Are you wondering about the weekend on a weekday? Do you like some fresh air kissing you gently on the cheek or a sea breeze brushing your hair? If you are nodding to this, then it looks like you are craving for a travel bug. We have come up with an interesting list of places perfect for a weekend trip from Mumbai.
1. Alibaug
With beautiful beaches and clear waters just a couple of hours away from Mumbai, Alibaug is a popular beach destination for a weekend trip near Mumbai. Whether you are looking for a fun weekend on the beach, or water-based adventure-filled weekend or a relaxing weekend, Alibaug is the ideal beach destination for water babies. There are some luxury resorts that are worth trying for a relaxing holiday.
Things to do: Water sports: Various water-based adventure activities are offered in beaches like Alibaug, Nagaon Murud and Mandwa beach. Parasailing is offered in Nagaon; exciting activities such as Jet Ski, sea kayaking is pretty popular in Alibaug beach. And if you are a diver or want to experience Scuba diving, Murud janjira is a great place to start.
Forts: Kolaba fort or Alibaug fort is one of the popular sightseeing in Alibaug. This beautiful fort is surrounded by water on all sides. And during the low tides, one can walk to the fort on the sea bed. When it is a high tide, there are ferries operating from the beach to the fort. Another popular fort near Alibaug is Murud Janjira fort, which is 50 km from Alibaug. This beautiful fort has stood the test of time. Murud fort has been attacked numerous times yet it was impenetrable. This fort is one of the best forts in Alibaug.
Where to stay: One of the popular things to try in Alibaug is beach camping in Revdanda beach. If you are planning for a weekend trip with a group, Revdanda beach camping is a great place to have a fun weekend.
Best time to visit: Ideal time for a weekend trip to Alibaug is from October to May.
How to reach: Alibaug is located at a distance of 95 km from Mumbai. Ideally, the best way to reach Alibaug is to drive to the place. But if you are looking for public transportation, there are many buses going to Alibaug in regular intervals.
2. Lonavala & Khandala
Lonavala and Khandala are the most popular hill stations for a weekend trip from Mumbai. Located at a spitting distance from the main city of Mumbai, Lonavala and Khandala have been one of the popular destinations for Bollywood. From Bollywood references like ‘Aati kya Khandala’, to Bollywood songs location or horror movie shooting locations, these hill stations has been a go-to destination for a long time. Due to its proximity from two major cities of Maharashtra, city dwellers from Mumbai and Pune have been attracted to these hilly ranges for a quick weekend trip.
Things to do: There are some amazing and picturesque viewpoints such as Tigers leap, Lonavala Lake, Aamby Valley, Lion's point, Kune waterfalls and the list just goes one. For trekking enthusiast, this region is a blessing as there are numerous Hill forts nestled in the ranges of Sahyadri with spectacular landscape. Some of these are exhilarating treks that you can indulge in are Rajmachi trek, Lohagad, Visapur, Tikona Fort trek.
Where to stay: Lonavala and Khandala has some of the beautiful Luxury Hotels to Farm stays and Homestays with a picturesque view. These resorts are some of the best places to get pampered. Do check out our article on weekend resorts near Mumbai.
Best time to visit: All throughout the year. But Monsoon and winter is the ideal time.
How to reach: There are trains going to Lonavala and Khandala. However, the drive to these places is in itself a treat to the eyes. Do not miss out on experiencing the drive to these hill beauties from Mumbai.
3. Pawna Lake
A weekend trip to Pawna Lake is a great way of escaping the bustling city and stress that comes long. Pawna Lake is located at a distance of 20 km from Lonavala, is an ideal spot for rejuvenating. This man-made reservoir nestled in the midst of nature surrounded by the mountain ranges covered in lush green forest and spectacular weather. Sunrise and Sunset is one of the best times to experience here.
Things to do: Pawna Lake camping is one of a kind experience as you are living closer to nature, where you lie down under the star-lit sky and sleep to the sound of crickets and wake up to the spectacular view of Sunrise.
Trekking is one of the popular activities for a nature lover. And Pawna Lake has one of the best treks that are in the bucket list of every trekker. Some of these popular treks are Tikona fort trek, Tung fort, Lohagad and visapur trek.
Where to stay: There are beautiful luxury resorts with a lake view. They offer great spa facilities and other recreational activities. However, if you are looking to spend time closer to nature, we suggest you go for Pawna Lake camping.
Best time to visit: The ideal time to experience the best of Pawna Lake is during the Months of September to February.
How to reach: Driving to Pawna Lake is one of the ideal ways to get here. The distance from Mumbai to Pawna Lake 100 km and the nearest railway station however is Lonavala railway station. There many taxis and jeeps available that can be hired to get to Pawna Lake.
4. Kolad
Kolad is a quaint town in Raigad district of Maharashtra. This beautiful town surrounded by the mighty ranges of Sahyadri. These mountain ranges are covered in the lush green forest and secret waterfalls, it is considered as trekker’s paradise. Kolad falling in the banks of River Kundalika experiences a release of excess from TATA’s power project from Mulshi dam. The river flows lively through the hills and villages passing through Kolad. With the excess water being released, Kolad has become absolutely an ideal place for White water rafting in Maharashtra. With beautiful treks around and exciting waters for river rafting, Kolad has been named as the ‘Adventure Capital of Maharashtra’.
Things to do: Kolad is most popular for river rafting. There are a number of adventure operators who have exciting offers on river rafting along with other adventure activities such as Kayaking, ATV riding, Archery and etc.
Where to stay: There are number of campsites in Kolad offering Luxury camping experiences with Swiss-tents, lip-smacking food and barbeque by the campfire.
Best time to visit: All throughout the year. The ideal time, however, is during the Monsoon and winters.
How to reach: The distance from Mumbai to Kolad is 120 km and driving to Kolad is the best mode of transportation, as you pass through the beautiful location before reaching Kolad.
5. Nashik
Nashik is another popular destination which picked up in recent times. Ever since the vineyard tours have become a thing, people from Mumbai are opting to go on a weekend trip to Nashik to experience the vineyard. Nashik also comes under one of the holy cities in Maharashtra. The origin or the birthplace of River Godavari is in Nashik. And every 12 years, the city hosts the biggest festival called Maha- Kumbh Mela. Lakhs of people flock to Nashik during this time.
Things to do: Wine tasting is one of the popular things to do in Nashik. Apart from tasting the wine, you can also involve in the Winemaking process. You can pluck the juicy grapes from the plantation and try your feet on the barrel to crush the grapes.
Where to stay: There are beautiful cottages in the vineyards of Nashik, which one can opt for.
Best time to visit: January to March is one of the best times to visit Nashik. It is during this time the harvesting is done. During this time you can participate in Wine stomping. In the month of February, Sulafest is a popular musical event that happens every year.
How to reach: The distance from Mumbai to Nashik is about 160 km. ideally, a drive to Nashik is a great way of reaching. However, there are direct trains from Mumbai available. The duration of the train is 2 hrs approximately.
The above destinations are some of our favourites for the weekend trip from Mumbai.
Let us know in the comment section about your favourite destination for the weekend trips from Mumbai.