We Planned a Shimla Trip… But I Wasn’t Sure I Could Drive There

The idea of going to Shimla came together pretty quickly.

Jagdev and I had been talking about taking a short trip, but the real question was whether I would actually be able to drive there myself. This was going to be my first time driving a car in the mountains, and honestly, that thought alone made me nervous.

Before this trip, I had only visited Shimla as a passenger. A couple of months earlier, I had gone there once and noticed that the roads were much better than I had imagined. Somewhere in my mind, that small bit of confidence stayed with me.

So this trip slowly became a test for myself.

If I felt comfortable driving through the hills, we would continue to Shimla. If not, we could always turn back.

Even while leaving home in the Bolero Neo, I still wasn’t completely sure whether I would be able to do it comfortably. Mountain driving always looked difficult to me from a distance — steep roads, blind turns, downhill stretches and the need to stay focused all the time.

But once we started entering the hills, something changed.

The nervousness was still there, but excitement slowly started taking over.

The roads felt smoother than expected, the weather became cooler and the entire atmosphere changed from the heat and noise we had left behind. By the time the mountains properly opened around us, the drive had already started feeling memorable.

And honestly, deciding to go turned out to be one of the best decisions.

Shimla in May felt beautiful. Cool air, cloudy skies, slow evenings and that relaxed mountain-town atmosphere that instantly changes your mood.

After reaching Shimla, we checked into our hotel room and rested for a while before heading towards Mall Road. The rest of the evening was simple in the best possible way — walking through the crowds, visiting the temple, stopping for coffee at Costa, eating good food and simply enjoying being there.

The following day was our last full day in the city, and we decided to spend it exploring a little more. We walked around Mall Road again, visited Lakkar Bazaar, spent time near Christ Church and stopped to look at the statues of Lala Lajpat Rai Ji and other notable figures that stand as reminders of the city’s history.

There was no fixed itinerary and no rush to tick off attractions.

We simply wandered through Shimla at our own pace, enjoying the weather, the views and the feeling of being away from everyday routines for a while.

Later in the evening, we returned to the hotel, relaxed, had a couple of beers, enjoyed some good food and spent our final night talking about the trip and the drive that had brought us there.

The next morning, it was time to check out and begin the journey back home.

What started as a simple test of confidence behind the wheel became one of the most memorable trips I have taken in a long time.

The mountain roads that seemed intimidating before the journey eventually became part of what made the experience special. The drive, the conversations, the cool weather, the walks through Mall Road, the quiet moments at the hotel and the feeling of exploring without a strict plan all came together to create memories that will stay with me for years.