This monsoon season, water levels are likely to rise and touch the busy roads of Mumbai, making things tough for daily commuters. With a hectic schedule of a 5-day week, severe traffic jams, incessant rains, and lack of fun and entertainment, Mumbaikars need a break and escape from this busy city for a while. While beaches are a common destination, a date with gushing waterfalls, enchanting hills, and various cultural and heritage tourism destinations can make for an exciting getaway. To make your trip more comfortable, you can opt for a rent a car in Mumbai and embark on a road trip to explore the best places to visit in Mumbai. Before you set out, have a look at the following options to explore top unexplored weekend destinations from Mumbai.
Chiplun, Ratnagiri (257 km from Mumbai)
Come to this monsoon destination that is preferred by couples and singles 365 days. There, all Mumbaikars will find the best ambiance to make their weekend an unforgettable moment. It is a riverside attraction that is known for bird watching, significant temples, fruits, and vegetables. This terrific cultural place is considered as a trendy stopover for all travelers returning from Goa on NH-17. There is enough scope for enjoying recreational activities and the following attractions:
- Vashishti River and Lord Parashurama Temple
- Gowalkot Fort and Walawalkar Shivaji Museum
- Sawatsada Waterfalls and Marleshwar Temple
- Koyna Dam and Nehru Smriti Udyan
- Pandavas Caves and Nageshwar Temple
- Guhagar Beach
[Also Read: Top 10 Picnic Spots near Mumbai]
Igatpuri, Nasik (120 km from Mumbai)
With tourism themes of the hill station, honeymoon, cultural, and scenic, Igatpuri is a big hit weekend getaway from Mumbai among fun loving Mumbaikars. A boon for tourists, trekkers, and hikers, Igatpuri entices adventure lovers from all walks of life. With the highest peaks of the Sahyadri range, this hill station exists on the Mumbai-Agra National Highway. For Mumbaikars, this weekend destination is simply a great option for enjoying the rains. Following are some special reasons why you need to visit this place for a temporary stay.
- Enjoy the monsoon clouds hanging over the hill station
- Take a bath under gushing and meandering waterfalls
- Visit Ghatandevi temple and Tringalwadi Fort
- Roam around picturesque Bhatsa River Valley and Camel Valley
- Trek over Kalsubai peak and Vipassana Center
- Try Bitangad trek and Kulangadd trek
[Also Read: Best Hill Stations In Maharashtra]
Karjat, Raigad (65km from Mumbai)
Not known by many travelers, Karjat in the Raigad is a quaint and quiet tourist attraction for a weekend holiday, picnic, rafting, trekking, hiking, adventure, and nature enthusiasts. There, all Mumbaikars will find wonderful home staying options in farm houses. Come to this unique destination this monsoon and enjoy some trekking and river rafting sessions. With the background of Bhor Ghat, this place has the largest chain of farm houses in Asia. Come to this weekend destination for having a date with rock-cut cave temples, trekking trails, and Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s “ND Studios” in the monsoon. When you are in Karjat, don’t forget to do the following attractions:
- Visit the antiquated rock-cut Kondana Caves dedicated to Lord Buddha
- Extraordinary tourist spot Kothaligad (Peth) Fort which is conical in shape
- Jain temple and Ulhas valley
- Kondeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
- Bhor Ghat, Bahiri Cave, and Bhivpuri Waterfall
- Blackwaters of Pali Bhutivali Dam
Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Raigad (47 km from Mumbai)
On the Mumbai-Pune highway, you will find a place where 150 species of resident birds and 37 species of avian migrants are habitats. This place is Karnala Bird Sanctuary with lush green landscapes away from the maddening noise and pollution of Mumbai. Karnala Bird Sanctuary is an ideal weekend getaway for Mumbaikars looking for a good place near Mumbai for a single day hang out with friends and families. This sanctuary is also home to 3 rare birds:
- Ashy Minivet
- Three-toed kingfisher
- Malabar Trogon
Come to this place which is known for local trekking and picnic point. In the park, you will have to track over two ways for trekking. There all, shutterbugs can capture the best wildlife moments in their cameras.
Khandala, Pune (82 km from Mumbai)
A large number people who have never visited Khandala know this place through the famous song ‘Aati kya Khandala’ from the movie ‘Ghulam’, starring Amir Khan and Rani Mukherjee. With its beautiful valleys, verdant hills, tranquil lakes and foggy waterfalls, Khandala reveals its original beauty in the monsoon season and gives all Mumbaikars a reason to come to this place and make a big difference. Nightlife, hill station, scenic, and adventure themes define the exquisite beauty of this unique weekend destination and entice people to visit the following Khandala attractions:
- Rajmachi Fort, Bedsa caves, and Lohagad Fort
- Duke’s Nose, Visapur Fort, and Tiger’s Leap
- Kune Waterfalls, Lonavala Lake, and Bhushi Dam
- Tungarli Lake, Valvan Dam, and Shooting Point
- Reversing Station, Tunga Fort, and Celebrity Wax Museum, Lonavala
- Karla and Bhaja Caves, Shingroba Temple, and Shrivardhan Fort
- Manoranjan Fort, Amrutanjan Point, and Lion’s Point
Kolad, Raigad (122 km from Mumbai)
Kolad is simply known as Maharashtra’s home for white water rafting where Mumbaikars can also enjoy several adventure activities, forts, dams, and waterfalls, away from the pollution and noise of the Mumbai city. Come to this quiet and popular weekend getaway from Mumbai to enjoy rafting, rappelling, and kayaking. The natural beauty of Kolad is multiplied by double during the monsoon season. For shutterbugs, this place is like a heaven as it lets them take the best and candid images of the natural wonders around. If you are living in Mumbai and need an essential break, then the best thing you can do is to go on a road trip to Kolad.
- 14-km long white water rafting in Kundalika River
- Tamhini ghat waterfalls or Valse, Kansai Waterfalls, and hot springs at Uddhar
- Bhira dam or the Tata Powerhouse Dam for irrigational purposes
- Ghosala Fort between the Revdanda and the Salav Creeks
- Kuda Mandad Caves having 13 Buddhist caves
- Tala Fort amid lush greenery on hilly terrains
- Gaimukh village with famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
- Sutarwadi Lake having a picturesque ambiance
- City Shopping and Plus Valley Trek
Lonavala, Pune (83 km from Mumbai)
Known for nightlife, adventure, honeymoon, hill station, and scenic themes, Lonavala in the Pune district is a great tourist place for its mesmerizing valleys, gushy waterfalls, green meadows, and lush mountains. Thanks to the British Governor Lord Elphinstone for finding this place that always attracts film directors to this place. Popular television reality show ‘Bigg Boss’ is shot at this place every year. Mumbaikars need to go on a short road trip to reach this popular tourist destination as a weekend getaway and try the following special things to do in Lonavala.
- Visit Bushy Dam to see the artificial waterfall
- Guess the peak’s height from Tiger’s Leap
- Spend some quality time at Lonavala Lake
- Appreciate the view from Rajmachi Point
- Visit Bhaja Caves built by Buddhist nuns
- Stunning with the architectural magnificence of Lohagad Fort
- Birds’ eye views of Karle and Bhaja caves
- Look at the true colors of nature with Ryewood Park’s varieties of flora
- Go for trekking and hiking with Nagphani woods or Dukes nose
Mahabaleshwar, Satara (260 km from Mumbai)
In the Satara district of Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar is the queen of hill stations that catches all eyes with its flimsy landscapes, meandering cascades, superb streams, and delightful peaks. This scenic hill station boasts of a stimulating ambiance blessed with evergreen forest, varied orchards, and wildlife. With wonderful peaks and deep green woods, Mahabaleshwar has lots of tourist attractions for all Mumbaikars looking for a great escape from the hectic city life just for 2 days. During the monsoon, the natural beauty of this weekend getaway from Mumbai makes a big difference to the growth of tourism as it attracts more travelers from all walks of life.
- Visit Venna Lake, a bustling tourist spot
- Mapro Garden abundant with strawberry plantation
- Pratapgad Fort for remembering forgotten war stories
- Lingamala Falls, a natural delight of all nature lovers
- Elephant’s Head Point matching the shape of an elephant’s head
- Tapola or mini Kashmir, a rustic hamlet with a beautiful lake
- Ludwick point or Sydney point for epic views
Malshej Ghat, Pune (130 km from Mumbai)
A hill station for adventure lovers in Pune is a big hit spot among tourist and is known for with its numerous lakes, water bodies, waterfalls, and mountains. Malshej Ghat, a famous mountain pass, is popular among hikers, trekkers and nature lovers owing to its widespread beauty. That is why Mumbaikars like to throng this place 365 days, especially in monsoon when everything becomes more enticing and appealing around. Come to this pollution-free and the lush green area in order to shed the tension of city life away in an effective manner. Following are some top attractions of this place that beacon all nature lovers.
- Pimpalgaon Joga Dam
- Cascading Malshej Falls
- Harishchandragad Fort Trek
- Ajoba Hill Fort
Alibag, Raigarh (98 km from Mumbai)
A captivating coastal town in the Konkan ranges of Maharashtra Alibag is a popular and ideal weekend destination for kicking out the long week boredom in an effective way. Alibagh was developed by Shivaji’s naval chief Kanhoji Angre and it is also known as Goa of Maharashtra. With clear sea water, cool breeze, serene ambiance, and golden beaches, Alibaug have almost everything that people from urban areas will like to have for spending their quality time with their friends and families on a weekend. When you are in Alibag, you are supposed to bring the best out of your short trips with the following attractions:
- Alibag beach to enjoy the sight of the Colaba Fort
- Kihim beach to enjoy cool breeze and photography
- Nagaon beach for snorkeling and scuba diving
- Kolaba fort to explore ancient history
- Kanakeshwar Forest and Someshwar Temple
- Khanderi fort and Revdand fort
- The Rewas Jetty and Murud Janjira fort
Umbergaon, Valsad, Gujrat (155 km from Mumbai)
Best Places to Visit in Mumbai are usually found overcrowded. That is why an unusual place like Umbergaon will give Mumbaikars a perfect weekend destination away from the maddening city life. A coastal hamlet on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border, Umbergaon is a tranquil beachfront town. This serene town has a popular local getaway resort Umbergaon Club Resort. Come to this unique place for spending some quality time in the quietest spaces around. Also, check out the following attractions of the city:
- GIDC Garden: A jogger’s park dotted with thriving and beautiful trees and open fields
- Daman Beaches: It is another compelling attraction to relish the beauty of nature
- Daman Ganga River banks
So, Mumbaikars just choose any of the mentioned above weekend destinations from Mumbai and get lost in the magic and colors of natural and man-made structures. Set out for a short trip on Friday evening and spend 2 nights and 2 days during the monsoon and come back with loads of memories.
