Nainital travel guide

Nainital is one of Uttarakhand's highlights. This guide keeps every fact sourced. It covers sights, food and day trips.

Come in the cooler months if you can. Give it a few unhurried days. The sections below help you plan.

Every place name links to a source. The figures come from trusted sites. Plan your trip with confidence.

Use this guide as a starting point. Mix the big sights with slow time. The best trips leave room to wander.

Each headline sight has its own detailed guide.

Nainital is best in the cool, dry months. Summers can be hot and busy. The monsoon brings rain and lush green. Shoulder months bring fewer crowds. Check local festival dates as well.

Reference: Climate of India.

Time your trip for extra colour.

Nainital is well linked by road and rail. The nearest airport and station serve it. Autos and app cabs cover the area.

Within the city, app cabs and autos are easiest. Old quarters reward exploring on foot. Day trips are best by hired car. Buses and trains link the wider region cheaply.

🚕 Getting around locally

• 1Ride-hailing appsUber and Ola are cheap and reliable.
• 2Auto-rickshawsAgree a fare, or insist on the meter.
• 3Metro or local trainsFast where the network reaches.
• 4On footOld quarters are best explored walking.
• 5Cycle & e-rickshawsHandy for short old-city hops.
• 6Day-hire taxiBest value for day trips and far sights.

More in our India transport guide.

Rough per-person daily ranges, in rupees.

Guide: Incredible India. Prices vary by season.

Beyond the big sights, here is how to feel the city.

• 1Naini LakeBoating on the crescent lake.
• 2Naina Devi TempleA revered Shakti Peeth shrine.
• 3Mall RoadA colonial lakeside promenade.
• 4Snow View PointA cable-car Himalayan viewpoint.
• 5Tiffin TopAn easy hike to wide views.
• 6Naina PeakThe town's highest trekking point.
• 7Raj BhavanAn 1897 Gothic governor's house.
• 8Eco Cave GardensLit natural caves and falls.
• 9St John in the WildernessAn 1846 neo-Gothic church.
• 10PangotA birding hamlet nearby.
• 11The FlatsA lakeside sports ground.
• 12Gurney HouseJim Corbett's former home.
• 13High Altitude ZooHimalayan animals and birds.
• 14Land's EndA wooded viewpoint walk.
• 15Thandi SadakA quiet lakeside road.
• 16HanumangarhiA sunset temple point.
• 17Naina DeviA lakeside Shakti shrine.
• 18Governor's House golfA scenic estate course.

Short on time? Prioritise your days like this.

With more time, slow down and wander. Mix the big sights with cafes and lanes. The best of Nainital rewards a gentle pace.

A little history and culture, in brief.

P. Barron built the first house here in 1841.

The town is named for the goddess Naina Devi.

It served as the summer capital from 1862.

An 1880 landslide reshaped the lakeside town.

Nainital sits in the Kumaon Himalayas.

The lake is said to be Naina Devi's eye.

Seven hills ring the small town.

Boating and walks fill most visits.

The town rises above 2,000 metres.

Summer brings cool, pleasant days.

Winters can bring occasional snow.

Autumn offers clear mountain views.

The lake freezes rarely in cold spells.

Peak season runs spring to early summer.

Kathgodam is the nearest railhead, 34 km.

Pantnagar airport lies about 65 km away.

March to June is the main season.

Monsoon brings landslides and mist.

Shared taxis climb from Kathgodam.

Sources: Nainital — Wikipedia · Uttarakhand Tourism · Naini Lake · Nainital.

English is widely understood, but a few words help.

Regional languages also apply; see the India guide.