Chail in Winter — The Himachal Escape Nobody Talks About

Most travellers to Himachal Pradesh default to Shimla, Manali or Dharamsala. Chail sits between them, quieter, less commercial, and — in the opinion of those who know it — more beautiful than all three.

The Setting

Chail was built in 1891 by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala after the British barred him from Shimla following a dispute. He responded by building a grander palace on a higher hill 45 kilometres away. Today his palace remains — now a heritage hotel — and the pine forests he planted around it have grown into one of the most beautiful natural settings in the western Himalayas.

Vedikant Pine Tree sits within walking distance of the palace, at the same altitude of 2,250 metres, surrounded by the same century-old Himalayan pine and cedar forests.

December and January: The Snow Season

The first snowfall typically arrives in mid-December. By January, the pine boughs hold a permanent load of white, the forest tracks are silent under a foot of snow, and the valley below Chail fills with cloud each morning before clearing by midday to reveal the Shivalik foothills extending south towards the plains.

What to Do

Chail's pleasures are mostly unhurried. Walking the forest tracks at dawn. Watching the sunset from the Fire Tower ridge above the resort. Sitting by the log fireplace in your chalet with a Himachali thali and a book. The world's highest cricket ground (in the Chail Palace compound) is open for a knock in spring and summer.

For those who want more activity: guided treks to Sadhupul and the Kali Tibba peak, day trips to Shimla (45 minutes), and the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary for leopard-track spotting.

Getting There

The resort is 90 minutes from Chandigarh airport by road, and 45 minutes from Shimla. We offer transfers from both. The drive itself — climbing through deodar forests on a well-maintained hill road — is among the finest mountain drives in North India.