Places to visit near Pune city: Tourist Places Near Pune

There are many beautiful places to visit near Pune city. You can plan one day trip from Pune or a weekend getaway to these tourist places near Pune. From hill stations near Pune like – Lonavala Khandala or Panchgani Mahabaleshwar to unknown tourist spots like Nilkantheshwar or Dudhiware waterfall, everything is mentioned here.

If you are from Pune or visiting Pune, check my Pune Travel Guide here.

Lonavala and Khandala

Lonavala and Khandala are very well known hill stations near Pune. These hill towns are located between major cities of Mumbai and Pune. You should plan a one day trip to Lonavala in the monsoon to experience the beautiful Sahyadris. This place is one of the best tourist places near Pune within 100 km.

• Pune to Lonavla distance: 66 km or 1 hour 20 min drive.
• Places to visit in Lonavala Khandala: Tigers Leap, Bhushi Dam, Lonavala Lake, Pawna Lake, Dudhiware Waterfall, Rajmachi Fort, Sunil’s Celebrity Wax Museum, Lohagad Fort, Visapur Fort, Nagphani or Duke’s Nose, Dellas Adventures, Kune Waterfalls and many more.
• Things to do in Lonavla
• The best thing to eat in Lonavla Khandala: Lonavala Chikki
• Best Time to visit Lonavala Khandala: Monsoon.
• Budget for Lonavala Khandala trip from Pune: ₹ 5,000 to ₹ 7,000 for a 2-day trip ($70-$100), Food and transport will be the main expenses along with accomodation.

Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani

Mahabaleshwar and Paachgani are hill station towns near Pune that are famous for strawberry farms, boarding schools, beautiful waterfalls, rivers and valleys, and film shootings. Yes, two films Taare Zameen Par and Agent Vinod have been shot in Panchgani. This is one of the best places to visit near Pune in monsoon.

Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are a common summer destination for escaping hot summers of Pune city. Moreover, the area is also most visited in the monsoon due to the scenic beauty. In winters too, many people from the city areas visit Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to unwind, relax and experience the cold climate like that of Jammu & Kashmir. It is rightly said that Mahabaleshwar is Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra. And the Venna Lake in Mahabaleshwar resembles the Dal Lake from Kashmir in India. You can plan a 2 days trip near Pune here.

In addition to this, you can also visit the postcard town of Wai. It has more than 100 temples and is rightly called as Dakshin Kashi. The Shivtharghal Waterfall here is the most beautiful place in Wai.

Quick Details of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani

• Pune to Mahabaleshwar distance: 120 km or 3-hour drive from Pune.
• Pune to Panchgani distance: 100 km or 2-3 hour drive from Pune.
• Places to visit in Mahabaleshwar: Venna Lake, Tapola Dam, Tapoli Waterfalls, Old Mahabaleshwar, Panchganga Temple, Mahabaleshwar Temple, Atibaleshwar Temple, Krishnai Temple, Vasota Fort, Lingmala Waterfalls, Babington Point, Tiger Spring, Wilson Point for Sunrise, Pratapgad Fort.
• Places to visit in Panchgani: Table Land, Tiger Cave, Dhom Lake, Dhom Dam, Parsi Point, Devrai Art Village, Elephant point or Kates point, Devils kitchen point.
• Places to visit in Wai: Shivtharghal Waterfalls and temple, Nana Phadnavis Wada, Kartikeya Caves or Rajpuri Caves, Pandavgad Fort.
• Best time to visit Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani: All around the year.
• The best thing to eat in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani: Fresh Strawberries with cream at Mapro Garden.

Matheran Hill Station

Matheran Hill station is a place that you should not miss out while travelling to Pune or Mumbai. This hill station is closer to Mumbai but can also be visited from Pune. You can plan a weekend trip to Matheran from Pune city. Matheran is the smallest hill station in India. It is a natural trove, and all the vehicles are banned. The main way of transport is horses or on foot. You can also learn horse riding in Matheran. The Matheran toy train that runs from Neral to Matheran is a popular way of transport that is loved by kids and adults alike. Moreover, this is one of the places to visit near Pune in summer too.

Read here: How to reach Matheran from Pune?

• Tourist places in Matheran: Charlotte Lake, Malet Springs, Panorama point for sunrise, Pisarnath Mahadev Temple, Cilia point for sunsets, and many more.
• Things to do in Matheran: Peb Fort or Vikatgad Trek, One Tree hill point trek, Garbett Plateau Trek.
• Best time to visit Matheran: All around the year, best in monsoon.

Lavasa Hill City

When you are missing Europe in Maharashtra, then you should visit Lavasa Lake City. This city is a perfect combination of Europe and Sahyadri. The Lavasa Hill city is based on the Italian city of Portofino. The houses are based around the Dasve Lake and the city is laid out all over the surrounding hills. The quaint buildings and beautiful cobblestone pathways like Europe are also part of Lavasa near Pune.

• Pune to Lavasa Hill City Distance: 58 km or 2-hour scenic drive from Pune, via Temghar Dam.
• Food, Parking and Water sports: Available.
• Best time to visit Lavasa: Monsoon.

Nilkantheshwar

Neelkantheshwar or Nilkantheshwar is a beautiful hill near Pune. It is situated on the banks of Panshet and Varasgaon Dam. You have to stay on NDA road, and a signboard will appear for Nilkantheshwar. Finally, the rough road starts. After some twists and turns, and potholes, you will reach a place where you have to park your vehicle. Then it is a good climb up the hill for about 1 km. For an amateur, it is 1 hour of labour. Atop this hill is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. During the hike and from the top, you can see lush greenery, beautiful fields and the sparkling blue river, which makes everything worth it. Nilkantheshwar is the best place to watch the sunset in Pune city. There are also numerous statues depicting Gods and demons from Indian mythology

• Pune to Nilkantheshawar distance: 38 km or 1 hour 40 minutes drive.
• Parking and Food: Parking available, carry your lunch box.
• Hiking Distance, Time and difficulty: Easy hike, 1 km distance for climbing, 45 mins to 1 hour required to reach the top.

Kas Pathar

Kas Pathar is the most beautiful valley of flowers in Maharashtra. It is located near Satara. Kaas Plateau or Kaas Pathar is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The biodiversity in the plants, flowers, butterflies, algae, and insects found here is very unique. Moreover, they are found only at Kas Plateau. The blooming season of the flowers here is from August to October. You can plan a one day trip near Pune city to this amazing spot. Once you reach the plateau, you will find a wonderland of flowers, that can be may or may not be found anywhere else on earth.

• Pune to Kas Pathar distance: 125 km from Pune city or 3-hour drive.
• Places to visit near Kas Pathar: Kas Plateau, Kaas Lake, Wajrai Waterfalls, Thoseghar Waterfalls in Satara, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Best time to visit Kas Pathar: Aug to Oct
• Entry Fees to Kas Pathar: ₹100 – online booking at kas.ind.in.
• Food, Parking and Accessibility: Car Parking available, Food available near Parking area, Limited Accessibility to wheelchairs and strollers.
• Kas Pathar Most Scenic Video.

Devkund, Pune: Waterfall near Pune

Devkund waterfall is located inside a jungle near Bhira village in Maharashtra, India. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in India. The waterfall flows at full capacity only in the monsoon (June to Sept). The trek to Devkund waterfall gets a bit dangerous in the monsoon. There are various streams on the way. The waterfalls themselves are a combination of 3 streams. And it is known to be the starting point of the Kundalika river.

The Devkund waterfall is totally worthy of all the hype though! The water plunges into the valley and the pond below it is extremely attractive. You can bath in the waters. Sometimes the water levels increase suddenly, especially in the monsoon. It is advisable to go along with a trekking guide to this amazing location.

In recent times, Devkund waterfall has been closed on some occasions due to reasons like – deaths of some trekkers, or increase in the level of water, excessive monsoon. Please check the present status before going.

• Devkund Waterfall Trek distance: 6.5 km oneway
• Devkund Trek time: 1-2 hours
• Devkund Trek Level: Moderate
• Devkund Waterfall Height: 24 meters or 135 feet
• Pune to Devkund: 99 km
• Food: Restaurants at the start of the trek

Dudhiware Waterfall

Dudhiware Waterfall is located in Lonavla near Pawna Lake Camping area. The waterfall is almost 135 feet high. It is famous for sports like Waterfall Rappelling and Ziplines that are available at this place. You can experience the thrill of water rushing around you as you slowly descend the 135 feet high rock. Apart from that, the nature, forest and water springs around Dudhiware Waterfall are the most beautiful. The best time to experience this natural beauty is the monsoon. If not for waterfall rappelling you can just visit the place and trek to the top of the waterfall. Alternatively, you can just enjoy the waterfall from below also.

• Pune to Dudhiware Waterfall distance: 75 km or a 2-hour drive.
• Waterfall Rappelling near Pune: Dudhiware Khind, Lonavla
• Best time for Dudhiware Waterfall Rappelling: Monsoon (Jun to Sept)
• Activities at Dudhiware Khind: Rappelling, Zipline, Camping, Trekking.

Pawna Lake, Pune

If you love the outdoors, nature and lakes, then Pawna Lake camping is a perfect budget trip near Pune for you. Youngsters from both Pune and Mumbai come here to spend the weekend. The Pawna campsite is complete with all the facilities including tents, live music, BBQs, Food, Washrooms, some Electricity points, and much more.

From the campsite, you can see the nearby mountains and excellent sunset. You can see the strangely shaped mountain called Dudhiware Khind. There are also many activities to do around Pawna Lake. In the monsoon, this area has the most perfect scenery. You can also visit Dudhiware waterfall in the monsoon (Jun – Sept).

• Pawna Lake Camping Cost: ₹ 800 to ₹ 1,200.
• Pune to Pawna Camp Distance: 59 km or 2-hour drive.
• Facilities at Pawna Lake: Live Music, Free BBQs, Bonfire, Camping, Food and Snacks, Games, Parking, and Washrooms.
• Activities near Pawna Lake: Camping, Rappelling at Dudhiware Waterfall, trekking at Tikona, Lohgad and Visapur.

Bhigwan

Bhigwan is a small village near the backwaters of Ujjani Dam, near Pune. Thousands of flamingos arrive here in the winter: Nov-Jan to escape the winters from foreign lands. The Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary is the best place to watch not just flamingos but also many other birds. Furthermore, Bhigwan is the best place if you love eating fish.

• Pune to Bhigwan distance: 105 km or 3-hour drive from Pune city. Trains and Buses are available from Pune city to Bhigwan.
• Best Time to Visit Bhigwan: Winters ie. Nov-Mar, visit in Dec/ Jan to watch the bird Flamingo.
• Birds found at Bhigwan: Flamingo, Ducks, Herons, Raptors, Egrets, Painted Storks, Bar-headed Geese, Demoiselle Cranes, Waders and many more.
• Facilities at Bhigwan: Boating, Camping, Bird watching, Food particularly a variety of Fishes, Parking.
• Places to visit near Bhigwan: Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary, Ujani Lake, Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary, Bhuleshwar Temple, etc.

Check out this fun road near Pune: Bhatghar Dam and Necklace point, Pune.

Bhimashankar

Bhimashankar is a natural cum pilgrimage destination near Pune. Bhimashankar is a wildlife sanctuary near Pune. There is a proper vehicle road to Bhimashankar. But you can also trek through the jungles to reach it. Camping facilities are also available at Bhimashankar. Additionally, this place has a temple shrine of Hindu God Shiva, inside the forest. So, this makes it a popular pilgrimage spot. The place is also the origin of the river Bhima that starts here and later flows into the Arabian Sea. In the monsoon, the area is extremely scenic, with numerous waterfalls and greenery everywhere. Furthermore, there is a trekking route from Lonavala to Bhimashankar that serious trekkers may attempt.

Enchanted Forests near Pune: The forests near Ahupe village in Bhimashankar light up with a strange green colour in the monsoons -from June to October. This is due to the bioluminescent mushrooms or Mycena Genus Fungi. This is the best thing to witness near Pune.

• Trek time: 4 hours via Shidi Ghat and via Ganesh Ghat
• Level: Moderate.
• Height: 1036 m
• Pune to Bhimashankar: 110 km or 3-4 hour drive.
• Mumbai to Bhimashankar: 200 km
• Rent a car: Savaari Car rentals in Pune
• Food: Hotels near the temple

Treks Near Pune

After you are done visiting the hills in Pune, you should try trekking up some of the old hill forts around Pune. All the forts around Pune have an interesting history. It is the story of the Marathas which is told and retold generations after generations.

The most popular treks near Pune or popular forts in Pune: Sinhagad Fort Trek, Rajgad Fort Trek, Lohagad Fort Trek, Visapur Fort Trek, Rajmachi Fort, Raigad Fort, Tikona fort Trek, Tung Fort Trek near Lonavla, Shivneri Fort, etc.

Related Article: A Complete Guide to Treks Near Pune and Mumbai.

The best time for trekking near Pune is the monsoon, ie from June to Sept, when you can experience the true beauty of nature. Alternatively, winter is also a good and safer time to visit the forts near Pune. Trekking up the forts near Pune is like a one day trip from Pune.

Karla, Bhaja, Bedse Caves Trilogy

Karla Bhaja and Bedse are three caves near Pune, in Lonavala and Maval. They are rock-cut Buddhist caves from the 1st and 2nd century BC. All three of them have a similar architecture, with the Stupa, Main hall and meditation rooms, called as: “Chaitya” and “Vihara”. Similarly, other caves from the same period and style are – Lenyadri Caves, Hatkeshwar Caves, Patan Caves, Nashik Caves, Ajanta and Ellora Caves near Aurangabad, etc.

• Pune to Karla Caves distance: 60 km or 1.5-hourdrive from Pune. There are 200 steps from the parking area or 350 steps in total to reach the caves. Another popular temple nearby is Ekvira Devi Temple.
• Pune to Bhaja Caves: 61 km and 1.5-hour drive from Pune. There are total 22 rock-cut caves here, which are 400 feet above the base village Bhaja.
• Pune to Bedse Caves: 56 km or 1.5-hour drive from Pune city. These caves are 9 km away from Bhaja Caves. It is better to visit early in the morning because the caves are east facing and the sunrise beautifies the ancient carvings inside the caves.

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Caves are on an island named Gharapuri, which is located near Mumbai. You can take a ferry from Gateway of India in Mumbai to Gharapuri island. The island itself is extremely scenic. Elephanta Caves is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are rock-cut caves said to be from the 6th or 7th century. Another analysis connects these caves to the Ellora caves near Aurangabad. There are Buddhist Stupas and Hindu Gods inside. Moreover, the main cave has numerous huge carved sculptures depicting the mythological stories of Hindu God Shiva.

How to reach Elephanta Caves: You have to first reach Gateway of India in Mumbai city and take a ferry from there to the Gharapuri Island.

Beaches Near Pune

When we say beaches near Pune or beaches in Maharashtra, only one word comes to mind – Konkan. The beaches of Konkan- Harihareshwar, Diveagar, Shrivardhan, Ganpatipule, etc are very well known among Maharashtrians. But very few people know about the Black Sand Beaches near Pune like – Awas Beach, Kihim Beach, Akshi Beach, Raiwadi Beach, Revdanda Beach, etc. All these are near Alibaug and are equally beautiful.

• Pune to Alibaug distance: 142 km or 3-4 hour drive from Pune
• Pune to Tarkarli distance: 386 km or 8-9 hour drive from Pune.
• Read here: Best Beaches near Pune, along with distances and facilities available.
• Watch the video: Black Sand Beaches near Pune, in Maharashtra, India

FAQs

So these are some of the places around Pune or picnic spots near Pune which you must plan to visit when you are in Pune. Also, have a look at some related articles below.