Kasuali – Closest Gateway to the Himalayas!

Anumeha Mittal
Jul 6, 2018
4 min read

Updated: Jul 7, 2021

Have you ever wondered where to go for a quick weekend trip with no hassle? How many times have you dreamt of a weekend vacation but ended up staying at home? If your answer is Yes and Numerous, then you have come to the right page!

Just 6-7 hours drive from Delhi, makes Kasauli a perfect weekend getaway for road trip lovers!

After multiple failed attempts for weekend plans, I finally found my sweet spot. Kasauli – a small hill town in Himachal Pradesh with pleasant weather to beat the heat and just ~300 Kms from Delhi-NCR. You don’t even need an extended weekend. No planning required, just carry a bag and hop into your car for a spontaneous trip and voilà no more weekend blues for you.

I have been lucky to explore Kasauli area thrice in different seasons across different years. It is a perfect spot for people who just want to enjoy a good drive, pleasant weather, great views, and relax.

You can choose to just settle in a resort with a good book/ great view/ cup of tea or coffee/ glass of wine – whatever is your poison. And you can also explore the small joys of hills.

So, here I am capturing Kasauli, highlighting the MUST DO and the HIDDEN GEMS

Accommodation
Cafes
Activities
Tips

1. Accommodation

Kasauli is a cantonment town and hence, all the good resorts are outside the town.

Wood Creek Resort & Spa

My first visit to Kasauli was a spontaneous weekend road trip in Sep, 2015. We just woke up in the morning, took a backpack, and decided to drive till Kasauli as it seemed the most feasible option in terms of driving distance and time. We searched a lot and found this newly constructed resort.

We got a good room with balcony. They also have a good roof-top area, where you can enjoy a good meal with views.

Use my Promo Code (anumeh22) to get INR 700 travel credit to book this relaxing resort on Booking.com

Rambling Rose Cottage, Barog

HIDDEN GEM – RECOMMENDED FOR FRIENDS/COUPLES

You can check out my LBB Post for more details about this secluded cottage in Barog.

Use my Promo Code (amittal83) to get INR 2200 travel credit to book this secluded cottage on Airbnb

Winnies Holiday Resort

RECOMMENDED FOR COUPLES/FAMILIES

My third and most recent trip to Kasauli in June, 2018,

Use my Promo Code to get INR 2000 travel credit to book this luxury resort on MakeMyTrip.com (MMT)

2. Cafes

Hangout – Rooftop Bar and Restaurant MUST VISIT

This is the ultimate hill cafe with all of the right vibes.

Comfortable seating ranging from floor mats to swing chair. Great view, awesome music and lights in the evening to go with good food and drinks (including fruit wines). Have been here multiple times! It is located in Garkhal (~2 Kms from main Kasauli market).

Cafe Mantra

Found this cafe, walking around in the heritage market.

It gives a bit of Kasol vibe in Kasauli, if you know what I mean ;). Head to the upper floor with floor seating and relax, surrounded by the colorful walls.

Although the food is average, but it has a feel good factor.

Cafe Rudra

Another find in the heritage market with live guitar music, mostly all the time. The cafe is pretty small but good to grab a bite and listen to the music.

3. Activities

Hiking/ Walking

Kasauli offers beautiful trails and you should definitely explore them.

Gilbert tail is a beautiful trail for easy hiking and awesome views all along, with less tourists. If you go around just after monsoons (~Sep), you would find the trail very green with beautiful flowers (filled with common daisy of various colours). You can also see Manki Point from here. I have done this trail twice, and it shouldn’t be missed.

Manki Point is the most touristy famous peak of Kasauli and is overcrowded with people. You have to climb a lot of stairs to reach the peak but the view is worth it. As the name suggests, beware of monkeys on the way.

You can also walk along Sunrise Point trail early morning and Sunset Point trail in the evening. Look out for good views, depending on weather conditions.

Shopping

Like every hill station, Kasauli has a Lower Mall and Upper Mall. I am not a shopping person but good explore and walking for everyone. Kasauli also has an Old Heritage Market, which seems to be the most lively and colorful with cobbled street.

Fresh Fruits and Fruit Wine MUST TRY & BUY

There are a lot of street vendors selling fresh fruits, depending on the season. Be on the lookout and you can buy juicy and delicious cherry, plums, nectarine, green almonds, peach, etc. They are overpriced but worth it. Try and buy the Fruit Wines as well. My personal preference is more towards HPMC wines (especially the rhododendron flower wine) than Wonder Wyne.

4. Tips

Peak Season

Parking at the Mall becomes difficult and it is crowded. So, prefer to leave your car at the hotel and take a taxi to the mall.
The peak season hotel prices can be double the regular fare.