Chandigarh

Understand

The most striking thing about the city is the expanse of resplendent blue sky with the mountains in the backdrop. When you approach the city, you see the jagged skyline of the Shivalik Hills looming large over the city and the faint image of an old temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi (15 km from Chandigarh) from which the city got its name. Chandigarh may appear oddly familiar to Western visitors and idiosyncratic to the rest of India. Enjoy the planned city, with tree-lined roads, large beautiful roundabouts, several gardens and on top — a great set of people. Chandigarh and Mysore are considered the cleanest two cities of India.

History When India was partitioned, Punjab was split into two, with the western half going to Pakistan. Lahore, the historical capital of Punjab was also ceded to Pakistan, and Chandigarh was conceived of as a symbol of India's freedom, and a new beginning for Punjab. The government of the state decided to build the new city at the foot of the Shivalik hills. Architects Albert Mayer and Mathew Novicki drew the initial plans in New York. When the latter died in an air crash in 1950, the work was entrusted to the French architect Edouard 'Le Corbusier' Jeanneret who created Chandigarh as a city of "Sun, Space and Verdure", to fulfill the basic functions of working, living, and care of body and spirit. In 2011, the city was home to more than a million people living in harmonious conditions that are considered to be the best in the country.

One can see architectural genius in the neat geometrical design of residential quarters, reinforced concrete structures and self-contained area layouts. Chandigarh is divided into 47 self-contained sectors. Each sector of the city is designed with its own shops, academic, and health care buildings, and places of worship, open spaces, greenery and residential areas. Roads are wide and spacious. It hasn't grown in a haphazard way as some other Indian cities have. The city is divided into four major work areas. In the north, the capital complex, consisting of the Secretariat, Legislative Assembly and High Court, with the hills as a background dominating the city. Sector 17, which is the city and district centre, houses the administrative and state government offices, as well as shopping malls, banks and other offices. The west contains the university, and institutions of engineering, architecture, Asian studies and medicine. The east zone is the industrial area of the city. In 1966, Hindi-speaking areas of Punjab were split from the Punjabi speaking areas of the state to form a new state of Har

Getting there

By plane 1 Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC IATA) (about 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city centre.). An attractive and pleasant airport. Major Indian airlines fly to the city. (updated Apr 2026)

By train 2 Chandigarh NR (ਚੰਡੀਗੜ ਰੇਲਵੇ ਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ) (8 km east of the city centre, well connected with local buses as well as numerous taxis and rickshaws). There is a frequent service to and from New Delhi. Trains connecting New Delhi include Kalka (Chandigarh) Shatabdi Express (twice daily) and the economical Chandigarh Jan Shatabdi Express (Una (HP) to Delhi). Shatabdi Express is quite popular and it is better to have an advanced reservation at least 2–3 days prior to the journey. (updated Jun 2026) Popular long-distance trains include the following:

Paschim Express (daily) from Mumbai Netaji Express (daily) from Howrah Dehradun-Chandigarh Madras Express (Monday) from Chennai Kerala Sampark Kranti (Wednesday) from Kochuveli (Kerala) Chandigarh Lucknow Express (daily) from Lucknow. Chandigarh-Jaipur Garib Rath from Jaipur.

By car Chandigarh has an equally good connectivity via road. It is a 4–5-hr drive from Delhi, the road comprising mainly of NH 1 is quite good. Chandigarh serves as a gateway to the state of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Distances from selected cities:

New Delhi – 260 km (160 mi) Shimla – 110 km (68 mi) Manali – 320 km (200 mi) Dehradun – 175 km (110 mi) Amritsar – 250 km (155 mi) There are many car rental companies available in Chandigarh. If you are travelling from Delhi, you can book a cab from a number of travel agencies present in various nooks and corners of the city, or you can book a cab just a call away. Travelling by smaller vehicles like Indica is the most common mode of cab transfers on this route. The highway is pretty scenic. While it is good to take the cabs for travel on this route in summers, it should be avoided in winters due to heavy fog. Dec-Feb are winter months in India. Chandigarh, being situated in laps of mountains, faces heavy fog at night and in the early morning. At such times, the visibility on roads can be less than six feet.

By bus Chandigarh is served by two bus terminals.

3 New Inter State Bus Terminus, in Sector 43, ☏ +91 172-2624403. It provides connectivity from all major destinations in the neighbouring states Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu, and Delhi (limited). The cheap accommodation options in the terminal don't allow foreigners. 4 Inter State Bus Terminus in Sector 17, ☏ +91 172-2700006. Offers connectivity from all major towns of Haryana (except those on H

Getting around

By bus The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) provides a local bus service in Chandigarh and the satellite towns of Panchkula and Mohali. The bus service is frequent and efficient 6AM-10PM. Fares starting from ₹20, e.g. railway station to ISBT-43 for ₹25. 45 routes are being plied in Chandigarh. The travel is generally hassle-free, though there might be a rush on some particular routes during morning and evening peak hours. The buses with corresponding routes can be found here. The Chandigarh tourism also runs a special Hop On Hop Off double-decker bus which takes you around for a tour of all the main spots in the city including Sukna Lake, Punjab University, and the Secretariat. Having bought one ticket, a person can board or disembark as many times in a day as he wishes. This provides flexibility to see the places of interest and spend as much time as he wishes at a particular spot of choice. It starts its journey from Hotel Shivalik view in Sector 17 near the Bus Terminal.

By taxi At city beautiful there are various taxi service provider available for in city and outstation travel. Some most used options are:

Uber. Book taxis through mobile apps for city and outstation travel. inDrive. inDrive is a service that allows drivers and passengers to find each other and to independently agree on all the terms of each trip. Ola Cabs. Cabs available through website and mobile app for local and outstation. UT administration has started a fully air-conditioned cab service. The cabs are available at the door step on call. The cabs are stationed at important places including Railway Station and Airport. The cabs are fully air-conditioned and extremely comfortable. They serve Chandigarh and the satellite towns of Panchkula and Mohali. All the taxis are brand new, air conditioned/air heated and driven by the uniformed drivers. Taxis are also have a complaint book and any passenger can lodge a complaint with State Transport Authority if services provided to him are not found up to the mark. The cabs are continuously monitored through GPS technology whereby their locations are monitored by their respective control rooms. There are no charges for first kilometre except for the meter down charges. Rate ₹15 for the first kilometre and ₹15 for the subsequent kilometers. Cab services like OlaCabs also operate in Chandigarh and satellite towns of Panchkula and Mohali. Uber is also available on most of the routes of the tricity.

Mahajan Taxi Service, S.C.O. 3232 Sector 41D, ☏ +91 9854201500, [email protected]. Outstation and local cabs available

See

1 The Capitol Complex (Chandigarh Capitol Complex), Sector 1. Most of the capitol complex is fenced off due to tight security, the open hand is accessible and from there you can see the main buildings, albeit from a distance. If you want a closer look at the Capitol, you need to do a tour with the 1 Tourist Center daily at 10AM, noon and 3PM—you need to be there 20 min before. Note the capitol and bureau are only open on M-F. This is one of 17 worldwide works by the architect Le Corbusier to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 2 Chandigarh Museum (Government Architecture Museum), Sector 10. This provides an interesting aspect on how Chandigarh was founded. It begins with the principles on which Chandigarh was built, selection of the Architects, the design for the people etc. The correspondence between the Punjabi officials overseeing the construction of the city, and the Federal Government in Delhi is fascinating, and well worth taking a few minutes to read. Close by is the Government Museum and Art Gallery as well as the Museum of Science and Natural History Museum. 3 Elante Mall. Elante Mall at Chandigarh is among the largest malls in North India, covering 20 acres. It is a mixed use development project which includes entertainment, hotels and business. Elante Mall has a retail space of over 1 million square feet. across "ground level and three upper levels". In the retail area, Elante Mall hosts various national and some huge internal brands like Heckett London,Apple ( eStore..Powered by Beyond Computers), Marks & Spencer, Brook Brothers, Rolex, Harley Davidson, Promod etc. Elante boasts of a great food court, a wonderful courtyard full of cafes, sports bars and has various clothing brands. In the entertainment section Elante Mall has PVR cinemas for entertaining large crowds. (updated Mar 2015) 4 The High Court (Punjab and Haryana High Court also: Capitol High Court). The letter is fine for looking around the High Court; just show it to security at the entrance, around the back, but if you want to take photos you need to surrender your camera, and head in to fill out some more forms in the protocol office, and then take the forms back to security to get your camera back. It’s worth it as the building is amazing, and extremely photogenic. You can’t take any photos indoors. (updated Mar 2015) 5 The Japanese Garden (Japani Garden). The Japanese Garden is a park in Sector 31 in union territory of Chandigarh. Built in 2014 in 13 acres of Land, by Indian Government, it was inaugurated by Shivraj Patil on 7th November 2014. It consists of wate

Do

Cricket: 1 Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, New Tira. This stadium, capacity 40,000, was completed in 2021. It hosts the Punjab cricket team and is expected to become the home of Punjab Kings in the IPL. It replaces Mohali stadium, which was bigger but hemmed in among housing. (updated Sep 2023) Motorbike expeditions. Many bikers clubs organise motorbiking and adventure activities. Visit Kalagram on the Manimajra-Chandigarh road. It has an exhibition of various handicrafts and decorations from various parts of the country. It also houses the innovative and famous "Condom Bar", whose theme is centred on condoms. Panchkula is 8 km away and contains the beautiful Cactus Gardens, the largest succulent gardens in Asia. One can also visit Pinjore Gardens that are within a range of 15–20 km (9-12 mi) from Chandigarh on the way to Shimla.

Movies The city has several single screen cinemas which are now in a dilapidated condition due to the arrival of many high quality multiscreen cinemas, but you can still catch a movie at any one of the halls. It is recommended to go to a multiscreen cinema complex, where the cinematic experience can be easily compared to any movie hall in the world. The city has more than a dozen malls with 4- or 5-screen multiplexes. Some of these are Fun Republic (Fun Cinemas) in Manimajra, DLF DT Cinema in IT Park, Green House Entertainment (Big Cinemas) and Centra Mall (PVR Cinema) in Phase 1, Industrial Area. Big Cinemas at Downtown Mall, Zirakpur on Chandigarh-Punjab border and Fame Cinemas at Shalimar Mega mall are new upcoming entertainment malls also easily accessible in the city. Many others malls and multiplexes are coming up in Chandigarh and around soon. The latest entrants are Elante mall and VR Punjab.

Theatre The city has a rich theatre culture with regular performances by societies and groups from all over India. Tagore Theatre in Sector 18 plays host to most of the performances. One can view these street plays in Plaza Carnival in sector 17 Main Market, which can be viewed by everyone.

Amusement and water parks FunCity – 20 km (12 mi) from Chandigarh on the Panchkula - Barwalla Nadha Sahib Gurudwara Highway near Ramgarh . Thunderzone – A 30-min drive from Chandigarh, located in Landran, Mohali.

Buy

Chandigarh, with the highest income per capita in India, is home to some of India's biggest brands. Hotspots for higher-end shopping include markets in Sector 17, Sector 22, Sector 35, and Manimajra. However, shopping is typically more expensive in Chandigarh than it is in other cities, including big cities such as Delhi. There are plenty of Shopping Avenues in Chandigarh. Chandigarh is home to all leading brands and retail store chains. Sector 17 is a fully commercial sector that houses all the major brands and shops that cater to wide array of taste and pocket. Other popular shopping places are Elante Mall, Sector 22, Sector 35, and Manimajra. If you want to bargain hard for usual stuff, try the Azad Hind Market in Sector 22 but note that it is closed on Monday. You can buy souvenirs in the form of coffee mugs, shirts, etc. at Sukhna Lake.

Eat

You can relish all type of cuisines from local Punjabi flavors to continental food. Now there are many food delivering apps and websites like Zomato, Uber Eats, and Swiggy, which deliver meals from the city's restaurants to your doorstep.

Budget Many Western fast food chains have registered their presence in Chandigarh.

1 Indian Coffee House, Sector 17. (updated May 2015) 2 Tandoori express, Booth No. 5, Sector 8 B, ☏ +91 172 400 5382. 11:30AM-11:30PM. Don't miss this roadside outlet in sector 8. Providing specialised delicacies like kakoris and galoutis from Lucknow, amritsari fish and special waraqi wraps. 3 Tiffin Service in Chandigarh, Sector 46, ☏ +91 7696120940, [email protected]. 10AM-7PM. Online tiffin and food delivery service in Chandigarh at very reasonable price. Open 7 days with breakfast, lunch and dinner food service. Make enquiries through call, sms, whatsapp, email, for more details visit website. ₹50/meal. (updated Dec 2018)

Mid-range Amrtisari Kulcha – The only authentic Kulchas you can find in Chandigarh. Located at Bhainsa Tibba, near Mansa Devi Mandir. Backpackers - Sector 9 4 Barbeque Nation (BBQ Nation), Sector 26, ☏ +91 965 491 6060, toll-free: +1 800 108 6060, [email protected]. buffet grill barbeque restaurant near you. Exciting Offers on lunch dinner with our trademark. 5 Chawla Chicken, SCO 2458 B, Sector 22C (near Aroma Hotel), ☏ +91 172 507 6421. 11:30AM – 11:30PM. There is a whole chain of Chawlas, the better ones being in Sector 8 and Sector 22. 5-AAB Superb Punjabi dhaba serving unlimited thalis. Sector 22-B, shop 1085, just down from bus station, beside Hotel Piccadilly. 6 Hot Millions, SCO 196-197, Sector 17-C, ☏ +91 172 272 3000. M-Sa 11:30AM–5PM. Very popular salad bar. Other locations Sector 35, Mohali, Panchkula. Hotel Sheronz and The Cellar 35, S.C.O. 429-430, Sector 35-C 7 Nando's, Elante Mall bbmb Industrial Area Phase 1,. Afro-Portuguese chain restaurant serving flame-grilled chicken in spicy chilli sauce. 8 Nik Baker's, S.C.O. No. 441-442, Sector-35-C, ☏ +91 172 506 2251. 8AM – midnight. Also in Sector 9. 9 Oven Fresh, Sector 26. Also in Sector 35 Pizza Hut - Sector 26, Sector 35 10 Sagar Rathna, Shopping Plaza, 17D, Sector 17, ☏ +91 172 503 0200. 11AM – 11PM. South Indian vegetarian chain. Tehal Singh Chicken, 22B Himalaya Marg, Sector 22,, ☏ +91 98037 37555. 11:30AM – 2AM. One of the best places to try the famous butter chicken of Punjab. Apart from these, a variety of restaurants can be found in the Sector 35 market, ranging from traditional Indian sweet shops (Gopal's) to b

Drink & nightlife

Coffee shops Barista, Cafe Coffee Day and Costa coffee (Panchkula, Sec 35), Starbucks (Elenta mall, Sector 22) are popular Indian chains of coffee shops that can be found in Chandigarh at various places. For a true Indian coffee experience go to Indian Coffee house in Sector 17.

Bars and pubs Chandigarh is often accused of a dull nightlife for its status as a metro. Still, one can enjoy good drink at various pubs/bars with combined restaurants at Sector 35, Sector 26, and Sector 17. The bars remain open till midnight or 1AM. 'Condom Bar', a unique bar themed upon the condom, is operated by CITCO at Kalagram, Chandigarh-Manimajra road.

1 Crystal bar and lounge. Experience trendy nightlife in Chandigarh.

Sleep

Budget Central Chandigarh is a budget traveller's nightmare when it comes to lodging—it is notoriously overpriced, and the expense is generally not matched by the quality. Additionally, there seem to be extra restrictions on lodging for foreigners in Chandigarh. So, when you book a cheap place through a common website online, make sure they also cater for foreigners—it will be clear quickly from their reviews. Otherwise, you will turn up, and they outright tell you that you cannot stay or don't have your booking. And indeed, most cheap places online and offline are Indian-only (as of 2023). Don't be surprised to be asked ₹1,500/night as a foreigner for a dingy room without windows in sector 22 or sector 45, where many budget housing options (of price and quality comparable to typical Indian cities) are located. As a last resort, you can try the Gurudwaras in Sector 8, Sector 19, Sector 22, or Sector 34. They have rooms or halls, but are generally hesitant to take foreigners due to the extra bureaucratic effort. If they suggest a different Gurudwara, tell them that the other Gurudwara they are recommending already sent you to their place. Or try the Gurudwara in Sector 44 later in the evening but before 10PM—they will just let you into their dorm and take a picture of your passport. Or you just walk in and lie down, the dorm is in the gate building on the right side. Also, 1 Sood Bhawan (Sood Dharamsala) seem to be able to host foreigners, but they are constantly full.

Mid-range 2 Hotel Orange 35, Sector 35-B, ☏ +91 9216073888, [email protected]. 3 Hotel ParkView, Sector 24, ☏ +91 98156 37599. run by the CITCO 4 Hotel Punjab Palace, No 1092, Sco, 93, Himalaya Marg, Sector 22C, ☏ +91 9780471677. 5 Hotel Rajshree, Industrial area-1, ☏ +91 9803017802. Yatri Nivas run by the CITCO Red Fox Hotel, Plot No. 15, Industrial Area Phase I, ☏ +91 172 667 3333, [email protected]. The hotel offers 102 smart rooms, a multi-cuisine coffee shop called the Clever Fox Café, a Cyber Kiosk, a modern conference room, and a well equipped fitness centre. (updated Jan 2017) 6 Hometel Chandigarh, in Industrial Area Phase-1, ☏ +91 172 429 9999, [email protected]. 7 OYO 808 Hotel Auzone & Spa, in Sector 34, ☏ +91 124 620 1591. Check-in: noon, check-out: 11AM. 8 Hotel Aroma, Twin Hotel Complex Himalaya Marg, Sector 22-C, ☏ +91 172 401 0000. 9 Hotel KLG, Himalaya Marg, Sector 43/B, ☏ +91 172 465 0001, [email protected]. 10 Hotel The Komfort Inn, in Sector 17 C, ☏ +91 172 270 1614. Hotel Oyster, in SCO – 1-2-3 Sector 17 – A, ☏ +91 172 5080

Go next

Set aside some time to visit the nearby hill stations of Kasauli, Solan or Shimla, or Chail.

Amritsar – The city with the holiest Sikh temple is 238 km away and also offers a glimpse into the Indian struggle for Independence. Delhi – 250 km by road with excellent connectivity through the NH-1 Highway. Dharamsala – Home of the Dalai Lama and the highest cricket ground in the world takes another overnight journey to reach. Kasauli – Only 90 min drive from Chandigarh is a hill station not very far from the city. If one is lucky, in clear weather it offers a staggering view of Chandigarh from the Himalayan Foothills. Note that foreign visitors will need to present a valid passport to gain entrance since Kasauli is an Army cantonment. Morni – Morni Hills at a height of around 1,100 m (3,500 ft) in the Shivalik hills. Just 45 km from Chandigarh, the town is a popular day trip & weekend destination with the Tikkar lakes just nearby. There are 3 routes from Chandigarh to Morni. The shortest and most popular turne off from the Shimla highway just past the toll barrier at Chandimandir. Shimla – Just 110 km (70 mi) from Chandigarh by road is called the "Queen of Hills" and is the erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj.