The city of Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand. The picturesque hill station is marked by lush greenery and imposing mountains. Perched at an altitude of 2,084 m (6,837 ft), the lush green environment will make you addicted to Nainital’s innocent beauty. The city hosts and celebrates many fairs and festivals all round the year. The best time to visit the place is in the summers. Though crowded, Nainital is at its full bloom at that time. One can take several modes for reaching the hill station. We are listing some of them for you, to help you know how to reach Nainital.Traveling to Nainital
By Air
Nainital city does not have an airport due to its rocky and hilly terrain. The nearest airport from the hill resort is the Pantnagar Airport, about 70 km or roughly 2 hours drive from the main city. You can get direct flights from Delhi to Pantnagar. However, only one airline (Jagson Airlines) flies there, about six times a week.
By Rail
The nearest railway station from Nainital is Kathgodam, situated about 33 km away from the main city. It is a ‘finishing point’ station of the North Eastern Railway and is well linked with New Delhi, Kolkata, Agra and Lucknow, through train services. From Delhi, one can take the overnight Ranikhet Express, which arrives at Kathgodam early in the morning or Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express, which arrives less conveniently at night. The second nearest station is Lalkuan, just about 60 km from Nainital. Lalkuan has rail links with Bareilly, Agra and Lucknow.
By Road
A person going to Nainital by road has abundant choices to choose from. One can take the National or the State Highways connecting various cities to Nainital. The distance between Delhi and Nainital is about 304 km, so it roughly takes around seven hours to reach there. You will have to take NH24 to Rampur and from there, stick to NH87, for reaching Nainital. One can get buses for Nainital from Delhi’s ISBT Anand Vihar.
