Maharashtra Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Maharashtra

The state's activities fall into three areas: Mumbai, the cave country north of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (once Aurangabad), and the hills, coast and forests beyond. Our trips are in the first two, which have their own pages: Mumbai and Ajanta and Ellora.

Give Ellora and Ajanta a day each

Ellora sets Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side, with the Kailasa temple, Cave 16, cut downwards out of the rock; Ajanta, much further out, is where the Buddhist wall paintings are. Our Ajanta and Ellora caves from Aurangabad package gives each site a full day with a private guide and car, starting with Ellora, the nearer one.

Eat your way through Mumbai's street food

Vada pav, pav bhaji and bhelpuri are the city's everyday snacks, and most of them are vegetarian. Our Mumbai street food tour spends a few hours moving between stalls with a local guide, usually from a meeting point in South Mumbai; in Ramadan it can be timed for the evening stalls of Mohammed Ali Road.

Join Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai

Ganesh Chaturthi, one of Maharashtra's most widely kept festivals, begins in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, around August or September, and households immerse their idols after a day and a half, five, seven or eleven days. Our Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai experience visits famous and neighbourhood pandals with a private guide, then an immersion procession, by car around the road closures. More in festival trips in Maharashtra.

Take the ferry to Elephanta

The Elephanta Caves, rock-cut temples carved with a great three-faced Shiva, stand on an island about an hour by ferry from the Gateway of India. A flight of steps leads up to them, with a toy train for those who would rather not walk, and they close on Mondays.

Trek to a fort near Lonavala

Lonavala, about two hours by road from Mumbai or Pune, is the starting point for Sahyadri fort walks: Rajmachi is most popular in the monsoon, when mist and waterfalls fill the hills, and Lohagad looks over Pawna Lake. The Buddhist caves of Karla and Bhaja, from the 2nd century BCE, are nearby. More in our Lonavala guide.

Look for tigers in Tadoba

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, in Chandrapur district, is Maharashtra's oldest and largest national park. Jeep safaris go out in the morning and the evening, and seats should be booked early; the reserve closes on Tuesdays. The nearest airport is Nagpur, about 140 km away.

Snorkel or dive at Tarkarli

Tarkarli, on the Konkan coast in Sindhudurg district and about 6 km from Malvan, is a beach Maharashtra Tourism calls ideal for water sports: snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, paddleboarding and boat trips, best from October to March.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

The tour packages are guided outings: two full days at the caves with a private guide, car and driver, monument tickets extra, for travellers who have come for the art and architecture; or a few hours of Mumbai street food with a local guide, easy for vegetarians. The Ganesh Chaturthi experience runs only during the festival and works best with two full days in Mumbai, one for the pandals and one for the immersion, for people at ease in dense, cheerful crowds. To combine them, start in Mumbai and fly or take the train inland to the caves.

When to go for these

• Caves: by Maharashtra Tourism's advice, Ellora is comfortable from October to March and Ajanta from November to March; the Archaeological Survey of India rates Ellora highest in the monsoon, though wet rock is slippery.
• Mumbai: the street food tour runs all year, but in a normal year IMD dates the city's monsoon from about 11 June to 8 October, and heavy rain can stop a walk.
• Lonavala: June to September for the waterfalls, October to February for cooler trekking.
• Tadoba: November to February is the comfortable season; March to June brings the best sightings and heat of up to 45°C; from July to September safaris may be restricted.
• Elephanta: November to February; the monsoon makes the ferry crossing rough.

Planning tips for Maharashtra

Weekly closures shape the route: Ajanta and Elephanta shut on Mondays, Ellora and Tadoba on Tuesdays. Flights and trains to the caves are listed under Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, though older signs, and our package's name, still say Aurangabad. Caves and forts mean steps and uneven rock, so wear shoes with grip, and bring rain gear in the monsoon. Our Maharashtra guide covers the sights and how to reach them.