DEVGAMAN

West India · Hill station

Lonavala & Khandala

Sahyadri edge of chikki, monsoon cloud and rock-cut caves

18.75° N · 73.41° E
The stone bastions of Lohagad fort on the Sahyadri ridge above Lonavala

Photo: Rangan Datta Wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0

Best months to be here

  • January — a best month
  • February — a best month
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June — a best month
  • July — a best month
  • August — a best month
  • September — a best month
  • October — a best month
  • November — a best month
  • December — a best month

Best: Jun–Feb

At a glance

State
Maharashtra
Region
West India
Kind of place
Hill station · Colonial
Ideal stay
2 days
Altitude
622 m
Coordinates
18.75° N, 73.41° E

Lonavala and Khandala are twin towns on the lip of the Sahyadri escarpment, exactly where the Deccan plateau falls away to the Konkan plain, which is why the old Bombay-Pune road, the railway and now the expressway all squeeze through here. Lord Elphinstone developed them as a hill retreat in 1871, but the hills were busy long before that. The Bhaja caves date from the second century BCE, and the great chaitya hall at Karla, carved around the first century CE, still carries its original wooden ribs in the ceiling above a fifteen-metre vaulted nave that feels like the inside of an upturned boat.

Above the towns stand Lohagad and Visapur, Maratha forts with ramparts you can walk for hours. The season everyone argues about is the monsoon. From June the escarpment runs with water, Bhushi Dam overflows into a staircase of rock, cloud pours over Tiger's Leap and Duke's Nose, and half of Mumbai drives up on Sunday to sit in it.

Come midweek instead, walk out to Rajmachi, drink cutting chai with kanda bhaji at a roadside stall, and take home the peanut-and-jaggery chikki the town has sold since the 1880s. Pawna Lake, half an hour away, has become the region's tent-camping shore.

What not to miss in Lonavala & Khandala

  1. Karla Caves and their first-century chaitya hall
  2. Bhaja Caves and the waterfall beside the stupas
  3. Lohagad Fort's Vinchu Kata ridge
  4. Tiger's Leap and Duke's Nose viewpoints in cloud
  5. Bhushi Dam overflow in the monsoon
  6. Pawna Lake camping and sunrise over the water

Best Jun–Feb

Best time to visit Lonavala & Khandala

June to September for waterfalls and cloud, October to February for clear walking weather.

Give Lonavala & Khandala 2 days and it repays the time; with fewer you are choosing between Karla Caves and their first-century chaitya hall and Bhaja Caves and the waterfall beside the stupas. We build the hours around the weather — early starts when it is hot, long afternoons when it is not.

  • Ideal stay — 2 days
  • Season — Jun–Feb
Plan a trip here

On the ground

Things to do in Lonavala & Khandala

The days we would actually plan for you, in the order that suits the light.

  • Monsoon trek to Rajmachi from Udhewadi or Lonavala
  • Overnight lakeside camping at Pawna
  • Cycling the old Mumbai-Pune highway through Khandala ghat
  • Chikki and fudge tasting along the Lonavala market road

At the table

What to eat in Lonavala & Khandala

  • Maganlal chikki in peanut, sesame and dry-fruit versions
  • Kanda bhaji with cutting chai in the rain
  • Vada pav from a ghat-road stall
  • Roasted bhutta with lime and masala

Getting there

How to reach Lonavala & Khandala

Pune Airport is 70 km and Mumbai 100 km; Lonavala station sits on the Mumbai-Pune line with frequent locals and expresses; Mumbai is 83 km by expressway.

Airport pickups, station transfers and the driver for the days here are all part of what we arrange — including the hour you should leave, which is usually earlier than you think.

Travel tips from our trips

  • Weekends and public holidays bring bumper-to-bumper traffic on the ghat; travel midweek if you can
  • Bhushi Dam access is restricted or closed during heavy flow, and people drown there every monsoon; stay off the slippery steps
  • Monsoon trails to Lohagad and Rajmachi are leech-heavy and greasy underfoot, so carry grippy shoes and salt
  • Stopping on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is prohibited; use the old NH48 route if you want the viewpoints
  • Karla involves about 350 steps and the temple beside it gets very crowded on Tuesdays and Fridays

Next door

Near Lonavala & Khandala

Places that join Lonavala & Khandala without a long drive — the way a real week is built.

The Gateway of India arch on the Mumbai waterfront with boats in the harbour behind itCity
Themes:CultureFoodHeritagePhotography

Maharashtra

Mumbai

Seven islands, Art Deco seafront and India's loudest appetite

Ideal stay
3 days
Best time
November to February; the monsoon from June to September is dramatic but floods the streets
The spiked Delhi Darwaza gateway of Shaniwar Wada fortress in PuneCity
Themes:CultureFoodHeritage

Maharashtra

Pune

Peshwa forts, monsoon Ganpati and the country's best misal

Ideal stay
2 days
Best time
October to February; Ganeshotsav in August or September is the city at full volume
A red laterite forest path and viewpoint on the plateau edge at MatheranHill station
Themes:NatureFamilyRomanceOffbeat

Maharashtra

Matheran

Asia's only car-free hill station, reached by toy train

Ideal stay
2 days
Best time
October to May
The Savitri valley seen from Arthur's Seat viewpoint at MahabaleshwarHill station
Themes:NatureFamilyRomanceFood

Maharashtra

Mahabaleshwar

Strawberry plateau, Krishna's source and deep valley views

Ideal stay
3 days
Best time
October to February for clear views

1 journey

Tours that visit Lonavala & Khandala

All journeys
The horseshoe cliff of the Ajanta Caves above the Waghora river7 days · 6 nights
Themes:HeritageCultureFood

Easy · Best Oct–Feb

Maharashtra Caves and Coast

Seven days from Mumbai's waterfront to Ajanta's brushwork and the Konkan

Route: Mumbai → Ajanta & Ellora Caves → Nashik → Lonavala & Khandala +1 more

Group
2–12 (private)
From
₹66,000 pp

Before you ask

Questions we are asked about Lonavala & Khandala

When is the best time to visit Lonavala & Khandala?
June to September for waterfalls and cloud, October to February for clear walking weather. On the calendar that is Jun–Feb. We build Lonavala & Khandala into a journey inside that window wherever we can; when your dates are fixed outside it, we re-plan the hours of the day around the weather rather than talk you out of the trip.
How many days do you need in Lonavala & Khandala?
We plan 2 days in Lonavala & Khandala. That is enough for Karla Caves and their first-century chaitya hall, Bhaja Caves and the waterfall beside the stupas and Lohagad Fort's Vinchu Kata ridge, at a pace that still leaves room for a long lunch. Add a day if you are continuing to Mumbai and Pune.
How do you reach Lonavala & Khandala?
Pune Airport is 70 km and Mumbai 100 km; Lonavala station sits on the Mumbai-Pune line with frequent locals and expresses; Mumbai is 83 km by expressway. We arrange the transfer and the driver as part of the journey, so you are met on arrival instead of negotiating a taxi at the gate, and the timings are set around when Lonavala & Khandala is at its best rather than around the clock.
What is Lonavala & Khandala famous for?
Lonavala & Khandala is a hill station in Maharashtra, West India, best known for Karla Caves and their first-century chaitya hall, Bhaja Caves and the waterfall beside the stupas and Lohagad Fort's Vinchu Kata ridge. Travellers come for nature, adventure and family, and most give it 2 days.
Is Lonavala & Khandala good for families?
Yes. Lonavala & Khandala is one of the places we plan for families: 2 days is enough, the highlights sit close together, and Jun–Feb keeps the weather kind. Tell us the children's ages and we will trim the driving, start the mornings early and leave an afternoon free.

Photograph of Lonavala & Khandala: Rangan Datta Wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0

All destinations

Lonavala & Khandala, planned by hand

Shall we begin?

चलिए, शुरू करते हैं

Tell us how many days you have. We will build Lonavala & Khandala into a journey that suits them.