Chandigarh to Shimla: what the trip actually costs

The cab fare and the toll, added together, plus the three charges that sit on top — named honestly rather than estimated into a round number.

115 km 3-4 hours NH-5 via Kalka

Short answer

What does a Chandigarh to Shimla trip cost, all in?

A Chandigarh to Shimla trip is ₹3,375 all in for a sedan: ₹3,300 cab fare for the 115 km plus ₹75 in toll across 1 plaza. The fare covers the vehicle, fuel, the driver and GST. Three charges sit on top and are billed at actual: parking, the state entry levy, and the driver night allowance if the trip stays overnight.

Cab fare, sedan
₹3,300
Toll
₹75
Fare + toll
₹3,375
Distance
115 km
Toll plazas
1
Fuel if self-driving
₹690

Parking, state entry and the driver night allowance are charged at actual and are not in the figure above — we would rather give you a smaller number you can check than a rounder one you cannot. Ask and we will estimate all three for your dates.

The cab fare and the toll

These two are exact. The fare is the published rate card applied to 115 km; the toll is the 1 plaza on this corridor.

VehiclePer kmCab fareTollFare + toll
Sedan (Swift Dzire or similar)₹11₹3,300₹75₹3,375
SUV / Ertiga₹15₹4,500₹120₹4,620
Innova Crysta₹18₹5,400₹120₹5,520
Tempo Traveller, 12-seater₹23₹6,900₹120₹7,020

The cab fare includes the vehicle, fuel, the driver and GST. Sedan toll is the car rate; the other three use the SUV rate, which is how the plazas class them.

The three charges we will not put a number on

Each of these is real and charged at actual. We name them rather than estimating them into the headline, because a figure you cannot check is worth less than a line you can ask about.

State entry

This route runs from Chandigarh into Himachal Pradesh, so a state entry levy applies. It is set by the state government, collected at or near the border, and charged at actual. Some routes cross an intermediate state as well — ask us for the full count on your itinerary.

The driver night allowance

A fixed amount per night the driver is away from base, covering his food and bed. On a same-day return it does not apply at all, however late the car gets in. On an overnight trip it applies once. It goes to the driver rather than to us, which is why it is itemised.

Parking

Monument, hotel and airport parking, paid where it is charged and billed at actual. It is the smallest of the three on almost every corridor, and the one that varies most with what you actually do at the far end.

On request we will estimate all three for your specific itinerary alongside the fare, so the whole figure is known before you travel. What we will not do is fold them into a per-kilometre rate.

If you drove it yourself

The fuel for 115 km one way, for comparison. Note what it leaves out: the car, the wear, the parking, and the driving.

Petrol
₹690
Diesel
₹518
Plus the same toll
₹75

Self-drive fuel plus toll looks cheaper than a chauffeur-driven fare and it is not the same product. A rental, the deposit, the wear and the hours at the wheel are all on the other side of that comparison.

Where the toll is paid

PlazaKm inCarSUVFASTag
Parwanoo Toll Plaza35₹75₹120Yes

Want the whole figure for your dates?

Tell us the dates and the vehicle and we will put a number on the state entry, the night allowance and the parking alongside the fare, so nothing is a surprise at the end.

Chandigarh to Shimla cost — common questions

How much does a Chandigarh to Shimla trip cost in total?

₹3,375 for a sedan, being ₹3,300 cab fare for the 115 km plus ₹75 in toll across 1 plaza. The fare includes the vehicle, fuel, the driver and GST. Parking, state entry and the driver night allowance are charged at actual on top and are not in that figure.

What is the toll from Chandigarh to Shimla?

₹75 for a car and ₹120 for an SUV, across 1 plaza over 115 km. The plaza-by-plaza breakdown is on this page.

Is it cheaper to drive myself from Chandigarh to Shimla?

The fuel alone is about ₹690 on petrol or ₹518 on diesel, plus the same toll. That is less than the chauffeur-driven fare and it is not the same product — it excludes the car, the rental or the wear, and the 3-4 hours at the wheel.

Does the Chandigarh to Shimla fare include toll?

No. Every fare on this site covers the vehicle, fuel, the driver and GST; tolls, parking, state entry and the driver night allowance are charged at actual on top. The driver pays each plaza on the road, usually by FASTag, and the receipts are available. This page exists to add the fare and the toll together, which no other page on the site does.

Is there a state entry charge on the Chandigarh to Shimla route?

Yes. This route runs from Chandigarh into Himachal Pradesh, so a state entry levy applies, set by the state government and charged at actual. Some routes also cross an intermediate state — ask us for the full count on your itinerary.