Nainital

Location : Uttaranchal/Uttarakhand
Distance : Approximately 250 km from Delhi
Altitude : Around 1900 m
Best Time to Visit : April to June and September to October
Main Attractions : Naina Peak, Snow View, Land's End, Nainadevi, Raj Bhawan

Nainital - the mere mention of the name brings the thought of cool breezes, mesmerizing locales, snow-capped mountains and serene lakes. Nestled amidst the hills in Uttaranchal, the hill station has an altitude of around 1900m. People travel to Nainital, from different parts of the country, to escape from the mundane and stressful daily life and spend their holidays rejuvenating the body, mind as well as the soul. Apart from being home to awe-inspiring beauty, the hill resort is also a preferred destination for adventure tourism - with the numerous options of yachting, kayaking, canoeing and boating, it offers. The beauty and adventure sports of the hill resort have contributed significantly to its travel & tourism industry.

Nainital Tourist Attractions

Naina Peak
Naina Peak is the peak where you go for having the best views of the Kumaon Valley. The peak is around 5.6 km from the town and enables you to have a bird's eye view of Nainital. The cool breeze, swaying trees and chirping birds of the place seem to have a calming effect on your soul.

Dorothy Seat
Dorothy Seat, or the 'Tiffin Top', is a place that was built for Mrs. Dorothy Kellet by her husband. The 4.3-km distance to the place presents an excellent opportunity for trekking and lets you take in the beauty of the place, slowly.

Snow View
Snow View, as the name suggests, is a point from where you can have fascinating views of the surrounding glistening snow. Hardly 2.5 km from the main town, it can be reached on horse back, by cable car or even on foot.

Land's End
Land's End is the place after which the earth seems to have ended. Situated around 4 km from the town, this is another place where you can go trekking. It provides enchanting views of neighboring hills, valley and Khurpatal Lake.

St. John-In-The Wilderness
St. John-In-The Wilderness is a church, situated near the Uttaranchal High Court. The beautiful interiors and stained glass windows of the church are its high point. It is also one of the first churches as well as first buildings built in Nainital.

Raj Bhawan
Raj Bhawan is the Government House of Nainital, which was founded in April 1897 and completed in March 1900. Built as per early domestic Gothic style of architecture, it boasts of pleasant and scenic surroundings.

Kilbury
If you are one of those who love to explore the bio-diversity of nature, Kilbury is the place to be. It is the place where bird watchers and nature lovers would love to sit for hours at a stretch.

Hanuman Garhi
Hanuman Garhi is known for housing a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It is situated at a height of approximately 1950 m and presents excellent sunset as well as sunrise views.

Observatory
The observatory at Nainital boasts of having one of the most advance telescopes in India. So, all those who love gazing at the stars know where to head when holidaying in Nainital. However, the entry to observatory is by permission only.

Naina Devi Temple
Naina Devi Temple holds great significance for the people of India, as it said to be the place where the eyes of Sati, Lord Shiva's consort, fell when she jumped into the sacrificial bonfire and was later carried across the country by the Lord.

How to Reach

By Air
The nearest airport to Nainital is the Pant Nagar Airport, about 71 kms or roughly 2-3 hours away from the main city. Direct flights from Delhi to Pant Nagar are available and only one airline (Jagson Airlines) flies there about six times a week. Nainital city does not have an airport due to its rocky and hilly terrain.

By Road
A person going by road has abundant choices to travel by. One can take the National or the State Highways connecting various cities to Nainital. The distance between Delhi and Nainital is about 310 kms so it roughly takes around seven hours to reach there. One can hire private taxis or take state buses or overnight deluxe buses to reach Nainital.

By Rail
The nearest railway station to Nainital is Kathgodam, situated 35 kms away from the main city. It is a ‘finishing point’ station of the North Eastern Railway and is well linked with New Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow through train services. The second nearest station is Lalkuan, just about 60 kms from Nainital. Lalkuan has rail links with Bareilly, Agra and Lucknow.