The only Indian city with almost 80% of its population in the age group of 20-35. Pune is a blend of both excitement and peace. Popularly known as the Oxford of the East, this city is famous for its various universities and exchange programs. This fact attracts a lot of foreign students and tourists. Pune once a powerhouse of the Maratha Empire established by Chhatrapati Shivaji, boasts possession of many historical monuments and forts in and around the city. There are many destinations near Pune for a weekend getaway. Surrounded by various Ghats, beaches and hill stations it is the most sought after location for a weekend escape. So, pack your bag and buckle up your shoes because we bring to you the most scenic as well as thrilling visits when in Pune, you can explore!
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Sinhagadh Fort
25 kms away from the Pune city, Sinhagadh fort stands tall reciting stories of Tanaji maharaja. It is flaunting old Maratha architecture marvels. You will see lots of food stalls selling pitla-bhakar, a famous Marathi dish kanda-bhaji and curd in mud-kullads. Trekking to this fort is also very famous in months of May-July. You can also take a dip in the famous Khadakwasla Dam for an all-together different experience of nature’s beauty.
Source: Flickr
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Lonavala – Khandala
The twin hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala are closest to the city yet give you a perfect break from the hussle and bustle of city life. Local train from Shivajinagar to Lonavala station during winters is filed with some breath-taking views and waterfalls. Lonavala is famous for its jagerry chikkis. You can visit the tiger point on the hilltop and enjoy steaming hot kanda-bhaji and maggi till the wee hours of the morning. If you happen to go in the rainy season, do not miss taking a plunge in the Bhushi dam or trek to Duke’s nose.
Source: Flickr
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Della adventures
Situated on the Mumbai-Pune highway, Della adventures is a perfect place to spend your weekend with family. You can enjoy your stay in their extravagant villa and at the same time enjoy adventure activities like zorbing, flying fox, paintball, dirt biking, rifle shooting, archery and many more. It has something in store for every age group. Situated on the Mumbai-Pune highway, Della Adventures is a perfect place to spend your weekend with family. You can enjoy your stay in their extravagant villa. At the same time, enjoy adventure activities like zorbing, flying fox, paintball, dirt biking, rifle shooting, archery and many more. It has something in store for every age group
Source: Flickr
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Imagica/Aquamagica
Adlabs Imagica is a theme based park situated in Khopoli on the Mumbai-Pune Highway. Aquamagica is the water-park build by imagica right next to Imagica. Both the theme park as well as the waterpark cannot be entirely covered in a span of a single day. You can stay at Novotel Imagica close to the theme park if budget is not an issue for you. Enjoy various rollercoasters, the deadly D2, ride to the world of Alibaba. If you get time off from your rides you can also enjoy the Imagica Parade held every evening.
Source: Flickr
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Lavasa
Lavasa is a privately-owned planned city made with an intension to create the magic of Portofino, a stylish Italian town. The streets and waterbody near the convention centre represent the Italian culture with some of the most exquisite cuisines and water-sports. As it is a man-made township, basic necessities like a petrol pump or a grocery store are hard to find. But, it’s totally worth the efforts!
Source: Flickr
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Mahabaleshwar – Panchgani
Mahabaleshwar is a very famous hill-station well-known for its beauty in the rainy season, happy weather, romantic boat-riding, strawberries and shopping. Do not forget to do horseriding and boating at the market, shop for low cost footwear which are very good in quality, enjoy mouth-watering pav-bhaji and steamed corn at the lake side and stroll in the pleasant weather of the hill-stations. 30 kms before mahabaleshwar, you will find the hub of international boarding schools, Panchgani. Established by the British, this hill-station has various architectural marvels to see. Mapro Gardens is a must visit, it has its own chocolate and squash making factory with free visits and free squash tasting available at the entrance.
Source: Flickr
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Rajmachi
Rajmachi Fort comprises of twin fortresses Shriwardhan and Manaranjan situated in the Sahayadri Mountain Ranges. In the rainy season, it’s a paradise for trek lovers and campers. If you are a nature lover Rajmachi in June – October is a must visit for you
Source: Flickr
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Matheran
Matheran is about 120 kms away from Pune. It is the smallest hill-station of India. Known for its peculiar feature, the hill station does not allow the entry of any cars or vehicles. You can use horses to reach its sunset and sunrise points. A mini train runs from the bottom of the hill, which will take you to the main market of the hill-station. A separate parking lot is available at the foothill of the mountain, where you can park your car for the weekend and hop on the toy train for a fun-filled mini adventure. The train is available after every 3 hours, so if you miss the train, don’t hesitate to walk the railway tracks upto your destination. It will definitely turn out to be A Walk To Remember!
Source: Flickr
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Malshej
A paradise in the monsoon, this small town situated in Western Ghats becomes home for various waterfalls and bird-watching. The only reason you can go to Malshej is to spend some quite time at the MTDC Resort Malshejghat.
Source: Flickr
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Kamshet
Kamshet is a small town situated 40 kms from the city of Pune. It’s a small-town famous for paragliding. You can also visit the Kondeshwar temple and Bhairi Caves at Kamshet. Pawna Lake is close to the town where people can enjoy boating as well as jet-skii.
Source: Flickr
You may be an adventurer, nature-lover or peace seeking individual, weekend getaways close to Pune will always have something new for you, Guaranteed!