Maharashtra Travel Guide: Where to Go, When to Visit

Photo: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Maharashtra runs from the Konkan coast up the steep wall of the Sahyadri hills, the Western Ghats, and on to the Deccan plateau. Travellers come for Mumbai, the rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora, the hill forts of the Marathas, green hill towns in the monsoon and tiger forests in the east. Mumbai is the usual way in; Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are the bases for the hills and the caves.

A coast, a wall of hills and a plateau of caves, a few hours apart.

Where to go

• Mumbai: the Gateway of India, the Victorian and Art Deco buildings around the Oval Maidan, and a ferry to the Elephanta Caves.
• Ajanta and Ellora: painted Buddhist caves in a river gorge at Ajanta, and at Ellora the Kailasa temple, cut down into a single hill of rock. Ajanta closes on Mondays, Ellora on Tuesdays.
• The Maratha forts: Raigad, Shivneri, Pratapgad, Sindhudurg and others, built or held by the Marathas and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most mean a climb.
• Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani: the best-known hill towns of the Sahyadri, with viewpoints over deep valleys and strawberry farms in winter.
• Matheran: a small hill town near Mumbai where cars are not allowed. A narrow-gauge toy train climbs from Neral.
• Lonavala and the ghats: monsoon waterfalls, misty passes and the old Buddhist caves at Karla and Bhaja.
• The Konkan coast: quiet beaches and fishing towns from Alibaug to Ganpatipule and Tarkarli, with the sea fort at Malvan.
• Nashik and Trimbakeshwar: vineyards, ghats on the Godavari and one of the Jyotirlinga temples. See Maharashtra's temples.
• Tadoba: the state's best-known tiger reserve, near Chandrapur in the east, with teak forest and lakes.

Main cities

Mumbai is the capital, a city of trade and films, best seen on foot in the old Fort area, along Marine Drive at dusk and in its food streets. The other cities are bases as much as places in their own right.

• Pune: Shaniwar Wada, the Aga Khan Palace, and day trips to Sinhagad and the forts of the Sahyadri.
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad): Bibi ka Maqbara, Daulatabad Fort, and the base for Ajanta and Ellora.
• Nagpur: the gateway to Tadoba, Pench and the forests of Vidarbha, and known for its oranges.
• Nashik: temples on the Godavari, Trimbakeshwar and the wine country around the city.
• Kolhapur: the Mahalakshmi temple, Kolhapuri chappals and some of the spiciest food in the state.
• Solapur: handloom chaddars (bedsheets), and the road to the temple town of Pandharpur.

Festivals

• Gudi Padwa (March or April): the Marathi new year, with a cloth and neem flag raised outside homes and processions in the cities.
• Ashadhi Ekadashi and the Wari (June or July): pilgrims walk for about three weeks to the Vitthal temple at Pandharpur, singing as they go.
• Ganesh Chaturthi (August or September): ten days of street pandals, music and processions, ending with immersions in the sea at Mumbai.
• Diwali (October or November): lamps, rangoli, and boxes of faral, the festive sweets and snacks.

These dates follow the Hindu calendar and shift each year; check before you go.

Food to try

• Vada pav: a spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutneys, Mumbai's everyday snack.
• Misal pav: sprouted lentils in a hot, thin curry, topped with crunchy farsan and eaten with bread.
• Pav bhaji: mashed vegetable curry cooked with butter on a flat griddle, served with toasted buns.
• Puran poli: flatbread filled with sweet lentil and jaggery, made for festivals.
• Kolhapuri tambda and pandhra rassa: a fiery red mutton broth and a mild white one, served together.
• Malvani fish curry and sol kadhi: coconut fish curry from the Konkan, with a pink drink of kokum and coconut milk.

Stories from Maharashtra

• Temples of Maharashtra: Shirdi, Siddhivinayak and Jyotirlingas
• Cities in Maharashtra: Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Where to Go

Plan your visit

Best season	October to March for cities, caves and forts. June to September brings heavy monsoon rain: the ghats and hill towns turn green and full of waterfalls, but roads and treks can be slippery and some fort paths close. April and May are hot on the plateau.
How to reach	Fly into Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, or the new Navi Mumbai International Airport; Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar also have airports. Main railway stations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai Central and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai, Pune Junction and Nagpur Junction. The Konkan Railway runs down the coast.
Getting around	Trains and state buses (MSRTC) link most towns. Mumbai has suburban trains, a metro and taxis. For the caves, forts and coast, a car with a driver saves time; at Ajanta a site bus runs from the parking area to the caves.
Where to stay	South Mumbai (Colaba, Fort) or the western suburbs; central Pune; Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for Ajanta and Ellora; Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani or Matheran in the hills; Alibaug, Ganpatipule or Malvan on the coast; villages by the Moharli or Kolara gates for Tadoba.
How long to spend	Two or three days for Mumbai. A week for Mumbai, Ajanta, Ellora and one hill town. Add three or four days for the Konkan coast or Tadoba.
Permits	No permits are needed for travel in Maharashtra. Tadoba safaris are booked on the Forest Department site (mytadoba.mahaforest.gov.in) up to 120 days ahead; the core zone is closed on Tuesdays and from 30 June to 30 September.

Open Maharashtra, India in Google Maps

Questions people ask

What is the best time to visit Maharashtra?

October to March for sightseeing. The monsoon, June to September, is the time to see the Sahyadri hills at their greenest, if you do not mind rain.

Which days are Ajanta and Ellora closed?

The Archaeological Survey of India lists Ajanta as closed on Mondays and Ellora as closed on Tuesdays. Plan two separate days from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

How do I reach Matheran?

Take a train to Neral, then the toy train or a taxi to Dasturi Naka. Cars stop there; you walk, ride a horse or take a hand-pulled rickshaw into town.

Is Tadoba open in the monsoon?

The core zone closes from 30 June to 30 September and reopens on 1 October. Buffer-zone safaris continue in the monsoon, depending on weather and roads.

How many days do I need for Maharashtra?

About a week covers Mumbai, Ajanta, Ellora and one hill town. Add a few days for the Konkan coast or a tiger reserve.

Written by Muthu, editor of Aura of India. Sources: Maharashtra Tourism: Matheran, Archaeological Survey of India: Ellora Caves, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve: safari booking and rules, UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Maratha Military Landscapes of India. Last verified: 13 October 2026.

Your turn: Which Maratha fort would you send a first-time visitor to, and in which season?