corbett. The living room has old photographs of Jim Corbett, lion carpet, deer heads hung on the wall. His bedroom is kept intact with bed, almirah, and mirror.

Many people are not aware of Gurney house and even road to it is not properly signposted. When you reach the Gurney house, you may find the gate closed and nobody around. That is what happened to us. We opened the main gate ourselves and asked for the caretaker to the kids playing inside. The caretaker will show you around but do not expect any useful information from her.

Address – Ayarpatta, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263002
Phone – +91 9927738239 (Ganesh Joshi)
Official Website – http://gurneyhouse.com/
Opening Hours – 8 AM to 5 PM 
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free

8) G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo

This is one of three high altitude zoo in India and the only high altitude zoo of North India. The zoo is famous for endangered animals like Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Bear, Snow Leopard etc. The zoo requires lots of hiking uphill and downhill to move from one area to another. Pregnant woman, elderly people, and small kids should avoid visiting the zoo.

The zoo is located about 2 kilometres uphill from Tallital Bus station. Private vehicles are not allowed to go there. You can go on foot but the hike is steep and takes around 30 minutes to reach there.

Alternatively, shuttle service is operated between the bus station and entrance point of zoo. It cost Rs 50 per head for a roundtrip.

Address – Tallital, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263002
Phone – +91 5942 237 927
Official Website – http://www.nainitalzoo.org.in/nainitalzoo/index.php
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 4:30 PM (closed on Thursday)
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hour
Ticket Cost – Rs 100 (Indian Adult), Rs 50 (Indian Child), Rs 200 (Foreigner Adult), Rs 100 (Foreigner Child)

9) Eco Cave Gardens

Eco Cave Gardens has six man-made caves of different sizes – tiger cave, panther cave, bats cave, squirrel cave, flying fox cave, and apes cave. Some caves are big, some are small. As you move from one cave to another, the size gets smaller and the difficulty level increases. You have to crawl your way through the last two caves. It takes about 1 hour to finish all the caves.

Address – Sherwani, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263002
Opening Hours – 9 AM to 5 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours
Ticket Cost – Rs 60 (Adult), Rs 25 (Child), Rs 25 (Camera)

10) Zip Lining in Naukuchiatal

Adventure Sports lover can do Zip Lining over Naukuchiatal Lake. Again, don’t expect good safety standards. You are not even given proper instructions on the best practice to perform it. They quoted something around Rs 1200 per person (exact I don’t remember) which we managed to bargain down at Rs 900. The Zip Lining hardly takes a minute. Zip Lining is a complete rip-off and is avoidable.

Day Trips from Nainital

1) Pangot and Kilbury Bird Sanctuary

About 15 kilometres away from Nainital, Pangot and Kilbury Bird Sanctuary is a paradise for bird lovers. There are around 580 different species of birds like Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Himalayan bulbul etc. Apart from the birds, the sanctuary is also home to various mammals like deer and sambhar. The sanctuary is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to enter.

2) Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park is one of the most popular wildlife parks in North India. Three hour morning and evening safari are operated daily in the park. You can also go for elephant safari apart from Jeep and Canter safari. Corbett Falls, Kalagarh Dam and Garjiya Devi Temple are other few attractions in the park. Jim Corbett National Park is located just 65 kilometres away from Nainital.

3) Mukteshwar

Mukteshwar is a small hill station about 50 kilometres from Nainital which is fast gaining as a popular tourist destination. Major attractions include 350 years old Shiva temple known as Mukteshwar Dham, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, cliff known as Chauli Ki Jaali for great views and sunset watching.

4) Ranikhet

Ranikhet is a cantonment town and hill station in Uttarakhand and is about 70 kilometres away from Nainital. Popular Bollywood movie ‘Raja Hindustani’ was shot there. Visit Chaubatia Garden for apple orchids and plantation of almonds, apricot, and peaches. Other places of interest are Bhalu Dam which is an artificial lake, Rani Jheel lake, and a couple of temples.

How to Get Around in Nainital

There is no public transport in Nainital. Cycle Rickshaws are operated on the mall road. Price is fixed at Rs 20 from one end of mall road to another.

You may hire a private cab for sightseeing in and around Nainital. The prices may range from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 depending upon the number of hours and places to visit.

Note that the vehicles have restricted access to enter Mall Road from 6 AM to 9 PM and one has to pay Rs 120 every time to enter through Mall Road using a vehicle.

Stay in Nainital

Nainital is a very popular hill station and hotel prices are always generally higher than the average hotel prices in India. The budget hotel starts from about Rs 1500 and one is expected to pay at least Rs 6000 to get the semi-luxurious hotel during peak season.

Hotel Channi Raja: This is a budget hotel and is located on the Mall road. It has a restaurant which serves food at a very affordable rate. The striking feature of this hotel is the extent of wooden work on walls and floors.
Price Range: Rs 2500 – 3000

NV Nature View: This 3-star hotel has 23 rooms and 3 suites. Enjoy your breakfast in an open cafe amidst the enthralling view of the valley. It also has an in-house dining restaurant serving continental, Indian, and Chinese cuisines.
Price Range: Rs 4000 – 5000

The Earl’s Court: This is a 3-star property built in British architecture. The rooms have home-like ambience. Guest can indulge themselves in many indoor games like Ludo, Carrom, and Chess. Bonfire night is organized every night during summers. I had stayed in The Earl’s Court on Nainital visit. Rooms did not justify the huge price tag but the breakfast was amazing.
Price Range: Rs 5500 – 8000 

Neelesh Inn: This hotel is located on the banks of Bhimtal Lake, about 20 kilometres away from Nainital. The hotel regularly conducts theme parties, campfires, and bar-be-cues. You can take a stroll in the hotel lawn in the morning and evening and feel the sudden surge of freshness and energy.
Price Range: Rs 3500 – 4500