Chandigarh at a glance:

Coordinates:30.7333° N, 76.7794° E

State: Punjab

Designed by the ace architect Le Corbusier consisting of 47 self-contained sectors India’s first planned city is known for its unique blend of urban architecture and natural bliss. This combined capital of Haryana and Punjab, surely is an excellent choice for a weekend getaway.

How to reach Chandigarh:

By Air: Chandigarh Airport links the city with rest of the world.

By Rail: Chandigarh Railway Station has several frequent trains plying from all over the country.

By Road: Buses and taxis are available to go to Chandigarh.

Places to visit in and around Chandigarh

Bougainvillea Garden

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With fifty varieties of bougainvillea on display, this garden established in 1976 is spread over 20 acres. This amazing garden presents the viewer with the mesmerizing display of nature’s bounty. You can spot about 65 distinctive varieties of Bougainvillea shrubs planted over here. The park contains creepers that cover a large collection of bowers, arches, pavilions and arcades.

Children Traffic Park

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Replete with real-life road scenarios, the Children Traffic Park in Sector 23A has extensive traffic control mechanisms such as road bents, inclines and declines, overpass, underpass, parallel parking area, blind alley, and uncontrolled intersections, T-Intersections, Stop Signs and Blinkers.

Fitness Trails

Covering an area of 94 acres, the Fitness Trails in Sector-10 has 50 acres dedicated to flowering plants in a multicolored bloom, and the other 44 acres is dotted with sculptures by various artists and a trail for people to jog on. One can have a great jog on this track without being disturbed by the traffic of city.

Forest Reserves

Spread over 3245 hectares, the forest reserve of Nepli and Kansal is filled with floral and wild life, many of which have been declared as endangered. A panoramic view of the nearby Shivalik Hill range can be seen with the help of numerous watchtowers across the reserves. These well-maintained reserves attract a lot of tourists.

Fun City

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Located on an expanse of 43 acres, this water amusement park in Ramgarh is the biggest in North India. It boasts of one activity pool, three landing pools and a wave pool, a cluster of water slides of various shapes and sizes, which makes for a delightful ride for the water lovers.

Garden of Fragrance

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Garden of Fragrance as the name suggests is famous for its fragrant plants such as Mehndi, Haar Shingar, Raat ki Rani, Motia, Champa, demask rose and varieties of jasmine. The park with beautiful landscape also offers a delightful walk for its visitors.

Government Museum and Art Gallery

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Government Museum and Art Gallery is an architecturally magnificent art gallery in Sector 10, housing an outstanding collection of miniature paintings, Gandhara period stone sculptures, coins and decorative arts archived as per their antiquity. The Museum building is an attraction in view of the fact that Le Corbusier himself designed it. This is a hot zone for history buffs.

Hibiscus Garden

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Founded in 1996, Hibiscus Garden houses over 40 varieties of Hibiscus shrubs over an 8 acres expanse. It is located in Sector 36. This beautiful garden is perfect for an evening of solitude.

International Dolls Museum

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Founded in the year 1985 by the Indian Council of Child Welfare, the museum contains a wide collection of fascinating dolls and marionettes brought from countries like Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Korea, and Russia that stand beside the huge Indian collection. This is indeed a very amusing and interesting place to visit.

Leisure Valley

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Wound with a bouquet of gardens beginning from Sector 1, through Sector 23 to Sector 3, the leisure valley is best known for the Chandigarh carnival. With a variety of gardens with different themes to enrich the city’s soul- Leisure Valley is truly the nature icon of the city.

Museum of the Evolution of Life

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Showcasing the evolutionary roadmap of human lives, this museum has galleries on Astronomy, Archaeology, Pre-historic and Geology presented with scientific and technical display and complete with reference libraries. This place is filled with students and tourists, especially during weekends.

National Gallery of Portraits

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Chronicling the Independence era, this museum houses the portraits, recorded voices of the great leaders of India and rare documents in connection with the freedom struggle. This is a must visit place to understand the real motive and struggle of our great leaders of independence era.

Punjab Kala Kendra

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Located in Sector-16, this academy has an astounding compilation of modern art and also conducts exhibitions on various subjects to support budding artists. Many interested shows are performed here and it is often open for free.

Shanti Kunj

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Set between the Cricket Stadium and the Rose Garden in Sector 16, Shanti Kunj is a garden fed by a natural stream that divides it into five blooming islands. This picturesque location is ideal for bird watching and spending some quality time in nature’s lap.

Sukhna Lake

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Popular with residents and tourists alike, the Sukhna Lake is famous for water sports like boating, yachting, and water skiing. This is another hot spot for tourists in Chandigarh.

Terraced Garden

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Illuminated musical fountain and the well planned orchard makes this 10 acre spread in Sector 33 an ideal picnic spot. The annual Chrysanthemum show in December is a major attraction here.

The Capitol

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Housing the Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat, the High Court and the Capitol designed by Le Corbusier is another architectural marvel composed of two fold cover, which appears like an overturned umbrella. This architectural marvel should be witnessed by everyone.

Thunderzone

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Another fantasy park in the hub of the city, Thunderzone offers extensive range of exciting rides like Swinging Chairs, Octopus, Cater Pillar, Mono Junction, Columbus, Sun N Moon, Striking Cars, Baby Train, Splash, COBF Music Bob, and Wet Park. This place is an excellent retreat for families.

Topiary Park

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A children’s park with excellent playing facilities, Topiary Park in Sector 35 is a favourite amongst the little ones. This park is filled with visitors throughout the day.

What to Eat in Chandigarh

Local Food and Cuisine

The sparkling city of Chandigarh is brimming with options for food with some of the most popular and mouthwatering traditional Punjabi dishes as well as authentic and rich Continental cuisines. The town also has a number of pubs as well as a microbrewery. While in Chandigarh do try the Lachha Parathas, Butter Chicken, Amritsari Kulche, Chicken Tikkas, Chole Bhature, Tandoori fish, Kebabs and countless more. Also try the sweet treasures that the city offers such as Roh di Kheer, Jalebi, Baalushahi, Gulab Jamun, Kulfi and more.