Enjoy Toy Trains In India, Where the Train Climbs the Clouds.! Beyond the Travel Crowd, we bring you this special recommendation. 5 Lesser-Known Hill Escapes Reached by India’s Heritage Mountain Railways.
Every summer, India’s famous hill stations fill with visitors escaping the heat. Yet beyond the familiar routes to Shimla and Darjeeling lies another world of mountain travel—one where narrow-gauge and mountain railways wind through forests, tea gardens, river valleys, and remote Himalayan settlements. These journeys are slower, quieter, and infinitely more rewarding for travellers seeking landscapes rather than crowds.
Here are five lesser-explored destinations where the railway journey remains an essential part of the adventure.
One of the most beautiful stations of my life. Hidden between Kalka and Shimla, Barog is often passed through rather than explored. Nestled among pine forests and mist-covered hills, this tiny settlement offers the charm of old railway bungalows, colonial architecture, and tranquil walking trails without the bustle of Shimla.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway slows almost ceremonially as it enters the famous Barog Tunnel, the longest on the route. Staying overnight allows visitors to experience the silence that disappears farther up the line.
Rail Route: Kalka-Shimla Mountain Railway
Nearest Airport: Chandigarh
Road Access: Approximately 60 km from Chandigarh
Why Go?
For heritage railway lovers, forest walks, and a peaceful Himalayan retreat.
While most travellers continue directly to Darjeeling, Kurseong remains one of the Eastern Himalayas’ best-kept secrets. Perched among tea estates and drifting clouds, the town offers sweeping mountain views, monasteries, and a gentler pace of life.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway famously shares the road with local traffic, passing through villages, markets, and tea gardens before reaching Kurseong.
Rail Route: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from New Jalpaiguri
Nearest Airport: Bagdogra
Road Access: Easily accessible from Siliguri
Why Go?
For tea culture, mountain photography, and authentic local life.
Most visitors rush onward to Ooty, but Coonoor often leaves the stronger impression. Smaller, greener, and less commercial, it unfolds across rolling tea plantations and eucalyptus-covered slopes.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway climbs dramatically through tunnels and bridges before reaching this charming hill town. The journey itself is considered among the most scenic railway experiences in Asia.
Rail Route: Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam
Nearest Airport: Coimbatore
Road Access: Around 70 km from Coimbatore
Why Go?
For tea estates, colonial heritage, and spectacular viewpoints without the crowds of Ooty.
At over 7,000 feet above sea level, Ghum is India’s highest railway station served by a heritage mountain railway. While most tourists treat it as a brief stop before Darjeeling, staying here reveals mist-covered monasteries, quiet mountain roads, and dramatic Himalayan panoramas.
Clouds often roll through the town itself, creating a dreamlike atmosphere rarely experienced in busier destinations.
Rail Route: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Nearest Airport: Bagdogra
Road Access: About 8 km from Darjeeling
Why Go?
For solitude, Buddhist culture, and atmospheric mountain landscapes.
Few travellers venture beyond Shimla toward Kotgarh, an apple-growing region scattered with orchards and traditional Himalayan villages. Though the railway does not extend all the way here, the Kalka-Shimla route offers the most scenic rail approach before continuing by road.
Summer brings flowering orchards, cool temperatures, and views stretching across the Sutlej Valley.
Rail Route: Kalka-Shimla Railway to Shimla
Road Connection: Approximately 80 km beyond Shimla
Nearest Airport: Chandigarh
Why Go?
For orchard stays, village experiences, and a glimpse of old Himalayan life.
In an era dominated by airports and expressways, India’s mountain railways preserve a slower way of experiencing the landscape. The narrow-gauge tracks do not simply connect destinations—they reveal them gradually. Forests replace plains, valleys deepen, and mountain settlements emerge around bends that cannot be rushed.
For travellers willing to exchange speed for experience, these lesser-known hill destinations offer something increasingly rare: the pleasure of arriving slowly.
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