Being the third largest state in India in terms of area, Maharashtra embodies a number of significant towns and cities, the importance of each linked to factors like religion, economy, historicity and so on. The majority population here consists of Hindus and the tradition and culture of Maharashtra reflect that. The state is dotted with numerous temples all over some of which are hundreds of years old. Here’s information about important towns and cities in Maharashtra from traveling point of view.
Duration – 11 Nights / 12 Days
Destinations – Mumbai – Nashik – Aurangabad – Pune – Mahabaleshwar – Chiplun – Ratnagiri
Day 1
Arrival at Mumbai
On arrival at the Mumbai airport / railway station. check in at the hotel and spend the second half of the day relaxing in your room. You spend the night in your hotel room in Mumbai city.
Day 2
Mumbai Sightseeing
After a hearty brunch, you spend the entire day exploring the vibrant city of Mumbai today. There are so many significant tourist hotspots you can visit like the 1920-constructed Marine Dive area lining the shores of the Arabian Sea from Nariman Point to the foot of Malabar hills, the Chowpatty Beach, Hanging Gardens, Gateway of India, Prince Charles Museum and so on. You return to your hotel in the evening, have dinner and spend the night there.
Day 3
Mumbai – Nashik (185 kms / 5 hrs)at Mumbai
In the morning, you will drive down to Nasik which’s among the principal producers of grapes and onions in India. You check in at the hotel upon arriving at the city of Nasik. In the second half of the day, you tour the Panchvati area where river Godavari flows. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman spent some time here. This place is thus dotted with a number of temples. You get back to your hotel for night stay at Nasik.
Day 4
Nashik – Aurangabad (218 kms / 05 hrs)
You leave for a morning excursion to nearby Triambakeshwar temple, which is counted among the 12 Jyotirlingas (Shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva) in India. The remarkable feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is that it has three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Later on, you drive down to Aurangabad and check in at a hotel. Night Stay is at Aurangabad hotel.
Day 5
Aurangabad
After breakfast, you spend the entire day seeing the world famous Ajanta and Ellora caves located on the outskirts. Known as Khadke originally, the region was founded in the year 1610 by Malik Ambar. It was rechristened as Aurangabad after the name of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. After sightseeing, you get back to your hotel in Aurangabad where spend the night.
Day 6
Aurangabad – Pune (214 kms/ 05 hrs)
You utilize the first half of the day sightseeing in the city of Aurangabad. Among the popular tourist spots you hit are Aurangzeb Tomb, Windmill and so on. You return to the hotel on time and then depart for Pune thereafter. Upon reaching your destination, you check in at the hotel. Night stay is at Pune hotel.
Day 7
Pune Sightseeing
In 937 AD, Pune was called Punya Vishaya and was then an agricultural region. By 13th under the rule of the Sultan, it began to be called Kasbe Pune and thereafter, Poona by the British. It is since last few years that it began being called Pune. There are many places of tourist interest here like Agha Khan Palace, Osho commune centre, Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Raja Kelkar Museum, Film And Television institute, etc. You spend the whole day sightseeing in Pune. Night stay is at the hotel.
Day 8
Pune – Mahabaleshwar (120 kms / 03 hrs)
After breakfast, you will be driven down to the lovely hill station of Mahabaleshwar. You check in at the hotel upon arrival. You spend the rest of the day relaxing and unwinding in your hotel room. You can opt to go for a refreshing stroll in the evening. Night stay is at the hotel here.
Day 9
Mahabaleshwar Sightseeing
Mahabaleshwar hill resort proffers an ideal getaway to tourists from the mundane city humdrums. This place is not only an important holy site in India, but also serves an ideal destination for honeymooning to newlyweds. So during Mahabaleshwar sightseeing, you can visit the Tapola Lake, Pratapgarh Fort, the picturesque Elphinstone Point and other places here. Night stay will be at the hotel.
Day 10
Mahabalehwar – Chiplun (95 kms / 02 hrs)
After breakfast today, you drive down to the lovely Chiplun town. The glorious view of river Vaishishti peacefully meandering through Chiplun is quite a sight. Once here, you can check in at the hotel and later proceed to explore the Guhagar beach (50 kms), Parshuram temple or other such tourist places. Overnight stay is at Chiplun hotel.
Day 11
Chiplun – Ratnagiri
After breakfast, you leave for an excursion to Ratnagiri. Check in at the hotel, rest a while and hit the beaches here. The Ratnagiri beaches are not only scenic, but also unexploited. Take for instance the lovely Ratnagiri beach where you will find the mountain jutting into the sea and the color of sand on both sides completely different. After spending a leisurely time along the Ratnagiri beach, you return to the hotel for dinner and night stay.
Day 12
Ratnagiri – Mumbai
After a leisurely brunch, you go exploring Ratnagiri a little more. You can see the Sindhudurg Island Fort that was built by Shivaji in 1664 AD. Then there’s Ganapatipule, an ancient pilgrim centre located about 25-km from Ratnagiri. It houses a naturally formed idol of Ganapati. In the second half, you will be driven back to Mumbai, where your tour concludes.