13 Beautiful Places To Visit In Mahabaleshwar (2024)
Mahabaleshwar is the largest hill station in Satara district, about 120 km southwest of Pune in the state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Sahyadri range, the Western Ghats range of the state is at an altitude of 4500 ft. above sea level.
It is a perfect destination for nature lovers who enjoy being in the mountains. Mahabaleshwar used to be the capital of Bombay Province during the British era and was called the summer capital of the old Bombay presidency. Mahabaleshwar is a beautiful plateau surrounded by hills where you can go and calm your soul. It is also the origin point of River Krishna. It used to be a very famous honeymoon destination in India. People from nearby areas like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik go to Mahabaleshwar and enjoy their weekends away from the city life.
The nature in Mahabaleshwar is captivating and fascinates all travelers. You can sit at any spot in Mahabaleshwar for a few hours and enjoy the view and beauty of the mountains. Its lush greenery, beautiful gardens, and beautiful landscape is enchanting and captivates everyone’s attraction. The buildings and majestic mansions built during the British days are an ideal place to visit if you are a fam of British architecture and enjoy heritage buildings. The best season to visit Mahabaleshwar is from March to June. It is also well connected by roads. Most places visited in Mahabaleshwar are referred with the word “point” as most of them are at the end of the mountains.
13 Beautiful Places To Visit In Mahabaleshwar
1. Venna Lake: Venna Lake is the most popular tourist places in Mahabaleshwar. It is a bustling tourist spot that offers many activities for visitors. The lake is surrounded by lush greenery and trees on all sides. Visitors can do boating here and there is also an option to go horse riding. Boating is open till late in the evening which gives plenty of time to the tourists to enjoy the view of the lake while boating. You can choose between a ride on a paddle or rowing boat. The paddle boats are stopped during the monsoon season, which is from June to September, so the rowing boat is the only option during monsoon. One can enjoy walking around the lake if boating is not your thing. Walking in the fresh air with water and trees all around is a soul-quenching experience. There are many restaurants and eateries around the lake where tourists can enjoy the food after boating or walking around. It is also a very famous tourist spot for couples. People who enjoy fishing can also go fishing to this lake and the kids can enjoy the mini-train rides around the lake.
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Opening Hours: 7 am to 7 pm, every day.
Entry Fee: There is no entry fee. You will need to pay the boat rent if you plan to go boating.
Location: Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.
2. Arthur’s Seat: Arthur’s seat is known by many other names. It is also known as Madhi Mahaal and Suicide point and Queen of all points. It is located at a height of 1470 meters above sea level. It is among the best places to visit in Mahabaleshwar. Arthur’s peak has a mesmerizing and breath-taking view of the dense valleys of Brahma-Arayana and the Savitri river. This place has an interesting zing to it. If you throw anything light in weight from the top into the valley, it automatically comes back due to the air pressure. Arthur’s point is a huge table like place that stands on a natural pillar-like structure. You can also see window point and Tiger’s spring on your way up.
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Entry Fee: None
Timings: 9 am – 8 pm
Location: Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.
3. Mapro Garden: Mapro is a short name for Mahabaleshwar products. It is a beautiful garden park close to Mahabaleshwar. It is known for strawberry produce. An absolute paradise for strawberry lovers this place is abundant with strawberry plantation and also hosts the annual Strawberry Festival with. You can buy all sorts of products made of strawberry at Mapro garden. The products include Jams, preserves, marmalade, toppings, syrups, and squashes. All of these products are manufactured from the fresh strawberries grown in the park. You can try some scrumptious fruit salads, ice creams, parfaits, strawberry shakes made from fresh strawberries grown and just plucked from the garden. At the annual 9 days strawberry festival which takes place in May, the visitors can enjoy folk performances of Shivkalin Dhol & Lezim in addition to eating the strawberries.
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Entry Fee: No Entry Fee.
Opening Hours: 8 am to 8 pm, every day.
Location: 15/1B, Gureghar, Panchgani – Mahabaleshwar Road, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra 412806
4. Lingamala Falls: Another one of the most beautiful Mahabaleshwar tourist places, the Lingamala falls are located at a distance of 6 km from the city. It is a nature lover’s delight and soul-soothing place. One can come and enjoy the view and try to calm the storms inside. The place is surrounded by lush greenery like any other place in Mahabaleshwar. The best place about these falls is that you have to walk through the forest and follow a trudged trail to reach the final destination. This makes it free from all the pollution from cars and traffic and is truly a place to enjoy the beauty in the lap of nature. People come here on weekends for a picnic with friends and family. The best time to visit Lingam Falls is between July and December. After the monsoon, the waterfall is very high and steep and becomes dangerous too. You will be able to see a group of three waterfalls at the same time. The other two breathtaking waterfalls, the Dhobi Waterfall and Chinaman’s waterfall are also located very close to this.
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Entry Fee: INR 20 per person
Opening Hours: 9 am to 6 pm, every day.
Location: SH72, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra 412806
5. Elephant’s Head Point: As the name suggests Elephant’s Head point is named after elephant because the shape of the mountain resembles the shape of an elephant head. It is also a very popular tourist spot in Mahabaleshwar and is also known as the needlepoint. It is a very famous place for couples too and is considered one of the most romantic places to visit in Mahabaleshwar. You will get to see a spectacular view of the Sahyadri Range from the hilltop. There is an echo-point where the voice echoes if you speak anything loud. People go here for sightseeing, locals enjoy the picnics here amid nature, soothing sunlight, and lush greenery on the hilltop. It is a small soul-soothing place to enjoy your time in the lap of nature.
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Opening Hours: 9 am to 6 pm, every day.
Entry Fee: None
Location: Satara, Maharashtra 402303
6. Mini Kashmir: Mini Kashmir also is known as Tapola is a rustic hamlet with a beautiful lake called the Shivsagar lake adorning it. It has a beautiful landscape and beauty is unmatchable. As the name suggests, because of its similarity to the landscaped in Kashmir, this place is named Mini Kashmir. There are many hiking trails in this area where adventure seekers can go. It is known for its adventurous jungle treks and pastoral beauty. It is one of the best places to visit if you are visiting Mahabaleshwar in summer.
The place also offers a boat ride in the Shivsagar lake and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the place which the tourists can enjoy. There are also trees and plants of various types which attract tourists. If you have an interest in the type flora in different parts of the country, you will enjoy your visit to Mini Kashmir. People generally come to the lake to see the beautiful sunrise and sunsets.
Opening Hours: Open through the day
Entry Fee: None.
7. Parsi Point: The place has quite some Parsi population around the city and is very famous among the Parsi community as a picnic spot and hence named Parsi point.
This place like most places in Mahabaleshwar had an amazing and dazzling landscape. You will get to see a breath-taking valley view of the Krishna river. There are many telescopes available for a closer view of the valley and is one of the best Mahabaleshwar places to visit. The Parsi spot is a good place to hang out with friends and family when in Mahabaleshwar. Like other places the breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset are enthralling. This place also offers a beautiful view of the Dhom dam backwaters and the beautiful Krishna valley. You should not miss visiting Parsi point when in Mahabaleshwar.
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Entry Fee: None
Location: Ganeshpeth, Panchgani, Maharashtra 412805
8. Lord Mahabaleshwar Temple: This temple is located at a distance of 6 km from the city of Mahabaleshwar. The Mahabaleshwar Temple is one of the ancient temples of Maharashtra is near Satara. It was built by the Chanda Rao More dynasty in the 16th century and is built in classical south Indian style. Mahabaleshwar temple is an ancient and Maratha heritage. It is a Shiva temple which is generally flooded with devotees and tourist at all times of the year. It is also known as Mahabali, this temple is very popular among the Hindus and devotees of Lord Shiva. Devotees and tourists get to enjoy the beauty of the place as it is located in hilly terrain with breathtaking views.
The awe-inspiring temple is guarded by a five feet tall wall and is divided into two sections- the inner and the outer area. The inner area is also known as the sanctum sanctorum is the place where Lord Shiva resides. And this place also had many belongings of Lord Shiva in the premises of this temple, like his bed, Trishul, Damru, Kalbhairav carvings amongst other things.
A 6 feet long Shiva lingam is the beauty of this place glorifying it and only the tip of Shiva lingam is visible from the temple which depicts the stone incarnation of Lord Shiva. There are two more famous temples nearby the Atibaleshwar temple and the Panchganga temple. Do not miss seeing the cultural heritage of the Maratha empire, lord Mahabaleshvar temple during your visit to this place. The Mahabaleshwar Temple has a very calm and soul-soothing environment especially since it located on the hilltop.
9. Rajapuri Caves: Rajapuri caves are located at a distance of 10 km from the town and visited by many tourists as they depict the cultural history of India. These caves are surrounded by large kunds which enhance the beauty of this place. There is another famous temple called the Lord Kartikey temple in one of these caves which are visited by the tourists. Another temple is Goddess Ghatjal Devi temple in one of the other caves. The remaining three caves are linked by underground tunnels and the mythology says these caves believed to have served as a shelter for Pandavas during their exile. This place is not to be missed if you have an interest in mythology. There is an annual fair held in the harvest season every year at this place which is very famous among the locals.
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Opening Hours: 6 am to 7 pm, every day.
Entry Fee: None
10. Bombay Point: The Bombay point is a very famous sunset point in Mahabaleshwar. Located at a hilltop where one can enjoy the cool breeze while enjoying the sunset. It is a calm and tranquilizing place where one can forget the worries of the world for a short time. One can see the sun setting and disappearing into the valley and the sky changing its colors when the sunsets. The scene is simply breathtaking and we-inspiring. It is also a very famous picnic spot in Mahabaleshwar where you can have family time and is also a place to enjoy with friends.
Do not miss visiting Bombay point on your visit to Mahabaleshwar.
Entry Fee: None
Timings: 6 am – 6 pm
11. Panchgani: Panchgani is also called Paachgani. It is a hill station in Satara district in Maharashtra and around 15 to 16 kilometers from Mahabaleshwar. It is at an altitude of 4242 ft above the sea level. Panchgani is a famous destination for its awe-inspiring beauty which attracts thousands of tourists every year from all over the world. Panchgani used to be a place for summer retreat for British officials. Britishers did a lot of construction here and you will find many beautiful colonial cottages from the British era. Panchgani is laden with forests, the air at this place is cool and soothing. Krishna river flows nearby Panchgani which adds to the overall beauty and charm to the place.
Opening Hours: NA
Entry Fee: None
12. Tableland: The five hills surrounding the famous hill station Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau which is known as table land. It is a part of the Deccan Plateau which raised by pressure between the earth plates. Table Land in Mahabaleshwar is the second highest mountain plateau in Asia after the Tibetan plateau. It is of the best tourist spots in Mahabaleshwar and located at a height of 4,550 ft above sea level. Tableland plateau is spread across 95 acres of land which has beautifully grown natural grass.
Tableland is made of laterite rock and covered with vegetation and also has some spacious caves visible on the top. The best time to visit Tableland is during August and September. This is when the grass on the plateau looks at it best and the place looks exceptionally beautiful. You can also enjoy Horse riding and paragliding at tableland and there are many food stalls which scrumptious food and snacks you would not be able to avoid. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to enjoy at the place and see the breath-taking view.
Entry Fee: None
Opening hours: You can go to tableland at any time.
13. Pratapgarh Fort – Pratapgarh fort is one of the most visited and exciting places near Mahabaleshwar. This fort was built by Maratha warriors in 1665 and is located on a hilltop which enhances it beauty. Pratapgarh fort has great historical significance and breathtaking views. There is a beautiful Mahadev temple in the upper part of the fort, Goddess Bhavani temple in the lower part of the fort, and also a dargah of Afzal Khan nearby. The fort has been a part of and seen many fierce battles in the history and is mostly in ruins. But the picturesque location makes it a must visit place in Mahabaleshwar. The best time to visit Pratapgarh fort is in monsoon.
Opening Hours: 10 am to 6 pm, every day.
Entry Fee: None
Location: Poladpur Mahabaleshwar Rd, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.
