Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar is about 260 km on the map and takes around 6 hours in a car. In one of our vehicles, plan for roughly 295 km and 8 hours each way. The last stretch is ghat road, which is where most of the extra time goes.
This is a two night trip for most groups. Doing it in one day means eight hours of driving for a few hours at the top, and almost nobody enjoys that.
The drive itself
01
0 kmStart
Your pickup point. An early start matters more on this route than on most.
02
40 km1 h 15 m
The usual exit traffic, then a clear run.
03
160 km4 h 00 m
Expressway, then NH 48. The easiest part of the drive.
04
250 km6 h 15 m
Standard halt for tea and washrooms before the climb begins.
05
280 km7 h 30 m
The climb to Mahabaleshwar. Slow, narrow in sections and considerably slower in monsoon.
06
295 km8 h 00 m
Drop at your hotel. Market area parking is limited, so tell us where you are staying.
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 for a longer drive
| Group size | We suggest | Why on this route | Trip shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | Kia Carens, Ertiga or SUV | Quick and flexible for a small group | 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 sections | 1 night |
| 13 to 20 | Maharaja Tempo TravellerPopular pick | Wider seats for a longer drive | 1 or 2 nights |
| 14 to 26 | Tempo Traveller | Best cost per seat, sofa-cum-bed row | 1 night |
| 19 to 33 | Mini Bus | Society and office groups | 1 night |
| 45 and above | Luxury AC Bus | Large 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.
The Pasarni ghat is narrow in places. A 45 seater coach can do it and we run them, but tell us where your hotel is before you book one, because some approach roads at the top genuinely cannot take a full coach.
Planning the day
Our recommendation Two nights is the right shape for this trip. One night works if you leave very early and accept that the first day is mostly driving. We would not recommend a same day run at all.
Recommended
The other way
Before you go
The year on this road
October to June.
Strawberry season runs roughly December to March and is the main reason many groups pick their dates.
Heavy rain and thick mist between June and September.
The points are often invisible and the ghat is slow. Many hotels close.
Arthur's Seat, Wilson Point for sunrise, Kate's Point and Elephant's Head.
A full day covers most of them comfortably.
About 20 km away and usually done on the way in or out.
Table Land is the main draw.
Farm visits are easy to arrange and most groups want one.
Tell us at booking so the stop is in the plan.
Market area parking is tight.
If your hotel is central, a smaller vehicle is genuinely easier than a coach.
Before you ask about price
About 6 hours for the 260 km in a car. In a full vehicle with a speed limiter, a halt and the Pasarni ghat at the end, plan for around 295 km and 8 hours. Monsoon adds an hour or more on the climb.
We would advise against it. Sixteen hours of driving for a few hours at the top is not a good day out. One night is the minimum that makes sense and two is better.
Roughly December to March. Farm visits are easy to add and most groups want one, so tell us when you book and we will build the stop into the route.
Not for the views. Between June and September the points are often in cloud and the ghat is slow. It is green and dramatic, but if you are going for the viewpoints, come later in the year.
Sometimes not. The ghat is manageable but some approach roads at the top are narrow. Send us the hotel address before you book and we will confirm.
From Mahabaleshwar