It was built in 1891. It is set across approximately 75 acres with truely regal setting a d spectacular views. Chail Palace is currently maintained by Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). So it can be directly booked from HPTDC website.
How to reach Chail
It can be reached by rail, road and air way. The distance between Chandigarh to chail is approximately 108 km. It will take around 3 hours of drive. If you are coming from Shimla, then it will take one and half hour of scenic drive over a distance of 50km. Nearest airport is Shimla. Nearest railway station to chail Palace is kalka at a distance of 82 km.
The Chail Palace is the only big deal in that area and it sits on the top of a mountain. The road before 25 kms distance get narrow with multiple bends and bad patches. We were halted by 30 minutes due to landslide recovery process. Roads are prone to landslide but it connect multiple villages, so recovery work is usually faster.
There is a short trek with a good road behind the Palace which will take you to the Chail Market. Palace is preserved as museum so it is open for public during daytime. Entry fee is Rs. 200 per person and it will take 15-20 minutes to roam around, because only a limited portion of Palace is open public visit like lobby area, dining area, bar and garden. As a visitor you will not be allowed to view rooms. But if you are staying in the Palace then you don't need to pay entry fee separately. The rooms are named like Maharaja suit, Maharani, Raj kumari, Deewan, Vazir etc. Each room has its own artistic design according to the name and fare of room range from 5000 to 30000 depending on the season and room category. The rooms are clean and decently maintained. Though but expensive but it is a beautiful Palace with amazing views, live like kings. Complete silence and full greenery. There is an restaurant within the Palace where you can get amazing food.
There are 3 other place to visit within the Palace area:
1. Log huts
2. Rajgarh cottage
3. Himneel block
Places to visit near Chail Palace
Having received a large influx of local, national and international tourist throughout the year, the best places to explore in the Chail present everything your heart can desire of. It can include lakes, palaces, temples, wildlife sanctuary, parks and trekking sites. The best places to visit around Chail are:
1. Chail Palace
2. Chail cricket ground
3. Chail wildlife sanctuary
4. Kali temple
5. Local market of Chail
6. Himalayan Nature Park
7. Gurudwara sahib
8. Sadhupul lake
Frequently asked questions about Chail:
1. Is Chail worth visiting
It is a heritage property and is well maintained. The staff was very polite and the food served in their restaurant was mouth watering. But the honest review about Chail Palace is that it is overhyped. We stayed here for one night and the room prices were sky touching. Rooms starts at Rs. 5000 per night for two person and can go upto Rs. 30,000 per night for Maharaja suit and Maharani.
So my personal suggestion is to avoid living in the Palace and just visit the Palace in daytime with entry fee of Rs. 200 per person.
2. What is Chail famous for?
Chail is famous for its Palace, royalty, sightseeing, marvelous architecture and its weather.
3. When can I expect snowfall in Chail ?
Snowfall can be experienced during the chilly months of December to February.
4. What's is the best time to visit Chail ?
Since Chail can be visited throughout the year, but if you want to enjoy snowfall then you can visit in the month of December to February. Moreover the ideal time to plan a trip to this place is considered in the summer months of April to June, as the weather of the place remains pleasant and calm and it favours the outdoor activities.
5. Famous Movies or video shot in Chail Palace
There are several movies and songs are shot in the Chail palace, one of the famous movie is "3 Idiot", in 3 idiot chail palace is shown as Chanchad house. There is one video song of Diljit Dosanjh shot in the palace link to that song is video link
