154 km · 3 toll plazas · about 2 h 55 min on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.
Ambala to Shimla is a comfortable one-day drive of 154 km, mostly on Ambala Chandigarh Expressway and NH5.
You cross 3 toll plazas across Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh. For a car the published fees add up to ₹160 one way, about ₹1.04 per km.
Shimla is a hill destination: the last stretch climbs ghat roads, where mileage drops by roughly 15–25% and speeds fall sharply. Our fuel figures use flat-road mileage, so add a buffer.
States on the way: HaryanaPunjabHimachal Pradesh
Fees for a single journey with FASTag. Return fees apply when you come back through the same plaza within 24 hours; a monthly pass covers 50 single journeys in a month.
| # | Toll plaza | At km | State | Car single | Car return | Car monthly | LCV | Bus/Truck | Multi-axle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dappar | 18 | Punjab | ₹50 | ₹75 | ₹1,490 | ₹85 | ₹175 | ₹280 |
| 2 | Chandimandir | 47 | Haryana | ₹40 | ₹60 | ₹1,175 | ₹70 | ₹135 | ₹220 |
| 3 | Sanwara | 78 | Himachal Pradesh | ₹70 | ₹105 | ₹2,360 | ₹115 | ₹240 | ₹375 |
| Total (published fees) | 154 | ₹160 | ₹240 | ₹270 | ₹550 | ₹875 |
Totals for all 3 plazas. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.
| Vehicle class | One way (FASTag) | Return in 24 h | No FASTag (UPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | ₹160 | ₹240 | ₹201 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹270 | ₹405 | ₹338 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹550 | ₹825 | ₹688 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹760 | ₹1,140 | ₹950 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹875 | ₹1,315 | ₹1,094 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹955 | ₹1,435 | ₹1,194 |
One way, 154 km, at Haryana prices (petrol ₹103.04/L, diesel ₹95.70/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹880 | ₹669 | ₹589 | ₹384 |
| Sedan | ₹1,056 | ₹774 | ₹697 | ₹439 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹1,440 | ₹1,051 | ₹902 | ₹559 |
Petrol is cheapest in Himachal Pradesh (₹102.46/L) and dearest in Punjab (₹105.26/L). Filling the ~10 litres you need in Himachal Pradesh saves about ₹29 versus buying it all in Punjab.
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹1,056 on petrol, ₹774 on diesel and about ₹439 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper).
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 3 crossings one way — worth about ₹46 of pass value against ₹160 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.
Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹240 instead of ₹320 — a 25% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹160 one way with FASTag across 3 plazas. A return within 24 hours costs ₹240. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹201.
3 on the fastest route: Dappar, Chandimandir, Sanwara.
About 10 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹1,056 at Ambala prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~9 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~14 L.
Around ₹1,216 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹1,056 + toll ₹160), or ₹2,352 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹304 each, one way.
Plan on about 2 h 55 min including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 2 h 16 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹550, 3-axle ₹760, 4–6 axle ₹875, 7+ axle ₹955.
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Shimla to Ambala toll is the same ~₹160 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Shimla's state price.
Fees are revised every 1 April and some plazas change mid-year, so treat results as a close estimate. Spotted a wrong fee or a missing plaza? Tell us — we fix reported errors within 72 hours and log them on our corrections page.
Built and maintained by Nikhil Shrivastava. Full method: how the calculator works.
Last updated: 24 October 2026