Dagshai, Sanawar and Barog: Day Trips Near Kasauli

Dagshai, on a hilltop at about 1,730 m near Solan, is one of the oldest cantonments in the hills, founded by the East India Company in 1847. Its best-known building is the old Central Jail, built in 1849 and now a museum, where you can walk through the cells and learn about the prisoners held there. The cantonment also has old churches and a quiet cemetery. As an active army area, it has rules on photography and access, so follow signs and check opening times at the museum.

Sanawar, on a forested ridge near Kasauli, is home to the Lawrence School, founded in 1847 and one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in India. The campus is private, so visits are generally limited to the outside unless arranged with the school, but the drive and the views over the hills are pleasant.

Barog is a small town on the old Kalka–Shimla road, best known for its railway station on the toy train line. Just before the station, the train passes through Barog tunnel, about 1,144 m long, the longest on the line; it takes a couple of minutes at the train's gentle pace. Barog also has resorts and camping sites in pine forest, and roadside dhabas famous among travellers for their parathas. A newer road from Kumarhatti to Solan now bypasses the town, making it quieter than it once was.

A popular half day is to drive from Kasauli to Dharampur, take the toy train to Barog or Solan, and have your taxi meet you there. It gives you the best of the railway, tunnels, bridges and forest views, without the full five-to-six-hour journey to Shimla. Book seats ahead in season.

With a car, you can combine Dagshai and Barog in a half day, or add Solan and Chail for a full day. Roads are good, though narrow near Dagshai. Our Kasauli taxi service covers these local trips.

Solan, about 30 km from Kasauli, is the busy district headquarters on the highway to Shimla. It's known as the mushroom city of India, home to a national mushroom research directorate, and for its tomato crop. It has markets, the Shoolini temple and the old brewery town nearby, and it's a handy stop for supplies on a longer trip.