How To Reach Nainital

The hill station of Nainital is situated in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is blanketed by lush green mountain sides and overlooks a large pear shaped lake making it one of the most picturesque hill stations in the region. Tourism in Nainital has been of great importance to its economy and this means Nainital is the perfect tourist haven, including efficient transport, good accommodation, established markets and other smooth running facilities. You can travel by flight up to Pantnagar or take a train to Kathgodam but after that the only way to reach this Lake Capital is by road. Here is a detailed look into the many ways through which you can reach Nainital.

Uttarakhand has two airports; the one closer to Nainital is the Pantnagar Domestic Airport. The airport is about 70 km away from the main town of Nainital. The Pantnagar Airport sends and receives flights from Indra Gandhi International Airport at Delhi and almost all major cities; both in India and around the world. Tourists can avail taxi services from the airport to travel the rest of the way. Public and private bus services start only from Kathgodam, so that is of little use in this situation.

Kathgodam Railway station is the last stop of the railway line that ventures into the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand. The station lies in the city of Haldwani from where a number of taxis and buses, both private and public, are ready to take tourists to Nainital and other nearby towns. The Uttarakhand Transportation Board has set up a website where you can book the desired bus service to your destination. The station is about 30 km away from Nainital and it should take a maximum of one hour to cover the distance if all conditions are good.

This is perhaps the most fun way to travel. The roads to Nainital pass through extensive wheat and sugarcane plantations that slowly, as altitude increases, turn into villages, and finally thick pine forests dotted by occasional Maggie points and chai shops. A number of buses; deluxe, semi-deluxe and ordinary ones start out from Delhi and take about 9 hours if the conditions are good to reach Nainital. There are buses from other cities in Uttarakhand like Dehradun and Almora too. If you plan to take a taxi or your own vehicle to Nainital then the route via Kaladungi is a better choice over the route through Rampur.

Like most hill stations, Nainital has no public transport system to get around once in the town. The easiest way to commute is by the local taxis or to rent a vehicle of your own. Hitch hiking is not a bad option either.