Best of Maharashtra (Mumbai Nasik Shirdi Aurangabad and Lonavala) (10 Days)

Best of Maharashtra (Mumbai Nasik Shirdi Aurangabad and Lonavala) (10 Days)

This 10 days Best of Maharashtra tour will take you through some of the well-known and interesting places of this state. You will explore the financial capital of India Mumbai & UNESCO world heritage caves of Elephanta, Ajanta, Ellora, Karla & Bhaja. You will also visit ancient holy city Nasik & 2 Jyotirlinga Temples of lord shiva. Small village Sani Signapur famed for door less houses and hill of Lonavala & Khandala are also part of your itinerary.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Mumbai

Pass By: Gateway of India, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai 400001 India
On arrival at Mumbai airport meet with our office executive assistance and transfer to hotel (hotels check in time 1200hr afternoon, early check in subject to room’s availability).

Rest time free for personal activities relax, you can take a walk to have a glance of the city, visiting local markets and restaurants.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 2: Mumbai

Stop At: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, 159 - 161 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mumbai 400032 India
Breakfast at hotel, city tour of Mumbai.

Drive to Marine Drive: one of the most beautifully laid boulevards in the city. Afterwards visit to Elephanta caves (Monday closed), from Gateway of India cruise by motorboats to Elephanta Caves. A flight of 100 steps takes you to the top of the hill where it is set. Afterwards in the afternoon cruise back to Gateway of India and then city tour starts visiting Parliament House: The Maharashtra State Assembly (view from outside), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (view from outside), Dhobhi Ghat: to see the city's famous open-air laundry in action, Prince of Wales Museum (Monday closed): is a heritage museum comprises of a number of ancient artifacts, Mani Bhawan: here Gandhi laid the foundation for many independence movements.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 3: Mumbai – Nashik (170kms/ 4hrs)

Stop At: Sundarnarayan Temple, Panchavati, Nashik 422001 India
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Nashik check in at hotel.

Later city tour visiting the ancient holy city, known for its links to the “Ramayana” epic poem. On the Godavari River is Panchavati, a temple complex. Nearby, Lord Rama was thought to have bathed at Ram Kund water tank. Shri Kalaram Sansthan Mandir is an ancient shrine to Rama, while Rama and Sita are said to have worshipped at Sita Gufaa caves.

Sundarnarayan Temple marks the site of a legend of Lord Vishnu. Tapovan is a pilgrimage site next to the Nasardi River, close to where Lord Rama purportedly lived. Colorful statues of Hindu gods fill ISKCON, a modern temple for the worship of Lord Krishna. The temple complex Muktidham, in white sculpted marble, has painted scenes depicting the lives of Krishna and several chapters of the "Bhagavad Gita," an ancient Hindu scripture. On a small hill to the southwest are the 24 Pandavleni Caves, dating back millennia. They are marked by Buddha carvings, rare inscriptions and cisterns. Vineyards dot the land west of the city.

Also excursion visit to Tryambakeshwar an ancient Hindu temple in the town of Trimbak 28 km from the city of Nashik. It is dedicated to the god Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 4: Nashik – Shirdi - Aurangabad (170kms/ 4hrs)

Stop At: Shirdi, Shirdi, Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Aurangabad via visiting Shirdi. Shirdi is known as home of revered spiritual leader Sai Baba, and as a major pilgrimage site. Devotees gather daily at the Sai Baba Temple complex to honor his legacy. Here, the Samadhi Mandir shrine has an ornate marble statue of Sai Baba, alongside his tomb. Close by are Dwarkamai, a mosque where Sai Baba once lived, and tree-lined Lendi Garden.

Continue drive to Aurangabad check in at hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bibi Ka Maqbara, Begumpura Gulistan-e-Jauhar KARACHI, Aurangabad 431004 India
Bibi ka Maqbara built by Azam Shah in 1678, the Bibi ka Maqbara is a son's loving tribute to his mother. Due to its similar design standing spectacularly on the lawns of the landscaped garden with ponds, fountains and water channels, the white marbled monument is popularly known as the mini Taj of the Deccan and Panchakki - which literally means 'Water Mill' by Malik Ambar in 1695. It receives water from an underground channel, with its source being 6 km away in the mountains. An artificial waterfall has been created near the mill, through which this water is discharged on to the wheel to power the flourmill and grind grain for the pilgrims. Overnight at hotel.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 5: Aurangabad – Ajanta (105kms/ 2hrs approx one way)

Stop At: Ajanta Caves Road, Ajanta 431001 India
Full day excursion to Ajanta Caves (Monday closed). The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta were discovered by the British officers in 1819 while tiger hunting. Ajanta Caves were first mentioned in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited India between A.D 629 and 645. The Caves at Ajanta are older than those at Ellora, which date from about 200 B.C to 650 A.D. Thirty beautiful Buddhist Caves with mesmerizing sculptures and paintings depicting Buddha's life as well the lives of the Buddha in his previous births. Five of these Caves are Chaityas (Place of worship) while the other twenty-five are Viharas (monasteries). Ajanta Caves are divided in two categories based on two schools of Buddhist thought - Hinayana Caves and Mahayana Caves.
Evening back to hotel in Aurangabad for overnight stay.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 6: Aurangabad – Ellora (36kms/ 1hrs approx one way)

Stop At: Ellora Caves, Ellora Cave Rd Ahead of Hiranya Reosrts, Aurangabad 431005 India
Excursion to visit Ellora, a UNESCO World heritage sites (Tuesday closed). It houses 34 monasteries and temples with some exclusive uninterrupted sequence of monuments that date back from 600 to 1000 AD. The temples of Ellora are dedicated to Brahmanism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It also has some of the excellent stonework depicting the legends related to Lord Shiva.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Ghrishneshwar Temple Road, Ghrishneshwar Temple Rd, Verul, Maharashtra 431102, India
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The temple is an important pilgrimage site in Shaivism tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the last or twelfth Jyotirlinga (linga of light).
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Daulatabad Fort, Daulatabad, Daulatabad India
Daulatabad Fort one of the most powerful forts of the medieval Deccan. The defense system that made Daulatabad virtually impregnable comprises fortifications with double and even triple rows of massive walls.

Back to hotel in Aurangabad for overnight stay.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 7: Aurangabad – Lonavala (290kms/ 6hrs approx)

Stop At: Shani Shingnapur, Sonai Nevasa, Ahamadnagar, Shingnapur 414 105 India
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Lonavala via visiting Shani Shingnapur. Shingnapur is famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, officially no theft was reported in the village. Continue drive to Lonavala check in at hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 8: Lonavala/ Khandala

Stop At: Karla Caves, Karli, Lonavala India
Lonavala, a hill station surrounded by green valleys in western India. The Karla Caves and the Bhaja Caves are ancient Buddhist shrines carved out of the rock. These are caves carved from solid granite rocks around 160 BC. It has an Ashoka stambh at the entrance. The caves have rooms for the monks who resided here a prayer hall and a huge stupa. It also has the temple of Ek Veera the goddess of the Koli flock who are the original residents of Mumbai. They feature massive pillars and intricate relief sculptures.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Lohagad Fort, Lohagad Trek Rd, Khandala, Lonavala 410406 India
Lohagad (iron fort) is one of the many hill forts of Maharashtra. Situated close to the hill station Lonavala, Lohagad rises to an elevation of 1,033 m (3,389 ft) above sea level. The fort is connected to the neighboring Visapur fort by a small range. The fort was under the Maratha empire for the majority of the time, with a short period of 5 years under the Mughal empire.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bhushi Dam, Lonavala India
Bhushi Dam, where water overflows onto a set of steps during rainy season.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 9: Lonavala – Mumbai (85kms/ 2hrs approx)

Pass By: The Bombay Store - Mumbai, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Road Linking Road, Inorbit Malad & Inorbit Vashi, Mumbai 400001 India
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Mumbai check in at hotel.

Mumbai is shopping paradise. There are bargains to be found everywhere, whether you're looking for antiques, curios, carpets, handicrafts, textiles, Jewelry, or literally anything. Visit Cross Road, West End, Fashion Street, which is in main Mumbai city and Linking Road at Bandra in western Suburban is one of the famous markets for everything. And there are numbers of malls in the western suburban: In orbit Mall and Infinity Mall and other shops in Juhu and other places. Optionally you can do the shopping in famous markets and shops include Dadar, Fort, Colaba Causeway, Cottage Industries, and Handloom Emporiums amongst many others. Afterwards return to the hotel for overnight stay.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* / 4* / 5* as per price selection.

Day 10: Mumbai – Departure (flight)

Pass By: Mumbai, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel, as per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for onward destination.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.