3 DAYS TRIP FROM PUNE | MATHERAN & LONAVALA TOUR

Hill Station

Photo Credit: Flickr
This trip demands considerable trekking / walking

ITINERARY SUMMARY

Trip Starting Point: Pune Junction

Mode of Travel: Car (or Cab)

Trip Duration: 3 Days

Ideal Start Time: 7 AM (Day 1), 9 AM (Day 2) & 8 AM (Day 3)

Total Places Visited: 15

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

DAY 1 : TRAVEL TO MATHERAN & SIGHTSEEING

Travel from Pune to Matheran

At a distance of 2 km from Matheran Railway Station, Charlotte Lake, also known as Sharlott Lake is one of the popular Matheran tourist places situated near Echo Point. It is the prime source of drinking water in the Matheran region.

This 50 feet deep lake was built in 1956 AD. Water from this lake gets filtered and is supplied to the entire town of Matheran. This popular tourist destination is splendid during Monsoon and mostly gets dried up in summer. An ancient Pisarnath Mahadev Temple is located on the left bank of the lake. The two beautiful viewpoints, Louisa point and Echo point are located close to this lake. Bird watching is also a popular activity at the lake, especially during early morning and evening.

At a distance of 2 km from Matheran Railway Station, King George Point is situated between the Echo Point and Charlotte Lake in Matheran Hill Station.

King George Point is set amidst verdant greenery and rolling hills. The vantage point offers a panoramic view of nearby valleys and the placid Charlotte Lake. King George Point is the observation point from where the stunning waterfalls created from the waters of the Charlotte Lake can be spotted. During the rainy season when the excessive waters of the Charlotte Lake overflow, this flooded water forms enchanting cascades that gush down the verdant plateaus of Matheran.

The point is situated 250 m from Echo Point and 350 m from Charlotte Lake. It can be reached by 5 minutes walk from Echo Point or 25 minutes walk from Matheran Railway Station.

At a distance of 2.5 km from Matheran Railway Station, Echo Point is one of the famous points of interest in Matheran hill station and it offers wonderful view of the surroundings. As the name suggests, Echo Point is the place where one can hear the echoes from the mountains.

Out of the 38 viewpoints that bless the hills of Matheran, Echo point is one of the most magnificent points. This place is known for its cleanliness and incredibly pleasant weather. The place is frequented during the monsoon months when the place is dotted with magnificent waterfalls. Echo point is a delight for food lovers as it offers a decent range of food stalls.

Echo Point can be reached by walk or Pony from Matheran market area. It takes 30 minutes to reach the point by walk.

At a distance of 2.5 km from Matheran Railway Station, Louisa Point is a spectacular vantage point situated in Matheran. It is one of the top Matheran tourist places.

Louisa Point is one of the prime attractions in Matheran Tour which provides beautiful views of the surrounding area. The point offers the views of historical forts Vishalgad and Prabalgad. This is a great spot for eye-catching views of the sunset, surrounding mountains, and lush greenery. During and just after monsoons many unnamed waterfalls can also be spotted on the facade of the hills nearby.

Valley crossing is also organized here during the season which connects Louisa Point to the nearby Honeymoon Point. Along with this point, the famous Lion's Head Point is also located close by which receives its title as it resembles a lion's head. Wonderful views of a waterfall, Lake .....

At a distance of 2 km from Matheran Railway Station, Porcupine Point, also known as Sunset Point, is an attractive viewpoint and also one of the best places to visit in Matheran. The name Porcupine Point is originated from the bird Porcupine as the shape of the place is identical to the shape of the Porcupine bird.

This spot offers the ideal view of sunset and also gives the majestic view of distant Prabalgad fort. Additional attraction of the Porcupine Point is the famous Cathedral Rocks positioned to the west of the Sunset Point. The location is blessed with scenic surroundings and dense forests. The calm and cool atmosphere mesmerizes the travelers.

This place is mostly visited in the evening hours to watch the sunset. The place can be accessed by walk or horse, but walking is the preferred mode of reaching this place. It can also be accessed from Dhodani village and this trail offers wonderful views. The duration of the trek is about one hour (one way) from Matheran.

Overnight Stay in Matheran

DAY 2 : MATHERAN SIGHTSEEING & TRAVEL TO LONAVALA

Resume Matheran Sightseeing

At a distance of 2 km from Matheran Railway Station, Alexander Point is one of the best places to visit in Matheran. This site is located in Madhavji road on the backdrop of green forests.

Alexander point offers gorgeous views of Palasdari Lake, Rambaug Point, Garbut Point, Chowk Point, downhill village of Borgaon and the winding Ulhas River. It is also a paradise for nature lovers due to its nature and beauty. One can ideally sit here for hours and feel the Mother Nature. The beautiful view of the towers of Bhivpuri Power house is amazing from this cliff. The recently started 1300 feet long zip line from Alexander point to Rambaug point has made already popular Alexander point even more popular.

It will take 20 to 30 minutes to reach the point by walk from the Matheran station. This awesome viewpoint is usually visited early morning for best views.

At a distance of 3 km from Matheran Railway Station, Rambaug Point, one of the popular tourist places in Matheran, is situated between the Alexander Point and the Little Chowk Point.

Rambaug Point offers the best view of the eastern hills from Matheran. It falls on the way to One Tree Hill Point from Matheran market. One of the most famous picnic spots in the region, the point is adorned with pleasant environment. It is a perfect place to watch the sunset. From the Rambaug Point one can also get the majestic views of the hills, Karjat Town, Garbut Point and Khandala Town. Owing to peaceful atmosphere under the dense cover of groves, the location is visited by solitude seekers.

Rambaug Point is few minutes away from Matheran market and is easily approachable by road. It will take 30 minutes to reach the point by walk from the Matheran station. Visitors can also hire a pony and do Alexander Point, Little Chowk Point, One Tree .....

At a distance of 4 km from Matheran Railway Station, Little Chowk Point is located towards the southernmost tip of Matheran Hill Station. The point gets its name from the Chowk town below which can be viewed from this point.

Little Chowk Point is one of the popular tourist locations in Matheran and is highly appreciated for the outstanding views it offers. The small yet popular spot offers impressive views of the Sahyadri Ranges, Karnala Fort and the beautiful town of Panvel. Besides, one can see the magnificent Vishalgad and Prabalgad Fort with its verdant surroundings from this viewpoint. The statue of Lord Ganesh is another attraction at this point.

Little Chowk Point is located further 1 km from Rambaug Point and it can be reached by walk or Pony. It will take 1 Hour to reach the point by walk from the Matheran station. Visitors can also hire a pony and do Alexander Point, Rambaug Point, One Tree hill Point and Little .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Matheran Railway Station, Shivaji's Ladder is one of the top places to visit in Matheran hill station situated on the way to One Tree Hill Point.

Shivaji's Ladder is a pathway featuring steps like a ladder situated between One Tree Hill Point and Matheran valley. As per historians, the great Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji often used this pathway for his pleasure trips and hunting in the Matheran hills.

This historical pathway was rediscovered by Hugh Poyntz Malet, district collector of Thane in 1850 AD. The path surrounded by lush green woods with pleasing breeze flowing is used by regional tribes for their day to day travels into the forests. Today the Shivaji's Ladder is acclaimed as one of the most popular trekking trails of Matheran. Adventure enthusiasts make it a point to explore the woods of Matheran through Shivaji's Ladder. The trek path that leads to Shivaji's Ladder is significantly steep and hazardous. It takes 1.5 hours to reach .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Matheran Railway Station, One Tree Hill Point is a popular site among tourists in Matehran, which is a distinct point with a single Jambhul tree situated at the top. The point gets its name after this incredible phenomenon of holding a solitary tree on its crest for decades. As per historians, the path was discovered by a British collector of Thane district, Hugh Poyntz Malet. Trekking to this point is one of the top things to do in Matheran hill station.

One Tree Hill is also the culmination of a trekking route that starts in Ambewadi near Karjat to Matheran. On the way to One Tree Hill, trekkers will also pass through Shivaji Ladder. From the top of the One Tree Hill Point one can also get eye catching vistas of the adjacent Tent Hill and the Chowk village. Hiking through Shivaji Ladder and climbing down from the hill to valley is an exciting experience. This site is perfect for people who want to relax .....

Overnight Stay in Lonavala

DAY 3 : LONAVALA SIGHTSEEING & TRAVEL TO PUNE

Start Lonavala Sightseeing

At a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, 59 km from Pune & 107 km from Mumbai, the Karla Caves or Karle Caves are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave temples located at Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra. It is one of the best Lonavala tourist places and also among well known historical places to visit near Mumbai & Pune protected by Archaeological Survey of India.

Karla is one of the most famous centers of early rock-cut architecture in India. The caves are excavated nearly 100 m on a high spur of the chain of hills on the north flank of the Indrayani valley. These caves were developed over two periods - from 2nd century BC to 2nd Century AD and in 5th - 10th Century AD. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BC, having arisen near a major ancient trade route, running eastward from the Arabian Sea into the .....

At a distance of 12 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Lion's Point is a vantage point located midway between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley in Lonavala. It is one of the popular viewpoints in Lonavala and also among the must include places in Lonavala tour packages.

The view from Lions Point is majestic and panoramic. One would see dozens of small waterfalls, lush green hills, and lakes around during monsoon season. It is one of the famous places to visit in Lonavala. The sunrise and sunset views from here are mesmerizing. The wind is extremely strong at this place and it was quite thrilling to see many adventurous people get close to the edge to get 'that' living-on-the-edge photograph. The drive to the point is also equally scenic

The Shiv-ling peak is a conical peak that can be seen towards the left side of Lion's Point.

Timings: 6 .....

At a distance of 12 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 12 km from Tung Fort, Tiger's Leap or Tiger's Point is a scenic viewpoint situated at Kurvande on the route towards Aamby Valley from Lonavala. It is one of the must see tourist places in Lonavala.

Tiger's Leap, also known as Waghdari, is a cliff-top with a sheer drop of over 650 m, offering a wide view of the hills. The point derives its name from its resemblance to the shape of a leaping tiger. It offers spectacular views of forests, lush greenery, waterfalls and lakes around. The sunrise and sunset views from here are mesmerizing.

There is a small waterfall near to this viewpoint, which flows during the monsoon months only. It serves the purpose of relaxing in the water better than Bushy dam, as the force of the fall is higher. Also, after the brief steep descent, the fall becomes a stream with a fair amount of force to go all the way down to the base of the Tiger's Leap. The site is frequented by various tourists .....

At a distance of 6 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Bhushi Dam is a masonry dam on the Indrayani River in Lonavala, Maharashtra. Bhushi Dam is one of the top Lonavala tourist places and a very popular weekend getaway from Pune and Mumbai. The Dam is located in the backdrop of scenic hilly terrains between Lonavala and INS Shivaji.

The dam was built in late 1860s for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway as a source of water for their steam engines. Water from the dam was carried to Lonavala, Khandala and the reversing station of the railways by cast-iron pipes.

In the rainy season, when the Bhushi dam overflows, the water flows over a series of steps and then over some easily accessible rocky terrain. The terrain and the water make for a fun combination and this is why Bhushi dam gets crowded on weekends as well as during the holidays. There is a waterfall located .....

At a distance of 6 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 2.5 km from Khandala Railway Station, Rajmachi Point is located on the way to Mumbai from Pune, just before the starting point of the ghat in Khandala. The Rajmachi Point is one of the top tourist places in Lonavala.

Rajmachi Point is located within walking distance from the Dukes Retreat. This spot got its name because Rajmachi Fort of the incredible Maratha ruler Chatrapati Sivaji is situated opposite this point. The point offers spectacular views of Rajmachi Fort, the surrounding valley, and waterfalls as part of Lonavala packages. Rajmachi Point has a temple and a children's park. This is also a famous area for movie producers.

Monkey Point, Sunset Point, Lions Point are the few attractions close by. Sunset point gives spectacular views of the sunset. One can have a clear view of the .....

Travel from Lonavala to Pune