Things to Do in Chandigarh

Chandigarh is the first planned city of independent India and is designed by the Swiss-born French architect, Le Corbusier. It is the capital city of the two Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh is the Union Territory of India which means it is ruled directly by the central government of India.

I never understood why my friends who had been to Chandigarh used to go gaga over it until I saw the city with my own eyes. Chandigarh is everything that any other metropolitan city is supposed to be but isn’t. The air is devoid of pollution, roads are broad and clean, no trace of dog, cow, and their dung, greenery everywhere you set your eyes, and no traffic. Chandigarh seems to be an anomaly among the modern cities of India which are polluted and congested.

I fell in love with Chandigarh as soon as I set my foot there. I loved the soothing calmness in the air. Unlike other modern cities where everyone is running against time, time seems to get slow down in Chandigarh. I spent hours sitting at one place in admiration of the beauty of Chandigarh. I stayed in Chandigarh for a weekend only but I could have easily spent days there. Chandigarh was etched in my mind to such an extent that even after coming to Delhi, I missed it for days.

I am not going to bore you anymore with my love for Chandigarh. Coming back to the topic at hand, there are lots of things to do in Chandigarh. You can take a tour to the artistic government buildings and monuments designed by Le Corbusier at Capitol Complex, take a boat ride at Sukhna Lake, get amazed to see sculptures made of discarded items at Rock Garden, and do museum-hopping. Tourists generally spend a day in Chandigarh as a stopover destination en route to Amritsar but that doesn’t do justification to this exhilarating city. I also spent only a couple of days but in the end, it left me wanting for more.

This Chandigarh travel guide will help you plan your trip by providing suggestions on things to do, hotel accommodation, and getting around.

Table of Contents
1 Best Time to Travel
2 How to Reach Chandigarh
2.1 Flight
2.2 Train
2.3 Bus
2.4 Car
3 Top Things to Do in Chandigarh
3.1 1) Sukhna Lake
3.2 2) Rock Garden
3.3 3) Museums of Sector-10
3.3.1 Government Museum and Art Gallery
3.3.2 Natural History Museum
3.3.3 Chandigarh Architecture Museum
3.4 4) Capitol Complex Tour
3.5 5) Le Corbusier Centre
3.6 6) Zakir Hussain Rose Garden
3.7 7) Sector – 17 Market
3.8 8) Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary
3.9 9) Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park
3.10 10) Butterfly Park
4 Get Around in Chandigarh
4.1 Uber/Ola
4.2 Bus
5 Stay in Chandigarh

Best Time to Travel

Like any other city of the northern part of India, Chandigarh is best explored in winters (November to March) when the weather is cool and ideal to roam around the city.
Summers (April to June) are harsh with temperature touching as high as 45-degree Celsius. It gets nearly impossible to walk under the scorching sun for more than 30 minutes.
The frequent rain in Monsoon season (July to August) provides relief from the heat but the weather can get humid during non-rainy days.

How to Reach Chandigarh

Chandigarh is around 250 kilometres away from Delhi and is easily reachable by air, train, and road.

Flight

Chandigarh has its own international airport, Chandigarh Airport (IXC). It connects 12 domestic destinations including all the major cities of India, and 2 international destinations (Dubai and Sharjah).

Train

Chandigarh Junction Railway Station (CDG) is the only railway station of Chandigarh. It is connected to all the major cities of India. Multiple Shatabdi trains run from Delhi to Chandigarh (Delhi – Kalka Shatabdi, Delhi – Chandigarh Shatabdi) and both take 3.5 hours to reach Chandigarh.

Bus

Many private and government buses operate on Delhi – Chandigarh route. They take approximately 5 hours and cost less than Rs 600.

Car

Roads from Delhi to Chandigarh are in excellent condition. Delhi is connected to Chandigarh via NH-44 and can be reached in 4 to 5 hours.

Top Things to Do in Chandigarh

1) Sukhna Lake

Sukhna Lake is an artificial lake and the most-visited attraction in Chandigarh. It is a perfect place to spend an evening with your loved ones. The most popular activity in Sukhan Lake is boat ride. There are multiple boating options from peddle boat, Shikara, doughnut-shaped boat to mini cruise and luxury boat. You can also get your portrait made, sit and relax on the rock wall. There is also a small amusement park for the kids to enjoy.

ALSO READ: TOP 5 THINGS TO DO AT SUKHNA LAKE

Address – Sukhna Boating, Lake Walking Way, Sector 1, Chandigarh
Opening Hours – 5 AM to 10:30 PM
Suggested Duration – 3 to 4 hours
Ticket Cost – Entry is free, rides and activities are chargeable.

2) Rock Garden

Rock Garden is a sculpture garden built entirely from industrial waste and discarded materials. The park is divided into three phases with waterfalls in the first phase, doll museum, aquarium, and open courtyard in the second phase, and sculptures of living beings built using discarded items like ceramic tiles and broken bangles in the third phase.

ALSO READ: WHAT TO EXPECT AT CHANDIGARH ROCK GARDEN?

Address – Rock Garden, Sector 1, Chandigarh, 160001
Phone – +91 172 274 0645
Official Website – http://nekchand.com/
Opening Hours – 9 AM to 7 PM (April to September), 9 AM to 6 PM (October to March)
Suggested Duration – 3 hours
Ticket Cost – Rs 30 (Adult), Rs 10 (Child)

3) Museums of Sector-10

There are three museums in Sector-10 museum complex namely Government Museum and Art Gallery, Natural History Museum, and Chandigarh Architecture Museum.

Government Museum and Art Gallery

The museum has a rich collection of stones sculptures, modern and contemporary art, miniature paintings, medieval period coins. The main highlight of the museum is Gandhara sculptures.

Natural History Museum

This museum houses the animal fossils, the replica of dinosaurs, diorama showing the evolution of man from ape, and cyclorama depicting the evolution of life on earth. I specifically liked this museum as it was informative and the natural history museum is a rarity in India.

Chandigarh Architecture Museum

This museum houses the documents, archives, sketches, and drawings depicting the events of the making of Chandigarh. An hour in this museum is sufficient to learn all about the history of Chandigarh.

ALSO READ: TOP 5 MUSEUMS OF CHANDIGARH

Address – Sector 10C Madhya Marg, Matka Chowk, 10C, Sector 10, Chandigarh
Phone – +91 172 274 2010
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 4:40 PM (closed on Monday)
Suggested Duration – 3 hours
Ticket Cost – Rs 10 (Government Museum and Art Gallery + Natural History Museum), Rs 5 (Chandigarh Architecture Museum), Rs 5 each for photography in (Government Museum and Art Gallery and Natural History Museum.

4) Capitol Complex Tour

Capitol Complex is the UNESCO World Heritage Site and comprises the group of government buildings and structures designed by Le Corbusier. It includes three buildings – Palace of Assembly or Legislative Assembly, Secretariat, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and three monuments – Open Hand Monument, Geometric Hill and Tower of Shadows.

The Chandigarh Tourist Department organize three daily Capitol Complex tours at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM. If possible, take the tour on weekdays as entry is not allowed inside the government buildings on weekends on the account of the holiday.

ALSO READ: CHANDIGARH CAPITOL COMPLEX TOUR

Address – Capitol Complex Tourist Centre, Sector 1, Chandigarh
Phone – +91 80549 40209
Opening Hours – 10 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 hour to 1.5 hour
Ticket Cost – Free

5) Le Corbusier Centre

Le Corbusier Centre was the old office of Le Corbusier. The museum was opened to the public in 2008. The museum is a tribute to Le Corbusier tries to showcase his life and work in Chandigarh through sketches, drawings, documents, and photographs.

Address – Old Architect Building, Sector 19B, Madhya Marg, 19B, Sector 19, Chandigarh
Phone – +91 172 277 7077
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 5 PM (closed on Monday)
Suggested Duration – 1 hour
Ticket Cost – Free

6) Zakir Hussain Rose Garden

It is a botanical garden with more than 1600 species of roses. The garden spreads over 30 acres of land. Apart from roses, the garden also has many trees like bel and yellow Gulmohar. The annual rose festival is held in Rose Garden in February or March. There is also a fountain and playground equipment for kids.

Address – Jan Marg, 16B, Sector 16, Chandigarh
Opening Hours – 5 AM to 9 PM (April to September), 6 AM to 8 PM (October to March)
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hour
Ticket Cost – Free

7) Sector – 17 Market

Sector – 17 market in Chandigarh is like Connaught Place market of Delhi. You will find both big showrooms selling branded products and small shopkeepers selling local products at a cheap price. You will also find restaurants and street vendors serving all variety of cuisines. The market lits up during the night with neon lights. A musical fountain show is also organized in the evening near the market area.

8) Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary

Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is located at a kilometre away from Sukhna Lake. There are very few mammals and reptiles and one visits there mostly for bird watching and spend some time among mother nature. There are more than 150 species of birds like Peacock, Cuckoos, Kingfisher, Hornbills etc.

Address – Rock Garden, Sector 1, Chandigarh, 160001
Official Website – http://www.chandigarh.gov.in/green_suk_wild.htm
Opening Hours –sunrise to sunset
Suggested Duration – 3 hours
Ticket Cost – Free

9) Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park

This zoo is about 20 kilometres away from the Chandigarh. The zoo is home to around 800 mammals and birds. You can take the service of battery-operated ferry vehicle to explore the zoo. You can also take Lion Safari to see the big cat. There is no need to carry your own food as there are 4 canteens or cafes inside the zoo.

Address – Chattbir Zoo Rd, Chhat, Punjab
Phone – +91 9814816501
Official Website – http://chhatbirzoo.gov.in/
Opening Hours –9 AM to 5 PM
Suggested Duration – 3 hours
Ticket Cost – http://chhatbirzoo.gov.in/timing-terrif/

10) Butterfly Park

This park spreads over 7 acres of land and houses multiple varieties of plants and vegetation. The park has 35 species of butterflies. March to October is the best time to see butterflies when they are not hibernating.

Address – Butterfly Park, Sector 26, Chandigarh
Opening Hours –9 AM to 5 PM
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours
Ticket Cost – Free

Get Around in Chandigarh

Uber/Ola

Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Ola are not only the most convenient mode of transport in Chandigarh but they are quite cheap as well. You can book both cab and auto-rickshaws through the app. I booked either auto-rickshaw or a uber pool for all my travel in Chandigarh and I never paid more than Rs 70 for any ride. In fact, on a few occasions, the fare was as low as Rs 29.

Bus

There are frequent bus services to most of the attractions of Chandigarh. There is also a CTU Bus Guide mobile app available on Google Play which gives information on bus fare, timings, and routes. Although I found the app very confusing and hard to use.

Stay in Chandigarh

Hotel Amar Palace: This is a no-frills budget hotel located in Sector-42 of Chandigarh. I stayed in this hotel for a solitary night for Rs 320. Room was basic with no AC but the service was fast and impressive. The breakfast was good and delicious.
Price Range: Rs 400 – 500

ALSO READ: HOTEL AMAR PALACE REVIEW

OYO 12025 Hotel Kamal Palace: This hotel is part of a budget hotel chain of OYO Rooms. It is also a popular choice among budget travellers where you can get a basic room with a free fixed menu breakfast for around Rs 1000
Price Range: Rs 1000 – 1200

Hotel Vintage: This is a mid-range hotel located around 10 kilometres away from the city centre. All the hotel rooms are equipped with modern amenities like wifi, LCD, mini-refrigerator, and coffee/tea maker.
Price Range: Rs 3500 – 4500

Hotel Chandigarh Beckons: A mid-range hotel located in Sector-42. The room amenities are similar to that of the Hotel Vintage. There is also an in-house bar that customers can enjoy.
Price Range: Rs 3000 – 4000

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson: This 4-star hotel is located in the Zirakpur area of Chandigarh and around 10 kilometres away from the city centre. Apart from all the modern amenities offered in the room, the hotel also has an outdoor pool and fitness centre to unwind and relax.
Price Range: Rs 4000 – 5000