Top 10 Hill Stations in Maharashtra: You Should Visit Once

Hill Stations always have a special place in everyone’s heart, Hills and mountains give a different glimpse than any others tourists places.

In this era of full technology and taller building, people are missing nature and natural beauty very badly, as the cities are growing rapidly and destroying all-natural things brutally without thinking.

Even the kids are drawing the mountains, hills with the sunrise, but it is hard to see the same thing nowadays.

People are now don’t want to go some space for their holiday rather they want to spend their nights at the Hill and mountains with some peace.

In this rapidly growing world, not only nature is destroying but also the peace, everywhere there is the noise pollution rise and also the speed came into the life.

For getting a feeling of peace and to slow down the speed of life, people want to stop and relax where they can spend time with family in the presence of nature.

Weathers on the hill stations and mountains are indeed very beautiful and once can willing to experience it, it takes the spirit to a high level.

Hill stations and mountains, take you away from the pollution you face daily in the cities and also from the daily struggle of urban life.

In the many Bollywood movies, you have seen the romance is blooming into the lap of mountains, through its many melodious and scenic songs.

In this case, Maharashtra richest state of India, as there are mountains everywhere from the “Sahyadri” mountains range to the “Satpuda” mountains range.

Hills and Mountains are the major part of Maharashtra tourism, where you can experience the beauty of nature and a glimpse of hills.

All the hills and Mountains are a few miles away from the major cities of Maharashtra, where you can go and spend a perfect family weekend.

So whether you are looking for a perfect family weekend, a much-needed break from pollution, want to relax with the blissful nature or want to go for a romantic date.!!!  Mountains are calling you!

Here, The top 10 Hill Stations in Maharashtra: You Should Visit Once

1. Mahabaleshwar
2. Matheran
3. Igatpuri
4. Malshej Ghat
5. Bhandardara
6. Lonavala – Khandala
7. Chikhaldara
8. Amboli
9. Toranmal
10. Jawhar

Let’s see a little bit more about each hill station to clear the idea about the place so that you can also get the idea about the same.

The first hill station from the top 10 hill stations in Maharashtra, mahabaleshwar hill station is popular and well known among all.

It is the Maharashtra’s favorite hill station, most of the grandparents have the Mahabaleshwar as their honeymoon destination.

Mahabaleshwar is one of the largest hill stations in the Sahyadri range, which is located around 1300 meters above sea level in the Satara district of Maharashtra.

It is also located near two major cities of Maharashtra, Mumbai and Pune. located 285km from Mumbai and 120km southwest from Pune.

Now the question is why it is so much popular, the first reason behind it is the environment, an air of Mahabaleshwar have something in it that gives you another level of experience.

While going to Mahabaleshwar from Pune, you have to go through a long “Ghats” and while going through it the valley views are awesome, there is greenery everywhere you don’t want to go away.

The jaw-dropping sceneries of hills and valleys along with the awesome view of sunrise and sunset, an adorable shopping street gives specially visit at night gives you memories never before.

The Venna lake is perfect for photography, which no one wants to miss along with the ancient temple of Lord Shiva.

The Mahabaleshwar is also popular for one of the major reasons, which is the Krishna river has its origin here.

And then of course the last thing for its delicious strawberries. People took the strawberries from here in large amounts to gift them to their near and dear ones.

Places to Visit Near Mahabaleshwar

• Panchgani – Popular for many views and also the hill station
• Pratap gad – Witness for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Afzal Khan’s historic meeting

Matheran is another popular hill station that comes near Mumbai and has a distance of only 85km from the city.

Matheran is a word that has a simple meaning, If we break it the word “Math” simply means Head and “Ran” means Forest, Matheran means “Forest on the head”.

Matheran is an eco-friendly hill station, while many hill stations slipping target to over-tourism which certainly leads it to excessive pollution, Matheran is spared.

Matheran has a law there, which does not allow motorized vehicles on its roads. Be prepared to walk or to ride on a horse while thinking about the Matheran.

It is one of the tiniest hill stations in Asia, but indeed it is a big one that offers a lot to travellers, including the long trek into the forest which gives you a chance to feel the beauty of the Forest.

It includes scenic viewpoints and quaintness of its own, the famous toy train ride takes you up to the hills through peaceful panoramas adds a cherry onto the delicious cake.

One thing to remember here is the train was suspended during the monsoon season.

You can explore the hill station by walking or by taking horse riding, it leads you to several vantage spots from where you can have spectacular views.

While going to Matheran must carry a walking stick with you and also must try the “chikki”, “fudge” and “honey” in Matheran.

During the winters or post-monsoons, the foggy peaceful walkways and forests indeed enchant you to a world that seems absolutely unreal.

Places to Visit Near Matheran

• Kamshet
• Rajmachi

Igatpuri is the popular hill station in the western ghats near the Nashik districts, It is surrounded by the highest peaks in the Sahyadri range.

It is a feast for nature lovers and for those whole love to do some thrill in life. The scenery in the Igatpuri is very much loving.

Igatpuri is the hometown of Vipassana International Academy. The international centre of the Vipassana meditation called “Dhammagiri”, apparently the biggest Vipassana Center, is located here.

Igatpuri have many forts near it, which is surely the feast for the trekkers and hikers. Most of the Bollywood songs are shoot in the Igatpuri region.

There are various Historic forts, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and some splendid sceneries, which together makes the Igatpuri a favourite place to visit for nature lovers.

There are marvellous places which are nothing but cherries on the cake for the photographers.

As the Igatpuri is near three major cities Nashi, Mumbai, and Pune, many people come to spend their weekends in the presence of nature and greenery.

It is the place where you have visited during the monsoon and surely you will say that heaven is come to visit you on earth.

Igatpuri Cemetery is where soldiers are buried here who died while fighting for India in a great war, it lies onto the hillock, north of the town.

Places to Visit Near Matheran

• Kalsubai Peak
• Arthur Lake

Malshej ghat is a place you have to visit during the monsoon and have to experience how tremendously beautiful rains can actually get.

People crowded in Malsheh Ghat during the monsoon to refresh their minds, body, and soul on the green landscape and the overflowing waters dropping from the waterfalls.

The place is located near the border of Pune district and Thane district. Malshej Ghat is the mountain access in the Western Ghats range in the Kalyan to Ahmednagar Road.

The heavy rainfall combined with morning fog, cooling air, and dense greenery all around, perfect for photography, which certainly seems to have escaped a painting.

Flamingos are also one of the most tourist attractions of Malshej Ghat, they migrate here from the very long Rann of Kutch which is the Gujarat state of India.

Malshej Ghat is therefore as much heaven for developing ornithologists too. It is the home of a hundred various flora and fauna.

It is nearly 130 km north of Pune and 150km towards the northeast of Mumbai.

The major attraction of the Malshej Ghat is its beautiful valleys but you can find the animals also there. If you are lucky enough you can see the tigers also.

Other animals leopards, rabbits and peacocks etc. can be found in Malshej Ghat.

Places to Visit Near Malshej Ghat

• Two Ashtavinayak Temples namely “Ozar” and “Lenyadri”
• Naneghat

You can say Bhandardara is the holiday resort village situated near Igatpuri, Ahmednagar district, in the Western ghats of India.

Bhandardara has a beautiful natural environment with Waterfalls, mountains, Arthur lake, and Randha falls which are major tourist attractions of Bhandaradara.

Bhandardara has many beautiful sites near it which are like a feast for the tourist and the perfect scenery makes your photos more beautiful which works as a cherry on the cake.

Families come here frequently during the weekends to spend time with their loved ones in the presence of nature and want to hide or escape from the hurry and bustle of urban life.

It is also a hot spot for the beautiful ancient Amruteshwar Shiva temple. The temple is also popular for its unique and marvellous architecture.

Trekkers come to Bhandaradar for climbing the two most popular forts Ratangad and Harishchandragad. Even the highest peak in Maharashtra “Kalsubai” is located 12 km away from Bhandardara.

Places to Visit Near Bhandardara

• Wilson Dam
• Arthur Lake

If your mind come question, Which is the famous hill station in Maharashtra?  Here, is your answer

Lonavala, Maharashtra. Lonavala is one of the famous hill stations in Maharashtra & it is also known as the “Jewel of Sahyadri” The area is rich in wild beauty, with green forests, waterfalls, lakes, caves, forts, and trekking and hiking trails.

Lonavala and Khandala are both hill stations that are the most popular among everyone and why so? is it because of some Bollywood song? Yes, you guess it right.

“Aati Kya Khandala“, the song is in the “Ghulam” movie and it is the most popular song at that time. Many people come to know about the place because of the song only.

The People from Mumbai and Pune are blessed with these two amazing hill stations Lonavala and Khandala, which are just a jump away from both the cities.

Both hill stations are well known because of their delightful and refreshing climate. During the monsoon, you can see the beautiful greenery covered all over the place.

Many peoples from all over India including the Bollywood celebrities preferred Lonavala and Khandala in the first place, many Bollywood celebrities have their weekend home in both hills stations.

Both hill stations have some spectacular views of the valley and hills with tiny dramatic villages tucked in the folds.

Bhushi dam is the vary famous among all which is at Lonavala and have major draw during the monsoon. People crowded theirs during the monsoon as the water fell on each step of the dam.

Lonavala and Khandala are 3 kilometers away from each other, 65 kilometers to the west from Pune and 95 km to the east of Mumbai.

Places to Visit Near Bhandardara

• Karla and Bhaja caves
• Temple of Goddess Ekvira

Chikhaldara hill station which is away from Mumbai and Pune is situated near the Vidarbha district.

But the question arises here is it worth going there by doing a lot of travelling, Yes, the answer is yes, it is definitely worth lots of distance travelling.

It is also famous as a roaring hill station, for the presence of Tigers in its surroundings!

It is said that this is the place where Bheem killed the vicious Keechaka in a strenuous bout and then tossed him into the valley.

And because of this, the place came to know as a “Keechakadara”, hence Chikhaldara which is a mispronunciation of the place.

The place is also known for the wildlife near it, it is closed to one of the most popular Melghat Tiger Project which has more than 80 tigers.

Including the Tiger, the place is covered by various animals like panthers, sloth bears, sambars, wild boars, rarely seen wild dogs, and many more.

The area is mostly covered by the Forest, it gives you a glimpse of it and you can enjoy its scenery more, it is a must visited spot for those whole love to spend their time in the forest.

Chikhaldara is a tiny hill station within Maharashtra and the only coffee-growing area in a region, many tourists enjoy the taste of the territory’s coffee.

Places to Visit Near Chikhaldara

• Bhimkund
• Melghat Tiger Reserve.

Amboli is at the southernmost spike of Maharashtra in Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg.

“Queen of Maharashtra” is the nickname of the Amboli and you can guess the natural wonder it has only from this name.

Another hill station that is at its best during the monsoon, it’s an ecological hotspot, cool, calm, and peaceful.

Amboli has a very dense forest with a large number of beautiful waterfalls that multiplies during the rains. The one who loves to roam into the forest and want to enjoy under the waterfalls, Amboli is the dream destination for them.

Amboli offers many spectacular points where you can click some awesome pictures for you, hills and valleys adding the cherry on the cake which everyone wants to enjoy more.

The varieties of flora and fauna add more beauty to the Amboli which includes the many different species of trees, plants, wild animals, birds, butterflies, frogs, reptiles, and more.

Places to Visit Near Amboli

• Hiranya Keshi Temple
• Madhavgad Fort

Toranmal is the second coolest hill station in Maharashtra located in the Saputara range.

Toranmal is as beautiful as Mahabaleshwar and is most popular in the area of North Maharashtra, Some parts of Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh also.

Toranmal comes in the Nanadurbar District of North Maharashtra, the region also known as “Khandesh”.

Forgoing up onto the Toranmal you have to go through a “Ghat” which is circulated around the mountain in 7 different layers, these layers of roads can be seen from the top of Toranmal and it is also called as “Sat Payrya”, that simply means 7 Steps.

These 7 Steps are having Sharp twists and turns, which you to take care of while riding. If you are lucky enough can have a chance to see Bear, Deer, Peacocks, Chitta and many more animals.

Toranmal has a dense forest and with that various types of Ayurvedic medicinal plants. Local people of Toranmal use these plants for eating and curing.

Toranmal has an ancient temple of Lord Shiva, and because of this on the occasion of “Mahashivratri” each year there is an organization of “Yatra” for which many devotees come in large amounts to take blessings.

Toranmal is an amazing place you must have a visit, it has several spots to visit. It also has a famous valley called “Sita Khai” in which you can see several Waterfalls.

Other Spots which are beautiful and picture-perfect are Lotus Lake, Macchindranath cave, Yashavant Lake, Khadki Point.

Places to Visit Near Toranmal

• Statue of Unity
• Sardar Sarovar

Jawhar is the hill station near the Igatpuri, while visiting the Igatpuri you can also plan to visit Jawhar.

Many of you have not known about the place very much or either has heard this name first time, but it is decorated with beautiful waterfalls and valleys.

By seeing the most beautiful and spectacular Tribal art and Warli paintings which give Jawhar its fame you will be mesmerised.

While your stay at Jawhar you can visit the marvellous architectures such as the Shipramal and Jai Villas Palace.

Kalmandavi Waterfalls, the Jai Sagar Dam, and the Jawhar Fort are some name of the spots you can visit and enjoy the scenery of Jawhar.

There are many forts, dams and beautiful waterfalls sets near Jawhar which makes it one of the must-visit hill stations, there are many sunrise and sunset points you can visit and enjoy nature with the taste of lovely Maharashtrian food.

Places to Visit Near Jawhar

• Dabdaba Falls
• Jai Vilas Palace