On our 6 days trip across Nainital, Bhimtal, Corbett National Park and Mussoorie, we spent a day sightseeing in Nainital. Nainital is an enchanting hill town in Uttarakhand, located on the slopes of the Himalayas with a beautiful and serene lake in the centre. A beautiful “Mall Road” that comprises of several tourist attractions, shops loaded with woollen items and souvenirs and quaint cafes serving mouth watering delicacies with great views across the lake and mountains. When planned right, most of the places to see in Nainital can be visited within one day. Here’s our own list of top things to do in 1 day in Nainital.
A lot of these places to see in Nainital lie along the Mall Road Nainital. And can be conveniently covered on a walking tour of Mall Road Nainital.
Table of Contents
Top things to do in 1 day in Nainital
Visit Naina Devi Temple at the farther end of Mall Road
Naina Devi Temple is one of the most famous temples in Nainital. It is located on the banks of the Nainital Lake, adjacent to the parking area. So, chances are high, you will be leaving your vehicle in the parking lot. And visiting Naina Devi Temple as the first stop on your list of top things to do in 1 day in Nainital.
Naina Devi Temple is one of “Shakti Peeths” of Hindu religion. Legends say that when Goddess Sati died, Lord Shiva, her husband, couldn’t overcome the grief. He couldn’t make himself part from her body. That is when Lord Vishnu cut her body into multiple parts and each part fell down at a separate location on earth. Each of these locations has a temple of the “Sakti” that the Goddess represents. Naina Devi Temple lies where the eyes (called ” Nayan ” in Hindi) fell. And hence the name “Naina Devi Temple”.
Apart from hosting the main deity, the Naina Devi temple also has smaller sub temples of Radha-Krishna, Nav Graha (Nine planets), Dashavtara of Vishnu, A Shivlingam, a Hanuman Temple and several other God and Goddess temples.
I was delighted to find the temple parsley populated even when I visited here on one of the days of Durga Puja. Given it is a temple of one of the forms of Goddess Durga. The temple had beautiful lights setup for the evening and a Durga pandal setup in it’s central hall. Also, in the adjacent ground, there was a fare setup with stalls of food, toys, cloth etc. on the occasion of Durga Puja. And preparations were on for “Ravan Dahan” on the day of Dussehra. (Which we couldn’t stay back to see!!).
Overall it is a beautiful and serene temple setup on the bank of Nainital Lake.
Boating in the Nainital Lake
When one goes to Nainital, one can simply not miss the boating experience on Nainital Lake. After all, this lake is the heart of Nainital. And boating on Nainital Lake is a unique experience. If you choose to boat on a traditional boat with a boat-man rowing it, then there are two options to choose from – half lake loop and full lake loop. As the name suggests, half lake tour will take you through half the lake and back. Which takes 15-20 mins to complete. While the full lake tour takes you from one end of the lake to almost the other and back. The prices vary accordingly.
Apart from this, there is a pedal boating option as well. Where you can hire a pedal boat for a certain amount of time and pedal it yourself from one end of Nainital Lake to another.
However, the most unique option is to enjoy a ride on a heritage wind driven yatch – boat. But it can host only 2 people at a time.
Irrespective of which boating option you choose to boat on Nainital Lake, you will be greeted with mesmerizing views of the Himalayan ranges, the town of Nainital located on it’s slope and the crystal clear emerald blue water of the lake all around you.
The best time to do the boating on the Nainital Lake will be right after visiting Naina Devi Temple. Particularly if you are visiting in the winter months. As, evenings can get chilling cold on the lake. Also, it’s a pleasure to feel the mix of the cold wind and the warm sun on your body as you row through the lake in the day.
Our last experience of boating was in a Shikara on Dal Lake in Srinagar. And while boating on Nainital Lake we realised that each one has a very unique and different experience to offer.
A walk across Mall Road in Nainital
Next on our bucket list of top things to do in 1 day in Nainital is a walk across the Mall Road in Nainital. You can create your own walking tour exploring the Mall Road in Nainital. Or, take a locally provided guided tour of the mall road Nainital. Either ways, if you have visited the Naina Devi Temple and done boating near it, chances are you will start walking on the Mall Road Nainital from near the Naina Devi Temple.
The Mall Road Nainital is around 1 km stretch of road that connects the “Tallital” end of the Nainital Lake to the “Mallital end” of the lake. Things that you can do on the Mall Road Nainital is –
- Shopping from local shops, souvenir shops as well as branded shops. For woollen items, magnets, gifts and wooden handicrafts etc.
- Eating in one of the several cafes or restaurants or even road side make shift food carts that dot the Mall Road
- Taking pictures at one of the several instragram worthy stops that you will find at the Mall Road Nainital
- Basking in the sun at one of the several benches setup for tourists to rest along the Mall Road in Nainital
- Visiting the landmarks along the Mall Road Nainital like the library, Nainital club etc.
Take the Aerial Ropeway cable car ride up the mountain
The Aerial Ropeway cable car in Nainital is the next most popular attraction to try among things to do in 1 day in Nainital. This roapway is located at the beginning of Mallital. So, as you come out of the Naina Devi Temple, after taking a boat ride on the Nainital Lake, you can either take the Aerial Ropeway then. Or, when you return after your walk along the Mall road and back.
The ride on the Aerial Ropeway takes just 3-4 minutes to complete. But it is a very thrilling ride. And the views from the top are really rewarding. On one side, you can view the whole town of Nainital and the Nainital Lake in between. And on the other side, you can view several high peaks of Himalayas, covered in snow almost all through the year. And that is why this point is also called “Snow View Point”. It is located 2270m above sea level. And there is binacular installed on the top to get closer views of the mountains.
Charges of the cable car ride at the time of this writing:
INR 300 per adult for a round trip
INR 200 per child for a round trip
Timings of the ropeway are from 10am to 4pm all days of the week.
There is an amusement part under construction at the top. And there are some kid’s activities available. In total, you can spend around an hour at the top.
Hire a local taxi for sightseeing to waterfalls and viewpoints inaccessible on foot
After having explored the above, the next thing on our list of things to do in 1 day in Nainital is to hire a local taxi for sightseeing around the town of Nainital. In fact, you can also take a taxi to visit the snow view point, instead of the cable car. Or, you can take the taxi one way and the cable car the other way. When you take a taxi up the snow view point, you get to see several view points on the way up from where you get mesmerising views of the mountains and the valleys from different angles.
Shopping in Nainital
Nainital is dotted with several shops, the most buzzing market being the Mall Road itself for the tourists. It contains everything from branded shops to local outlets. If you want to go shopping in Nainital, some of the items that you will get at dirt cheap price without compromising on quality include –
- Woollen shawls and stoles – which start at INR 100
- Caps, gloves, woollen sweaters and other woollen items – starting at INR 100 again
- Wooden handicrafts like spatulas of different shapes, wooden toys for kids, home decor items, bowls etc.
- Refrigerator magnets and other small souvenirs
Cafe hopping in Nainital
The next thing on our list of things to do in 1 day in Nainital is a cafe hopping, particularly on the Mall road in Nainital. The whole mall road in Nainital is dotted with several cute and some quaint cafes. Which serve different delicacies, along side beautiful interiors and amazing views of the lake. Some of the food to try in Nainital cafes include –
- Coffee (of course that is a no brainer!!)
- Tandoori delights like soya chaap or tandoori paneer tikka
- burgers and sandwiches
- Pizzas with authentic taste
Apart from the cafes, there are several restaurants and even road side stalls in Nainital where you can try some local cuisines and famous food of Nainital. Some of these include –
- Kafuli
- Ras
- Baadi
- Gulgula
- Aloo ke Gutke
- Bun Tikki
- Bal Mithai
- Steaming hot maggie (when looking for comfort food on a chilly day 🙂 )
More places to explore around Nainital
If you have more time, on top of the things to do in 1 day in Nainital, you can visit the following places –
- Nainital Zoo ,- one of the highest altitude zoos in India.
- Land’s end is a scenic picnic spot outside the town of Nainital that you can add to your list
- For a unique experience visit the Eco cave gardens – a recreational park with a series of caves
- St Johns Wilderness Church
- If you have extra days at hand, you can visit some more nearby places to Nainital like Bhimtal, Almora, Ranikhet, Binsar, Auli etc. Some of these lie in upper Himalayas and are perfect to enjoy snow if you are visiting in the winter season. Like November through February. While some others like Ranikhet and Almora provide for quaint places to enjoy slow life amidst beautiful scenery.
General information related to visiting Nainital
How to reach Nainital ?
You can reach Nainital by road from major towns like New Delhi and Dehradun, which also have airports. Or, you can reach Kathgodam through a train. Kathgodam is the nearest railway station to Nainital. From there, you can get a shared taxi or bus to Nainital. You can also book buses from all major cities of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh or New Delhi to Nainital. We took a round trip cab from New Delhi to Nainital for our trip. We also visited Corbett and Mussoorie along with Nainital on this trip.
What is the best time to visit Nainital ?
For snowfall and snow sports, visit Nainital in the peak winter season of December end to February. While to enjoy milder climate and greenery, visit right after the monsoons, in the month of October and November. Summers have started getting harsher. And monsoons often lead to landslides in this region. So, it is best to avoid the summer and monsoon months from April to September. However, if you live nearby, you can always plan a quick weekend getaway to Nainital during any month of the year by keeping an eye on the weather.
How many days are sufficient to explore Nainital ?
To explore the attractions in the town of Nainital itself, 2 days are sufficient. While if you want to explore some more places around Nainital like Bhimtal, Almora, Ranikhet etc. then you might want to add one day for each place you plan to visit from Nainital.
What to pack for a trip to Nainital ?
Irrespective of which month you are visiting Nainital, always keep one layer of woollen cloths, particularly for kids. As, temperature changes suddenly and dips when it rains or snows all of a sudden. If visiting in the peak winter months, you will need proper thermal inners, gloves, caps, heavy winter jackets and snow shoes. When we visited at the end of October, it was mildly cold in the day and colder in the night. We needed a layer of light jacket in the day and a heavier jacket at night. The younger kids < 5 years of age might require another additional layer of clothing.
Where to stay in Nainital ?
Most of the attractions of the Nainital town lie along the Mall Road. It also houses a lot of hotels, homestays and backpacker hostels. However, the accommodation is more costly right near the lake as compared to a little farther away. So, depending on your budget you can choose to stay either near the lake, for the convenience of walking around to most attractions. Or, farther away, for enjoying the natural surroundings better. Here’s a a complete list of accommodations in Nainital to browse through.
However, if you are unable to find a suitable accommodation in Nainital itself for what so ever reason, you can always find a stay option in Bhimtal, which is just 20km away, quieter and as beautiful. We stayed in a lake side property called Lake Hill Hotel in Bhimtal. And thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. Some of the properties that we researched and added to our wishlist in Nainital and Bhimtal included –
Saffron Stays Gardens on the Lake, The Rosefinch Sarovar Portico, Naini Retreat Nainital and WelcomHeritage Ashdale for luxury
Naini Cottage, Lakeside Inn, Sakley’s cottages for staying nearer to lake and at affordable price.
If you are wondering whether to stay in Nainital or Bhimtal, here’s our comparison of Nainital vs Bhimtal – where to go. Which will definitely help you decide.
Other resources from our 6 days Uttarakhand Trip
Relaxing vacation in Jim Corbett National Park
A road trip from Jim Corbett National Park to Mussoorie
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