Nainital Travel Guide

Nainital is a lake-set hill station in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, developed by the British in the 19th century as a summer retreat and still one of the most popular escapes from the North Indian plains. The town wraps around Naini Lake, with boating, a lakeside promenade known as the Mall Road, and a handful of viewpoints in the surrounding hills that look out toward the higher Himalaya on a clear day.

April to June is the classic summer season, when the plains are at their hottest; September to November is quieter and equally pleasant. Winters bring cold, sometimes foggy weather and occasional snow. Two days is enough for the lake, Mall Road and a viewpoint or two; it is usually visited as part of a wider Kumaon hill-station trip, often alongside Mussoorie or Jim Corbett.