Matheran Trip from Mumbai

It was my birthday and I was in Mumbai to meet my friend. All of a sudden we planned to go out to celebrate. First place came to our mind that was Matheran. It is around 90 kilometers away Mumbai. It is located at an elevation of about 2,624 feet above the sea level.It is considered as the smallest hill station of India. Matheran has green panoramic views. You won’t find tarred roads in here. Pathways are made of red stone choora. Matheran is perhaps one of those few places in the world where absolutely no vehicles are allowed. It has fresh unpolluted air free of smoke. Its beautiful surroundings make it a popular tourist destination in Maharshtra. If you like spellbinding charm of nature, then Matheran is the the exact place for you. You can visit this place year round. If possible avoid visiting during the monsoon season as the pathways become covered in mud making it messy to walk around. But personally I like this place in monsoon season.

How to reach Matheran

Matheran is situated at a distance of 90 Kilometers from Mumbai and 120 kilometers from Pune. It can be reached by Train or Car. Always remember that no vehicles are allowed inside Matheran, those traveling by Car have to do some walking to get to Matheran. Neral is the nearest railway station to go directly to Matheran and is 21 kilometers from Matheran. A toy train travels from Neral to Matheran station and covers the journey in about 2 hours.

Taxi to Matheran

Taxis are available at Neral Station. But be ready for bargaining. They normally charge you between Rs 400-600. Make a note that the taxi drivers may give you the impression they are going to drive you straight to Matheran, but the reality is that no vehicles are allowed in Matheran. All taxis from Neral station drop their passengers at a place called Dasturi from where you have to make your own arrangements to get to Matheran.

WALKING UP TO MATHERAN

This is approximately a 50 minute walk if you take the pathway or a 40 minute walk if you walk along the railway tracks. And believe me this is the best option to get in Matheran. You can enjoy nature fully. But it is very important that you should not have heavy baggage to carry. Regardless of what mode you decide on, if you have luggage you will require a porter to carry it up for you. Potters charge Rs 200 to take your luggage up to your hotel.

HIRE A HORSE TO RIDE UP

Other option is to hire a horse. The horse owners are usually waiting for customers and charge Rs 300 per horse. One person can ride one horse.

TAKE A MAN PULLED RICKSHAW

Personally I don’t like this option. Only one person is allowed per rickshaw. They charge Rs 350.

DRIVING TO MATHERAN BY CAR

If you are coming to Matheran, you need to park your vehicle at a place called Dasturi . Then walk up to Matheran or go by horse or rickshaw. It’s your choice. There is ample parking here. This is not an organized parking area. However parking is quite safe. Tourists park their vehicles here for three or four days. You just need to find a suitable spot. I actually drove down in December 2015 to Matheran from Mumbai and did park our car at Dasturi parking area. The cost of parking a car per day is Rs 35. You will find porters, horse renters and rickshaw pullers waiting at the parking area to assist you. In Matheran there are several key points that offer breathless views. You can do walking to these places. However you can hire horses or rickshaws to take you there.

For hotels I will suggest you to hire old Parsi houses. They have really big rooms and I mean it.

Happy Travelling !! Be Safe !! Cya !!