Shimla: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Shimla is a city of 173,503 people in India (Himachal Pradesh), 2,073 m (6,801 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC), 60 km (37 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Shimla runs from about 10 h 10 min a day in late December to 14 h 13 min in late June (computed for 31.1° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Shimla is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC), 60 km (37 mi) from the centre, whose 12,467-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Kullu Manali Airport (KUU, 86 km).
Flights to Shimla: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Shimla · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Lahore, 272 km (Pakistan) — flights
- Delhi, 273 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Faisalabad, 389 km (Pakistan) — flights
- Gujranwala, 305 km (Pakistan) — flights
- Ludhiana, 127 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Faridabad, 300 km — tours
- Najafgarh, 278 km — tours
- Meerut, 242 km — tours
- Srinagar, 398 km — buses · car rental
- Ghāziābād, 272 km — tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Carbondale.
Common questions
Which airport serves Shimla?
Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC), 60 km (37 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Shimla?
About 173,503 people live in Shimla, across 25 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Shimla in?
Asia/Kolkata, currently UTC+5:30.
What currency is used in Shimla?
The Rupee (INR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Shimla?
Lahore (272 km), Delhi (273 km), Faisalabad (389 km), Gujranwala (305 km), Ludhiana (127 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.