Chandigarh Kasauli Tour

The Chandigarh Kasauli tour is a 3 nights and 4 days road trip from Delhi that pairs a planned city with a small cantonment hill town. Two nights are in Chandigarh and one in Kasauli, all in a chauffeur-driven car or Tempo Traveller from Delhi. The Delhi to Chandigarh leg is about 250 km on NH44 through Panipat, Karnal and Ambala and takes 4 to 5 hours; it is the easiest of the Himachal-bound drives, and there is no hill road at all until Day 3.

Chandigarh's main sights sit close together: Sukhna Lake, the Rock Garden and the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden are within a few kilometres of one another in the northern sectors, and Sector 17 is the walking market. From Chandigarh, Kasauli is about 60 km and around 2 hours: NH5 to Kalka and Dharampur, then the side road climbing to the town at about 1,900 m. Kasauli has no large attractions; you go for the Monkey Point walk, the 1850s Christ Church, the Gilbert Trail, the Heritage Market and clean air, and Pinjore Gardens can be added on the way up.

Kasauli is a year-round destination. March to June is warm on the plains and pleasant in the hills; October to February is clear and cold, with frost but rarely snow; July and August bring rain and mist. The return from Kasauli to Delhi is about 300 km, 6 to 7 hours. This plan suits first-time visitors to the region, families with young children, and anyone who wants a hill break without an all-day mountain drive.