Courtesy- Pixabay

Welcome to Nainital, a scenic and breathtaking hill-station ranker. The city is widely popular as a tourist destination among the tourists and visitors across the country. It houses some of the best places to visit in Nainital district. It is a popular weekend getaway option for people coming from neighboring states especially those from Delhi-NCR. 

Plan your weekend tour with your friends and family by reading the best places to visit in Nainital and the comfortable timeline of the trip. 

Day 00) Delhi to Nainital

Travelling from Delhi to Nainital is ideal when take overnight. The distance between the two is about 320 km and shall take an average of 6-7 hours. Hence, it is recommended to leave for Nainital late friday night, around 2-3 am. You shall reach Nainital well before 9 am and then check-in into your accommodation. 

Best time to visit Nainital

Nainital is blessed with pleasant weather all around the year; hence any time is a good time to visit this hill station. However, the March- June season is the peak, while July- September can be avoided due to the heavy rainfall. 

How much far is Nainital from Delhi? What is the route for reaching Nainital from Delhi?

Nainital is 314km from Delhi. And the best way to reach Nainital by road is as follows-
Take NH9 out of Delhi, shift to NE3 (Delhi-Meerut Expressway), then to AH2 and NH9 to Rampur. From Rampur, take MDR 49W and Nainital road to UT SH 41 to reach Mallital, Nainital. Opt for taxi services in Delhi to reach Nainital with ease. 

What are the means of transport to reach Nainital?

One can reach Nainital from Delhi by availing the services of rail, road, or air.

Air- For people coming from Delhi opt for Pant Nagar Airport as your destination. The airport is about 70 km from Nainital and can be reached by opting for taxi services in Dehradun.

Rail- Book your tickets from Delhi to Kathgodam Railway Station. It is the nearest terminal to Nainital and it’s just 23 km from the hill station. 

Road- Nainital is about 320km from Delhi and shall take about 6-7 hours to reach your destination. You can opt for a taxi service in Delhi to undertake this scenic road trip to Nainital. 

Where to stay in Nainital?

Nainital, being a renowned hill station, provides several accommodation options to its visitors and tourists. Bhowali is the best location to book your accommodation in Nainital. One can find several homestays and Airbnb options here. 

Day 01) Delhi to Nainital

Day 1 of our weekend tour shall be dedicated in exploring Nainital. Saturday shall be a full-exploration day where we shall visit the following attractions-

What are the best places to visit in Nainital?

Courtesy- eUttaranchal

Kainchi Dham- A Hanuman temple and ashram, the Kainchi Dham was established by Neem Karoli baba and has achieved renowned recognition around the globe. On 15th June annually, the Dham hosts a fair for tourists and locals. Personalities such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have given the Dham a visit. 

Mall road- A commercial centre, Mall road often is flooded with tourists and locals. Mall road is one of the best places to visit in Nainital for an outing with friends and family. It is a perfect spot for munching on local delicacies and shopping. While visiting, do check out wooden artefacts, candles, handloom products, and shawls.  

Naina Devi temple- The Naina Devi temple here is one of the religious highlights and one of the must place to visit in Nainital. A Shakti Peeth, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Sati. The goddess’ eyes fell off her burning body when she was being carried by Lord Shiva. The temple has three idols, to left is Maa Kali Devi and to right, Lord Ganesh. While, only two eyes are located in the centre, depicting Naina Devi. The temple hosts a big fair during Nanda Ashtami for 8 days. 

Courtesy- Unsplash

Boating- An activity that is a must here, boating at Naini Lake is a scenic and peacefully experience one must undertake. Naini Lake is another of the best places to visit in Nainital. One can also opt for kayaking, yachting, and a picnic at the lake. Boating at Naini Lake is one of the top things to do in Nainital. 

Courtesy- Monish via Tripoto

Tiffin Top- The Tiffin Top or Dorothy’s Seat is a popular picnic spot for locals and tourists. Located at Aryapatta, the spot offers a 360-degree view of Nainital and neighbouring regions. This makes it one of the best places to visit in Nainital. 

Courtesy- Nainital Zoo website

Nainital Zoo- The Nainital Zoo is one of the best places to visit in Nainital. A paradise for nature lovers, the zoo offers a diverse range of flora and fauna for the tourist to admire. The zoo is also home to some rare species. One can spot the Bengal tiger, Himalayan Palm Civet, Himalayan black bear, Red panda, and Himalayan Wolf to name a few.

Tibetan market- A hub for shopping for the memorable souvenirs of Nainital, the Tibetan market is located at Ayarpatta. The souvenirs are manufactured by the local population here. Hence, by shopping here you not only promote local artisan but also give a boost to sustainability. 

Day 02) Nainital- Sattal – Bhimtal- Naukuchiatal- Delhi 

We leave for Sattal, Bhimtal, and Naukuchiatal post-breakfast. Sattal is about 20 km from Nainital, while Bhimtal is about 14 km from Sattal. And Naukuchiatal is about 3 km from Sattal. 

We shall check out places such as Sattal Lake, Bhimtal Aquarium, Bhimtal Lake, Butterfly Research Center, and Naukuchiatal Lake.

After having lunch, we shall start our return journey to Delhi at 4 pm. The distance between Naukuchiatal to Delhi is about 320 km and shall take about 8 hours to cover the distance. 

Paromita Gupta is a final year MA. Journalism student at the University of Delhi. She is an avid reader with her favourite authors being Khaled Hosseini and Chitra Divakaruni Banerjee. In the meantime and pre-covid days, she liked to play tennis and football. Also, she paints in her free time.