Hanuman Garhi
#9of 9 places to visit in NainitalNainital, Uttarakhand
Also known as Hanuman Garhi Mandir, Nainital
Quick answer
Opening hours: 05:00–12:00 and 16:00–21:00. Entry is free. Allow 45 min. Best time: 17:30 – 18:30 or 18:30 – 19:30.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 3 min read
- Opening hours
- 05:00–21:00
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 45 min
- Best time of day
- 17:30 – 18:30 or 18:30 – 19:30
- Best months
- Mar – Jun, Sep – Nov
- Address
- Nainital–Haldwani Road, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001
About Hanuman Garhi
Hanuman Garhi sits at roughly 1,950 metres on the Nainital–Haldwani road, a temple dedicated to Hanuman built by the saint Neem Karoli Baba in 1950, on a hilltop that has since become the town's most consistently recommended sunset viewpoint. The temple's elevated, open position gives an uninterrupted westward view over the forested ridges beyond Nainital, and the sky's colour shift in the final hour before dark is the main reason visitors climb here rather than any other sunset-adjacent spot in town. The complex is modest by Indian temple standards — a single main shrine with a large Hanuman statue and a viewing terrace — which keeps a visit short and easily combined with other stops on the Haldwani road side of Nainital.
Best time of day: 17:30 – 18:30 or 18:30 – 19:30. In winter or 18:30 – 19:30 in summer, timed to the day's actual sunset, for the temple's signature view over the Nainital valley.
Hanuman Garhi timings
- Opening hours
- 05:00–21:00
Mon–Sun 05:00–12:00 and 16:00–21:00 - Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: The temple closes during the midday hours in the same pattern year-round; sunset viewing hours shift with seasonal daylight — later in summer, earlier in winter.
Opening hours compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Hanuman Garhi ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian visitors | Free |
| Foreign visitors | Free |
| Children | Free |
| Camera | Free |
No entry fee; open to all visitors.
Prices compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Hanuman Garhi
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Very busy
05:00 – 08:00
Early Morning DarshanBest time to go
Local devotees and early risers; quiet and uncrowded.
Quiet09:00 – 12:00
Late Morning
Steady visitor flow before the midday closure; valley views are clear but without the sunset colour.
Moderate16:00 – 17:30
Reopening Window
Temple reopens after the midday closure; crowd builds gradually ahead of sunset.
Moderate17:30 – 19:30
Sunset Peak
The single busiest hour of the day; the viewing terrace fills for sunset and can feel crowded at the western edge.
Very busy
History of Hanuman Garhi
Hanuman Garhi was established in 1950 by Neem Karoli Baba, a spiritual teacher whose ashrams and temples are found across several towns in this part of Uttarakhand, including a more widely known ashram at Kainchi Dham roughly 17 kilometres from Nainital on the same Haldwani road corridor. The temple's founding falls within the wider mid-20th-century growth of Neem Karoli Baba's following in the Kumaon hills, which later gained international attention when Western spiritual seekers, including tech figures who credit Kainchi Dham with shaping their thinking, began visiting the region from the 1970s onward.
The temple has no colonial-era history, distinguishing it from most of Nainital's other landmarks — its significance is entirely 20th-century and tied to the specific devotional movement Neem Karoli Baba founded.
Rules & etiquette at Hanuman Garhi
Footwear is removed at the temple entrance as at any Hindu shrine, with a rack provided near the gate. The viewing terrace has a low boundary wall rather than a full railing in places, so supervision of children near the western edge is advisable, particularly in the crowded sunset hour when the terrace is at capacity.
The temple closes at midday (roughly 12:00–16:00) in a pattern maintained year-round, so a sunset-focused visit and a late-morning visit require two separate trips if both are wanted — plan around the closure rather than arriving during it.
Tips for visiting Hanuman Garhi
- 1
Time the visit to the day's actual sunset rather than a fixed clock hour, since Nainital's sunset shifts by more than an hour between June and December; check a same-day sunset time before heading up. The site works well paired with Kainchi Dham as a half-day outing along the same Haldwani road, for visitors interested in the wider Neem Karoli Baba devotional circuit rather than Hanuman Garhi alone.
- 2
A taxi up is more practical than walking for most visitors, since the temple sits along a through-road rather than a pedestrian trail, and taxi drivers in Nainital are generally familiar with timing the trip to arrive shortly before sunset on request.
How to reach Hanuman Garhi
We haven't pinned Hanuman Garhi's exact position yet; the map shows the other places in our Nainital guide. Use the address below or the directions link.
Nainital–Haldwani Road, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001Directions in Google Maps
From Mall Road, Mallital
₹150–₹2503.5 km · 10–15 min by taxi
Shared taxi/auto, return trip often negotiated together).
From Kathgodam Railway Station
₹800–₹1,10032 km · 70–80 min
Shared taxi).
From Pantnagar Airport (PGH)
₹1,700–₹2,30068 km · 2.25 hours
Prepaid taxi).
Nearest airport
From Pantnagar Airport (PGH)
68 km, approximately 2.25 hours by road.
Nearest railway station
From Kathgodam Railway Station
32 km, approximately 1.25 hours by road.
Hanuman Garhi FAQs
Is there an entry fee for Hanuman Garhi?
No. Entry is free for all visitors.
When was Hanuman Garhi built?
It was built in 1950 by the saint Neem Karoli Baba, making it a 20th-century foundation rather than a colonial-era or ancient site.
Is Hanuman Garhi open all day?
No. It closes at midday, roughly 12:00 to 16:00, and is otherwise open 05:00–12:00 and 16:00–21:00 daily.
Why is Hanuman Garhi known as a sunset point?
Its elevated, open westward position gives an unobstructed view of the sky over the Nainital valley during sunset, making it the town's most consistently recommended spot for evening views.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
