Nainital Family Weekend
THE family weekend trip from Delhi. Boating, zoo, cable car, ice cream.
Highlights
Logistics
Drive from Delhi 6-7hrs or train to Kathgodam + 1hr taxi.
Day by Day
Early drive or overnight train. Arrive by noon. Check in. Afternoon: Naini Lake boating (paddle boat with kids, proper boat for couples). Mall Road walk. Cable car to Snow View Point if clear weather. Evening: Naina Devi Temple by the lake.
Drive to Mukteshwar (1.5hrs). Mukteshwar Dham temple on the cliff edge. IVRI campus walk (views of the Himalayan range on a clear day — Nanda Devi, Trishul, the works). Chauli ki Jali cliff for the brave. Lunch at a Mukteshwar cafe. Return via Bhowali (fruit market — buy whatever's in season).
Drive to Bhimtal (30min). Bhimtal Lake — quieter, greener, less crowded than Nainital. Island in the middle. Then Naukuchiatal (9-cornered lake) or Sattal (7 lakes). Afternoon back in Nainital: Eco Cave Gardens for kids, Tiffin Top walk for a gentle hike.
Morning free: last lake walk or shopping on Mall Road (wooden toys, candles — classic Nainital souvenirs). Drive back to Delhi after lunch. Reach by evening.