How to reach Matheran from Mumbai?

Matheran is 87 km away from Mumbai by road you can drive; it takes around 3 hours to reach Matheran from Mumbai. Ample parking is available at Dasturi Naka cars are not allowed further from here. Mumbai to Matheran well connected by trains. You need to board a local train from Mumbai to Karjat on the central railway. You need to buy a ticket till Neral Railway Station from where you can hire a sharing taxi available outside the railway station to reach till Dasturi Naka. From Dasturi Naka to Matheran Market is 40 minutes walking, you can hire a horse or hand carriage people also prefer walking on the railway track till the Matheran market area.

Toy Train is available from Neral to Matheran Market. It takes three hours to complete the journey. Matheran Toy train can be closed for maintenance during monsoon and remain unavailable due to landslides; please check before booking online. Mumbai to Matheran distance by road is 87 km. You can use any online maps for smooth navigation roads are in good condition.  

How to reach Matheran from Pune?

Matheran is 120 km away from Pune. It will take 3 to 4 hours drive from Pune you can also reach the nearest station that is Neral by train or public transport i.e., buses. The government bus is available to reach till Dasturi Naka from Karjat railway station. Neral to Matheran distance is 8 km will take 20 to 25 minutes to cover. You can also hire a sharing taxi from Neral Railway Station. Pune to Matheran drive will be enjoyable as the roads are in good condition and offer excellent views year-round. There are many Dhabas on the highway. Pune to Matheran distance is around 120 km. You can travel from Matheran to Pune via a long-distance train from Karjat Railway Station. 

Summers are generally hot and dry, Everything is brown, and trees shed their leaves. Matheran Temperature ranges from 20-degree Celsius to 30-degree celsius. During summer, it offers a good break from the heat.  Monsoon in Matheran begins in June and lasts till September. It is the best time of the year as all the valleys and mountains turn green. Winter in Matheran is from November to February. Temperatures are optimal from 8 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius. Winter is also the best time to visit. Monsoon Matheran covered in dense fog with low visibility, and it rains non stop if you want to enjoy the rains, this is the most suitable place. 

Places to visit in Matheran

You can either walk to all the points or hire horses readily available in the market area to see all the points. You will at least need two to three hours to cover spots. maps are available in the market area at general stores and gift shops. You can plan your route using the maps. There are stalls along the way that will offer refreshments and snacks. Beware of monkeys as they are on the lookout for food. Famous points in Matheran are listed below. 

Echo Point the hills shaped in a curve. It is almost like nature's small theatre. When you shout here at some point, you may get back the echoes. The surrounding scenery is lovely. Many snacks vendors can found here selling beverages and snacks and Maggi.

Cecil Point - This is the best place to watch the sunset in Matheran. Cecil Point is a place where you can look deep into the valley and see the sun plunging behind the mountains. 

Charlotte Lake provides water to all over Matheran. It is incredibly scenic and located near the Shiva temple. It is the best place to visit at the time of sunset.

Pisarnath Mahadev Temple Matheran located nearby Charlotte Lake.   Pisarnath Temple set up towards the edge of the mountain and views into the valley seen from nearby. It is an excellent spiritual spot. It is also near Cecil Point.

Louisa point - You can view Morbe dam and famous forts like Irshalgad, Kalavantin Durg, Prabalgad, Karnala Fort. It offers excellent views. Lion's head is a top-rated destination nearby. 

Panorama Point observes magnificent sunrise. It is far away from the market area. It is better to travel via horse early in the morning. Many travelers gather early in the morning for fantastic landscape photographs.

Monkey point, as the name suggests, you can spot vast numbers of langurs and macaque monkeys. Be careful with your belongings here as the monkeys will grab your bags looking for food.

Paymaster Park has effigies Lieutenant Colonel Paymaster and S.L Panday installed in their honor. Paymaster park located near Rugby hotel, the right picnic spot to spend with your family. It has a small play area for kids, gardens, easily reachable from the market.

Beatrice Cliff's first point visible while walking towards the market area from Dasturi Naka on the railway tracks grand opening offers impressive views of the nearby jungle. 

Sunset Point, all visitors assemble here to watch the sunset overlooking Prabalgad and Kalavantin Durg. It is also the endpoint of the trek from Dodhani to Matheran trek. It takes 45 minutes to walk from the primary market. If you hire a horse for sightseeing, do include this point.  

Big Chowk Point, you can see Karjat Chowk phata and Sondai fort from this point.

Garbett Point offers terrific views of Garbett plateau. Garbett located far away from the market area, mostly visited by trekkers who approach this point from Badlapur road station crossing Dhom dam.

Khandala Point, located near the market center, has excellent sunrise views. Khandala Point barely 10 minutes walking from the main center.

Other famous points - Belvedere Point, Rambaug Point, Madhavji Point, Olympia Ground.

The market area has many handicraft shops selling Kolhapuri chappals, leather bags, hats, gifts, souvenirs. Nariman Chikki Mart, you can buy sweets, fudge and syrups for your family from here. Many restaurants and fast-food joints are available to try out. There are few entertainment arcades open with different offerings. 

Peb Fort Trek

Peb Fort, also called Vikatgad, is an enjoyable trek near Matheran.the fort consisted of The caves which were used as granaries by the Marathas at the time of the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Peb Fort gets the name from the temple of goddess Pebi at the base of Fort. The trek is delightful in the monsoon and has a lot of waterfalls and streams flowing. Trekking includes walking over ridges, climbing ladders and rock patches, and walking through caves and dense forest. Once at the top, you can see the mountains of Matheran and lush green valleys around you.

One Tree Hill Point Trek

One tree hill peculiarly shaped in Matheran, which has only one tree on the top. The trek is a mild and easy one. The surrounding views of the mountains and valleys are breathtaking. It is at an elevation of 2625 feet. You can walk to the edge and look in the valleys below. One Tree Hill Point Trek starts from Matheran.

Garbett Plateau Monsoon Trek

Garbett Plateau Trek is the perfect way to explore trekking. Garbett point is where you will see the true beauty of Matheran. The monsoon season highly recommended doing this trek. Garbett Plateau is 2600 feet high, and it is a moderate trek. But care must be taken in the monsoon seasons near the river crossing at Ashane waterfall.

You will start the trek from Badlapur Road Station following the Dhom dam. Trekkers will require good four to five hours to complete this trek. You will need good endurance to complete the trek. Garbett Night Trek is very popular after the monsoon season ends. Watch out for honeybees as they are very active on this trek route.

Dodhani to Matheran Sunset Point Trek 

Dodhani village, located 40 minutes from Panvel Bus Depot, is famous for waterfalls. Trek till Sunset point will be challenging entirely uphill crossing rice fields, waterfall, through the thick jungle as you near Matheran thick fog will encircle you in monsoon. Matheran market area is around 45 minutes from the endpoint of the trek. You can exit from Dasturi Naka after you complete the trek or return towards Panvel. Best visited during monsoon and winters.

Girish Karnad 19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019 was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Rhodes Scholar, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. Girish Karnad was born in Matheran, in present-day Maharashtra, in 1938.

Hotels will offer old-world charm as new construction prohibited in the town. So most of them were constructed decades ago though equipped with modern amenities. You should prefer a hotel located near the market area as you can enjoy the evening walking around the market and explore restaurants, gift shops, chikki shops, and street food. Here is the list of best Matheran hotels.

1. Lords Central Hotel

2. The Rugby

3. Adamo The Resort

4. Usha Ascot

5. The Byke Heritage

6. Hotel Premdeep

7. Sayeban Hotel

8. SaffronStays Parsi Manor

9. Brightland Resort

10. Regal Hotel

11. The Redwood Resort Matheran

12. Westend Hotel Matheran