Introduction
For those planning to visit the picturesque hill town of Narkanda from Shimla, the journey promises stunning landscapes, serene mountain vistas, and an escape into nature’s quiet beauty. Narkanda, located approximately 60 km from Shimla, is a favourite among travelers for its tranquility and famous ski slopes. Using the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus service offers an affordable and reliable way to reach Narkanda while enjoying the journey. This guide provides a detailed look at the Shimla to Narkanda HRTC bus timings, routes, and key travel tips for 2025.
Table of Contents
Why Take the HRTC Bus from Shimla to Narkanda?
Traveling by HRTC bus is one of the most scenic and cost-effective ways to explore the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh. The HRTC buses are comfortable, safe, and well-connected, ensuring that travelers can reach their destinations even in remote hill regions. From Shimla to Narkanda, the journey on an HRTC bus allows you to appreciate the beauty of the Himalayan landscape without the stress of driving through winding mountain roads.
HRTC Bus Types on the Shimla to Narkanda Route
The HRTC buses serving the Shimla to Narkanda route come in various types, each designed to meet the different needs of travelers:
- Ordinary Buses: Standard, economical buses that operate frequently on this route, making stops at major towns and localities along the way.
- HIMSUTA AC Volvo/Scania: This air-conditioned bus provides a more comfortable option for travelers who want a smoother journey with additional amenities.
- HIMDHARA 3X2 AC: This is another premium service, offering comfortable seating and a well-maintained, air-conditioned environment.
Choosing the right bus type for your needs will depend on your preference for comfort, budget, and travel schedule.
Overview of the Shimla to Narkanda HRTC Route
The Shimla to Narkanda bus route is well-connected and follows a scenic path that includes key stops like Kufri, Theog, and Matiyana. These small towns provide a glimpse into the daily lives of locals and showcase the rich culture of Himachal Pradesh. Each bus type makes different stops, so travelers should check the exact route and timings for the bus they plan to take.
Narkanda is a gateway to popular tourist spots, including the Hatu Peak and Tanni Jubbar Lake, both of which make it a prime spot for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. Taking the HRTC bus allows you to get closer to these attractions while helping reduce vehicle emissions in the region, supporting eco-friendly travel.
Shimla to Narkanda HRTC Bus Timings for 2025
Below is a comprehensive timetable of Shimla to Narkanda HRTC bus timings for 2025. Each bus route includes key stops, arrival, and departure times to help you plan your journey. The below data is based on HRTC Narkanda Time Table and HRTC Shimla Time Table.
Total buses :- 29
Shimla to Narkanda Bus Timings Shimla to Narkanda Bus Timings
No. Bus Type Departure Time Arrival Time Duration Route 1 HIMDHARA 3X2 AC 07:15 09:45 2 Hrs 30 Mins JAMMU (15:40) → PATHANKOT (18:45) → NURPUR (19:45) → KANGRA (10:00) → HAMIRPUR (00:30) → BILASPUR (03:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (07:15) → THEOG (08:30) →NARKANDA(09:45) → KINGAL (10:45) → SAINJ (11:05) → RAMPUR (12:15) 2 HIMSUTA AC VOLVO / SCANIA 2X2 00:30 02:15 1 Hr 45 Mins CHANDIGARH AIRPORT (19:00) → CHANDIGARH 43 (20:00) → SOLAN (23:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (00:30) → THEOG (01:30) →NARKANDA(02:15) → RAMPUR (04:30) → BHAWANAGAR (05:30) → WANGTU (06:30) → TAPRI (07:30) 3 HIMSUTA AC VOLVO / SCANIA 2X2 05:00 08:30 3 Hrs 30 Mins DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE (19:35) → CHANDIGARH 43 (01:00) → PARWANOO (02:31) → DHARAMPUR SOLAN (02:50) → KUMAR HATTI (03:00) → SOLAN (03:30) → KANDAGHAT (04:00) → WAKNAGHAT (04:15) → SHOGHI (04:30) → TARADEVI (04:45) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (05:00) → LAKKAR BAZAR (06:00) → THEOG (07:30) → MATIYANA (08:00) →NARKANDA(08:30) → KUMARSAIN (09:00) → KINGAL (09:30) → SAINJ (10:00) → RAMPUR (11:00) 4 HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC 10:30 13:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (06:05) → SOLAN (09:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (10:30) → THEOG (11:45) →NARKANDA(13:00) → SAINJ (14:00) → RAMPUR (15:00) → JHAKHARI (15:30) → JEOURI (16:00) → BHAWANAGAR (17:00) → TAPRI (18:00) → RECONGPEO (19:00) 5 ORDINARY 00:30 03:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (20:00) → SOLAN (23:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (00:30) → THEOG (01:45) →NARKANDA(03:00) → KUMARSAIN (04:00) → SAINJ (05:00) → RAMPUR (05:45) 6 ORDINARY 02:30 05:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHINTPURNI (16:00) → DEHRA (17:00) → JAWALA JI (17:30) → NADAUN (18:00) → BILASPUR (22:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (02:30) →NARKANDA(05:00) → RAMPUR (10:00) → SARAHAN (12:15) 7 ORDINARY 03:40 06:40 3 Hrs 0 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (03:40) → KUFRI (05:05) → THEOG (05:30) → MATIYANA (06:30) →NARKANDA(06:40) → SAINJ (08:05) → NIRATH (08:30) → RAMPUR (09:30) → JHAKHARI (10:00) → JEOURI (10:30) → BHAWANAGAR (12:30) → TAPRI (13:00) → KARCHAM (13:15) → RECONGPEO (16:00) 8 ORDINARY 05:00 09:30 4 Hrs 30 Mins HARIDWAR (19:00) → RURKI (20:00) → SAHARANPUR (21:00) → SARSAWA (21:30) → YAMUNANAGAR (22:35) → AMBALA CANT (00:05) → DERA BASSI (00:30) → ZIRAKPUR (00:50) → CHANDIGARH 43 (01:30) → PANCHKULA (02:00) → PINJORE (02:30) → KALKA (02:45) → PARWANOO (02:50) → DHARAMPUR SOLAN (03:15) → KUMAR HATTI (03:30) → SOLAN (04:00) → KANDAGHAT (04:15) → WAKNAGHAT (04:30) → SHOGHI (04:35) → TARADEVI (04:40) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (05:00) → KUFRI (06:30) → THEOG (08:00) → MATIYANA (08:45) →NARKANDA(09:30) 9 ORDINARY 05:30 07:30 2 Hrs 0 Mins DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE (18:31) → CHANDIGARH 43 (01:30) → PARWANOO (02:45) → DHARAMPUR SOLAN (03:15) → KUMAR HATTI (03:30) → SOLAN (04:15) → KANDAGHAT (04:45) → WAKNAGHAT (04:50) → SHOGHI (05:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (05:30) → KUFRI (06:30) → THEOG (07:00) →NARKANDA(07:30) 10 ORDINARY 05:30 08:30 3 Hrs 0 Mins DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE (19:43) → AMBALA CANT (23:15) → ZIRAKPUR (00:10) → CHANDIGARH 43 (00:20) → PARWANOO (01:00) → SANWARA (01:35) → DHARAMPUR SOLAN (02:00) → KUMAR HATTI (02:15) → SOLAN (03:00) → KANDAGHAT (03:20) → WAKNAGHAT (04:00) → SHOGHI (04:20) → TARADEVI (04:30) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (05:30) → LAKKAR BAZAR (06:00) → KUFRI (06:45) → THEOG (07:30) → MATIYANA (08:00) →NARKANDA(08:30) 11 ORDINARY 06:56 09:30 2 Hrs 34 Mins SOLAN (05:00) → SALOGARA (05:30) → KANDAGHAT (05:45) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (06:56) → LAKKAR BAZAR (07:24) → THEOG (08:20) →NARKANDA(09:30) → KUMARSAIN (10:15) → RAMPUR (12:15) 12 ORDINARY 07:15 09:45 2 Hrs 30 Mins DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE (21:58) → CHANDIGARH 43 (03:15) → PANCHKULA (03:30) → PINJORE (03:45) → KALKA (04:00) → PARWANOO (04:05) → SOLAN (05:30) → KANDAGHAT (05:50) → WAKNAGHAT (06:05) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (07:15) → KUFRI (08:15) → THEOG (08:45) →NARKANDA(09:45) 13 ORDINARY 08:30 10:45 2 Hrs 15 Mins HARIDWAR (22:30) → RAIWALA (22:45) → DEHRADUN (23:55) → PREM NAGAR (00:45) → HARBATPUR UK (01:15) → PAONTA SAHIB (02:05) → DHAULA KUAN (02:30) → NAHAN (03:30) → SARAHA (04:45) → NAINATIKKER (05:30) → KUMAR HATTI (06:00) → SOLAN (06:30) → KANDAGHAT (07:30) → WAKNAGHAT (08:00) → SHOGHI (08:15) → TARADEVI (08:20) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (08:30) → KUFRI (09:45) → THEOG (10:15) →NARKANDA(10:45) 14 ORDINARY 08:45 12:00 3 Hrs 15 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (04:36) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (08:45) → THEOG (11:00) →NARKANDA(12:00) → KUMARSAIN (13:00) → SAINJ (13:30) → NAGAN (16:00) → AANI (16:30) 15 ORDINARY 15:20 18:15 2 Hrs 55 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (15:20) → KUFRI (16:30) → THEOG (17:10) → MATIYANA (17:45) →NARKANDA(18:15) → SAINJ (19:40) → RAMPUR (20:40) 16 ORDINARY 16:40 19:15 2 Hrs 35 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (16:40) → KUFRI (17:40) → FAGU (17:45) → THEOG (18:00) → MATIYANA (18:20) → SHILAROO (19:00) →NARKANDA(19:15) → ODDI (19:30) → KUMARSAIN (19:45) 17 ORDINARY 18:30 20:45 2 Hrs 15 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (18:30) → THEOG (19:45) → MATIYANA (20:15) →NARKANDA(20:45) → RAMPUR (23:00) → JEOURI (23:55) 18 ORDINARY 20:00 21:00 1 Hr 0 Min HAMIRPUR (12:30) → BILASPUR (15:25) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (20:00) →NARKANDA(21:00) → RAMPUR (01:00) 19 ORDINARY 22:00 00:35 2 Hrs 35 Mins HAMIRPUR (17:10) → BILASPUR (19:00) → DARLAGHAT (20:30) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (22:00) → THEOG (23:30) → MATIYANA (00:05) →NARKANDA(00:35) → SAINJ (01:35) → RAMPUR (02:00) 20 ORDINARY 23:30 02:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (19:00) → SOLAN (22:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (23:30) → THEOG (00:45) →NARKANDA(02:00) → RAMPUR (04:45) → JHAKHARI (05:20) → JEOURI (06:30) → BHAWANAGAR (07:30) 21 ORDINARY 10:50 12:30 1 Hr 40 Mins HAMIRPUR (04:40) → BILASPUR (06:30) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (10:50) → THEOG (12:00) → MATIYANA (12:15) →NARKANDA(12:30) → KINGAL (12:50) 22 ORDINARY 11:30 14:50 3 Hrs 20 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (06:36) → SOLAN (09:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (11:30) → THEOG (13:35) →NARKANDA(14:50) → RAMPUR (18:15) → JEOURI (19:15) 23 ORDINARY 13:55 16:45 2 Hrs 50 Mins AMBALA CANT (07:20) → CHANDIGARH 43 (08:45) → SOLAN (11:30) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (13:55) → THEOG (15:15) →NARKANDA(16:45) → RAMPUR (19:15) 24 ORDINARY 15:20 18:15 2 Hrs 55 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (15:20) → KUFRI (16:30) → THEOG (17:10) → MATIYANA (17:45) →NARKANDA(18:15) → SAINJ (19:40) → RAMPUR (20:40) 25 ORDINARY 16:40 19:15 2 Hrs 35 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (16:40) → KUFRI (17:40) → FAGU (17:45) → THEOG (18:00) → MATIYANA (18:20) → SHILAROO (19:00) →NARKANDA(19:15) → ODDI (19:30) → KUMARSAIN (19:45) 26 ORDINARY 18:30 20:45 2 Hrs 15 Mins SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (18:30) → THEOG (19:45) → MATIYANA (20:15) →NARKANDA(20:45) → RAMPUR (23:00) → JEOURI (23:55) 27 ORDINARY 22:20 00:50 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (17:50) → SOLAN (20:50) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (22:20) → THEOG (23:35) →NARKANDA(00:50) → RAMPUR (02:45) 28 ORDINARY 22:30 01:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (18:00) → SOLAN (21:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (22:30) → THEOG (23:45) →NARKANDA(01:00) → SAINJ (02:00) → RAMPUR (03:00) 29 ORDINARY 23:30 02:00 2 Hrs 30 Mins CHANDIGARH 43 (19:00) → SOLAN (22:00) →SHIMLAISBT TUTIKANDI (23:30) → THEOG (00:45) →NARKANDA(02:00) → RAMPUR (04:45)
Important Tips for Traveling by HRTC Bus to Narkanda
- Check the Schedule in Advance: Although buses run frequently, it’s best to confirm the timings as they may vary based on the season, holidays, and regional events.
- Choose Your Bus Type Wisely: For those seeking more comfort, consider the AC options like HIMSUTA Volvo buses. Ordinary buses are budget-friendly but may take longer as they make more stops.
- Carry Essentials: Since Narkanda is at a higher altitude, temperatures can drop quickly, even in summer. Carry warm clothing, water, and snacks for a comfortable journey.
- Arrive Early at the Bus Stand: Especially during peak tourist seasons, HRTC buses can fill up quickly. Arriving early helps you secure your seat and ensures a hassle-free boarding process.
- Be Mindful of the Altitude: Narkanda is located at an elevation of around 8,800 feet. Travelers prone to altitude sickness should take it slow and stay hydrated.
Internal and External Links
Internal Links
- Other Bus Timetables from Shimla:
- Popular Bus Routes Covering Nearby Destinations:
- Booking and General Travel Information:
Shimla Route Guides
From Shimla
- Shimla to Dharamshala HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Haridwar HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Chamba HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Amritsar HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Dehradun HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Katra HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Delhi HRTC Bus Time Table
- Shimla to Chandigarh HRTC Bus Timings
- Shimla to Manali HRTC Bus Timing
To Shimla
- Pathankot to Shimla HRTC Bus Time Table
- Mandi to Shimla HRTC Bus Timings
- Dehradun to Shimla HRTC Bus Timings
- Delhi to Shimla HRTC Bus Time Table
External Links
- Official HRTC Website for Bus Timetables and Booking:
- Travel Portals for Additional Booking Options:
Final Note
For the latest updates on Shimla to Narkanda HRTC bus timings, be sure to check the official HRTC website, as schedules may change due to weather conditions and other factors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the distance from Shimla to Narkanda by HRTC bus?
The distance is approximately 60 kilometers, which typically takes 2 to 3 hours by HRTC bus, depending on the route and bus type.
2. Are there direct HRTC buses from Shimla to Narkanda?
Yes, there are multiple direct buses from Shimla to Narkanda. The HRTC operates various types, including ordinary, AC, and deluxe services.
3. How much does an HRTC bus ticket cost from Shimla to Narkanda?
Ticket prices vary by bus type. Ordinary buses are economical, while AC and deluxe buses may have higher fares.
4. What are the earliest and latest buses from Shimla to Narkanda?
The earliest HRTC bus usually departs around midnight, and the last bus leaves close to midnight as well. However, times may vary, so confirm with HRTC.
5. Can I reserve seats in advance on HRTC buses?
Yes, seat reservations are available online for certain bus types, especially for AC and Volvo buses.
6. What stops do HRTC buses make on the way to Narkanda?
Common stops include Kufri, Theog, and Matiyana. Each bus may have different stops based on its route and type.
7. How can I check the current Shimla to Narkanda HRTC bus timings?
The best way to check is on the official HRTC website, which provides up-to-date schedules and routes.
8. Are HRTC buses reliable during winter months?
HRTC buses are generally reliable; however, during heavy snowfall, there may be delays or route changes. It’s best to check with HRTC during winter.
9. Do HRTC buses offer amenities on the Shimla to Narkanda route?
Basic amenities vary by bus type. AC and Volvo buses provide more comfort, but ordinary buses may not have additional amenities.
10. Is the Shimla to Narkanda route scenic?
Yes, it is incredibly scenic, with views of mountains, valleys, and charming hill towns. It’s a memorable journey, especially for nature lovers.
By offering a reliable service that connects Shimla to the enchanting town of Narkanda, the HRTC bus system makes travel convenient and accessible for all. Whether you’re a local commuter or a tourist exploring Himachal Pradesh, the HRTC bus service offers a safe, affordable, and eco-friendly way to reach your destination.
