Pune is one city in which any travel junkie would love to stay! And why not? With so many beautiful hill stations in and around Pune, you would be dying to wait for the weekend and prepare yourself to visit Lonavala, Khandala, Lavasa, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Malshej Ghat and many more hill stations! All you need is a bike or a car and you are all set to explore the scenic hill stations that Pune has to offer. In case you don’t have a vehicle need not worry! The road/rail connectivity is pretty decent, although its not as fun as riding or driving to one of the beautiful hill stations in and around Pune in one’s bike or car.
Assuming you are all set for your next weekend getaway from Pune’s busy life, I present to you the list of hill stations around Pune and a brief detail about them along with some beautiful pictures.
1) Lonavala hill station:
Hire or borrow a car, in case you don’t have one and be ready to enjoy on of the most scenic drive you could get in Pune. Excellent place to go with friends or spouse alike. It’s an hour drive after you hit the new Pune Mumbai expressway. Once you reach the second toll you would know that you have reached Lonavala by experiencing a drop in temperature and fog in the area. You can cover Lonavala hill station in a day itself, however if you have time in hand, book a nice resort( ask if they have some games or activities) and cover the hill station in leisure.
Lonavala hill station distance from Pune: 60 Kms
2) Khandala hill station:
Just 20 mins from Lonavala hill station is another beautiful hill station – Khandala. You can visit Karala caves here. These caves are more than 2300 years old and you can see the beautiful wooden architecture. Next to cave is Kali temple which is pretty popular among the locals in Khandala. Also don’t miss to have Bhajiya and tea at Tiger point. You can also see the Duke’s point from there.
Khandala hill station distance from Pune: 75 Kms
3) Lavasa hill station:
Lavasa is nearest to Pune in our hill stations list. It is just 65 kms from Pune and still under construction. At present, things that you can do at Lavasa are Boating, watersports (closed in monsoons), bowling and enjoy the scenic beauty.
Lavasa hill station distance from Pune: 65 Kms
4) Mahabaleshwar hill station:
Another famous hill station around Pune. The best time to visit Mahabaleshwar is between October and June when temperatures range from 16°C to 20°C in and can fall as low as 5°C in winter. Mahabaleshwar offers many attractions like Venna lake where you can do boating and fishing. In case you want to enjoy the scenic view you can stop at dhol dam and be close to nature.
Mahabaleshwar hill station distance from Pune: 120 Kms
5) Panchgani hill station:
Panchgani hill station is just 20 kms from Mahabaleshwar. Although there isin’t much to visit here but since you can cover it along with Mahabaleshwar, you shouldnt miss it. You can visit the two main points here. The Bhilar waterfall and Grandcanyon.
Panchgani hill station distance from Pune: 100 Kms
6) Tapola hill station:
Another hill station close to Mahabalehswar. The 20 mins drive from Mahabaleshwar to Tapola is breath taking. You would be accompanied by two rivers on each side – Koyna and Solshi. Both these rivers meet at Tapola. You can also enjoy boating at the boat club. In case you are a wild life fan you can try to explore the dense forests at Tapola. Many animals are reported to be seen there.
Tapola hill station distance from Pune: 150 Kms
7) Panhala hill station:
Not your typical hill station, Panhala is not commercialized and could not be taken as a picnic spot. However it would be loved by trekkers. The pollution and traffic free hill station provides an ideal place to go for trekking. One can also visit some of the forts that are there in Panhala.
Panhala hill station distance from Pune: 160 kms
8) Malshej Ghat:
Another popular hill station near Pune, The best time to visit Malshej ghat is around August and September. The hill station is covered with lush green vegetation and has many beautiful waterfalls at frequent distances. Due to monsoons the waterfalls and greenery get even beautiful! It is also a place loved by trekkers. Trekking in the dense forest and reaching a waterfall can be a bit of experience. Along with trekking you can also witness few beautiful birds in case you get lucky!
Malshej Ghat hill station distance from Pune: 130 Kms
Hope you get some idea about the popular hill stations near Pune. The above list of Pune hill stations is however not exhaustive. There are many more less visited hill stations that are covered by more daring junta of Pune. In case you have visited any of the hill stations in the above list(or some else), I would love to know your experience.