The best weekend destination near Mumbai and Pune is Lonavala. It is among the top hill stations in India. Lonavala Travel Guide is for first-time visitors, backpackers, and for international tourists to make their trip easy and cheap. Bookmark this page if you are going to Lonavala in 2021.
Let’s start our Lonavala Travel Guide.
How to reach Lonavala
This vacation spot is well connected with national highway and railway.
How to reach by air
Pune is the nearest city to this hill station. You can get a flight for Pune from major Indian cities. From the airport, you can hire a taxi. Also, you can choose the Mumbai airport from where you can reach from any international and national locations.
How to reach by road
It is located on the Mumbai Pune expressway. So you can come from Mumbai or Pune by road by taxi. Also, you can get here on travel. You can check here for availability of travels. Mumbai to Lonavala is around 80 km and Pune to Lonavala is around 67 km. After your this trip, if you are staying more time in Maharashtra then I will suggest you visit Ajanta and Ellora caves. If you are near Mumbai then you can also visit Matheran hill station.
How to reach by rail
This tourist place is also one of the main railway stations of the Mumbai Pune railway line. You can book the reserved ticket of Mumbai to Lonavala train or Pune to Lonavala train from the Indian railway website or with travel agents. Pune to Lonavala local train does not need a reservation. So if you have not planned then take a local train.
Lonavala Packing List
Waterproof Backpack
Packing Cubes
Selfie Stick
Ultralight Umbrella
Where to stay – Lonavala Travel Guide
There are many staying options here. So you have not to worry about it. Rooms are available for every type i.e. couples, bachelors, and family. Check out our recommended hotels for a pleasant stay.
The Dukes Retreat
Location: Pune Mumbai Road
Check Price here.
Hotel Grand Visava
Location: Old Mumbai Pune Highway
Check the price here.
Hotel Chandralok
Location: Near railway station
Check price by clicking image below.
Kumar Resort Lonavala
Location: Old Mumbai Pune Highway, Gautam Park Society
Check the price by clicking the below image.
Lagoona Resort Lonavala
Location: Gold Valley, Sector D
Check the price here.
If you are on summer vacation and want to enjoy the water park then you Wet n Joy Lonavala is the best option for you.
If you like to stay in a camp then book Pawna tourist camping
Best time to visit Lonavala
The hill station is situated on the Western Ghats and the height of Lonavala is 622 meters above sea level. As a result, Lonavala weather is very tourist-friendly and it remains cool throughout the year. The best time to visit is Summertime as you can beat the heat and enjoy your holiday in a pleasant atmosphere of western ghats. If you are visiting Mumbai or Pune then you must visit this place. In Monsoon, you can watch waterfalls and roam among clouds due to the wonderful atmosphere. Over the year Lonavala temperature is 20-degree Celcius average.
Khandala
Both hill stations are very near and both have viewing points on mountains. You can visit also Khandala in one visit. Lonavala to Khandala distance is only 5 km. Khandala is famous for the song name ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ of Bollywood movie Ghulam.
Places to visit at night
P18 bars
Location: It is located in Della adventure park, the old highway.
Tavern
This signature bar is located in the Fariyas resort. It is a very popular place among youngsters.
Location: Fariyas resort, Frichley Hills road
Volcano
The Volcano is located in a beautiful resort Bijis Hill retreat. It is the most happening place among tourists at night.
Location: Bijis Hill retreat, new Tungarli road
Places to visit in Lonavala – Lonavala Travel Guide
Lohegad fort
Lohagad Fort is a historical citadel located on the top of a hillock in the Sahyadri range of Lonavala at an elevation of 3400 feet. It separates the Pawna basin from the Indrayani basin. This fort associate with the elaborate history of the great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji. This citadel marked as an important part of Maharashtra’s rich history. This fort was used by many other rulers like Maratha and Vidarbha.
Sculpting found on Maha Darwaja speaks of art and culture prevalent in olden days. Don’t forget to catch glimpses of the Pawna Dam constructed at the fort.
Narayani Dham Lonavala
In Lonavala, Narayani Dham is a very beautiful and peaceful shrine to visit. The main deity of this temple is Narayani commonly known as Durga. The other two deities are Ram Sita and Ganapati.
All sides of the temple are open which offers an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. The main temple is elevated to the next floor on the ground above. The ceiling of the temple has murals. There are banquets, rooms for the people to stay and dining hall for breakfast and meals.
Narayani Dham is one of the most popular in Lonavala.
Lions point
Lion’s point is the vantage point situated between the Aamby valley and the Bhushi Dam in Lonavala. During monsoon season one could enjoy the view of dozens of waterfalls, lakes and lush green hills. From here the sunrise and sunset view is mesmerizing. Many adventurous people walk at the edge to get a photograph. The strong wind blows at the viewpoint.
Towards the left side of Lion’s point, the Shiv-ling peak can be seen. It is one of the popular viewpoints among other places in Lonavala.
Karla Caves
The Popular attraction of Karla caves among tourists and locals is located about 8km away from the beautiful hill station of Lonavala. This Buddhist rock-cut cave shrine resembles the Buddhist temple art in India. Mahasamghika Buddhists are associated with this cave.
The main highlight is the Buddhist monastery, an idol of Lord Buddha which is made up of 37pillars. Inside it, there was a huge rock-cut Chaitya( prayer hall) and carved elephant heads with real ivory tusks. The hall is beautifully decorated with sculptures of humans and animals.
Now, archeologists are engaged to preserve this ancient cave.
Tiger Point Lonavala
In Lonavala,, Tiger point offers panoramic views of the lush green valley with waterfalls and lakes from the650metre high hilltop. This point is popularly known as Tiger Leap because of its shape of a leaping tiger. Especially in the rainy season when the clouds are hovering in close proximity the view can be heavenly beautiful.
If you don’t have time to visit mountains in Northern India then it’s a perfect escape for nature lovers in Lonavala.
Rajamachi Fort
Rajmachi fort is one of the popular forts in Lonavala among tourists. The fort is at a height of 2710 feet above from sea level with an amazing view of the backwater of Shirota Dam and Sahyadri mountains.
The two Balekillas of the fort are (Shrivardhan and Manaranjan) the main attractions. The best season to visit Ramachi fort is the winter and monsoon season when nature at its best. During this time one can enjoy lush green forest en route and amazing waterfalls.
Here the travelers get the best possible hospitality by the friendly locals.
Duke’s Point
Duke’s point is located near INS Shivaji in Lonavala and it is one of the best places for tourism. It is situated at a distance of 10 km from Lonavala station and 8 km from Khandala station. Its viewpoint of duke’s point is awesome and it is one of the popular places for trekking, rock climbing, and hiking and other activity as well. People who like such type of activity they enjoy here. Tourist reaches Nagphani through trekking and there are two trekking routes. The first one is from Khandala station that takes nearly 3 to 4 hours and another from Kurvande that takes 1.5 hours to reach the top.
Kune Falls
The Kune falls is the best place to visit during mid monsoon. It is a gorgeous waterfall and located near Kune village in Pune district of Maharashtra. This waterfall is completely surrounded by greenery; therefore, it is the best place for a picnic. The Kune Falls is situated on the famous Sahyadri mountains and lies at an altitude of 622 meters. The heights of the Kune falls is approx 200 meter and it is a three cascading waterfall. This waterfall is divided into two parts and tourists love to visit this place in the rainy season. The most popular activities that do tourist is bathing and swimming. So don’t miss this trip if you visit Maharashtra.
Valvan Dam
Calm surroundings and lush greenery make up the Valvan dam a perfect evening outing spot near Lonavala. The Valvan Dam is a large water barrage whose water serves as the source of electricity generator at the Khopoli Power Station. It is constructed at the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains.
The scenic views of the surroundings enveloped with a peaceful ambiance make the lake and Valvan dam a perfect spot for nature’s lover and people seeking solace.
Pawna Lake
Pawna Lake is one of the best options for camping located near Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai. People enjoy camping with family, chilling out with friends. This is the place where you can forget you’re all stressed. You feel calm when you listen to the melodious sound produced by the chilly breeze and flow of lake water. If you are a nature lover then you should visit once in Pawna Lake in your life. In this lake, you will see the sunrise that is splendid and you observe true beauty and color of nature. You can feel cold blowing wind that fills your heart with positivity and the true human spirit.
Lonavala Lake
Lonavala Lake is situated out of the city, nearly 1.6 km away from the city. The source of water for this lake is the Inyarani River. People visit this place during monsoon because in winter the water dries up. You can reach at Lonavala lake from various routes, once you reach Lonavala then you can take a rickshaw, or by local train and many other vehicles and reach the lake. During monsoon, various types of bird species and tourists can be found or spotted on the fringes of this lake. Apart from watching a bird, a visitor does many activities like angling, swimming, etc.
Places to visit near Railway station
Celebrity Wax Museum
Wax Museum Lonavala is less than one kilometer from the Railway Station. The entry fee for an adult is around 100 INR here.
Sri Narayani Dham Temple
This temple is located around 2 km. from Railway Station. It is the temple of Ma Narayani. This temple was built in 2002. It is one of the most visited places. You can room book at Narayani Dham Temple.
Narayani Dham Temple timing is 06:30 AM TO 1 PM and 4 PM TO 10 PM.