5 DAYS TRIP FROM PUNE | MAHABALESHWAR & LONAVALA WITH PRATAPGAD

At a distance of 300 m from Mahabaleshwar Temple and 6 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Krishnabai Temple is an old temple situated few meters away from Panch Ganga Temple in Old Mahabaleshwar. It is among the famous Mahabaleshwar tourist places.

Krishnabai Temple is supposed to be source of the Krishna River. The temple was built in 1888 by a ruler of Ratnagiri on a hilltop overlooking the Krishna valley. The temple has a Shiva lingam and a beautiful statue of Goddess Krishna. A small stream of the river flowing from a cow-face (gomukh) falls in a Kund or water tank which is the source of might River Krishna. Stone carved columns and ceilings are the special characteristics of this temple.

The temple also offers enchanting views of the Krishna valley and surrounding countryside. Behind Panch Ganga temple, there is a small and well-marked trail that leads to Krishnabai temple. It is not visited .....

At a distance of 6 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Mahabaleshwar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the Old Mahabaleshwar in Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular Mahabaleshwar tourist places.

Mahabaleshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. The temple was built by Chandarao More in 16th century and is a model of the Hemadant architectural style of South India. The Mahabaleshwar hills have been named after Lord Mahabali, whose name stands a symbol of strength.

The temple is enclosed by a 5 feet wall and is divided into two areas, inner room and outer room. The sanctum sanctorum has Shiva linga made of black stone, which is 500 years old swayambhu lingam. This self-originated lingam is in the shape of Rudraksha and is called Mahalingam.

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At a distance of 6 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Panch Ganga Temple is a holy site situated near Mahabaleshwar Temple at Old Mahabaleshwar in Satara district of Maharashtra.

The Panch Ganga Temple is constructed at the confluence of five rivers, Krishna, Venna, Savitri, Koyna and Gayatri. All the rivers come out from the mouth of a statue of a cow in this temple, thus the place being called Panchganga Mandir.

The temple was constructed by Raja Singhandeo, the Yadava ruler of Devgiri in the 13th Century. In the 16th and 17th Centuries, Raja Chandarao More of Jaoli and the Maratha ruler Shivaji improved upon its structure on a large scale.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and has a beautiful idol of him. The legend behind the temple is closely linked to Savitri's curse on the Trimurtis, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who flow here as Koyna, Krishna and Venna rivers. It is a major religious site and is thronged by devotees .....

At a distance of 10 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand and 5 km from Old Mahabaleshwar, Elphinstone Point is one of the famous viewpoints situated atop a hill near Arthur Seat Point in Mahabaleshwar.

Elphinstone Point discovered in 1830 by Dr. Murray and has an old mansion in its vicinity. The viewpoint got its name from Mount Stuart Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay Presidency. The mansion now lies in ruins and local authorities are planning to demolish to erect a picnic shed in its place for tourists.

Elphinstone Point is one of the highest points in Mahabaleshwar overlooking the two valleys, with rivers Koyna on the left and Savitri on the right. The lofty cliff commands a panoramic view of the Pratapgarh Fort, Koyna Valley and nearby plains. One can also admire the ravine, which lies between Elphinstone Point and Arthur Seat Point.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

At a distance of 13 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand and 7 km from Old Mahabaleshwar, Arthur Seat Point is the most popular viewpoint in Mahabaleshwar and among the top places to visit in Mahabaleshwar.

Arthur Seat Point is located at a height of 1340 m and is surrounded by the deep Savitri gorge on one side and a lush green plateau on the other side. Popularly called as Queen of the Points, Arthur Seat Point has been named after Sir Arthur Mallet who was the first man to build a house at this point. Arthur Seat is the only point that clearly shows the geological contrast between the Konkan and the Deccan territories.

Arthur Seat Point area has 6 points in total, Arthur's Seat Point, Echo Point, Hunter Point, Tiger Spring Point, Window Point and Malcom Point. The barren deep Savitri valley on the left and lush green Jor valley on the right extends a mesmerizing view to the seat. Moving step .....

At a distance of 3 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Sunset Point is one of the most popular viewpoints of Mahabaleshwar and is popularly known as Mumbai Point or Bombay Point. This is the place from where people can view the magnificent sunset over the valleys below at Mahabaleshwar.

The Bombay Point is the oldest point of Mahabaleshwar and the point is named so owing to its location on the old Bombay road. The place has a large open space with a bandstand. It is an ideal place for late afternoon picnic. Sunset point is the most crowded point because of the fact that one cannot view anything at other viewpoints at that time of the day. Many activities like Horse riding, Choupati games are popular with the tourists at this point. There is a lovers point to the left of the Mumbai point.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

At a distance of 4 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Lodwick Point is previously known as Sydney Point. This point lies at an elevation of 4087 feet above sea level.

Lodwick Point area has 2 points; Lodwick Point and Elephant's Head Point. The Lodwick point was rechristened in the honor of General Lodwick, who was the first British officer to climb the hill in April 1824. To honor General Lodwick's achievement, his son erected a memorial pole of about 25 ft. At the base of this monument, the head of the General is sculptured in marble. This point offers unmatched views of the Pratapgad Fort and Elphinstone Point at a distance.

Elephant's Head Point is the extreme end of the mountain range and lies beyond the Lodwick Point. The extended front part of hill looks like Elephant Head. Hence, this point is known as Elephant's Head Point. The point renders breathtaking views of the surroundings. One needs to walk almost 1.5 km from car parking place or taking a pony ride from the parking .....

At a distance of 3 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Venna Lake is a manmade lake situated in Mahabaleshwar. It is one of the popular tourist places in Mahabaleshwar.

Venna Lake was constructed in 1842 by Sri Appa Saheb Maharaja, who was the ruler of Satara. Surrounded by lush greenery, Venna Lake has an area of about 28 acres having a periphery around 7-8 km, and is fed by repeated springs. It is one of the famous places to visit as part of Mahabaleshwar Tour. Pratap Singh Garden is situated on the banks of Venna Lake.

Tourists can enjoy a boat ride in the lake or a horse ride next to the lake. Only Rowboats are available for tourists. Apart from boating and horse riding, funfair games like a toy train, merry-go-round are popular with children. Several small eateries line the banks of the lake.

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

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At a distance of 7 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Kate's Point and Elephant's Head Point are the most picturesque viewpoints of Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is among the best tourist places in Mahabaleshwar.

Kate's Point area has 3 points in total; they are Kate's Point, Echo Point, and Needle Hole Point or Elephant's Head Point. Kate's Point is named after the then British governor Sir John Malcolm's daughter. The original name of the point is Nake Khind and is situated at an altitude of 1290 m. Dhom dam, as well as peaks of Kamalgadh, Pandavgadh, and Mandardeo, can be seen from Kate's Point. It is one of the must include places in Mahabaleshwar tour packages.

Elephant's Head Point or Needle Hole Point is another popular vantage point in Mahabaleshwar, situated next to Kate's Point. The overhanging cliffs .....

At a distance of 6 km from Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, 116 km from Pune & 252 km from Mumbai, Lingmala Waterfall is a mesmerizing waterfall located at top of the Venna Valley in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular waterfalls in Maharashtra, and among the famous places to visited as part of Mahabaleshwar packages.

Situated at an altitude of 1278 m, Lingmala Waterfall is formed by the Venna River. It is one of the prominent tourist places near Pune in monsoon. There are two waterfalls, one mini waterfall, and the main waterfall which falls from a height of 500 feet. The mini waterfall is safe & suitable for swimming and playing in the water. One has to walk for 30 minutes to reach the viewpoint of the main waterfall from the mini-falls. There is no way to get into the water at the main falls .....

At a distance of 11 km from Mahabaleshwar and 7 km from Panchgani, Mapro Garden is a garden situated at Gureghar on Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani road in Satara district of Maharashtra. A trip to Mapro Garden is one of the top things to do in Mahabaleshwar.

Mapro Garden is very popular tourist spot in Mahabaleshwar and is known for their strawberry produce. The name Mapro is short form of Mahabaleshwar Products. Mapro was founded in 1959 by Mr. Kishore Vora and it is very popular in Maharashtra state for its processed fruit products like fruit crushes, squash, etc. Mapro has also diversified into products like chocolates, honey, gulkand and many more.

The major highlight of Mapro Garden is the chocolate factory within the premises. Visitors can also see a small nursery full of beautiful flowers and plants. There are various counters selling different Mapro products. Tourists can .....

At a distance of 20 km from Mahabaleshwar, 140 km from Pune & 221 km from Mumbai, Pratapgad, also known as Pratapgarh, is a large hill fort located in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the best heritage places to visit near Mumbai, and among the popular attractions not to miss as part of Mahabaleshwar packages.

The fort lies at an altitude of 1080 m and is built on a spur that overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar. Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj had commissioned Moropant Pingle, his prime minister, to commence the construction of this fort to defend Nira and the Koyna River banks, and also to guard the Par pass. It is one of the most scenic places to visit in Mahabaleshwar. The construction of the fortress was completed in the year 1656. The .....

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 .....

Lonavala hosts numerous wax museums and a visit to Wax museum is one of the prime attractions in Lonavala.

Most of the wax museums are spread close to the entrance of Lonavala from Pune - Mumbai express highway while there are few museums setup inside the town. Most of the wax museums cover the wax statues of noted personalities from many walks of life - religion, social service, history, art, literature, pop music, etc.

There are wax statues of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, M S Subbulakshmi, Kapil Dev, Charlie Chaplin, Narendra Modi, Saddam Hussein etc. Almost all museums host a large image of Chhatrapati Shivaji. In addition to these, the museums also display images of Shirdi Sai Baba, and Jawahar Lal Nehru, along with wax models of many famous musicians, politicians and social workers.

Average Entry Fee: Rs. 100 for Adults and Rs. 75 for Children above 5 years.

Timings: 9 AM to 9 PM, closed on National Holidays

At a distance of 5 km from Lohagad Fort, 15 km from Lonavala, 71 km from Pune & 119 km from Mumbai, Bhaja Caves are one of the popular Buddhist caves of Hinayana faith in Maharashtra. These caves are one of the top places to visit in Lonavala and among the well known tourist places to visit near Pune & Mumbai. These caves are well known historical places near Pune protected as National Monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Bhaja Caves or Bhaje caves are a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC. The caves are 400 feet above the village of Bhaja on an ancient trade route, which extends from the eastern side of the Arabian Sea towards the Deccan.

The Bhaja Caves are similar to the Karla Caves in style and architectural designs. The most prominent among the excavations is .....

At a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, 66 km from Pune & 114 km from Mumbai, the Lohagad Fort (Iron Fort) is a historical fort situated along the Sahyadri hills in the Lonavala region of Maharashtra. It is one of the best tourist places to visit in Lonavala and also one of the popular heritage in Maharashtra.

Perched atop a hillock at an altitude of 1050 m, the Lohagad Fort separates the Indrayani basin from the Pawna basin. It is also among the popular trekking places to visit near Pune & Mumbai. It is one of the most visited forts in Maharashtra as part of Lonavala tour packages. The fort was built by Guru Govind Singh in 1564 CE to serve as a prison. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals .....

At a distance of 15 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 10 km from Lohagad Fort, Pawna Lake is an artificial lake formed by water of Pawna dam. Situated towards the outskirts of Lonavala, this lake is one of the top Lonavala tourist places.

Nestled amidst the scenic locales of Kamshet, this lake came into existence after the construction of the Pawna Dam, and now it plays a scenic host for camping, picnics and sightseeing. Pawna Lake is fast gaining popularity among the locals who are looking for a quiet weekend getaway with friends and family.

The lake is surrounded by rich greenery, making it one of the best places to visit in Lonavala. Facilities for row and motor boating are available at this place, which add to its popularity. While enjoying a boat ride on the lake, tourists get magnificent views of three ancient forts- Tikona, Lohagad and Tung.

Currently boating is stopped in the lake.

Entry Fee: Rs. .....