Route library · Weekend · Mountains
Delhi to Narkanda & Hatu Peak
Narkanda is a ridge town at about 2,700 m on the Hindustan-Tibet road, an hour and a half past Shimla and far quieter. Just above it, a short, steep 8 km road climbs to Hatu Peak at 3,400 m, topped by the wooden Hatu Mata temple and a 360-degree view from the Pir Panjal to the Kinnaur peaks. Around it is some of Himachal's oldest apple country.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 760–840 km
- Riding time
- 8–9 hours each way — the Shimla approach is the slow part
- Nights
- One is possible; two is comfortable
- Start point
- Delhi (via Chandigarh, Solan and Shimla)
- Highest point
- About 3,400 m at Hatu Peak
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Good roads apart from the short, steep, sometimes rough Hatu summit spur.
- Surface
- Chandigarh–Shimla–Narkanda is a good, busy hill highway; the 8 km Hatu Peak spur is narrow, steep and patchy, occasionally gated shut
- Best season
- March to June and September to November. The Hatu road closes with winter snow (roughly Dec–Mar); the monsoon brings the odd slip and cloud over the summit.
The ride
Delhi → Chandigarh → Solan → Shimla, then the Hindustan-Tibet road through Kufri and Fagu to Narkanda. Bypass central Shimla on the ring road if you can — it is the only real traffic on the route.
From Narkanda, ride the Hatu Peak spur early before it fills up, for the temple and the panorama. Lower down, Tannu Jubbar lake sits in a bowl of apple orchards, and the road on to Kotgarh and Thanedar — where Indian commercial apple growing began — makes a gentle half-day loop.
Day by day
Delhi to Narkanda
Delhi → Chandigarh → Shimla → Narkanda (8–9 hours, slow through Shimla). Settle on the ridge at ~2,700 m.
Hatu Peak and the orchards
Ride the Hatu spur early for the summit temple and view. Afternoon: Tannu Jubbar lake and the Kotgarh–Thanedar apple loop.
Narkanda to Delhi
Down through Shimla and the long highway home. Start early to clear Shimla and Solan before the afternoon build-up.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Shimla and there is a pump at Narkanda.
- Hatu Peak has no fuel and the Kotgarh loop only has small pumps — fill at Narkanda before the spur and the loop.
- Narkanda has HPTDC and private hotels and orchard homestays. Weekends are busier than midweek but nothing like Shimla. Carry cash for the smaller places.
Road & conditions
The Chandigarh–Shimla highway is good but slow and truck-heavy; Shimla itself is the bottleneck, so use the bypass. Shimla to Narkanda is a well-surfaced ridge road. The Hatu Peak spur is the one rough bit: 8 km of narrow, steep, patchy tar that is sometimes gated shut in bad weather or for repairs. Ride it in the dry, in low gear, and check at Narkanda that the gate is open.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- Hospitals at Shimla and Rampur; the Hatu Peak spur is sometimes gated shut; good signal on the ridge.
Best time to ride
March to June is mild with apple blossom, then leaf. Mid-September to November is clear and crisp with the harvest on. The Hatu road is usually snow-closed December to March, though Narkanda itself stays reachable. The monsoon greens everything but often clouds the summit.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for the ridge and the summit (Hatu is cold and windy even in summer), a light rain shell, and cash. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Narkanda and Hatu Peak as an easy weekend above Shimla — the city crossing timed to miss the jams, the Hatu spur ridden dry and early, and a summit clean-up as the service action.