1 Short Day Trip Ideas from Pune

Sinhagad Fort (Kondhana)

Distance from Pune: 30 kms (Around 1 hour and 10 minutes)
What to expect: A historically significant hill fortress near Pune, known for its brave history and panoramic views.
Things to do: Trekking, photography, exploration of temples and caves, scenic drives.

Kamshet

Distance from Pune: 50 kms (Around 1 hour and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A very popular destination for paragliding, boasting of great views of the landscape surrounding it.
Things to do: Paragliding, exploring ancient caves, relaxing by Pawna Lake.

Mulshi

Distance from Pune: 50 kms (Around 1 hour and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A scenic area near Pune, famous for the Mulshi Dam and the natural beauty it offers.
Things to do: Visit Mulshi Dam, picnic, nature walks, boating at Mulshi Lake, explore Tamhini Ghat.

Pawna Lake

Distance from Pune: 55 kms (Around 1 hour and 30 minutes)
What to expect: A picturesque artificial reservoir close to Lonavala, popular for camping and boating.
Things to do: Paragliding from Kamshet, camping, water sports like boating and kayaking, trekking at nearby historical forts.

Bedse Caves

Distance from Pune: 55 kms (Around 1 hour and 25 minutes)
What to expect: Ancient rock-cut caves from the Buddhist period, famous for their chaitya halls and viharas.
Things to do: Explore the rock-cut caves, enjoy panoramic views from the hilltop.

Bhor

Distance from Pune: 55 kms (Around 1 hour and 30 minutes)
What to expect: A historically significant town near the Western Ghats, known for its natural surroundings and the Bhatghar Dam.
Things to do: Explore the Bhatghar Dam, visit the Bhor Rajwada, enjoy viewpoints like Necklace Point and sunrise/sunset views.

Rohida Fort

Distance from Pune: 65 kms (Around 1 hour and 45 minutes)
What to expect: Also known as Vichitragad, this fort is known for its strategic importance and remnants of Maratha architecture.
Things to do: Trek to the fort (moderate difficulty), explore Maratha architecture, enjoy photography at the elevation of 3600 ft.

Lohagad

Distance from Pune: 65 kms (Around 1 hour and 35 minutes)
What to expect: A historically valuable fort near Lonavala, famous for its architecture and strategic location.
Things to do: Trekking (easy to moderate difficulty), visit Bhaja Caves, explore Visapur Fort via connecting ridge.

Lonavala

Distance from Pune: 70 kms (Around 1 hour and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A top getaway destination in the Sahyadri range, famous for its picturesque beauty.
Things to do: Visit Lonavala Lake, Tiger Point, Lion’s Point, Bhushi Dam, Sunil’s Celebrity Wax Museum, Shree Narayani Dham Temple, and shop for “Chikki“.

Khandala

Distance from Pune: 75 kms (Around 1 hour and 30 minutes)
What to expect: A scenic hill station known for its beautiful valleys, waterfalls, and mild climate.
Things to do: Visit Duke’s Nose, Kune Falls, and cliff-top views from Tiger Point and Lion’s Point.

Rajmachi

Distance from Pune: 85 kms (Around 2 hours and 35 minutes)
What to expect: A historic fort complex near Lonavala known for trekking and panoramic views.
Things to do: Trek to the Twin Forts, camping in Udhewadi village, Firefly trek during pre-monsoon.

Panchgani

Distance from Pune: 100 kms (Around 2 hours and 30 minutes)
What to expect: A peaceful hill station known for its pleasant weather and strawberry farming.
Things to do: Visit Table Land (2^nd highest plateau in Asia), Sydney Point, Parsi Point, Wilson Point, nearby strawberry farms.

Vairatgad Fort

Distance from Pune: 100 kms (Around 2 hours and 30 minutes)
What to expect: A small but significant hill fort offering scenic valley views.
Things to do: Trekking, visit temples, view ancient water tanks.

2 Weekend Trip Ideas from Pune

Bhimashankar

Distance from Pune: 110 kms (Around 3 hours and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A pilgrimage site and wildlife sanctuary housing one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Things to do: Visit Bhimashankar Temple (Jyotirlinga), explore the sanctuary, trekking and hiking.

Mahabaleshwar

Distance from Pune: 120 kms (Around 3 hours)
What to expect: A popular hill station known for forests, viewpoints, and strawberry farms.
Things to do: Visit Arthur’s Seat, Wilson Point (Sunrise point), Bombay Point (Sunset), Boating at Venna Lake, Lingmala Falls, strawberry farms, horse riding, trekking.

Kamalgad Fort

Distance from Pune: 120 kms (Around 2 hours and 45 minutes)
What to expect: A lesser-known hill fort with unique rock-cut architecture.
Things to do: Trek to the fort (moderate difficulty).

Matheran

Distance from Pune: 120 kms (Around 3 hours and 15 minutes)
What to expect: An automobile-free hill station with panoramic views.
Things to do: Ride the toy train from Neral, explore Panorama Point, Louisa Point, Porcupine Point.

Kolad

Distance from Pune: 125 kms (Around 3 hours)
What to expect: An adventure tourism hub famous for white-water rafting.
Things to do: Rafting on the Kundalika River, camping by the river.

Malshej Ghat

Distance from Pune: 125 kms (Around 3 hours)
What to expect: A mountain pass in the Western Ghats famous for waterfalls and wildlife.
Things to do: Waterfalls during monsoon, misty landscapes, camping, bird watching, photography.

Sagargad Fort

Distance from Pune: 135 kms (Around 3 hours)
What to expect: A hill fort near Alibaug, offering scenic views and known for historical significance.
Things to do: Trekking (moderate difficulty), visit the temple within the fort, enjoy panoramic views. (See detailed blog – external link)

Raigad Fort

Distance from Pune: 135 kms (Around 3 hours and 30 minutes)
What to expect: Former capital of the Maratha Empire, a historic hilltop fortress.
Things to do: Reach via ropeway or trek, explore fort complex, visit Jagadishwar Temple, see Takmak Tok.

Kaas Plateau

Distance from Pune: 135 kms (Around 3 hours)
What to expect: A UNESCO World Heritage Site and biodiversity hotspot, transforms into a valley of flowers during monsoon.
Things to do: Witness blooming wildflowers during Aug-Oct (Note: Advance booking required as max 3000 visitors/day are allowed), visit Kaas Lake.

3 Long Weekend Getaway ideas from Pune

Alibaug

Distance from Pune: 150 kms (Around 3 hours and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A coastal town renowned for beaches and forts.
Things to do: Visit beaches (Alibaug, Nagaon, Mandwa, Varsoli, Awas, Kihim), forts (Kolaba, Murud-Janjira, Revdanda, Korlai), temples (Kanakeshwar, Vikram Vinayak), water sports at Nagaon.

Diveagar

Distance from Pune: 160 kms (Around 4 hours)
What to expect: A serene seaside village known for its clean beach and Suvarna Ganesh temple.
Things to do: Relax on Diveagar Beach, visit Suvarna Ganesh Temple, explore betel nut plantations, Harihareshwar Temple and Beach, Bankot Fort.

Bhandardara

Distance from Pune: 170 kms (Around 4 hours and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A peaceful hill station and resort village known for Arthur Lake and Mount Kalsubai.
Things to do: Boating on Arthur Lake, explore Wilson Dam, trek to Mount Kalsubai, witness Randha Falls, visit Amruteshwar Temple.

Kashid

Distance from Pune: 180 kms (Around 4 hours)
What to expect: A coastal village known for white sands and serene waters.
Things to do: Relax and sunbathe on Kashid Beach, swimming, shoreline walks, water sports, explore Korlai Fort.

Dapoli

Distance from Pune: 200 kms (Around 4 hours and 45 minutes)
What to expect: A sea town known for clean beaches and historical sites.
Things to do: Visit beaches (Karde, Ladghar, Murud, Kelshi, Kolthare), Unhaware Hot Springs, water sports, dolphin watching, forts (Janjira, Kanakdurg), Panhalekaji Caves.

Igatpuri

Distance from Pune: 200 kms (Around 5 hours and 15 minutes)
What to expect: A hill station in the Western Ghats famed for the Vipassana Academy.
Things to do: Visit Vipassana Academy, explore Bhatsa River Valley, Vaitarna Dam and Lake, JenJon Lake Vaitarna Waterfalls, Camel Valley, hike to Tringalwadi Fort.

Silvassa

Distance from Pune: 300 kms (Around 7 hours)
What to expect: Known for natural beauty and Portuguese colonial architecture.
Things to do: Relax at Dudhani Lake and Madhuban Dam, visit Swaminarayan Mandir, Nakshatra Van, day trip to Daman.

1. _{Cover Image sourced from Tanmay Haldar, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons} ↩︎
2. _{Descriptive content is sourced from Gemini, a Google AI}. ↩︎