Mumbai is called the ‘city of dreams’ for the dreamers. We are all dreamers, who do not rest or stop until we realise our dream; while we are chasing our dreams, the lifestyle that we lead has become a routine. This routine in big cities like Mumbai can be chaotic. And once in a while, we all need to stop and take a break from the routine to rejuvenate the mind and body. Mumbai being as awesome as it can be, it is blessed with places that can be visited for a quick vacation.
We have curated a list of places near Mumbai that perfect destinations for a weekend quick getaway.
List of places for weekend getaway near Mumbai
Lonavala & Khandala
Lonavala and Khandala are the most popular weekend destinations that are flocked by the weekenders. Both the places are located at a spitting distance of 83km and 88 km from Mumbai, it is considered the best place for a quick getaway from the city by many tourists. There are a plethora of resorts and guest houses from luxury to budgeted options. The best time to visit Lonavala and Khandala is definitely the Monsoon. During the Monsoon, the whole region is surrounded by lush green hills and gushing waterfalls. Winters are beautiful too.
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is another popular hill station often visited by the city dwellers from both Mumbai and Pune. This quaint hill town is one of the best places for a quick vacation surrounded by evergreen forest. Famed for its strawberry farm, and beautiful rugged mountains, Mahabaleshwar served a summer capital under the British government for Bombay province. Strawberry festival is a very popular festival in Mahabaleshwar, when the whole town comes alive in the fest.
Kamshet
Kamshet is an ideal place for adventure junkies. Right from camping by the lake, exploring ancient caves and going for paragliding, Kamshet offers all. This beautiful Hilltown is seeing major traffic from two big cities of Maharashtra i.e. Mumbai and Pune; especially since it was developed as an ideal spot for paragliding. This beautiful hamlet is surrounded by Paddy and sunflower fields offer a great experience during paragliding.
Nashik
Nashik is one of the oldest and religious places known for its origin of River Godavari. But in the recent decade, Nashik developed to be the most popular place for it Vineyard. So popular that, Nashik is considered as a Wine capital of India. With this, Nashik has become one of the popular weekend getaways for wine tasting tours. It is one of the surreal experiences to learn how wine is made. You get to be involved in the process of making. You get to pick the juicy grapes from the plantation and crush the grapes in the barrel.
Matheran
Matheran is a great eco-hill station very close to the city of dreams. When we say eco- hill station, we literally mean it. It is a vehicle-free hill station, where any mode of vehicle is banned. You either have to walk or ride on horseback. You also have a choice of riding a bicycle. Matheran is one of the few hill stations, where you can actually breathe a pollution-free air and feel the difference as the air passes through your system. This popular hill town is one of the best places for a monsoon drive. Covered in a semi-evergreen forest, Matheran attracts a major crowd during the holiday season and on the weekends.
Alibaug
Alibaug is a popular beach destination close to Mumbai. Although Mumbai is a coastal city, the beaches are horribly polluted. But the Alibaug is one of the places just a couple of hours drive away from the city; you will find clear waters and white sand beaches. Beach camping is a popular activity that has become a trend on the beaches near Alibaug. Camping on Revdanda beach is on the bucket list for every millennial beach bum. Apart from that, there are some exciting water sports offered on these beaches.
Bhandardara
Bhandardara is a popular weekend spot for adventure seekers. Surrounded by mighty mountains, humbling waterfalls and dense green forest, Bhandardara is a great place for people who are looking for a serene and peaceful time away from the city. During the Monsoon, this place comes to life. Make sure you are visiting Bhandardara during the rains. Located at a distance of 120 km from Mumbai, Bhandardara is situated in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Kalsubai peak is at a distance of 14 km from here. It is one of the most popular places with the trekkers.
Kolad
Located on the banks of River Kundalika in Raigad district of Maharashtra, Kolad is considered to be a haven for adventure seekers and said that Kolad is called the adventure capital of Maharashtra. Kolad is surrounded by rugged mountain ranges of Sahayadri, covered in a lush green dense forest. These mountains are dreamlike for the trekkers to explore the woods. And it was the trekkers who identified the region to be a perfect destination for river rafting. The gushing water when released from Tata power’s Mulshi dam, it makes its way past through the hills and fields of the nearby villages. Kolad is one of those villages where Kundalika river’s flow is at its maximum speed, making it a perfect destination for River rafting. There are various packages available for River rafting in Kolad. You can opt for camping stay along with river rafting.
Pawna Lake
Pawna Lake is one of the popular places where camping on the lakeside is possible. There are many lakes where camping is possible, but camping near Pawna lake is one of a kind experience. It offers a spectacular view of Sunrise and Sunset. And if you are camping on a clear night, you will get to witness millions of star which is a rarity in the city where the skies are polluted. There are some amazing forts and treks such as Tikona Fort, Tung Fort, Lohagad and Visapur fort are must-try places.
Igatpuri
Igatpuri is one of the popular destinations blessed with nature. This quaint hill station is surrounded by wonders of nature. It is also said that the exotic locations that appeared in many songs in Bollywood were shot here. This hill town has the largest Vipassana centre, where ancient techniques of meditation are taught. This international centre sees a lot of crowd from all over the world. Apart from this, this hill station is a great place for trekkers and nature lovers.
These are our top favourite destinations near Mumbai. Let us know what are yours!!