It all began when our son decided he must see snowfall this year. Not “wants to”. Not “would be nice to”. No — “Dad, I need to see snow fall from the sky, not just lying on the ground.”
Meanwhile, we were being very sensible adults (rare moment) and trying to avoid traveling during peak tourist season, because Shimla in winter usually looks like India Gate with jackets. We were still contemplating of all the weekend getaways from Delhi where we could witness snowfall.
But parenting, as they say, is just doing things you swore you would never do, so we gave in, checked five weather apps, checked TV news forecasts, watched YouTube vlogs titled “Snowfall Confirmed in Shimla this weekend!!!”, and decided to trust the internet like fools.
We booked a Delhi to Shimla luxury Volvo bus, packed snacks as if we were going to survive a 3-day famine, and left at 8 PM, hoping the next morning would look like a postcard from Switzerland.
Spoiler: it did not.
🚌 The Overnight Volvo Journey That Was Smooth… Until It Was Not
The bus was comfortable, seats were reclining, mid-night dhaba stop was decent, wife and son slept peacefully — and I spent the night pretending to sleep while listening to music and ignoring honking, brakes, and the bus suspension having an identity crisis. While looking outside, I was remembering my previous trip to Shimla, I was not lucky even then to witness Snowfall.
Around 4 AM, just after crossing Kasauli, the bus stopped.
Driver stepped out with a torch.
We ignored it.
Driver inspected rear of bus for 10 minutes.
We ignored it.
Driver got on phone, started arguing loudly.
We still ignored it, because sleep > curiosity.
30 minutes later, the truth was revealed:
Driver stepped inside the bus and said “Sir, bus ka shocker toot gaya. Aage nahi jayegi.” Translation: Dear passengers, please activate survival mode.
There we were, stranded on a hill road, no taxi, no Uber, no Ola, no chai stall, nothing except 40 half-sleeping humans and a broken Volvo. I took out my phone and did manage to click a picture, looked mesmerizing and picture is not doing the justice to the beauty.
After 30 minutes of waiting in the cold like extras in a disaster movie, we finally found another bus that had a few spare seats. Boarded it, reached Shimla ISBT by 6 AM, took a taxi to the hotel, checked in, and slept like we were being paid for it.
🌆 Day 1: Mall Road, Winter Carnival & Manifesting Snow With Food
We woke up in the evening, fresh as zombies, and walked to Shimla Mall Road, where a Winter Carnival was happening — food stalls, woolen stalls, locals dancing, tourists clicking selfies in 3 layers of clothing pretending they’re in -20°C.
We ate momos, chhole kulche, cotton candy, roasted corn, everything except the forecasted snowfall. The only savior was Siddu, a steamed and stuffed wheat bread, Himachal's favorite dish.
We returned to hotel, wrapped in blankets, and I introduced myself to Old Monk, the official winter heater for Indian tourists. Slept again making bets:
“Tomorrow morning, we wake up to snowfall.”
Nature: LOL, no.
Day 2: No Snow, Only Sun & Endless Coffee
We woke up to bright sunshine, not a speck of snow.
Plan was → stroll Mall Road, visit Jakhoo Temple, or go to Kufri.
Result → strolled Mall Road again, drank coffee, ate, and discussed snowfall like it was a lost relative.
By evening, we had done what most tourists secretly do in Shimla:
✅ Walk
✅ Eat
✅ Take photos
✅ Repeat
No snowfall.
So we did what all hopeful tourists do: slept again praying for “white Shimla” next morning.
Nature: Haha, no again.
🚕 Day 3: Operation Kufri – If Snow Won’t Come to Us, We Will Go to Snow
After two days of emotional damage, we took matters into our own frozen hands.
Negotiated taxi rates like we were buying the car, not hiring it, and finally booked one for Kufri — the place that always shows snowfall on Instagram (but not always in real life).
Google Maps said: 2.5 hours
Reality said: 4 hours of traffic jam & hope slowly dying
But halfway through, it happened!!!
We saw cars coming from Kufri with snow on the roof.
People wearing gloves and smiling like they won the lottery.
Roadside trees had white frosting instead of leaves.
Our son started screaming: “THAT’S SNOW! THAT’S SNOW!”
It wasn’t snowing yet, but there was ice everywhere — on roads, hills, rooftops, railings, ledges, and we suddenly didn’t mind the 4-hour crawl anymore.
We finally reached Kufri.
No snowfall at that exact moment…
But it was white, frozen, magical, and sooo cold that even our bones were shivering.
Our son jumped straight onto the ice, threw snowballs at us, laughed, slipped, got wet socks, didn’t care — because dream finally achieved.
We stayed for 30 minutes, because cold + wet shoes = guaranteed sickness.
Returned to hotel, had hot food, slept like babies.
Day 4: Goodbye Shimla, Hello Memories
Next day, boarded our afternoon Volvo back to Delhi.
No breakdown, no shocker failure (thank god), reached home with snowy photos, wet socks memories, and a child who finally stopped saying “Papa, when will it snow?”
Shimla didn’t snow for us.
But Kufri did its job. ❄️
Trip: ✅
Parenting promise fulfilled: ✅
Old Monk usage: ✅✅ ✅
🔍 FAQs
Q1: Does Shimla get snowfall every year?
Yes, but not reliably. Some years it snows in late December, some years in mid-January, some years very little. Kufri & Narkanda are more reliable for snow.
Q2: Best time to visit Shimla for snowfall with family?
Late December to mid-February. For higher chance of snow → Jan 10 to Feb 5.
Q3: Is Kufri better than Shimla for snowfall?
Yes. Kufri (16 km uphill) gets snow earlier and more frequently than Shimla.
Q4: How far is Kufri from Shimla?
Approx. 16–18 km but 2+ hours in winter due to traffic & ice.
Q5: Can we reach Shimla by car during snowfall?**
Yes, but only if you have snow chains / 4x4 / experienced driving skills. Otherwise, take Volvo or hire a Himachal taxi.
📌 Final Verdict
If you're planning a family trip to see snowfall near Delhi, here’s the reality:
✅ Shimla = scenic, fun, food, carnival, but snow not guaranteed
✅ Kufri = best chance of snow, but crowded, cold & traffic-heavy
✅ Always plan 2–3 buffer days if snowfall is the main purpose
✅ Never fully trust weather apps — mountain weather commits to nothing
Would we do it again? 100%.
But this time, we’ll skip the broken-bus drama and go straight to Kufri or Narkanda.
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