Location: Nainital is situated in the Shivalik Hills, surrounded by high peaks and set around its crater lake, after which the town is named. It lies near the Greater Himalayas, the snow peaks visible from various vantage points around the town. Only an hour and half drive from the plains, it is Nainital’s accessibility that makes it such a popular weekend retreat.
Climate: Summer is cool with temperatures between 10 – 27 degrees Celsius while winters are cold with temperature hovering around 3 – 15 degrees Celsius, often dipping to sub-zero at night. The town sees sporadic snow between December and February.
Altitude:1938 metres above sea level.
Local languages: Kumaoni and Hindi.
Phone Code: 05942
Best time to visit: The weather is very pleasant from March to June after which monsoon lashes the area until September, leading to landslides and road blockages. The peak tourist season is from mid-April to mid-June when school holidays are on; the town gets mindlessly crowded and is best avoided during these months. We’d suggest visiting Nainital in March or between September and November for nippy evenings and relatively less crowds.
Local Transport
The artery of Nainital remains the Mall with restaurants, hotels and shops cramped together, all overlooking the beautiful lake. Nallital is the older, colonial area at the head of the lake, northwards, while Tallital is the foot of the lake. Cars are not allowed on the Mall in May, June and October from 6 pm to 10 pm and cycle rickshaws are barred entry from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
The Mall offers the only flat surface in the town which makes it possible for cycle rickshaws to ply on it. You cannot, however, flag them down. A government-run rickshaw booth near Mallital hands out tokens for Rs.5 each, for a rickshaw trip from one end of the Mall to the other.
For sightseeing, there are many agencies on the Mall that rent out cars. For more information, visit www.nainitalt
Tourist Office
In Nainital
KMVN Sarovar Tourist Reception Centre
Oak Park House, Near Bus Station,
Tallital
Tel: 05942 - 235570
www.kmvn.org
Kumaoun Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd. (KMVN) also conducts a variety of tours during the whole year. For details and booking, call Parvat Tour on the Mall. (05942 – 235656).
For information on trekking and other adventure activities, you can visit the Nainital Mountaineering Club
CRST Inter College Building
Tel: 05942 – 235119
