Renowned as the ‘Queen of the Hills’, Shimla is also popular for its shopping sites. Apart from the various tourist locations that this hill station serves to its visitors, it also boasts several shopping places where you can get hands-on authentic Shimla products and satisfy the shopaholic in you! Almost all the things that you can think of are available in Shimla and you will be quite fascinated with the price range of the products that are sold here. Yes, they sell all the products at reasonable pricing and if you find any needlessly expensive product (which you won’t), you can always bargain to get them at your desired price.

Hotels in Shimla page on Intermiles

I am a die heart fan of shopping. I love to shop wherever I go, whichever city I visit and make it a point to carry some souvenirs for my friends, family and colleagues on my way back home and also some products to give my house, a new makeover. This time, my plan was to explore the shopping places in Shimla during the visit and buy certain products for the home. So, I made my booking at one of the best hotels in Shimla, Clarkes hotel from Intermiles and planned a stay for 4 days. Although the main motive behind coming to Shimla was for exploring its prime sightseeing spots, I included some shopping places in the sojourn as well for my utmost love for shopping. Having said that, here are the shopping places that I made my visit to on the last day of the trip before I headed back to my hometown, Kolkata.

Bought shawls from the Himachal Emporium

My first stop was the Himachal Emporium. Himachal Emporium is a must on the list for it is one of the best shopping places in Shimla, located in Mall Road that offers authentic handicraft products of Himachal Pradesh like pottery items, locally designed woollens, jewellery, Kinnauri shawls, etc. I was in dire need of shawls as I wanted to pair them up well with the festive outfit that I was planning to wear at my cousin’s wedding. So, I browsed through the different shawl collections of the Himachal Emporium and got one in a purple overtone. I loved the texture and the colour and got them at a very reasonable price.  I also got some pottery items for the home decor.

Purchased jewellery from Tibetan Market

After buying some shawls at the Himachal Emporium, I went to the Tibetan Market to purchase some jewelleries for myself and my friends. A relative of mine told me that the Tibetan Market has a good stock when it comes to jewellery and therefore, I planned to go some from the stalls in the bylanes. Perched on Shimla’s slopes, Tibetan Market also houses stalls selling shoes, bags, boots, jackets, carpets, Tibetan rugs and mufflers. You can get whatever you want at economical prices. However, if you plan to visit here, try to come early in the morning as the stocks get sold quite quickly here.

Bought two bottles of jam from Minchy’s

In the afternoon, I went to the Minchy’s located in the town of Shonghi. Minchy’s, also known as Minocha Industries is the best place to buy authentic preserves and jams and also top-notch gourmet products. You can also purchase fruit wines here if you please. Although I knew about the fame of the place, I was still very doubtful regarding the taste of the jams. But as I tasted some upon reach, I immediately packed two bottles on my way back home. It was so good, fresh and most importantly, it had a perfect balance of sweetness. With the experience that I had here, I would totally suggest you visit this place for buying preservatives.

Cherished the old world charm of Shimla at Lower Bazar

It was evening by the time we left from Minchy’s. So, I decided to visit the Lower Bazar before going back to our hotels. This Bazar is located at a very busy place in Shimla and you will always find people buzzing here no matter which time you plan your visit. With that, you can well imagine the hype of the place. Here, you will find everything from wooden items, winter clothes, electronics, walking sticks and also fresh vegetables. Plus, you will also come across many bookshops lined in a row and consisting of books of all genres you can think of. I was done with the shopping and had nothing more to buy. But my main cause for visiting this place was to cherish the old world charm of Shimla in the Lower Bazar. It is the only place in the hill station that still boasts of old Shimla aura and therefore, you must not skip visiting this place even while coming here just for exploring the prime spots.

After exploring the Lower Bazar, I went back to the hotel, had dinner in the in-house restaurant of the hotel and made preparations for my flight the next morning. It was truly an unforgettable shopping experience for me and I wish to come here again someday when time permits.