NAINITAL · UTTARAKHAND
Tiffin Top Hike
A slow walk to the hilltop where Nainital's story meets the Himalayas.
Why it's called Tiffin Top.
Long before it had a name on any map, this hilltop was simply a place where locals came to eat. Families would pack their tiffins, steel lunchboxes filled with home-cooked food and walk up through the deodar forest to sit on the ridge, share a meal, and watch the light change over Naini Lake.
The other story - Dorothy's Seat.
There's a second name this place carries, and a second story behind it. In the late 1800s, an English painter named Dorothy Kellet would climb to this same ridge and sit for hours, painting the Kumaon mountains.
After she passed away, her husband - Colonel J.P. Kellet - built a small stone memorial at her favourite spot. A round platform, a flight of steps, a bench facing the peaks. It became known as Dorothy's Seat.
So the hilltop holds two memories at once: the everyday joy of a family picnic, and the quiet devotion of a man who wanted his wife's view to remain her view forever. Standing there, with the wind moving through the oaks and the whole of Nainital spread out below, both feel equally true.
What you'll actually see.
From the top, Nainital unfolds like a map. Naini Lake sits in the centre, a green gem ringed by hills. To the north, on a clear day, the snow line of the Kumaon Himalayas cuts across the horizon - Nanda Devi, Trishul, and the Panchachuli peaks are all visible.
Below you, the town's landmarks reveal themselves: St. Joseph's College (founded 1888), the Raj Bhavan (the Governor's House, 1897), Sherwood College, the Nainital Golf Course, and the ridge of Snow View Point. It's the kind of view that makes the town feel smaller, and the mountains feel closer.
And on the forest trail up - through oak, pine, and deodar - you'll hear what most visitors miss: the call of the Himalayan bulbul, the rustle of langurs in the canopy, and the particular quiet of a mountain path that hasn't changed in a hundred years.
What to expect on the walk.
The trail starts near Sherwood School, winding up through the Ayarpatta forest. It's a moderate uphill walk - roughly 3 kilometres, taking about an hour at a relaxed pace. The path is well-trodden, but sections are uneven and can be slippery after rain.
We walk slowly. There's no rush. We stop to catch our breath, to listen, to take photographs, to notice the way the forest opens and closes. At the top, we spend unhurried time at the ridge - sitting on the old benches, drinking chai from the hilltop stall, and letting the view do what it does.
Things worth knowing.
Tiffin Top sits at 2,292 metres, about 4 kilometres from Nainital town. There's a nominal forest entry fee (₹50), which we take care of for you. The best time to visit is early morning - before the clouds gather around the peaks and before the day-trippers arrive.
Open
05:00 AM & 3:00 PM
3 hours
Any
Bishtea (Opposite to Sherwood School)
INR 500
Everything you need.
Led by an experienced local trek leader, the experience includes forest trail permits and entry fees, drinking water and trail snacks, and tea at the hilltop cafe. Trek photography and basic first aid support are also covered throughout the journey.
Things to know.
Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time. Wear casual shoes with good grip, the forest trail can be slippery in places. Carry a light jacket; the summit is cooler than the town. Not recommended for those with severe knee problems.
