“Nainital” – A Weekend Gateway
Nainital is one of the most known hill stations in India. It is located in the state of India known as Uttrakhand. Nainital is the perfect weekend gateway if you are residing somewhere in north India.
It is one of the best places we have visited for a weekend trip. This was our first unplanned trip and was so amazing. We had so much fun throughout our stay in Nainital. This place has so many tourist attractions in the city that makes it more popular and loving.
You might have Questions In Mind, That for whom this place is suitable for or why this place is so popular.??
So here are the answers to all the questions in your head. Naintal is the place suitable for all like family visits, couples, and singles. Visiting this place is the best refreshment one can have in lesser time.
Nainital is the place where one can create beautiful memories for life. This place has beauty with lush greenery, beautiful lakes, and an amazing street market i.e commonly known as Mall Road.
Places To Visit In Nainital – Nainital Sightseeing:-
There are so many beautiful places to visit in Nainital. Here are the best places one can visit in Nainital in a short period of time.
Naini Lake:- It is the charming center of Nainital and the best tourist attraction. This lake is a Mango’s shaped and because of this, people of Nainital generally call it Mango Lake. The best thing about this lake is the view, which looks so astonishing in the mornings and evenings.
It is the best picnic spot for locals. We experienced boating in Naini lake and there were so many ducks that bring charm in the lake to another level. In one corner of the lake, there were so many fishes that seem so lovely. It is the picked up place for the people who love to have some nature walks, as you can spend healthy and peaceful time with yourself sitting beside the lake.
Some Important Information About Naini Lake
- Timing:- Morning 6 Am – 6 Pm Evening
- Entry Fees:- None
- Boating Charges:- Rs.160 For half-round and Rs.210 for full Round with Rowboat. Rs. 210 for paddle boat for 1 hour.
Mall Road Nainital:-
Mall road is parallel to Naini Lake. It covers maximum hotels, the best restaurants, cafes, night clubs, ATMs of the place. It has so many best things to do for a tourist like get indulge in shopping for local handlooms and there are so many handcrafts shops.
The best thing about mall road is that vehicle is allowed in the evenings so people can have the best nature walk with the calmness and beauty of hills. One can experience the taste of so many different street foods and chill along the roadside on the benches.
Timings For Shops:- 9 Am To 10 Pm
Woodland Waterfall:-
This is the small waterfall but the best tourist attraction. It is one of the must-visit places in Nainital. It is surrounded by so many trees and birds around on the trees. This place has so much peace and calmness around. The best thing here was the chirping sound of birds and water that can calm anyone inside out. The fall is not an extremely big one but surely a nice one.
Khurpa Tal:-
It is a small lake in the center of Nainital that can be witnessed from the top. It came in a way when we were heading towards the Woodland Waterfall. It has an amazing blue-green color and the shadows of green trees around. At the point of Khurpa tall one can get amazing eye candy because it looks so beautiful all around.
Naina Devi Temple:-
It is the well known old temple in Nainital. People of Nainital have so much belief in this temple and worship Goddess Naini Devi. This temple is situated at a high altitude of the city and so many people come to worship here every year.
Nainital Ropeway:-
Getting a ropeway will offer a mesmerizing beauty to you. It is the only way to reach the snow viewpoint of Nainital. Don’t skip visiting here if you are in Nainital. This place has so much to offer to you and it is full of refreshing beauty. You can see the city from a peak point that view makes Nainital look more beautiful. We haven’t seen any snow as we visited in the month of September. It barely takes 2-3 minutes to reach Snow point by ropeway.
Timings:- Morning 10 Am – Evening 4 Pm
Charges:- For Adults:- 150/-
For Children’s (3-12 yrs.):- 100/-
Tiffin Top:-
It is the major tourist attraction of Nainital with a view that will make you fall in love with the place. Don’t forget to take your cameras or else you will miss the chance to capture such beauty. It offers amazing panoramic views and romantic sunsets. It’s a little tough to reach here, either you can go by horse riding or trekking.
High Altitude Zoo:-
We visited the zoo on the second day of our stay. It is the best spot for nature lovers. The different thing about this zoo is that it was not like a normal zoo in other cities. It is on the high altitude and that makes it look more amazing. Here are so many different families and species of animals and birds that make it a fun place for kids. Other than this you will be able to see the beauty of flowers that only grows in hilly areas.
You can visit here either by hiring your bike in Nainital or else there is a stop for it from where Zeep of 8-9 people go in every 5 to 10 minutes and have normal charges.
There is also a small canteen up there where one can have snacks and beverages.
Tibetan Market:-
It is the place for the people who are crazy shopoholics. This market you will see at the end of the mall road.
Here you will get all types of winterwear like mufflers, scarfs, sweaters, handcrafted bags, handmade decor, home fragrances, and many more. One can experience the taste of local food of Tibetans like momos and Thupka’s.
There is also one cineplex near the Tibetan Market where one can watch a movie if you have an extra couple of hours. We too watched a movie and cineplex was good in condition tat was not expected at all.
Best Restaurant For Meals:-
There are so many restaurants and cafes alongside Naini lake. You can choose any of the restaurants according to your preferences and choices.
When we were in Nainital for three days, we only visited two restaurants, one of them was so good and such amazing food with perfect taste. Both restaurants are beside each other.
- Dilli Darbar:- This was our most loved one as the food was delicious with all options of veg and non-veg. As we are living in a north Indian city so we love food with north Indian flavors and this restaurant has all. This one is a better option as compared to other restaurants we visited.
- Zooby’s Kitchen:- This was good but not so amazing. It was so overrated because of its ambiance, but there was nothing so wow to have lunch or dinner here. Also according to the quality and quantity of the food, the rate list was so high.
Best Time To Visit In Nainital:-
As Nainital is a hill station so there is no specific season to visit. People can visit all three seasons i.e Summers, Monsoons, and Winters. Every season has its own specialty when you visit hill stations. Here is what you will be going to see in which season.
Summer Season:- Generally people don’t prefer to visit anywhere in summer because in this season it’s extremely hot. But in summer weather in Nainital is pleasant and it is the peak season for Nainital. People love to visit in this season as the climate is favorable. But it is not the best time for people who avoid crowded places as in summers Nainital is the most crowded place.
Monsoon Season:- This season less crowded as compared to summers and winters. This season is best for people who avoid the crowd and travel for peace. This season will give you as much peace as you want from the city. There are some cons of visiting in this season like you will not be able to explore all tourist spots of the place.
Winter Seasons:- The best season to visit Nainital is the winter season. In this season the place is nor so crowded neither vacant. The best thing about this season is that it makes hill stations more blissful.
Where To Stay In Nainital:-
Generally, people book hotels many days prior to their visits as they get worried about hotel occupancy. But if you are planning to visit Nainital then you do not need to book hotels in advance. So it’s suggested not to book in advance because hotel rooms that seem in pictures are totally opposite to reality.
So the best option is to see the rooms and then finalize them. There are so many hotels all in one lane and also so many taxi drivers available there who will help you to get the hotels. Once you reach there you will automatically see so many hotels around.
The hotel we stayed in is Hotel Alka, this was a good and clean hotel other than so many hotels we have seen so we have finalized it. The reason for choosing this hotel was hygiene and the view and it was just opposite to the Naini lake. But this hotel is so overpriced and has so many cons like small rooms, no proper ventilation, no warm waters in tap during night time, the staff is rude and high tariff incomparable to service offered by them.
Here are some inside pictures of the Hotel Alka.
Local Transportation:- Many people prefer to visit Nainital with their own vehicles but some travel by bus as there is no train route. People who travel in public transport generally need local transport to explore places more easily. So for them, there are so many local transportation options in the city like you can take a cycle, bicycles on rent. You can hire a private cab for as many days as you want once you reach there, and you will get so many options too.
Tip:- The best option that we would suggest is to book a cab on a one-day basis. This can help you to save so much amount and you can get cabs on a sharing basis too.
There is a particular taxi stop at the end of the mall road from where you can easily get the cabs and you can talk to the drivers about the places you want to visit.
Cab Charges:- Rs.1500 – Rs. 2000 For full cab booking [ Charges are negotiable].