Shimla, with its beautiful sunset points, old-world buildings, colourful markets, cafes and easily accessible hotels, is one of the best holiday towns in Himachal Pradesh. It is the kind of place, which, when you visit once, you immediately know you will come back once again. But until you are back for a holiday again, why not buy some pretty souvenirs to remember the good times here.
Some of the best things to buy in Shimla are Himachali hats, local handicrafts, woollen clothing, handmade items that work as perfect decorative items for your home, wooden toys and traditional jewellery.
Visit Shimla Emporium, one of the best places for shopping in Shimla to buy handwoven Kullu and Kinnauri shawls, thick woolen shawls and caps, and unique local handicrafts. You could also buy Himachali hats, the cultural headdress of the people of Himachal Pradesh, at reasonable rates here. Also known as Himachali cap, Pahari topi, Kinnauri cap or Pahari cap, these round and colourful headgear with ethnic motifs, serve as the perfect souvenir, and a great photo prop!
Mall Road, Tibetan Market, Lakkar Bazaar, Middle Bazar, Lower Bazar and Ram Bazar are some of the markets to visit if you are looking for cool things to buy in Shimla.
Local handicrafts are some of the most famous things to buy in Shimla. Shawls, wooden items, metal items, decorative items, wooden carvings, and carpets, which abound in these local markets of Shimla, make for amazing souvenirs and gifts. Lakkar Bazaar is especially known for exquisite carpentry items, while Tibetan Market is where you should head to buy some warm, fuzzy and colourful woolens after a good bargain! Beaded traditional jewellery, also among the Shimla famous items for shopping, are easily available in these tourist-thronged markets. And finally, if you love books, you can visit Asia Book House and Minerva Book House that have a good collection of English-language novels, or Maria Brothers, an antiquarian book house that is a collectors favourite.
Shimla is a shopaholic's haven, it is the kind of town where you could build an entire itinerary around the woollen, rug and handicraft markets. It is also a good place if you want to boost small businesses and local artisans in growing their enterprises while getting for yourself some cool and one-of-a-kind famous Shimla souvenirs. What makes it so appealing is the craftsmanship and taste, and the amazing price you can get them at. It is a good idea to get your hotel’s travel desk set up with a guide so that you can visit the best shopping sites in Shimla at ease and rest assured that you are not overcharged.