Panshet to Lavasa City: A Road Trip Near Pune

I recently did a road trip from Panshet to Lavasa via the Panshet Lavasa Road. I was looking for the best road trips near Pune when I decided to take a bike trip alongside the backwaters of Panshet Dam and Varasgaon Dam. There is also a trek that goes from Panshet to Lavasa via Amby Valley. For me, I had decided on a bike trip near Pune. After much research for scenic areas and beautiful villages, I charted out the route called Panshet Lavasa Road as shown below. It is basically, Pune – Khadakwasla – Panshet – Varasgaon – Lavasa. This route is also great for a cycling trip in Pune.

Khadakwasla Dam BackWaters

For this trip, I started from Pune city at 5.30 in the morning and aimed to reach Khadakwasla by sunrise. To reach Khadakwasla you take the Sinhagad road and it is an almost straight route. By 6.30 am I reached the Khadakwasla backwaters. While the sun was not up yet, the waters were covered by heavy fog. Little by little the water turned from black to silver. But the visibility was still obscured due to the fog. After 5-10 minutes I started for Panshet again. For those who don’t know, Khadakwasla is the dam which provides water to the whole of Pune. The place is a common hotspot during the monsoons. Many people visit even all round the year.

Panshet Boating

After Khadakwasla I started for the Panshet Boating Area. Panshet is the dam which provides water to the Khadakwasla dam and which in turn provides waters to the whole of Pune city. To reach here follow the signs along Sinhagad road and there is right turn which leads to Panshet road. The journey here was very scenic. The road is very much around the waters of Khdakwasla. In the morning fresh fog comes from the waters on these roads.

By 8.00 am, I reached the beautiful backwaters of Panshet, Pune. Panshet also has an MTDC resort which is nicely run by the Government. Moreover, in the boating area, there are various boating facilities available. They have motorboats, kayaks, and paddle boats and also some other sports. They have a good parking area and snacks/lunch centre too. This is a good place for Kayaking in Pune or you may say Kayaking near Pune. Additionally, there are many other resorts and farms around here hosting a ton of other adventure sports like zip lines, go-karting, archery, etc. I opted for an amazing paddleboat ride.

Varasgaon Dam

On the Way to Lavasa, near Panshet is this beautiful dam of Varasgaon. The waters here were pristine and I could even see the bottom of the riverbed here. There is a little old bridge over the waters. Moreover, the backwaters of Varasgaon are stunning. They are along with you most of the way from Panshet to Lavasa. In fact, the route as you see above is all around these waters.

Panshet to Lavasa Road

The road from Panshet to Lavasa is terrific. In the sense that more than 90% of the road is a Kacha Road, meaning no proper tar roads. The road goes all way around the backwaters of the dam. There is water on one side of the roads and mountains on the other. And the crystal clear waters shine bluest of all in the sunshine. On the other side, the mountains are full of green trees. The route from Panshet to Lavasa is a little over 30 km, but definitely worth it. There are numerous small villages all around the route. Many little houses are close to the waters, people have their farms and life is really beautiful. The Panshet to Lavasa route is indeed scenic but really bumpy. But there is nothing to complain about when you are in treat with nature around.

Lavasa The Lake City

After 2 hrs of driving through 30 km of bad roads and beautiful views, on Panshet – Lavasa Road, you reach Lavasa City. Lavasa is a lake city based on the backwaters of a dam. The construction and style are made as per the little city of Portofino of Italy. The waters here are surrounded by mountains from the Sahyadri and they are bluest of all.

• Panshet to Lavasa distance: 30 km or 2 hours.
• Pune to Lavasa distance: 57 km or 2 hours.
• Lonavala to Lavasa distance: 105 km or 2.5 hours.
• Mumbai to Lavasa distance: 188 km or 4 hours.

Places to see in Lavasa Lake City

There are two points – Lake viewpoint and Dasve viewing point which are the best views over the landscape. Moreover, you can have a walk around the quaint buildings too. There is a link road which separates the dam waters and the Lavasa Lake. You can walk over here and the views are stunning. There is also the quaint Portofino Street and Thicket Street. Moreover, there are some Town Halls and Convention Centers, a lake fountain and some riverside walkways. Lavasa Nature Trail is also worth the visiting.

• Lavasa Nature Trail
• Portofino Street and Thicket Street
• Lavasa Lakeview point
• Lavasa Link Road
• Dasve viewing point
• Dasve Lake

Lavasa Lakeshore Sports

Lavasa also provides Water sports activities. They have a Lavasa Lakeshore sports centre where you can try kayaking and paddle boats. They also have Jet sky, water skiing and river cruises here. This is a cool place for Kayaking in Pune, or you may say Kayaking near Pune.

Road trip directions

The distance between Panshet to Lavasa via the Lavasa city road is almost 33 km long. This stretch of land is the most beautiful place near Pune. Also, some of these roads are rough country roads. But the views are worth the effort.

Other Nearby Places

These are some of the places, in this area, near Lavasa hill city that are worth visiting –

• Sinhagad Fort Near Panshet
• Varasgaon Dam near Panshet
• Khadakwasla Dam near Panshet
• Mulshi Dam near Lavasa
• Temghar Dam near Lavasa
• Tamhini Ghat
• Amby Valley City

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