Renowned as the wine capital of India, Nashik situated in the northwest part of Maharashtra, is a picturesque city with beautiful vineyards and orchards that surround it. Considered as one of the holiest cities for Hindus globally, Nashik is situated on the banks of the sacred River Godavari and is one of the cities to host the well-known Kumbha Mela, which is held once in 12 years among four other cities in India.
Over the years Nashik has prospered a lot and has a famed diamond – Nassak named after it. The city is popular for its flourishing valleys and nine hills Durga, Ganesh, Chitraghanta, Pandav, DingerAli, Mhasarul, Jogwada, Pathanpura and Konkani, which surround this beautiful city. Adding to this beauty are the lakes, which make for an excellent picnic spots amongst the locals as well as tourists who throng the city.
So come and explore the scenic landscapes or get seduced by the mystic charms or enjoy some wine sipping sessions in the panoramic vineyards and orchards of Nashik.
How to Reach Nashik?
By Air : Nashik Ozar Airport, which is about 25kms from the main city, is serviced by various domestic flights. From here you can either hire a taxi or board a bus to reach Nashik city.
By Rail : Nashik Road is the nearest railway station, which is about 10 kms from the main city. There are regular trains from Mumbai’s Dadar station to Nashik and from Pune to Nashik. From here you can board a bus, hire an auto-rickshaw or take a shared taxi all of which are easily available at nominal fares.
By Road : Nashik is well connected by road to Mumbai and Nashik is just about 180kms from Mumbai. There are frequent buses plying from Mumbai (Dadar) to Nashik. In case you are not somewhere around Dadar, no worries as you can board a bus from Borivali.
Best Time to Visit Nashik
The best time to visit Nashik is from October to February when the weather is pleasant with temperature varying between 8°C and 32°C – an ideal time for sightseeing and enjoying outdoor activities such as fishing and boating.
During the summer season, from March to May, it is unbearably hot with the level of mercury shooting above 42°C.
From June to September, the city experiences medium rainfall. At this time, although the temperature goes down, outdoor activities and sightseeing are not possible hence avoid visiting Nashik during the summer season.
Things to do in Nashik
One can never be short of things to do in Nashik. If you are religiously inclined then Nashik is the place for you as you can spend days here going on various temple tours, or you can enjoy a trip to vineyards and orchards. Enjoy a picnic lunch at various lakes in the city or just gorge on scrumptious chats, pav bhaji or authentic Maharashtrian cuisine. Partake in various festivals here that are celebrated with much enthusiasm. Come and explore Nashik yourself and you will not be disappointed.
Places Near Nashik
Some of the interesting places near Nashik where you can go for a day trip are Trimbakeshwar, Sinnar, Yeola and Shirdi.
Situated at a distance of just 30kms from Nashik, Trimbakeshwar is one of the holy places of the country, which is renowned as one of the 12 jyothirlingas in India. Considered as being very sacred owing to the fact that Trimbakeshwar is the place from where the Godavari River originates and is also a place of Tri-Sandhya Gayatri, which is the birth place of Lord Ganesha.
Another interesting place near Nashik is Sinnar, which is located at a distance of 30 kms. Sinnar is popular for Gondeshwar Shiva temple that has some appealing architecture and stone carvings.
Situated at a distance of about 65kms from Nashik, is another interesting place called Yeola. Yeola is a major handloom weaving centre near Nashik and is popular for the silk saris, and paithainis, which are woven here and exported as well.
Hotels in Nashik – Choice is Yours
There are numerous hotels in Nashik ranging from 3-star, 4-star and 5-star deluxe to budget hotels.