The Ridge & Mall
Apple country · Shimla, H.P.
Narkanda and Hatu Peak tour from Kangra
Two to three days past Shimla to Narkanda, Hatu Peak and the apple orchards at Thanedar. The Hatu road is steep and narrow and shuts under snow, usually January to March; Thanedar is at its best around the September harvest. It runs all year otherwise. Send your dates to Kapil on +91 98053 05643 or Sahil on +91 78075 42573 for the route and one all-in fare.
2–3 daysBest season · All year · snow Dec–FebPrivate car & driver
2–3
Days, round trip
All year · snow Dec–Feb
Best season to go
2–7
Seats · one private car
24×7
Reach us any hour
About the trip
Above the apple line.
Narkanda perches at 2,700 m on the Hindustan–Tibet road, an hour and more beyond Kufri — apple country, thick deodar and cedar, and a winter slope that draws early skiers. It is the calm alternative to busy Shimla.
The road climbs to Hatu Peak and its old temple for a sweeping ridge panorama; nearby lie the quiet Tannu Jubbar lake and the historic Stokes orchards at Thanedar, where the first Himalayan apples were grown.
How it runs from here: Narkanda is an hour past Shimla, so we break the drive there on the way up rather than doing seven and a half hours in a single push. The Hatu Peak road is eight steep kilometres of hairpins and shuts when there is snow on it — we check before driving you up. September is the trip's best month by some distance: the apples are coming off the trees at Thanedar and the view north to the greater Himalaya is at its clearest.
What you’ll see
- Hatu Peak & Hatu Mata temple
- Apple orchards of Thanedar
- Tannu Jubbar lake
- Winter ski slope at Narkanda
- Stokes Farm, Kotgarh
- Views to the greater Himalaya
The plan we run
Day by day.
Day 1 — Day 3
Hatu Peak’s road is steep and narrow and shuts under snow, usually January to March. Thanedar’s apple orchards are at their best around the September harvest.
- 1
Day 1
Kangra to Narkanda
The long climb via Shimla and Kufri; an evening in the orchards.
Night: Narkanda
- 2
Day 2
Hatu Peak & Thanedar
Up to the peak temple and its view, then the Stokes orchards and Tannu Jubbar lake.
Night: Narkanda
- 3
Day 3
Return to Kangra
An unhurried drive home, with a Shimla stop if you wish.
Want it shifted — a different start, an extra night, a stop added or dropped? Say so on WhatsApp and we’ll send the reworked plan and one all-in fare.
WhatsApp Kapil WhatsApp SahilA glimpse of the route
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Plain dealing
What’s in the fare.
One quoted price
Car, driver, fuel, tolls, parking and state-border permits — agreed before you travel.
Your choice, separate
Hotels, meals and entry tickets stay your call, so you pick what fits your budget.
No advance
The fare is locked on WhatsApp first. You only confirm once the plan suits you.
Getting there
The drive up from Kangra.
The same car and driver stay with you for the whole tour — this is the run that starts it, with the distance, the drive time and what the road is like.
Kangra to Shimla taxiRead first
Before you fix the dates.
Good to know
Narkanda & Hatu Peak — questions travellers ask
Where is Narkanda, and how do we get there?
It sits at about 2,700 m on the old Hindustan–Tibet road, roughly 60 km beyond Shimla — around 280 km and seven and a half hours from Kangra. Most people break the drive at Shimla on the way up rather than doing it in one push.
Can we drive up Hatu Peak?
Yes, an 8 km road climbs from Narkanda to just below the summit at about 3,400 m, where the Hatu Mata temple stands. It is narrow and steep with tight hairpins, and it closes when there is snow on it. From the parking it is a short walk to the temple and the view.
Is there really skiing at Narkanda?
There is a small slope that operates in January and February when the snow is good, run with basic hired gear and instructors. It is a beginner's slope rather than a resort — worth a morning if you happen to be there in season, not a reason to plan the trip around.
What is Thanedar and the Stokes orchard?
Thanedar is where Samuel Stokes planted the first American apple varieties in the Himalaya in the early 1900s, which is how Himachal became apple country. The family orchards are still there, along with a church he built. September, at harvest, is the time to see it.
When should we go?
September and October for the apple harvest and the clearest views to the greater Himalaya, April to June for the green, and January to February if you want snow on Hatu. The monsoon is the one to avoid — the Hindustan–Tibet road takes landslides and the views vanish.
Our price promise
The lowest rate you’ll find for this trip — or we beat it.
We don’t publish a rate card, because an honest fare depends on your dates, your group and the road. What we do promise: ask us before you book anywhere, and if you’re already holding a written quote for the same car, the same route and the same all-in inclusions, send us the screenshot. We’ll beat it — and on the rare trip where we honestly can’t, we’ll tell you straight instead of wasting your day.
- 01
Tell us the plan
WhatsApp your dates, your group and where you want to go. You get one all-in fare — car, driver, fuel, tolls, parking and permits — usually within the hour.
- 02
Compare it openly
Check it against any operator or app you like. Compare like for like: the same car, the same days, everything included — not a headline figure with extras added on later.
- 03
We beat it
Send us the lower written quote and we’ll beat it. You book the owner-drivers direct, so there is no agent commission sitting inside our number to begin with.
Send us your quote or your dates —
Ready when you are
Book the Narkanda & Hatu Peak trip with us.
Send your dates and group — we'll reply with the route, the right car and one all-in fare, usually within the hour.
Now booking August — just the two of us driving. Tell us your dates.
Lowest rate you’ll find for the same trip — or we beat it. Send us any written quote.
