Nainital is a town and popular hill station in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. It is the headquarters of the Nainital district. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters of the Kumaon division as well as an eponymous district. It also houses the Governor of Uttarakhand, who resides in the Raj Bhavan. Nainital was the summer capital of the United Provinces.
Nainital, also known as Naini Lake, is a natural freshwater body, situated amidst the township of Nainital in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. It is tectonic in origin and is kidney shaped or crescent shaped and has an outfall at the southeastern end.[1][2] Nainital, along with other lakes of Kumaon, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kumaon. The lake is also an integral part of Kumaoni folklore.
Nainital is a year-round destination, but the ideal time to visit is between the months of March to June.
Tiffin Top is a very famous tourist attraction in Nainital, also popularly called Dorothy's Seat. A fantastic picnic spot in its own right, one gets a complete view of the town of Nainital and its surrounding hills in the Kumaon region from this location. Adventure activities such as rappelling and rock climbing are conducted at Tiffin Top as well.
You can explore the Tiffin top at anytime on all days of the week but is best if witnessed between 8:00 am to 5:30 pm as the daylight adds on to the beauty of this place.
Snow View Point in Nainital stands at a dizzying altitude of 2270 meters above sea level and is one of the most attractive tourist spots of the area. As the name suggests, Snow View Point offers a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas draped in a blanket of milky-white snow. One can see a picturesque view of all three important peaks- Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Kot peaks together from this point.
The best time to visit the Snow View Point in Nainital would be during the summers which start from mid-March when the temperatures range between a low of 10 degrees Celsius and a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
Eco Garden are a set of six small caves in the shape of various animals. Located in the Mallital area of Nainital, you need to crawl your way in. In the evenings, you can see the spectacle of the musical fountain with various audio video effects.
The best time to visit this place is during the summer months when the weather of Nainital remains pleasant and comfortable. If someone wishes to get a glance of snowy peaks then winter is the ideal time to visit here. Monsoon is not the recommendable time to visit there as the roads get muddy and slippery which makes it difficolt to traverse.Snow View Point, Nainital Timings: 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Being a hill station, Nainital does not have direct air connectivity. The nearest airport is located at Pantnagar, which lies at a distance of 65 kilometres from Nainital. Most of the air traffic to Pantnagar airport includes private chartered flights. There are no commercial flights operational to and from here. The second nearest airport is in New Delhi which is approximately 290 kilometres away from the central town in Nainital. Delhi airport is well-connected to different cities across the globe. You can hire private taxis from the airport which will charge you around Rs. 4000 to 4500. If you are looking for an economical option, then you can board a train from the Delhi railway station.
Nainital enjoys excellent bus connectivity to important destinations in North India. Several tour operators operate daily bus service from New Delhi to Nainital, which includes options like air-conditioned, non-air-conditioned, sleeper and Volvo buses. Boarding an overnight bus is the most convenient way to head to Nainital, although some buses operate during the daytime as well.
The nearest railway station is located at a distance of 34 kilometres at Kathgodham, at the foothills of the Kumaon hills. Kathgodam railway station enjoys good connectivity to important places such as Delhi, Lucknow and Howrah, with daily trains running to New Delhi. Some of the popular trains that ply from Kathgodam station are Ranikhet Express, Uttar Sampark, Kranti Express, Bagh Express, Dehradun Kathgodam Express and Anvt Kgm Shatabdi Express. Outside the railway station, you can either hire a shared cab or board a private taxi which will take you to the city.