Diwali Long-Weekend Escapes: 7 Hotel Picks Within 5 Hours of Chandigarh and Delhi

Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November this year. Take the Friday or the Monday off and the weekend stretches to three or four days, long enough to leave the city without spending half of it in the car.

We chose seven hotels on ZFORB for that window. Three sit in the hills above Chandigarh, three are an easy run from Delhi, and Haridwar works for both. The drive times assume an early start. Highways out of both cities fill on the Friday evening, so leave in the morning if you can.

1. Alasia Hotel, Kasauli

Kasauli is close enough to Chandigarh for a late start: pine forest, a cantonment bazaar and the old Christ Church. Alasia keeps 13 rooms on The Mall, so the house stays calm when the town fills for the holiday.

The drive: about an hour and a half from Chandigarh. Stay: two nights. Book Alasia Hotel

2. Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail

Chail sits in deodar forest about 45 kilometres from Shimla, away from the traffic on the Shimla highway. The hotel stands on a hillside off the Chail Kufri road, a place to read, walk the forest paths and watch the light leave the ridges.

The drive: about three hours from Chandigarh. Stay: two nights. Book Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail

3. Wildflower Hall, An Oberoi Resort, Shimla

Lord Kitchener once lived on this spot at Chharabra, in the forest above Shimla. Choose it for a slower weekend: spa suites among the trees, an open-air whirlpool and Himalayan peaks on a clear morning.

The drive: about four hours from Chandigarh. Stay: three nights; the road through Shimla is slow, and two nights leave little time at the hotel. Book Wildflower Hall

4. Yashail Hotel Haridwar

Haridwar works for both cities. Each evening the Ganga aarti fills Har Ki Pauri with lamps and chanting, and families set small leaf-boat lamps on the current.

Yashail is a modern five-star with a spa and five places to eat, a comfortable base for an evening at the ghats.

The drive: about four hours from Chandigarh, and four and a half to five from Delhi. Stay: two nights. Book Yashail Hotel Haridwar

5. Taj Surajkund Resort and Spa, Delhi NCR

Some Delhi families would rather skip the highway on a festival weekend. This resort in the green Surajkund neighbourhood takes its design from the baoli, the old stepwell. Book it for a short, unhurried stay close to home.

The drive: about an hour from central Delhi. Stay: one or two nights. Book Taj Surajkund

6. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra

The hotel stands about 600 metres from the Taj Mahal, with an outdoor pool, a spa and gardens that face the monument. Go at sunrise, when the marble turns pink and the crowds are thinner.

The Taj Mahal closes on Fridays, so plan your visit for the Saturday or the Sunday.

The drive: about three and a half to four hours from Delhi on the Yamuna Expressway. Stay: two nights. Book The Oberoi Amarvilas

7. Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Rambagh was the home of the Maharaja of Jaipur before it became a hotel, and it keeps its gardens, verandas and an easy palace pace. The old city's bazaars hang their lights for Diwali, so give one evening to Johari Bazaar.

The drive: about four and a half to five hours from Delhi. Stay: three nights. Book Rambagh Palace

The seven at a glance

Hotel	Place	Drive	Stay
Alasia Hotel	Kasauli	About 1.5 hours from Chandigarh	Two nights
Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail	Chail	About 3 hours from Chandigarh	Two nights
Wildflower Hall, An Oberoi Resort	Chharabra, Shimla	About 4 hours from Chandigarh	Three nights
Yashail Hotel Haridwar	Haridwar	About 4 hours from Chandigarh, 4.5 to 5 from Delhi	Two nights
Taj Surajkund Resort and Spa	Surajkund, Delhi NCR	About 1 hour from central Delhi	One or two nights
The Oberoi Amarvilas	Agra	About 3.5 to 4 hours from Delhi	Two nights
Rambagh Palace	Jaipur	About 4.5 to 5 hours from Delhi	Three nights

Before you go

Hill hotels and palace stays fill early for Diwali, so fix your dates now. Pack a warm layer for Kasauli, Chail and Shimla, where November evenings turn cold.

Three quick answers

Which pick suits a two-day trip from Chandigarh?

Kasauli. Leave after lunch on the Saturday and you still arrive before dark.

Which pick suits a Delhi family with young children?

Taj Surajkund. The drive takes about an hour, so nobody spends the holiday in a car seat.

Where can friends from both cities meet?

Haridwar, about four hours from Chandigarh and a little longer from Delhi.

Finding your stay

Pick the drive first, then the hotel. Search hotels on ZFORB for your Diwali dates and book the room you want. If you hold a ZFORB Membership, sign in before you search, and eligible stays show the Membership rate.