Chandigarh, India: travel guide
Le Corbusier's modernist planned city — Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Sukhna Lake, and the avant-garde Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Country
- India
- Currency
- INR
- Time zone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Nearest airport
- IXC
Top places to visit in Chandigarh
Rock Garden
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · entry ₹30, Adult Rs 30, child Rs 10.
Nek Chand's extraordinary sculpture garden built entirely from industrial and household waste — a whimsical maze of mosaic figures, courtyards and waterfalls.
Sukhna Lake
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry
A serene man-made lake at the foot of the Shivaliks, with a long promenade, boating and rowing, popular for sunrise walks and evening strolls.
Sector 17 Plaza
Market · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The pedestrian heart of the city, a modernist shopping plaza of showrooms, eateries and a musical fountain, buzzing into the evening.
Zakir Hussain Rose Garden
Nature · 4.3 rating · about 1 h · free entry
Asia's largest rose garden, spread over 30 acres with thousands of rose varieties and flowering trees — gorgeous during the spring Rose Festival.
Capitol Complex
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry
Le Corbusier's UNESCO World Heritage seat of government — the Secretariat, High Court, Assembly and the Open Hand Monument, a modernist architectural landmark.
Pinjore (Yadavindra) Gardens
Nature · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
A spectacular 17th-century Mughal terraced garden ~22 km away with fountains, pavilions and lawns, beautifully lit in the evenings.
Open Hand Monument
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h · free entry
Le Corbusier's 26-m rotating metal "Open Hand" — the emblem of Chandigarh, symbolising "open to give, open to receive", within the Capitol Complex.
Terraced Garden & Leisure Valley
Nature · 4.2 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
A landscaped terraced garden in Sector 33 with musical fountains and seasonal flower shows, part of the city's green Leisure Valley spine.
Government Museum & Art Gallery
Museum · 4.3 rating · about 1.3 h · entry ₹30, Rs 30; under-18 free; photography Rs 30.
A fine museum of Gandhara sculpture, Pahari miniatures and modern art, plus a city-planning gallery on Le Corbusier's Chandigarh.
International Dolls Museum
Museum · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h · entry ₹10, Rs 10; children under 12 and senior citizens free; photography Rs 5.
A charming museum displaying dolls and puppets in traditional costume from across the world, a delightful family stop near Bal Bhavan.
Things to do
- Rock Garden Guided Visit Cultural · 1.5 h · from INR 300 per person
- Sukhna Lake Boating & Walk Activity · 1.3 h · from INR 150 per person
- Capitol Complex Heritage Tour Cultural · 1.5 h
- Chandigarh City & Gardens Tour Cultural · 4 h · from INR 1,000 per person
Day trips and tours
- Chandigarh City Beautiful Tour 7 h · from INR 1,200
- Chandigarh & Pinjore Gardens Trip 5 h · from INR 1,200
- Chandigarh to Kasauli Day Trip 9 h · from INR 2,000
Where to stay in Chandigarh
- Sector 17 about INR 3,500 per night
Modern central shopping area with hotels
Hotels
- JW Marriott Chandigarh 5-star · INR 8,000 to INR 15,000 per night
- Hyatt Regency Chandigarh 5-star · INR 7,000 to INR 13,000 per night
- Taj Chandigarh 5-star · INR 7,500 to INR 14,000 per night
- Hotel Mountview (CITCO) 4-star · INR 5,000 to INR 9,000 per night
- Hometel Chandigarh 4-star · INR 4,000 to INR 7,000 per night
- Hotel Sunbeam 3-star · INR 2,800 to INR 5,000 per night
Where to eat
- Pal Dhaba Punjabi, North Indian · about INR 400 per person
- Gopal's Sweets & Restaurant North Indian, Chaat, Sweets · about INR 300 per person
- Sindhi Sweets North Indian, Chaat, Sweets · about INR 250 per person
- Backpackers Cafe Continental, Italian, Cafe · about INR 500 per person
- Nik Baker's Bakery, Cafe, Continental · about INR 350 per person
- Whistling Duck Continental, Asian, Bar · about INR 1,200 per person
- Virgin Courtyard Italian, Mediterranean, Continental · about INR 1,100 per person
- Sukhna Lake Cafe (CITCO) Cafe, North Indian, Snacks · about INR 200 per person
Getting around
- Auto Rickshaw main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.