Nashik India – Your Quick Travel Guide

In a nutshell

Nashik is a city in Northern Maharashtra which sees thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year as its home to several sites from ancient Hindu mythology. These sites also beckon history enthusiasts who can explore century old temples, caves and the lush green hills which surround the city.

Why go to Nashik

Travellers should put Nashik on their map if they love history or want to gain a deeper understanding of Hindu culture and beliefs. For instance, in north Nashik is Panchavati named after five banyan trees, where Hindus believe that Lord Ram (a God in the Hindu religion), his wife, Sita and his brother Laxman stayed. Other historical sites of interest are temples and the ancient Buddhist Pandav Leni Caves which feature intricate carvings.

Nashik hosts several religious festivals a year such as the Kumbh Mela, India’s largest Hindu festival and the Rath Yatra, devoted to the Hindu God, Vishnu. During these festivals, Nashik is a bustling hub of activity.

The city is surrounded by mountains and rivers which makes for some beautiful scenery. An hour’s drive from Nashik is Bhandadara, a hill station with a collection of sparkling beautiful lakes, while closer to the city are the Gangapur Dam and the Someshwar Waterfalls which is a lovely place to stop and take a photo or have a picnic.
Also an hour’s drive away from Nashik are a few vineyards which are also great places to visit. Thanks to its climate and terrain, Nashik is known as India’s Nappa Valley and has some of the best wine producers in the country like Sula Vineyards and Grover by Zampa. As well as making wine they have wine tours and tastings which are a fun way to spend the evening.

When to go to Nashik

The best time to visit the vineyards is in October and November, when the grape plants are in full bloom. Nashik in general is pleasantly cool during this time with temperatures between 16-18C, making it the best time to visit the city as well.

Where to stay in Nashik

Since Nashik hosts such a plethora of tourists, accommodation tends to be on the pricier side compared to smaller places in India.

However, perhaps because so many visit the city for religious pilgrimages, there are a few pocket friendly options. Many of these can be found in Nashik’s Panchavati area which is filled with temples and religious sites of significance.

The city has significantly more moderately priced hotels which have basic facilities like air-conditioned rooms, WiFi and breakfasts included in the tariff.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of resorts in and around the city which have pools, multi-cuisine restaurants and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. For an experience like no other, stay at resorts attached to the vineyards a short drive from Nashik. Beyond by Sula and Soma Vine Village are in the midst of vineyards and have spas, pools and other amenities.

What and where to eat in Nashik

Food in Nashik is authentically Maharashtra with influences from Gujarati and Rajasthani cuisine. Maharashtrians typically love their street food and quick snacks and so one can find batata vadas (potato patties), chivda (wheat and cornflakes) and vada pavs (potato patties in bread) in eateries across the city. Since these are snacks, they tend to be cheap.

A full-fledged sit down meal will be a little more expensive. Popular dishes in such a meal will include bharli vangi (eggplants with peanuts) and poli (a sweet, thin bread).

Many restaurants in Nashik are pure vegetarian, but non vegetarians can find a few traditional meat based dishes in local eateries; these include Chicken Maratha and Mutton Kolapuri.

At the vineyards, one can sample exquisite, beautifully crafted wines at low prices. One should also sample Sol Kadi, an authentic Maharashtrian dairy drink.

How to get around Nashik

If you have a specific list of places you’d like to visit both in and just outside of Nashik, the best way to get around would be to hire a car or private taxi for the day. There are several trusted tour agencies and operators which one can turn to including Rent N Ride and Ganraj Travels. Fares for both of these begin at INR1500 for a day and INR9 per kilometre if you want to take the taxis out of the city. Many of these cars are driven by extremely knowledgeable drivers who can take you to local restaurants and shopping centres and have unique insights about Nashik’s history.

Nashik is a vast city and its not recommended to explore it on foot, especially during the summer when dehydration is a very real risk. However, the Panchvati area can easily be covered by foot; with a half an hour to forty five walk one will see several sites of religious and mythological significance.

There are, of course local and municipal run buses but understanding their schedule is a challenge.

How to get to and from Nashik

By bus

However, taking a bus is a good option to get into Nashik. There are private and government buses which ply to Nashik from larger cities in Maharashtra such as Pune and Mumbai every day. Private buses are a better option as they are less crowded and air-conditioned and take less time (between 5 to 10 hours). From Mumbai and Pune, operators include Dolphin Travels and Neeta Tour Travels while from Sattara, one can take Indani Travels or Ashoka Travels buses. Fares are between INR400-800.

There are also buses available from nearby states like Gujarat and Goa. From Gujarat, take a Gujarat Travels or Baldev Travels (both private operators) bus for upto INR1000. This trip will take upto ten hours. A bus ride from Goa is significantly longer; bus operators like Sai Rucha Travels and Paulo Travels depart daily from Goa and take upto 18 hours to reach Nashik. These cost upto INR1300.

By train

If the idea of spending almost a day on a bus is not appealing then there are plenty of trains that come to Nashik’s Railway station from around the country.

The Vsg Patna Express is a ten hour overnight train which begins in Goa and arrives in Nashik the next morning. From Kerala, Mangalore and even Agra, one can hop aboard the Mngla Lksdp Express which has a pantry and first class compartments. From Kolkata, one can take the Howrah Superfast Express which is a 36 hour journey to Nashik. There are plenty of trains that one can take from North India into Nashik including the Amritsar Express from New Delhi and the Mangala Ldweep which runs from Kochin to New Delhi stopping at Nashik and Mumbai along the way. If you’re after an elevated train journey take the Punjab Mail which follows a 104 year old route and passes through important religious sites in India such as Mathura on its way to Nashik. This train is slightly on the expensive side (upto INR5000) but tickets for most of the trains into Nashik are fairly pocket friendly (upto INR3000).

By air

Nashik doesn’t have an airport but travellers can fly into Pune or Mumbai (which has great connectivity to international locations) and then take a bus or private taxi into Nashik. It’s a three to five hour car journey and private taxis cost between INR1000-3000. Travellers can also fly to the recently inaugurated Shirdi airport which is connected to Mumbai and Hyderabad. Flights cost up to INR5000.

Is Nashik a safe place to visit?

Because of religious background, Nashik is a safe city with very few incidents of crime. However, it’s not advisable for women travelling alone to be out on foot late at night or for travellers to carry large amounts of money; leave it in a safe locker in your hotel.