Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge spanning the water toward the Mumbai skyline

Maharashtra — In Depth

Maharashtra, thoroughly — city, pilgrimage, caves and Peshwa Pune.

Day by Day

13 Days, In Full

The whole state at a gentle pace. Mumbai's colonial heart, then Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, and Shirdi. Aurangabad follows for Ellora and Ajanta. The route ends in Pune, the old Peshwa capital.

Mumbai

Arrive in Mumbai

Your driver meets you at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Mumbai is India's financial capital, and it never really stops. Check in and rest. In the late afternoon, walk the sweep of Marine Drive as the light turns gold. The curve of the bay at dusk is called the Queen's Necklace. Dinner is a first taste of the city's cooking.

Mumbai

Colonial Mumbai: Fort, Gateway and CST

A day in the old Fort district with a private guide. The area is a stretch of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco, built when Mumbai was Bombay. You see the Gateway of India, finished in 1924, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage railway station. A walk through the Fort's lanes follows. We end with chai and sea air on the waterfront. Timings for interiors vary, so we confirm them on the day.

Mumbai

Elephanta Caves by Ferry

A ferry from the Gateway of India takes about an hour across the harbour. On Elephanta Island, steps climb to a group of rock-cut cave temples to Shiva. The Maheshmurti, a huge three-faced figure, is the centrepiece. The caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are generally closed on Mondays, and ferry times depend on the weather, so we confirm both. Back in the city, the evening is yours.

Monsoon-green Western Ghats road at Malshej Ghat, Maharashtra

Mumbai → Nashik

Mumbai to Nashik

The road climbs out of the city into the Western Ghats, about four hours with a coffee stop. Nashik sits on the Godavari river, an old pilgrimage town. In the late afternoon, walk the riverside ghats at Ramkund. Dusk here brings bells, lamps and a steady stream of pilgrims.

Nashik

Trimbakeshwar and the Pandavleni Caves

Start early for darshan at Trimbakeshwar, about 30 km from Nashik. The black stone temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, set beneath the Brahmagiri hills near the source of the Godavari. After lunch, climb to the Pandavleni Caves, a group of rock-cut Buddhist caves on a hill above the city. Sanctum rules apply at the temple, so we brief you before you go.

Country path and green hills at Dhodap Fort in the Nashik district of Maharashtra

Nashik → Shirdi

Nashik to Shirdi

A drive of about two hours, around 90 km, east to Shirdi. The road crosses open Deccan plains and small farming towns. You reach the hotel by early afternoon. Rest, and then take your first darshan at the Samadhi Mandir, when the queues are shorter in the evening.

Shirdi

Sai Baba Darshan in Shirdi

Shirdi is the home of the saint Sai Baba, who lived here until 1918. Your guide takes you to the Samadhi Mandir for the morning aarti, and through the queue with minimum fuss. Then the Dwarkamai mosque and the Gurusthan, places linked to his life. The rest of the day is quiet. Aarti timings change, so we confirm them locally.

The white domed Bibi Ka Maqbara mausoleum with two minarets in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Shirdi → Aurangabad

Shirdi to Aurangabad

About two and a half hours by road, roughly 115 km, north-east to Aurangabad. You arrive by lunch. The afternoon is free, or a short stop at the old city gates. The next days are for the caves and the Jyotirlingas of Marathwada.

Aurangabad

Ellora Caves and Daulatabad Fort

Ellora lies about 30 km from the city. Thirty-four caves, Buddhist, Hindu and Jain, are cut along one basalt hillside. Cave 16, the Kailasa temple, is carved top-down from a single rock. A local guide takes you through the best of it. On the way back, stop at Daulatabad Fort, a hill fortress with a winding, dark passage and sweeping views. Ellora is generally closed on Tuesdays, so we order the days to suit.

Aurangabad

The Ajanta Caves

Ajanta is about 100 km from Aurangabad, roughly two hours each way. Its Buddhist caves curve around a quiet river gorge. They hold some of India's oldest surviving painted murals. Your guide explains the Jataka scenes and the carved halls. Lighting inside the caves is dim, and the paintings are fragile, so photography is limited. Ajanta is generally closed on Mondays, so we confirm the day.

Green Sahyadri hills and forest in Maharashtra under scattered cloud

Aurangabad → Pune

Aurangabad to Pune

A road day of about four and a half hours across the Deccan, with a lunch stop. The flat plateau gives way to the Sahyadri hills near Pune. Pune is the old seat of the Peshwas. It is greener and calmer than Mumbai. Check in and rest, and take a quiet walk in the evening.

Pune

Peshwa Pune: Shaniwar Wada and the Aga Khan Palace

A day of Pune's history with a local guide. Shaniwar Wada was the seat of the Peshwas. Its great gate and the stone remains of the fort remain. In the afternoon, the Aga Khan Palace, where Mahatma Gandhi was held in the 1940s, is now a quiet memorial and museum. We close with a stroll through the old Peth quarter.

Pune

Depart from Pune

A slow last morning. Your driver takes you to Pune airport in good time for your flight.

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luxury · 12 Nights