Destination 01 · Day 2
Kufri
Where the plains finally run out. A hill station of deodar and pine above Shimla, and the journey’s first night in the cold.
Why stop here
The body needs a staircase.
Driving from Delhi straight to the high valleys would be a mistake, for comfort and for safety. Kufri is the first step on the staircase: high enough to feel the mountain air, low enough to sleep well while your body begins to adjust.
It is also a genuinely lovely place to arrive in winter. Kufri sits along the ridge east of Shimla, where the old Hindustan–Tibet road begins its long run toward Kinnaur. On clear days the higher Himalaya appears on the northern horizon as a white line — a preview of where the road is heading.
In late December, snow around Kufri is common. That makes for beautiful evenings and, occasionally, slower roads; the operator will confirm arrival plans closer to the date.
At a glance
Kufri on the route
Day 2 · night 2
Where Kufri falls in the eight days. See the itinerary.
~2,700 m
Approximate altitude, rounded. 31.10° N, 77.27° E.
Deodar and snow
Cedar and pine forest on the ridge east of Shimla, often under snow in late December.
The first step up
A night at this height eases the body toward Kalpa and, later, Kaza.
What to notice
Three things that change at Kufri.
- The trees. Plains scrub gives way to deodar cedar and pine, often dusted with snow.
- The temperature. Winter evenings are properly cold — this is where the warm layers come out.
- The horizon. For the first time, the snow peaks of the higher Himalaya are visible on clear days.
Neighbour
Shimla, just down the ridge.
The old summer capital spreads across the hills a short distance west. The road to Kufri passes close to it, and after dark its lights stack up the slopes like a second sky.
Next on the road · Day 3 · into Kinnaur