One of the four sites of the famous Kumbh Mela and home to dozens of vineyards, Nashik is one of the most popular destinations in Maharashtra. It is an ancient, religious city that is also a pilgrimage site for Hindus, and has been mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics! But, there’s a lot more besides the pilgrimages, temples, and holy places in Nashik that one may find to be of interest. The valleys, vineyards, and high peaks make for plenty of adventure and tourism options.
Nashik is a city that offers you a good blend of traditions, history, beliefs, and cultures mixed with a modern lifestyle. It has unique features that grab the attention of people from around the country. If you’ve been thinking of visiting the city, we have a Nashik travel guide that will give you a gist of all the beautiful things that the city offers you.
Nashik is a city of mythological, cultural, historical, and social importance, with a strong heritage. As mentioned earlier, it’s an important landmark for Hindus all over the world. The holy river Godavari flows through here, and the city is the place where Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman lived during the majority of their time in exile. It’s one of the many reasons why pilgrims visit this city in large numbers all year long.
During the reign of the Mughals, the city was renamed “Gulshanabad” from Nasik, and was renamed many times after that as well. This went on until the reign of the Peshwas when they finally named the city Nashik. Before the Peshwas of Marathas got the governance of Nashik, it was ruled by Kalachuris, Vishnukundins, Traikutakas, the Abhira dynasty, the Satavahana dynasty, the Mauryan dynasty, the Rashtrakuta dynasty, Chalukyas, Yadavas, and as mentioned, the Mughals.
It wasn't until 1707 CE that Nashik was under the complete rule of the Marathas. They ruled Nashik until 1818 when the Britisher Thomas Hyslow conquered some parts of the city in early February and then the entire city by the end of March. The Britishers declared Nashik as an important division and that's when the city began to truly flourish economically. After almost a century of British rule, the city finally challenged British rule in 1909 and actively participated in the freedom struggle of India.
Nashik has shown some great growth economically and became a Corporation in 1982 when the population crossed the 1.2 million mark.
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The city of Nashik is well connected by trains, airways, and roadways, and traveling to Nashik is quite a breeze. There are a few ways you could get to Nashik from all parts of the country and here's a breakdown on how.
Ozar Airport is a domestic airport in Nashik that connects it with some of the major cities like Bengaluru, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bhopal. Once you're at the airport, you can hire a cab to get to your destination.
If you don’t live in these above-mentioned cities, there’s another option for traveling to Nashik by air–just book a flight to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai. This international airport connects Mumbai to cities like Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, and Kochi. Nashik is about 167 kilometers away from Mumbai, and you can hire a cab, or take a train or bus from the Mumbai airport to get to Nashik in just a few hours.
Nashik has a railway station–the Nashik Railway station–that is connected with the cities of Mumbai, Amravati, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Pune, Agra, Allahabad, Ahmedabad, and Bareilly. Taking trains to get to Nashik is a convenient option as it is affordable and efficient.
You get frequent trains from Mumbai every day that you can pre-book and hop onto. Most of these other cities also have frequent trains running to Nashik at intervals. Some trains that you can book from these cities are the Howrah Mail, Lashkar Express, Devagiri Express, Pune Manmad Express, Janshatabdi Express, Tulsi Express, etc.
Getting to Nashik by road is a popular choice, particularly from Mumbai. The city is well connected with an array of state, private, and government buses like the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). These buses run from plenty of neighboring cities within Maharashtra to Nashik on a daily basis.
Some cities like Pune, Shirdi, and Aurangabad have daily buses that operate all day long. You can easily board one of these buses and get to Nashik in under 5 hours. To get to Nashik from Mumbai, you have to take the NH 3. Here, you’ll also find a large number of private cars and buses available that you can avail of.
You also have buses and private transportation services that connect Nashik to the cities from Maharashtra’s neighboring states. So, if you’re planning on visiting Nashik from a neighboring state, you have a few options to explore.
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Nashik experiences tropical weather and has hot summers, heavy monsoons, and pleasant winters. Visiting Nashik is great all year long as something’s always happening in the city.
Even though the summers are hot and humid in the city, there are a few festivals that are celebrated during this time of the year. Ignoring the heat and humidity becomes easy if you want to visit the Ram Rath Yatra and celebrate Janmahotsav the Nashik way. These festivals are celebrated in a grand way over a few weeks’ time. Plus, you can always visit the adventure parks and waterparks in the city to get rid of the heat.
If you’re going to visit Nashik for its magnificent hills and go on treks and hikes, then the monsoon is an ideal time to visit. The monsoons in Nashik are charming and you get to visit the waterfalls and mist-covered peaks and enjoy the radiant greenery. The views from the hilltops are stunning and the cold monsoon breeze is perfect to climb up the hills.
You can also choose to camp on the hilltops provided you have an authorized permit and a guide to accompany you. Sightseeing and traveling might not be ideal when there’s heavy rainfall in Nashik but adventure tourism is definitely something you could add to your list.
You can also visit the city during the peak tourist season of winter. It’s the ideal time to visit Nashik as the weather is pleasant and you get to enjoy all of the outdoor activities and sights in the city. Additionally, Nashik celebrates an abundance of winter and vineyard festivals that you can partake in when visiting during winters.
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Getting around Nashik is going to be convenient and easy since you’ll find local transportation like buses, cabs, auto-rickshaws, and shared cabs to get around. These services are available from most places around the city and at an affordable cost. Rickshaws and cabs drop you off at your desired destination while buses follow a fixed route. So, in case you’re taking a bus, ensure you know what route it's going to follow and hop on one only then.
The Nashik Darshan buses are famous for their travel routes, so you can hop on one of these to visit some of the famous touristy places in the city. If you’re going with a large group of people, you can also hire a Traveller minibus or a car to get around.
“Nashik is only known for its temples and pilgrimage sites”
Nashik is surely an ancient holy city that a large number of pilgrims visit, and it also has a large number of temples and pilgrimage sites. But at the same time, it has numerous sightseeing spots, adventure parks, vineyards, hills, caves, waterfalls, markets, and more. All of this makes Nashik a wholesome place to visit with friends, family, or even as solo travelers.
Sula Vineyards is one of the more well-known vineyards in the country. Visiting the vineyard is one of the best things to do in Nashik; you get a guided tour of the vineyards and also get to explore it. Plus you can book a wine-tasting tour here to enjoy with your family. You may also get to try some delicious wine with a beautiful view of the vineyard plantation.
They also have a resort and a restaurant where you can enjoy a nice lunch with a glass of wine if you'd like, or take a dip in the infinity pool. You can also choose to book a room at the resort and enjoy a mini staycation in Nashik. Overall, Sula Vineyards has ample things that you can do here depending on how much time you have.
One of the outdoor adventures you can indulge in Nashik is river rafting at Vaitarna River; it’s one of the most exhilarating experiences in the city! At Adventure Camp Zone on the Vaitarna River, you can also go cliff jumping and swimming. You can get your bookings done in advance to make sure you get a spot and not miss out on the fun.
If you aren’t big on experiencing these adventurous outdoors, you can camp on the riverside. They also have valley crossing trips where you can enjoy a jeep safari alongside the banks of the river. The scenic ride is one of the more popular things to do at the Vaitarna River, and makes traveling to Nashik all the more exciting.
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Brahmagiri Hill is famously known amongst adventure seekers. It is an excellent trekking spot in the city that you can visit any time of the year. The climb to the top is extremely satisfying as you get to see the remains of a fort with a beautiful view of the city below.
Trekking up Brahmagiri Hill is just one of those things you need to do when traveling to Nashik. The view from the top, the nature, and the serenity of the hill are infectious. You can go to Brahmagiri Hill for some time off from your busy city life, and get some of that revered peace and quiet.
You can seek the blessings of Lord Shiva at the Trimbakeshwar Temple. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva, situated at the banks of River Godavari and the foothills of the Brahmagiri Mountains. It is a popular pilgrimage place visited by thousands of divotes all year long.
Make sure you attend the early morning pooja at the temple and then go ahead with the tour of the temple. The tranquil environment here is something you should not miss out on; it’s one of the must-visit places in Nashik where you experience absolute peace and serenity.
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Is There Any Beach In Nashik?
The city of Nashik does not have beaches around. But, you can enjoy the serene view of the rivers Godavari and Vaitarna. Besides, it has beaches like Diveagar, Hedvi, and Malvan in neighboring areas that you can visit if you like.
What Is The Famous Food Of Nashik?
Nashik is known for its spicy and lip-smacking misal pav. It is one of the best things to have for breakfast or snack time with a hot cup of chai. You cannot miss out on misal pav when visiting Nashik.
Does Nashik Have An Airport?
Nashik has a domestic airport named Ozar Airport and the closest international airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai. Ozar Airport is just 28 kilometers away from the city center and connects the city with other major cities like Bengaluru, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bhopal.
How Far Is Nashik From Mumbai?
The distance between Nashik and Mumbai is 167 kilometers and it takes about 3 hours on average to drive to Nashik from Mumbai. Mumbai is one of the cities that is well connected with Nashik and traveling between the two cities is fairly convenient.
What Is The Best Time To Visit Nashik?
The best time to visit Nashik is ideally winter, as the weather is pleasant and you get to visit all the sightseeing spots as well. But you can also visit Nashik in the summers for its festivals and in the monsoon for seasonal treks.
What Is Nashik Famous For?
Nashik is famous as a Hindu pilgrimage. It is situated on the banks of River Godavari and is host to the Kumbh Mela, which is held once every 12 years.
Where Do You Find Most Homestays In Nashik?
MIDC Ambad and Shalimar Chowk are the two areas in Nashik where you will find most homestays.
Is Nashik Safe To Live In?
Yes. Given the friendly people and the low number of isolated spots in tourist season, Nashik is percieved as a safe city.
