Located in the state of Uttaranchal, Nainital is dotted with lakes and wooded valleys. The sparkling waters of the natural lake and cool weather make Nainital a sought after health resort and a popular hill station.
Main attractions in Nainital
Lake Naini
Nainital derives its name from this lake. The north end of the lake is called Mallital and the south end the Tallital. The lake is a great entertainment spot with yachting and boating facilities. The lake is in the centre of the town and is flanked on all sides by shops, hotels, the mall and residential buildings and beautiful views of the hills.
Aerial Ropeway
This is a major attraction in Nainital. The aerial ropeway starts at Mallital and connects the Snow View Point (2,270 meters high) with Nainital. The ropeway has two trolleys for passengers and takes 151.7 seconds to cover the one way journey. The Snow View offers beautiful views of the snow capped Himalayas.
Hanuman Garhi
Hanuman Garhi is a religious centre and is famous for its views of the sunset. The temple has the deity of Lord Hanuman. The Shitala Devi temple and Lila Sah Bapu Ashram are on the other side of the hill.
Aryabhatta Research Institute
The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) is about a kilometer from Hanuman Garhi and is the centre for astronomical studies and optional tracking of artificial satellites. On moonlit nights, tourists can get a night time view of the stars and planets with prior permission from the Institute.
Naina Peak
Naina Peak or China Peak is the highest point in the town (at 2,611 meters). You can get a bird’s eye view of Nainital from here. The full Himalayan range can also be seen - Bandar Punch in the West to Api and Nari peaks of Nepal in the East.
Lands End
Lands End offers beautiful views of the neighboring hills and valley. On reaching this spot, the tourist actually feels that the land ends here. The Khupatal Lake is also visible from here.
Tourists can also visit the Zoo, Dorothy Seat and Tiffin Top and Caves Garden that make for ideal picnic spots.
Excursions around Nainital
- Bhowali located 11 kilometers from Nainital is a road junction popular for its scenic views. It also has a hill fruit mart.
- Bhimtal is about 22 kilometers from Nainital and 11 kilometers from Bhowali. Bhimtal has a lake that is larger than Lake Naini. Tourists can explore the boating facilities in the lake. Apart from a 17th century Bhimeshwar temple and a 40 feet dam, Bhimtal also has a restaurant that is set on an island in the middle of the lake.
- Naukuchia Tal is around 26 kilometers from Nainital and is a good place for bird watching. Tourists can also try out rowing, paddling or yachting in its deep clean lake.
- Kainchi Dham is a modern pilgrim center situated around 17 kilometers from Nainital. The famous Neem Karoli Maharaj Ashram is located here.
- Mukteshwar is home to an old temple of Lord Shiva. Fruit orchards and thick lust forests make this place an interesting destination.
How to get here
The Pantnagar airport is located around 70 kilometers from Nainital and tourists can either take a bus or taxi to proceed to Nainital. The Palam Airport in New Delhi is about 300 kilometers from Nainital. Kathgodam is the nearest railway station that is 34 kilometers from Nainital. Direct bus services to Nainital are available from Delhi, Lucknow, etc. Kathgodam is also well connected by road to Nainital.
Where to stay
Nainital has high end as well as budget hotels. Guest houses and tourist rest houses that offer standard stay facilities are also available. Most of the high end hotels are located around Mallital on the northern edge of the lake. The budget hotels are around Tallital towards the southern side.
Shopping
Tourists can shop around for woollen garments, shawls, local handicrafts, Tibetan curios and locally manufactured tweeds from Kumaon Woollens.
Info for you!
- Tourists can hire a car, cycle rickshaws, ponies, etc. to go around the city. Local palanquins called 'dandies' are also available.
- The best season to visit Nainital is from March to June and September to October.
- The Autumn Festival is organized in the month of October.
- Carry warm clothing as Nainital can get cold even in summer because of the rains.
