Kasauli Tourism & Travel - Know Before you Go!

Kasauli Tour & Travel Guide at WeAreHolidays

Kasauli is a small yet beautiful hill station located in the Solan district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Located at a distance of 77 kilometres from Shimla and 65 kilometres from Chandigarh, at an altitude of 1,927 metres, Kasauli was developed by the British during the peak days of the empire Mixed forests of chir-pine, Himalayan oak and huge horse chestnuts surround Kasauli. Directly below Kasauli are the vast plains of Punjab and Haryana which are visible as a gorgeous display of twinkling lights at night. A 90 minutes' drive from Chandigarh, Kasauli is ideally situated to serve as a weekend destination from Delhi.

Trekking

If you are looking for some picturesque trekking routes, then you will find a number of treks, such as those to Kalka, Jabli and Garkhal. For instance, the trek from Jabli to Kasauli stretches over approximately 9 kilometers and brings you across some of the most remarkable views.

Nature Walks

Indulging in nature walks is something that you cannot afford to miss if you've come to Kasauli. Such walks help you explore the raw beauty of the town, For instance, you can take the shortcut trail to Kimmughat, from Kasauli's Lower Mall. There is another one that goes from Old Kasauli Road to Parwanoo. The highlight of the town is the 1.5 km long Sanawar-Mandudhar Walk.

Paragliding

At a distance of approximately 12 km from Kasauli, you will find a small and sleepy village, Dagshai. One of the oldest Birtish cantonments in the area, it is the famous for offering adventure activities to visitors, paragliding being one of them.

Camping

Amongst the number of sites around Kasauli where camping facilities are provided, a small hill station named Dagshai is amongst the better known ones.

Solang Valley

A hot spot for adventure buffs, this amazing picnic spot offers challenging activities like Horse riding, Paragliding, Skiing and Zorbing. The Manali mountaineering Institute imparts special training in skiing and other adventure sports for amateurs. This fabulous place is also the center of the annual winter skiing festival.

Paragliding

There are multiple levels, starting from the basic 1 minute flying (the most common), progressing to a more fun 5 minute flight. But the ultimate is the half an hour flight for which they take you up almost halfway to Rohtang, and bring you back to Solang all the way by paragliding. Himalayan Snow Village, camping site, Raison, district Kullu (14 kms from Kullu on the Manali national highway), is primarily into hardcore trekking, camping, rafting and other adventure activities in the valley.

Rock Climbing

There are some fabulous routes, however, it's better to go with a reputable company that provides suitable gear, otherwise this can become a dangerous sport. E.g. The Pizza Olive can do the job well for you. The company also does abseiling trips, in which you can swing down into 9 tiers of a waterfall using rock-climbing equipment.

Deo Tibba Base Camp Trek

This trek is a technical trekking trail in Manali. This trek is a famous trek among the experience climbers. This trek gives a magnificent view of Deo.

Central Research Institute

The Central Research Institute (CRI), was established at Kasauli in 1904 as an institute engaged in R&D activities in the fields of immunology and virological research. The CRI works in collaboration with WHO to produce measles, polio and the DTP group of vaccines. Anti-Rabies and anti-snake bite innoculations are also made here.

Man-ki Point (or Monkey Point)

Just 4 kms from the Kasauli bus stand, lies the highest point in Kasauli known as the Monkey Point. A small temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman is situated on the top of the hill. According to a legend, in Ramayana, when Lod Hanuma was returning from the Himalayas after obtaining Sanjivani Booti or the Magical Herb, his foot touched the hill and thus the top of hill is in a foot shape. According to some locals, it gets its name from the steep cliff that only monkeys can negotiate

Christ Church

Previously an Anglican church built in the 19th century, Christ Church has been under the auspices of CNI (Church of North India) in the diocese of Amritsar, since 1970. Built in the shape of a cross, the old structure is surrounded by a grove of chestnut and fir trees.

Gurudwara Shri Guru Nanak Ji

The Gurudwara Shri Guru Nanak Ji is located in the Gharkhal bazaar near Kasaul. Another Sikh Gurudwara lies on the Kasauli-Mashobra (old Hindustan-Tibet) Road near the Air Force Radar Station.

Kasauli Brewery

Founded in the 1820's,The Kasauli Brewery and distillery, founded in the 1820's, is the oldest extant distillery for 'scotch whisky' in Asia.

Lower Mall

It's a beautiful 3 Kms walk up to Monkey Point with amazing scenery and old heritage views on the way.

Kasauli Club

Amongst the most famous clubs in Himachal, the British Raj established the Kasauli club in 1880 as an accessible summer retreat. It is currently located within Indian Army premises and only members and the military officers serving in Kasauli are entertained in the same. No civilians or tourists can enter the same without being sponsored by a current member of the club.

Sunrise Point

As the name suggests, its probably the best place in Kasauli to see the sun rise.

Upper Mall

It's another 2.5 km beautiful stretch going upto the Flag Staff house (HQ 95 Inf Bde. Brigadier Residence). The malls are surrounded by chir pine, horse chestnuts, Himalayan oak and the odd juniper. They are not as crowded as Shimla, which adds the charm to Kasauli.

Scandal Point & Lover's Lane

A place specially for honeymooners and young couples,it's just a few meters ahead of the Sunset point.

Sunset Point

The sunset view from this place can be breathtaking. It's located on upper mall, Kasauli 100 mts ahead of Kasauli Club.

Other Attractions

The surrounding hills of Kasauli are a feast for the eyes. Some well-known Hindi writers like Mohan Rakesh, Nirmal Verma, Upendra Natha Ashaq and Gulshan Nanda have penned their best works in Kasauli. The well-known journalist Khushwant Singh has a house there called Raj Villa. Bird lovers will have lot more on their Kasauli trip. They can expect to be woken up by the cries of blackbirds, white-necked bulbuls, mynahs and hill-crows.

Gilbert Trail

If you are looking for a nice walk in the nature, then try Gilbert Trail which can be accessed via a kuchha road around 700 metres ahead of Lover's lane.

The eating places in Kasauli offer mixed cuisine. There are no restaurants as such and most are a part of a hotel or resort. Regional - Band samosa, Band tikki (Kasauli's special burger) and the Hot Jalebi at the main market are the specialties of Kasauli. Band samosa of Mohan Misthan Bhandar in lower mall area, consists of samosa with little of chole curry and tomato sauce sandwiched between a burger and then sort of grilled and served. Amazing old "Anglo Indian" cuisine like rissoles and pies can be found at Alasia. Indian - Himachal Tourism's Ros Common, Alasia, Kasauli resort, Kasauli castle, Kasauli Regency and Baikunth Resort. The Morris is a level lower in terms of ambience and there are basic restaurants like Kalyan in the bazaar. Chinese: Decent Chinese food is available at Ros Common, Kasauli Resort, Kasuli Regency, Baikunth Resort and Kasuli Castle.

Kasauli has a pleasant climate all through the year. Summers (April to June) have cool nights and warm days with maximum temperature of 28°C and a minimum of 14°C. Winters (November to February) are cold with snow falls occurring very rarely and temperature range is in between 5°C to 14°C. Monsoons are pleasant with low rainfalls.

When To visit

The best time to visit Kasauli would be between March - May and October - November, when its not too cold, and the crowds are less.

Clothing

December - March: Heavy woolens. e.g.: Heavy Jackets & Shawls, Woolen Caps, Lined shoes, NO slippers/chappals. April - May: Light Woolens. e.g.: Comfortable wear with Light Jackets & Shawls. June - July: Comfortable wear for pleasant weather. e.g.: T-Shirts etc. August - September: Light woolens, umbrella or a raincoat. October - November: Light or heavy woolens as the months progress

Air

Shimla is the closest Airport to Kasauli which is 35 km away, while Chandigarh airport is 65km away. A cab can be hired to reach kasuli from the airport.

Rail

Kalka in Haryana, which is 40 km from Kasauli and 44km from Solan, is the nearest rail head. Solan is also connected with narrow gauge railway line from Kalka.

Road

Buses, coaches and taxis ply quite frequently from Kasauli to Chandigarh and Delhi. For those driving from Delhi, take NH 1 to Ambala, and cross Sonepat and Karnal. From Ambala, take NH 22 for Kasauli. The route will pass Zirakpur, Panchkula, Pinjore, Parwanoo, and Dharampur. From Dharampur, a narrow hill road will take you to Kasauli. Or from Parwanoo, a narrow hill road will also take you to Kasauli via Jangeshu, Manoan, and Mashobra. Basically, taking a train from Delhi to Chandigarh and hiring a cab thereafter is the most preferred means of travel. It could save around 1.5 hours compared to taking a cab from Delhi itself, all the way. Another thing to note is that the train journey can be extended to Kalka as well.

Locally made pickles, preservatives and jams are well known. Gupta Brothers' Preservative free Jams, Jellies and Marmalades is one such place where you can find some good stuff. Shawls, woolens and handicrafts are sold in the shops above the bus stand. Visitors can also pick up fresh fruits in season like plums, peaches, apricots Famous wines, viz: plum wine, apple wine, peach wine, sherry wine, black grape wine etc. all can be bought from Gupta Provisional Store, Bus Stand, Kasauli. Pinekonez A famous souvenir shop just 3 km before Kasauli where one can find designer ceramic mugs of Kasauli, antique jewellery of Himachal, and lots more. Basically the junction of Upper and Lower Malls, both of which are markets with shops, sell daily commodities and souvenirs for tourists.

Nightlife in Kasauli is limited to what is offered by the hotels and resorts. Most hotels have a bar on the premises. Some of them also offer a bonfire on request.

Sanawar

Lying 5 Kms from Kasauli, its mainly famous for The Sanawar School, which boasts of many Bollywood actors amongst its alumni. Also famous is the Baba Balak Nath Temple.

Dharampur

12 Kms from Kasauli, Dharampur is the nearest railhead from where the toy train plys to Shimla and Kalka. If one wishes to stop and eat, Dharampur has a variety of joints to choose from, viz: McDonalds, Golfer's Inn, Giani Dhaba, Modern Dhaba, Hot Millions, Colonels Joint. Dharampur has one of the best hospitals in India for the cure of tuberculosis.

Dagshai

18 Kms from Kasauli, Located ideally between Chandigarh and Shimla, Dagshai is one of the oldest cantonments set up by the British in India. Built at a height of 6,000 ft above the sea level. Dagshai boasts of a big play field, rarely to be seen in hilly terrain, where Durrand Cup football matches used to be played once. Dagshai, full of Oak and chestnut trees, is a place worth seeing for natural beauty.

Timber Trail

20 Kms from Kasauli, Nestling cozily on the lap of the Shivalik range, atop two adjacent hills and joined together with a cable car, Timber Trail is an idyllic holiday destination.