8 Fantastic Weekend Destinations From Kolhapur (2024)
Kolhapur is a quaint city in Maharashtra, that has several places of tourism and religious tourism interest. And like every other place in Western India and Maharashtra, Kolhapur has a clutch of places of tourist interest around itself. 
Image Source
8 Fantastic Weekend Destinations From Kolhapur
If you are in Kolhapur and looking for an exciting weekend, make sure that you add these tourist destinations near Kolhapur to your itinerary.
1. Goa
You cannot ignore this place. While Goa is still about 300 km away from places like Mumbai, making it a bit further than a weekend trip, it’s only 150 km away from Kolhapur, making it the perfect weekend destination. Goa is home to beaches, places of religious tourism interest, and a vibrant nightlife that’s become more popular with the casinos popping up. The most popular tourist spot, Calangute Beach, is just about 150 km from Kolhapur, and Panaji city is about 140 km away. You will find countless hotels, resorts, inns, and dormitories all over Goa, making it possible for everyone – the super-rich tourists and those on a budget to have a memorable weekend in Goa.
In Goa, you can spend not just a weekend, but an entire weekend visiting the beaches and places of tourist interest, like Calangute, Candolim, Baga, and others.
2. Karwar
Karwar is another place with several beaches and temples that tourists consider is an alternative to Goa. Some of the most popular tourist destinations here are Karwar Beach and the Ravindranath Tagore Beach. You can also spend some time at the Sadashivgad Fort. Karwar is a coastal place, so you will have a memorable experience just by cruising along the coastal roads, taking in the lush greenery, the beaches, so on and so forth. Tourists concede that Karwar is one of the most virginal tourist locations in the coastal area. Some hotels offer you accommodation and they work in the 1000 to 4000 INR range. You have the Mastiff Hotel, the Sterling Karwar, the Hotel Dwarka, so on and so forth. Karwar is about 200 km away.
3. Gokarna
It’s said that the tourists who don’t have the time to go to Goa go to Gokarna, another coastal area that’s about 250 km away from Kolhapur. In Gokarna, you have Half Moon Beach, Om Beach, and Kudle Beach. You can also visit the Gokarna Beach, the Mahabaleshwar Temple, and Beach and the Mirjan fort. Gokarna is famous for its beautiful landscapes, stunning beaches, and weather that’s all-inviting. It’s a popular tourist location near Kolhapur, and several hotels offer accommodation at all kinds of budgets. You have the Deva Samudra Stay, the Ananda Cafe, and the Gokarna International Beach Resort. The hotels charge anything from 1000 to 3000 INR for a night’s stay.
4. Malvan
Malvan is another popular weekend destination that’s about 120 km from Kolhapur. Like Ratnagiri is famous for mangoes, Malvan is famous for the king of fruits too. Tourists throng Malvan to visit Tarkali Beach, one of the most popular beaches in the coastal area. Malvan beaches are popular for the beach sports available at the Tsunami Island that’s in Malvan. Another place to visit is the Malvan Marine Sanctuary, home to several aquatic animals and wildlife. In Malvan, there’s a Rock Garden as well. There are several hotels in Malvan, as it is a popular weekend getaway in the Konkan area. The various hotels are the Malvan Resort and the Sam Homestay.
5. Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri is a weekend escape near Kolhapur that’s only 100 km away. Ratnagiri is popular for its beautiful, serene beaches and the long winding roads that have lush greenery on both sides. Ratnagiri is also popular among tourists for its mangoes. The places to visit here are Anjarle Beach and the Guhagar beach. You can also spend some time at the Ratnadurg fort. The various hotels that offer accommodation here are Hotel Vihar Deluxe, Mango Vilas, Grand Inn DYS Plaza, and Hotel Shalom Stay. These hotels charge anything between 1000 to 3000 INR for a day’s stay.
6. Kas Plateau
Kas Plateau, sometimes spelled as Kaas Plateau, is in Satara, some 120 km away from Kolhapur. The Plateau is popular among tourists because of the natural beauty of the flowers and plants that are present in the plateau area. The Kas Plateau is a great photography location as well, because of the stunning beauty that the valley and the plateau has. The Kas Plateau is also fast becoming the go-to location for people who love driving, because of the long, winding, and the beautiful road that leads to the Kas plateau. Near the Kas Plateau, in Satara, you have the Sajjangardh fort and the Sarota fort which is another must-visit tourist location near Kolhapur. Kas Plateau and Satara are a popular tourist location, so the accommodation here is a bit pricey. The hotels that offer accommodation here are Heritgewadi, Nature Plateau Paradise, and Kas Pathar Hotels.
7. Hampi
And if you are looking for any out of the way tourist location, head over to Hampi. The most popular tourist location here is the Virupaksha temple. The Virupaksha temple is one of the oldest in the region, with experts conceding that the temple originates from the 7th century. The temple is famous for the life-size idol of Lord Shiva. You can also visit the Hemakuta Hill temple. Then, you have the Matanga Temple and several other places of tourist interest.
Hampi has so many tourist locations, you might find it difficult to cover all of them over the weekend. You have the Hazara Rama Temple, the Vijay Vittala Temple, and others. There’s an interesting anecdote behind the name of the temple Hazara Rama, which in Hindi means a thousand Ramas. The name comes from the fact that there are a lot of idols of the deity Lord Rama here. Hampi is one of the most popular tourist locations near Kolhapur and all over India. So, the place has several hotels offering accommodation. You have the Archana Guest House, the Riverside Homestay, Vista Rooms, etc. These hotels work on a price range of anything between 1000 to 2000. If you book well in advance and in time, the hotel rates will even be something like 800 rupees.
8. Murud
Murud is another tourist location near Kolhapur that’s becoming a favorite for trekkers, car drivers, and anyone looking to lose themselves amid nature for a few hours – or even a few days. Murud is about 200 km away from Kolhapur and is home to the popular Murud Janjira fort, Murud Beach, and the Harnai Beach. Each of these locations is actually in the top ten places that you should visit if you are touring Maharashtra. The hotel prices in Murud could be pricey as well and they operate between 1000 to 5000 rupees, depending on the amenities and comforts that you are looking for. The various hotels here are Hotel Sea Star, Sahil Inn, Sea Princess, and others.
These are just some of the places of tourist interest near Kolhapur. Along with these, Kolhapur has Alibaug, which’s about 280 km away, Panchgani, which is about 150 km away, and others. The best way to travel on this route and through these areas is by road. You will find state transport buses that take different routes and private buses are plying on these routes as well. Of course, you can also plan a road trip to all these places.
