Chail at a glance:

Coordinates:30.9676° N, 77.1916° E

State: Himachal Pradesh
Chail is a quiet hill station close to Shimla known for the world’s highest cricket ground and its heritage hotel Chail Palace in the midst of pine and deodar trees. This place is a wonderful weekend destination, thanks to the charming surroundings and lovely weather. The distance from Delhi to Chail is 336 kms and is a perfect place to visit with a lot of things to do over a weekend trip.

How to reach Chail:

By Air: The nearest airport is in Shimla in the Jubbarhatti area, which is around 63 km from Chail.

By Rail: The nearest major railway station to reach Chail is in Kalka, which is 77 kms away.  Cabs are available from the station.

By Road: Chail is well connected via roads. One can take a bus or a taxi from Kalka to reach Chail.

Places to visit in and around Chail

Chail wildlife sanctuary

ChailPic.Credit:Mouthshut

Previously a hunters’ reserve for the royal residing in Chail, this area was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the Government in the year 1976. This sanctuary has a myriad species of birds and animals. With many exotic animals like wild boars, panthers, leopards, rhesus macaque monkeys, etc. surrounded by mesmerising deodar, pine and tall oak trees- this place is a delight to visit.

Cricket Ground

ChailPic.Credit:Mouthshut

Since, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, who made Chail his summer capital, was a cricket enthusiast, he built a cricket ground here, on the top of a hill, making Chail, the proud home to the highest cricket ground in the world. This ground is currently used for Polo and cricket by the military school. Sadly, special permission is required to see this ground.

Palace Hotel

ChailPic.Credit:Static.guim

Chail came into existence when Maharaja of Patiala, Maharaja Bhupender Singh was banished from Shimla over a dalliance with the daughter of British Commander-in Chief. So, he went ahead and created his own summer capital, higher in altitude than Shimla.

Sidh Baba ka Mandir

Pic.Credit:Hotelgrandsunset

This temple was built by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, when a saint visited him in his dream and told him about the place being his place of meditation. This popular landmark in Chail is famous due to the legend attached.

The Himalayan Nature Park- Kufri

Pic.Credit:Twimg

This park is one of the most popular and favorite tourist spot in the area. The Himalayan Nature Park is home to various endangered and rare species of flora and fauna. The black bear, barking deer, mountain leopard etc are some of the animals here. Safari and camping are exciting activities to do here. The park is less than an hour of drive away from main town of Chail and is an exciting place to visit.

What to Eat in Chail

Local Food and Cuisine

Chail has a handful of restaurants and local Dhabas. One can try some local Himachali cuisines here too. Other than these the options for food here tend to be somewhat limited. Hence tourists covering Chail along with Shimla should make their base as Shimla only. Shimla has a huge range of restaurants which serve different cuisines like North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Continental etc. and the options for food there are countless.