Opposite the Viceregal Lodge's gate, the Himalayan Bird Park is a little aviary that's home to a small collection of exotic birdlife, including the iridescent monal pheasant, Himachal’s former state bird.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.38 MILES
A cross between Harry Potter's Hogwarts and a Scottish baronial castle, this 1888 pile was the official summer residence of the British viceroys until…
1.63 MILES
Along the central ridgetop, this broad pedestrian esplanade diverges from The Mall at Scandal Point, guarded by a fancifully hatted policeman. Thronged…
2.14 MILES
A 108ft (33m) vermillion-pink statue of monkey-god Hanuman pokes his head above the treetops on Shimla’s highest hilltop. Appropriately, hundreds of…
1.54 MILES
Lovingly restored between 2004 and 2009 and hoping for Unesco status, this remarkable 320-seater theatre opened in 1877, originally as part of a bigger…
0.19 MILES
On a hilltop some 2.5km west of Scandal Point, the state museum sits right at the base of the prominent TV Tower. Rich if somewhat static displays include…
1.88 MILES
On the way up to the Jakhu temple, you can peep through the gates to see the glass verandas of this 19th-century mansion that was built for colonial…
1.32 MILES
Whimsical and photogenically dilapidated, this 1880 red-brick mansion looks like a place for a Scooby Doo adventure. There's a wobbly central spire-turret…
1.76 MILES
This small, one-room gallery displays enlargements of a few historic photos of old Shimla, with cursory explanations, but you can see it all in five…
Nearby Shimla attractions
0.19 MILES
On a hilltop some 2.5km west of Scandal Point, the state museum sits right at the base of the prominent TV Tower. Rich if somewhat static displays include…
0.38 MILES
A cross between Harry Potter's Hogwarts and a Scottish baronial castle, this 1888 pile was the official summer residence of the British viceroys until…
0.89 MILES
Gorton Castle (1904), a massive and austere grey-stone edifice with neo-Gothic touches, was formerly the colonial government secretariat. Repairs are…
1.01 MILES
The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…
1.15 MILES
The Bengali hut–style Kali Bari Mandir enshrines an image of Kali as Shyamala.
1.32 MILES
Whimsical and photogenically dilapidated, this 1880 red-brick mansion looks like a place for a Scooby Doo adventure. There's a wobbly central spire-turret…
7. Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara
1.39 MILES
This major Sikh temple isn't a particular attraction but makes a useful landmark beside busy Cart Rd below the bazaar area.
1.42 MILES
One of Shimla's most atmospheric timber-framed buildings, the green-and-white Ripon Hospital building (1885) has a couple of exterior wooden stair-spirals…