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Matheran

Matheran

hill station · Maharashtra

Matheran bans motor vehicles inside the town, which makes it the quietest place within two hours of Mumbai and the only hill station in Asia to enforce that.

State
Maharashtra
Type
Hill Station
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

Matheran bans motor vehicles inside the town, which makes it the quietest place within two hours of Mumbai and the only hill station in Asia to enforce that. Cars stop at Dasturi Naka and you walk the last stretch in, or take a hand-pulled rickshaw or a horse. The other way up is the narrow-gauge train from Neral, which takes a couple of hours to cover about twenty kilometres and is worth doing once, when it is running. Everything here is a walk on red laterite paths through forest to a numbered viewpoint — Louisa for Prabal fort, Panorama for the sunrise, Echo for the obvious. Wear shoes you do not mind ruining: the dust is iron-red and gets into everything. Come on a weekday. At weekends the horse traffic on the paths is heavier than the foot traffic. October to May. The monsoon closes the train and turns the paths to slurry.

When to go

October to May, though the monsoon months of July and August bring lush green mists of their own.

Why visit

Matheran bans motor vehicles outright, so you walk in from Dasturi or take the little train from Neral. That one rule is the whole reason to come: nowhere else this close to a big Indian city is this quiet.

Cultural notes

Hugh Poyntz Malet, the Collector of Thane, came upon the plateau in 1850, and Lord Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay, set about turning it into a mountain getaway. The narrow-gauge Matheran Hill Railway, built in 1907, remains an exceptional piece of mountain rail engineering.

How to reach

Located 90 km from Mumbai. Vehicles drive up to the final parking checkpoint at Dasturi Naka, from where all travellers must walk or ride horses for the remaining 3 km. Neral Junction is served by local trains from Mumbai, and the Matheran toy train branches off there.

Matheran in 2 days

See the full itinerary

2 days in Matheran

Take the whole plan, or add any single stop.

Day 1

Day 1

Toy train from Neral

Toy train from Neral

Charlotte Lake

Day 1

Charlotte Lake

The primary natural water reservoir basin on the plateau, surrounded by dense evergreen forests and hosting an ancient temple shrine.

Day 1

Echo Point

Echo Point

Day 1

Sunset at Panorama Point

Sunset at Panorama Point

Louisa PointDay 2

Day 2

Louisa Point

Looks straight across at Prabal fort, with a seasonal waterfall on the far wall through the monsoon. A red laterite walk out from the market, and like everything in Matheran it has to be reached on foot or on horseback.

Day 2

One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill

Day 2

Market chikki and fudge

Market chikki and fudge

Day 2

Horse ride on the red trails

Horse ride on the red trails

Matheran guide & itineraries

Matheran is perfect for

natureweekendfamilycouples

What & where to eat

Matheran Chikki

Main bazaar

Matheran Chikki

The hill station signature nut brittle

candy

Main bazaar

candy

Hand-made fudge sold along the market

Fudge

Main bazaar

Fudge

Hand-made fudge sold along the market

bhajji

bhajji

Maharashtrian street classics

Vada Pav

Vada Pav

Maharashtrian street classics

chai stalls

chai stalls

Roasted corn on the viewpoints trail

Corn

Corn

Roasted corn on the viewpoints trail

Maharashtrian thali

Maharashtrian thali

Simple local meals

Nearby getaways

Neral

~1 hr

Lonavala

Lonavala

~2 hrs

Things to do

How to spend your time in Matheran.

Panorama Point

Panorama Point

Wide sunrise and sunset views

Echo Point & Louisa Point

Echo Point & Louisa Point

Cliff viewpoints over the Sahyadris

Walk the vehicle-free red paths

Walk the vehicle-free red paths

India only automobile-free hill station

Frequently asked questions

Are cars allowed in Matheran?

No - Matheran is India only automobile-free hill station. You walk, take a horse, or ride the toy train from Neral.

Best time for Matheran?

October to May; the monsoon is lush but slippery on the trails.

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