Yes there are lots of things to do in Mumbai itself, but once in a while we have got to venture out of the city, and which better city than Mumbai to plan a road trip? We have got fabulous highways -one of the best in country, beautiful laid back hill-stations couple of hours from Mumbai and we can go north or south and there is so much to see all along the coast, right from beaches of Goa in south to Forts of Rajasthan in north, all doable in easy road trips.

After some research we have compiled a list of best road-trips to be done from Mumbai. Bike or car, whatever is your ride, these can be easily done with some planning.

1) Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar

Route: Mumbai – Mahabaleshwar – Kaas Plateau

Mahabaleshwar is a popular weekend destination for Mumbaikars and it doesn’t disappoint anyone. Little over 250 km from Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar is just a 5-6 hours drive and much of the route is via Mumbai-Pune expressway. Mahabaleshwar is a little paradise nestled in the Sahyadris and is the highest hill station in the Western Ghats. Kaas Plateau of Flowers is just 40 km from Mahabaleshwar and is an absolute must-visit if you are going in or just after monsoon season. Kaas Plateau is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.

2) Mumbai to Tarkarli Road Trip

Route: Mumbai – Ganpatipule- Ratnagiri – Tarkarli

The drive to Ganpatipule from Mumbai is a vacation in itself. The best route from Mumbia is via Panvel – Khed and Chiplun. The road is quite good but could get bad during the monsoons. Together Ganpatipule-Ratnagiri region offers some of the best beaches of Maharshtra that would give Goa a run for its money. Tarkarli is just 150 odd kilometers from Ratnagiri and is another small beach destination famous for water-sports.

3) Mumbai to Ajanta Caves and Lonar Crater

Route: Mumbai – Malshej Ghat – Ajanta Caves – Lonar Crater

Malshej ghat is just about 130 km from Mumbai and will take 3-4 hours depending upon the time you leave from Mumbai.  Malshej Ghat is a nice little hill-station in Western Ghats, surrounded by dense forests. Ajanta caves is another 330 km from Malshej ghat via Aurangabad which is a good option for the night halt. Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves need little introduction and are must-visit, especially if you live in Maharashtra. Lonar Crater is a natural wonder formed by a meteorite strike and one of the few such places on earth. The lake at Lonar Crater can be accessed by a short steep hike down from the rim of the crater.

4) Mumbai to Goa Roadtrip

Route: Mumbai – Amboli – Goa

Going to Goa? Why not stop-over this wonderful little hidden gem called Amboli which has a waterfall by same name. The drive through the incredible views of the ghats leading up to the waterfall is simply amazing. Do check for news on landslides if going in monsoon season. Amboli a less known hill-station is still untouched by commercialization so stay options are limited. Goa is just 100 km from Amboli. On your way back from Goa you can visit Ganpatipule if you haven’t had enough of beaches.

5) Mumbai to Udaipur Road Trip

Route: Mumbai – Daman – Champaner-Pavagadh – Mount Abu – Udaipur

Daman is just 170 km from Mumbai and an easy 3-4 hours ride. It can act as a night halt on way to Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park which is a concentration of mostly unexcavated archaeological, historic cultural heritage of 16th century early Hindu capital of Gujarat. From Champaner, Mount Abu is about 350 km and you could do it via Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar as well. Mount Abu is an all-the-year-round destination and is flocked by tourists from Gujarat in summers.

6) Mumbai to Kutch Road Trip

Route: Mumbai – Vadodra – Ahmedabad – Bhuj – Kutch

This might appear as a very long road trip but believe us with top quality NH-8 this is quite easily doable. Mumbai to Ahmedabad will take just one day or night. You can chose to checkout Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park near Vadodra as well if you have time. October to March is the best time for this trip. From Ahmedabad you can reach Bhuj in a day and plan to spend 2-3 days exploring Great Rann of Kutch. Bhuj can act as your base location for sightseeing places around such as Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary and Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary. You can also stay right in tent city at Dhordo during Rann utsav.

This post was originally published on Trodly travel blog.

Featured image by Vitor Pamplona

Last Updated on September 17, 2018 by Rohan