Chandigarh is a union territory on India and also the official capital for two important states such as Punjab and Haryana. This beautiful city happens to be the first planned city of the country that is blessed with spectacular weather. Situated under the foothills of Shivalik ranges, Chandigarh is bounded to have fantastic weather where tourists come throughout the year. Having being an important capital for two states and also a big city, Chandigarh has lots to offer to all the age groups. From happening nightlife, malls and eateries for entertainment, many tourist spots are attracting people from all over. Moreover, Chandigarh being so close to popular hill stations such as Shimla, Manali and Dalhousie, Chandigarh due to its excellent connectivity, it also plays as a transit point for most of the tourists visiting these places. From museums to open-air exhibitions, natural surroundings to architectural marvels, Chandigarh is a happening city to visit.
Top places to see in Chandigarh
Rock Garden
The rock garden is one of the beautiful open-air exhibitions in Chandigarh is a must-visit place. This beautiful exhibition hall displays the work of Nek Chand, who happens to be a government officer utilised his free time in creating something as beautiful as sculptures made from Urban and industrial waste. It is situated between Sukhna Lake and the Capitol building, Rock garden was built in the year 1957 by Nek Chand. This 40-acre exhibition is a wonderful mosaic of art and sculptures. Having around 5000 statues, Rock garden is an example of the best usage of waste.
Entry fee: Adult INR 5/-; Child INR 3/-
Timing: 09:00 am – 07:00 pm
Rose Garden
Rose garden is another fantastic spot in Chandigarh that is worth visiting in the city. Named after a former president Zakir Hussain, this beautiful rose garden is home to blooming varieties of about rose and thousand of trees and medicinal plants. Spread across 30 acres of land, this beautiful garden is a perfect tourist spot to hang out during the day amid lush greenery and colourful flowers. The best time to visit this place is in February and March when the flowers are fully bloomed.
Entry fee: INR 50/- per person
Timing: 07:00 am to 06:00 pm
Sukhna Lake
Situated under the foothills of Shivalik ranges, Sukhna Lake is one of the beautiful spots in Chandigarh. This man-made the lake was created by damming Sukhna streams that flow from the Shivalik ranges. It is often visited by nature lovers and morning joggers who come out every day to start their day with fresh air. It is also the longest rowing channels in the country where Asian rowing championship is conducted. It is a perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon or a pleasant evening boating in this pristine water. Apart from boating, one can experience trampoline jumping in here and recently solar cruising has been added as an activity for you to enjoy.
Entry fee: free of cost
Timing: 05:00 am – 09:00 pm
Pinjore Garden
This ancient garden belongs to the 17th century built during the Mughal rule. Located at 20 km from the city centre of Chandigarh, Pinjore is a beautiful garden with well-maintained with greenery and water fountains. Spread across 100 acres, it houses to the mini zoo, a Japanese garden, nursery and historical places and picnic spots. In April to June, this beautiful garden hosts an annual mango festival. It is also the best time to visit in here. After sunset the whole place is lit up with colourful lights, creating a perfect ambience for a visit with family.
Entry fee: INR 20/- per person
Timing: 07:00 am to 09:00 pm
Government Museum and art Gallery
One of the interesting things to do in Chandigarh is to visit the Government Museum and art gallery. It is one of the prominent tourist attractions in the city. The museum here highly speaks about Indian history and partition. Established in the year 1947, this intriguing place has a valuable collection of rich paintings and artefacts. It is one of the best places to find Gandharan sculptures, Pahari and Rajasthani miniature painting. One of the interesting things in this place is the sound and light show over the weekend – every Friday Saturday and Sunday. There is no extra fee for this show. Timing for Sound and light show is 6:30 pm – 07:15 pm.
Entry fee: Adult INR 10/-; Child INR 5/-
Timing: 10:00 am – 05:00 pm
The Capitol complex
This building is one of the iconic buildings in Chandigarh. The Capitol is a government building that was designed by the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. This building is also considered to be one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, that is a must-visit in Chandigarh. The Capitol complex houses the most important government headquarters such as Secretariat, the high court and the Legislative assembly. Both Punjab and Haryana government sit in this complex.
Places to visit near Chandigarh
Shimla – A popular hill station that is located at a distance of 112 km from the city of Chandigarh. It is a beautiful summer destination that is visited by most of the domestic tourists.
Manali – This hill station is one of the most beautiful destinations in India with exciting adventure activities such as paragliding and white water rafting. Manali also happens to be a favourite holiday destination for many in India. It is located at a distance of 300 km from the main city of Chandigarh.
Amritsar – Located at a distance of 225 km from Chandigarh, Amritsar is one of the popular destinations in Punjab that is known for Harmandir Sahib – a holy shrine for Sikh community. Harmandir Sahib is also popularly known as Golden Temple. It is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year.
Itineraries
4N/5D
Day 01: Chandigarh arrival
Day 02: Chandigarh city tour
Day 03: Chandigarh to Shimla
Day 04: Shimla sightseeing
Day 05: Shimla to Chandigarh; Departure
4N/5D
Day 01: Chandigarh Arrival
Day 02: Chandigarh city tour
Day 03: Chandigarh to Amritsar; Golden temple visit
Day 04: Amritsar to Wagah border
Day 05: Amritsar departure
5N/6D
Day 1: Chandigarh arrival; city tour
Day 2: Chandigarh to Shimla
Day 3: Shimla sightseeing
Day 4: Shimla to Manali transfer
Day 5: Manali sightseeing
Day 6: Manali to Kullu transfer and departure.
Best time to visit: August - November
Chandigarh is one of the beautiful places situated on the foothills of Shivalik ranges. Due to which the weather is almost perfect throughout the year. Summers are, however, very hot to indulge in tourist activity. May and June happen to be the hottest months of summer when one is advised to avoid travelling to Chandigarh. Rains start in July and continue until September. Rainfall in here is very moderate with an unexpected downpour. But if one enjoys monsoon, Chandigarh wouldn’t disappoint you. Since the rains are moderate, the best time to visit Chandigarh starts from mid-August to November when the weather isn’t too cold or too hot. It is probably the best time to travel when Chandigarh is surrounded by lush greenery due to onset rains in the monsoons. Winters become extreme from December until February. With January being the coldest when the temperature drops to 3 degrees is a beautiful time for people who love winters.
What to eat?
Chandigarh is a capital city of Punjab is known for rich and authentic Punjabi cuisine. You will come across the best of street food and eateries in Chandigarh. Must-try dishes in here are Chole Kulche, Laccha Parathas, Butter chicken, chicken Tikka and Amritsari kulcha. And if you have a sweet tooth, try Jalebi, Gulab jamun and Kulfi and to wash it all down one must try Lassi in here. From roadside Dhabas to continental eateries, Chandigarh is one of the happening places for food lovers.
What to Shop?
Chandigarh is one of the happening cities with educational hubs and important government offices, Chandigarh is often visited by a younger crowd. To match its taste, Chandigarh has become one of the happening fashion hubs making it one of the exciting cities in this region. You will find it all from designer brands to boutiques to street shops; Chandigarh is the place to get a good deal. Handicrafts and handloom items such as scarves, carpets and rugs, Chandigarh is a great place to buy from. Chandigarh has local markets and Mall from where one can do some shopping from.
Where to stay?
Chandigarh being the capital city is probably the first planned city in India. Being the capital city, it has some of the best infrastructures from star hotels to budget hotels.
Hotel Taj Chandigarh - Block No. 9, Sector-17 A, Chandigarh 160017
Min INR 10,000/- per night
Ramgarh Heritage – luxury boutique resort - NH 73, Sec 28-Panchkula-Chandigarh
Min INR 4000/- per night
Lemon tree hotel Chandigarh - Plot No. 3, MW Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh
Min INR 4000/- per night
Kapoor’s Homestay – very close to the city centre
Min INR 1500/- per night
How to reach?
Air: Chandigarh is one of the beautiful cities that have wonderful connections from a good number of cities in North India. Chandigarh also has an International airport that has major networks with Delhi. Other prominent cities that are connected to Chandigarh are Amritsar, Leh and other metro cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore. Indigo, Spice jet and Air India fly to Chandigarh often from these cities.
Rail: Chandigarh is also very well connected rail network. Special trains such as Shatabdi from Delhi and other superfast and express trains connect to Chandigarh from major cities of India such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Bhopal, Jammu, and Mumbai etc.
Road: Chandigarh has excellent road connectivity. Many buses are leaving from Delhi every day. Several buses with A.C sleeper buses, deluxe and semi-deluxe buses ply to Amritsar, Manali and Shimla.