Mumbai to Bhimashankar is about 215 km on the map and takes around 5 hours in a car. In one of our vehicles, plan for roughly 245 km and 6 hours each way. The last 50 km is ghat road and it is slow.
Bhimashankar is a jyotirlinga inside a wildlife sanctuary, which makes it different from the others. The setting is forest rather than town, and the approach is the hardest drive of the Maharashtra jyotirlingas.
The drive itself
01
0 kmStart
Your pickup point. A very early start is necessary for a same day trip.
02
80 km2 h 15 m
The straightforward part of the drive.
03
150 km3 h 45 m
Scenic and slow. Standard halt somewhere along here.
04
215 km5 h 15 m
The hardest stretch. Narrow, winding, and considerably slower in monsoon. This is where the extra time goes.
05
245 km6 h 00 m
Drop at the temple road. There are steps down to the temple from the parking area.
Google Maps assumes a car on an empty road. Our vehicles are speed limited to 80 km per hour as RTO rules require, they carry a full load, and they halt on the way. Plan for roughly 10 to 15 per cent more distance than the map says, an hour more on trips up to five hours, and two hours more beyond that.
Some venues and rural roads on this route cannot take a large vehicle. Send us the exact pickup and drop addresses, including any unpaved or monsoon affected stretches, and we will confirm access before you book rather than on the day.
Matching the fleet to your group
How many are travelling?
17people
Group size
Wider seats, easier on elderly pilgrims
| Group size | We suggest | Why on this route | Trip shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | Kia Carens, Ertiga or SUV | Fastest door to door for a small family | Same day |
| 7 to 13 | 14 seater Tempo Traveller | One vehicle beats two cars from seven adults | Same day or 1 night |
| 9 to 16 | 16 seater Force Urbania | Softer suspension on the ghat | 1 night |
| 13 to 20 | Maharaja Tempo TravellerPopular pick | Wider seats, easier on elderly pilgrims | 1 night |
| 14 to 26 | Tempo Traveller | Best cost per seat, sofa-cum-bed row | 1 night |
| 19 to 33 | Mini Bus | Society and mandal group bookings | 1 night |
| 45 and above | Luxury AC Bus | Community groups, lowest cost per head | 1 night |
The bigger the vehicle, the less each person pays. A 13 seater on a Lonavala day trip works out around ₹615 a head. A 49 seater on the same trip works out around ₹367. If your group sits close to the next size up, going up usually costs less per person.
Travelling with elderly passengers or small children? Book one size above your headcount. The spare row means somebody can put their feet up and lie down, or the children have somewhere to play.
This is the one Maharashtra jyotirlinga where vehicle size genuinely limits you. The final ghat is narrow and winding. We would not put a 49 seater coach on it, and we will say so rather than take the booking and find out on the day.
Planning the day
Our recommendation Same day is possible but long, with twelve hours of driving. If anyone in the group is elderly, or if you want the sanctuary as well as the temple, take the overnight.
Recommended
The other way
Before you go
The year on this road
Spectacular and difficult.
The ghat gets misty and slippery between June and September. Our drivers know it, but plan extra time.
October to February.
Mondays and Mahashivratri bring the largest crowds.
Bhimashankar sits inside a wildlife sanctuary
It is home to the Indian giant squirrel. The forest setting is a real part of the visit.
There are steps down from the parking area to the temple.
Worth knowing in advance if elderly pilgrims are travelling.
Trekking routes come up from the base for those who want them.
Most groups drive, and the two are entirely different trips.
Limited compared with Shirdi or Trimbakeshwar.
Carry water and snacks, particularly on a same day trip.
Before you ask about price
About 5 hours for the 215 km in a car. In a full vehicle with a speed limiter and the final ghat, plan for around 245 km and 6 hours. Monsoon adds an hour or more on the climb.
Not comfortably. The final ghat is narrow and winding and we would not put a 49 seater on it. Tempo travellers, the Urbania and mini buses handle it. For a larger group we would suggest splitting across two vehicles.
Yes, but it is twelve hours of driving for a few hours there. Leave around 4.30 in the morning. If anyone is elderly, take the overnight instead.
Yes, down from the parking area. Not a long climb, but worth knowing in advance if elderly pilgrims are travelling.
No. The trek comes up on foot from the base and is a completely different trip. We drop and collect trekking groups, so tell us if that is your plan.
From Bhimashankar