WildlifeClosed Tuesday

Kufri

#10of 10 places to visit in ShimlaShimla, Himachal Pradesh

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 daily, closed Tuesdays (closed Tuesday). Entry: ₹50. Allow 2.5 hrs. Best time: 10:00-13:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · By Traveliac Editorial Team · 4 min read

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Photo: Jeyasree S.B / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 daily, closed Tuesdays; Closed Tuesday
Entry fee: ₹50; Ticket from
Time needed: 2.5 hrs
Best time of day: 10:00-13:00
Best months: Mar – Jun, Sep – Dec
Address: Kufri, Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh 171012

About Kufri

Kufri sits roughly 17 to 20 kilometres from Shimla at an elevation of about 2,510 metres and remained largely unknown to the British until 1819, when the region passed to colonial reach following the Anglo-Nepalese War. The Himalayan Nature Park, run by the state Forest Department since 1992, occupies the hillside below the main viewpoint and holds species rarely seen up close elsewhere in Himachal, including the Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, and musk deer, in enclosures built into the existing forest rather than a flat zoo layout. Winter transforms Kufri into Shimla's closest skiing and tobogganing ground, and the town hosts an annual Winter Sports Festival each February with competitive skiing and local cultural performances.

Best time of day: 10:00-13:00. For the clearest mountain visibility at the Kufri viewpoint and the shortest queues at the Himalayan Nature Park gate, before afternoon tour buses from Shimla arrive.

Photography

₹50 camera fee

Kufri timings

Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 daily, closed Tuesdays
Closed on: Tuesday

Kufri ticket price

Entry fees for Kufri
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	₹50
Foreign visitors	₹50
Children	₹20
Camera	₹50

Entry fee applies to the Himalayan Nature Park (Kufri Zoo) specifically: Rs 50 for adults, Rs 20 for children, plus Rs 50 for carrying a camera, as of 2026 - verify at the counter, since HP Forest Department fee schedules are revised periodically. The wider Kufri hillside, viewpoint, and horse/yak-ride area outside the park gate carry no entry fee.

Prices last checked 18 September 2026. Confirm on the official website before you go.

Best time to visit Kufri

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

09:00-10:30
Morning OpeningBest time to go
The park and hillside are quiet immediately after opening; wildlife in the nature park enclosures is most active in the cool morning air.
Quiet
10:30-14:00
Tour Bus Peak
Day-trip coaches from Shimla arrive in the largest numbers of the day; queues form at the nature park gate and horse/yak ride operators are busiest.
Very busy
14:00-16:30
Afternoon Lull
Crowds thin as tour groups head back toward Shimla or onward to Fagu and Naldehra; the viewpoint area is easier to photograph without crowds in frame.
Moderate
16:30-18:30
Late Afternoon Close
The nature park approaches its 18:30 closing time; the open hillside and viewpoint remain accessible slightly longer for a final look before dusk.
Quiet

History of Kufri

Kufri lay within territory affected by the 1816 Sugauli Treaty that ended the Anglo-Nepalese War, but the area attracted little colonial attention until officials developing nearby Shimla from the 1820s onward began using its slopes for recreation. The name persisted through the colonial period as a lesser satellite of Shimla rather than a settlement in its own right, and it only developed significant tourist infrastructure well into the 20th century as skiing and winter sports gained popularity among domestic travellers.

The Himalayan Nature Park was established in 1992 by the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department specifically to house Himalayan wildlife species in something closer to their natural habitat than a conventional zoo enclosure, part of a broader state effort to combine conservation messaging with tourism revenue. The Kufri Winter Sports Festival, now an annual February fixture, grew out of informal skiing among locals on the surrounding slopes before the state tourism department formalised it into a competitive event.

Rules & etiquette at Kufri

Kufri's Himalayan Nature Park charges separately for camera use, roughly Rs 50 as of 2026, on top of the Rs 50 adult entry fee, and this is collected at the gate rather than added later - carrying a phone with a camera counts under the same rule at some checkpoints, so ask before assuming otherwise. The park is closed on Tuesdays, unlike most Shimla-area attractions that stay open daily, which catches travellers planning a tight day-trip itinerary off guard.

Horse and yak rides operating on the open hillside outside the park gate are run by independent operators, not the Forest Department, and prices should be settled before mounting - a short loop typically runs Rs 300-500 as of 2026. Winter visits require caution on the toboggan runs and ski slopes, which are informal rather than professionally managed pistes; helmets and instruction are not standard, and injuries from unsupervised sledging are common enough that operators post basic warnings.

Tips for visiting Kufri

1
Chini Bangla, a short walk or pony ride above the main Kufri viewpoint, gives a wider panorama than the viewpoint itself and is less crowded, since most day-trip groups stop at the lower point and turn back. Combine the visit with the drive onward to Fagu or Naldehra if time allows, both of which extend the same road corridor and offer quieter alternatives to Kufri's more commercialised hillside.
2
February visitors timing their trip around the Winter Sports Festival should book Shimla accommodation well ahead, since the event draws crowds beyond the usual winter footfall. Outside winter, the Himalayan Nature Park's animal enclosures are most active, and the animals most visible, in the cooler hours of mid-morning, before the heat of midday sends most species into shaded cover.

How to reach Kufri

The red star is Kufri; the numbered pins are the 8 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Kufri, Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh 171012Directions in Google Maps

From Shimla (The Ridge / Mall Road)
Rs 800-1,200
17 km · 40-50 min by taxi
Return by taxi (commonly combined with Mahasu Peak/Fagu as a half-day trip
From Shimla Railway Station
Rs 800-1,000
17 km · 40-50 min
One-way by taxi
From Shimla Airport, Jubbarhatti (SLV)
Rs 1,200-1,500
33 km · 70-80 min
By taxi

Nearest airport

From Shimla Airport, Jubbarhatti (SLV)

approximately 33 km, around 70-80 minutes by road; Chandigarh International Airport (IXC) is roughly 135 km.

Nearest railway station

From Shimla Railway Station

approximately 17 km, 40-50 minutes by taxi, since the Kalka-Shimla line does not extend to Kufri itself.

Kufri FAQs

What is the entry fee for the Himalayan Nature Park in Kufri?

Rs 50 for adults and Rs 20 for children as of 2026, with an additional Rs 50 charged for carrying a camera; fees are collected at the park gate and subject to periodic revision, so it is worth confirming at the counter.

Is Kufri open every day?

No. The Himalayan Nature Park closes on Tuesdays, though the open hillside, viewpoint, and horse/yak-ride area outside the park gate remain accessible daily.

How far is Kufri from Shimla?

Kufri sits approximately 17 kilometres from central Shimla, a drive of 40 to 50 minutes depending on traffic on the hill road.

Is Kufri good for skiing?

Yes. Kufri is Shimla's closest skiing and tobogganing ground in winter and hosts an annual Winter Sports Festival each February, though the slopes are informally managed rather than professionally patrolled pistes.

Written by Traveliac Editorial Team (Himachal Pradesh Field & Heritage Desk); reviewed by Traveliac Standards Desk. Facts last checked 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places