5 Best Hill Stations near Kolhapur

Perched at an altitude of 1,353 m in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar is one of the popular hill stations in Maharashtra, and among the best places to visit near Pune & Mumbai. It is about 123 km from Pune, and 243 km from Mumbai. It is one of the must include places in Maharashtra tour packages.

Known for its lovely views, beautiful landscapes, and pleasant weather, Mahabaleshwar is often referred to as the queen of hill stations in Maharashtra. It boasts of many tourist attractions including Pratapgarh Fort, Venna Lake, Mahabaleshwar Mandir, Krishnabai Temple, Lingamala Falls, and Panchgani. Several viewpoints are strategically located here to capture the panoramic views created by the majestic Sahyadri Mountains and deep valleys. Arthur's Seat, Wilson Point, Kate's Point, Elephant Head Point, and Bombay Point are some popular viewpoints you must include in Mahabaleshwar packages.

Mahabaleshwar is the source of the Krishna River. Four other rivers also flow from here, before they merge into the Krishna; these are Koyana, Venna, Savitri, and Gayatri. Also, it is famous for the cultivation of strawberries and mulberries.

Distance from Kolhapur: 189 Kms

Situated at an altitude of 622 m in the Sahyadri Range, Lonavala is a beautiful hill station in the Pune district of Maharashtra. It is one of the top hill stations you must include in Maharashtra tour packages and among the best tourist places to visit near Mumbai & Pune. It is located about 67 km from Pune, and 95 km from Mumbai.

Lonavala has several tourist places in the form of caves, lakes, forts and waterfalls. Lohagad Fort, Rajmachi Point, Bhushi Dam, Kune Waterfalls, Karla Caves, Tikona Fort, Visapur Fort, Bedsa Caves and Tung Fort are some of the best places to include in Lonavala tour packages.

The twin hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala are the most popular monsoon getaways in India. The best time to visit Lonavala and Khandala is during the monsoon, between July - September when the scenic spots become lush green and the waterfalls are in full flow.

Distance from Kolhapur: 290 Kms

Panchgani or Paachgani is a picturesque hill station in Maharashtra. Situated 104 km from Pune and 254 km from Mumbai, it is one of the must include places in Maharashtra tour packages, and among the famous scenic places to visit near Kolhapur.

Situated at an altitude of 1334 m, Panchgani is nestled in the middle of five hills in the Sahyadri mountain ranges. It is one of the top hill stations near Pune & Mumbai. Mahabaleshwar was the summer resort of choice for the British, but it was uninhabitable during the monsoons. Panchgani was developed as a retirement place for the British as it remained pleasant throughout the year. It is also said that, during Vanavasa, the Pandavas spent some time in Panchgani and the cave where they stayed in the famous Devil's Kitchen, among the most popular sightseeing places in Panchgani.

Panchgani has several beautiful tourist attractions. Table Land, Parsi Point, Kamalgadh Fort, Devil's Kitchen, Rajpuri Caves, Sydney Point, Mapro Gardens, Dhom dam, etc. are some of the major sightseeing places to visit as part of Panchgani tour packages. Panchgani is dotted with British style old bungalows and Parsi houses.

Distance from Kolhapur: 169 Kms

At a distance of 28 km from Mahabaleshwar, Tapola, famously called the Mini Kashmir of the West, is a rural hamlet with a magnificent Shivsagar Lake in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the famous tourist places to visit near Mahabaleshwar.

Tapola is situated at the convergence of the rivers of Koyna and Solshi. The primary attraction in Tapola is the Shivsagar Lake, a 90 km long water body infact the reservoir of the Koyna dam. The Koyna Dam is one of the biggest in Maharashtra and the Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant of India. The lake offers boating, water scooter rides, kayaking and swimming.

Jungle treks from Tapola are very popular with trekkers. There are many unknown forts in the dense forest around the lake in Tapola like Vasota and Jaygad. Tapola is also the base village to the Vasota fort famous for the arduous jungle trek. Vasota located within the Koyna wild life sanctuary is cut off from civilization and can be reached only in a boat. The permit for the trek can be procured from Bamnoli.

Distance from Kolhapur: 214 Kms

At a distance of 88 km from Panjim, 68 km from Belgaum, and 119 km from Kolhapur, Amboli is a hill station in Maharashtra situated at an altitude of 690 m (2000 ft). It is the last hill station before the coastal highlands of Goa, and amog the top places to visit near Kolhapur.

This hill station forms the southern range of the Sahyadri Hills. The Konkan coast lies on one side of Amboli, whereas valleys are found on the other three sides. A British Colonel Westrop made a major contribution to the development of Amboli as a hill station.

Amboli is an idyllic hill station that comes alive in monsoon when the area is abounding with waterfalls and mist. Amboli is receiving an annual rainfall of about 750 cm, the wettest region in Maharashtra.

The best time to visit Amboli is between October and February when the waterfalls can be seen gushing down from the hills. The sunset point, Amboli Waterfall, the origin of Hiranyakeshi River, Shirgaonkar Falls, Nagatta falls are worth visiting. The Hiranyakeshi River originates from a cave adjacent to the Hiranyakeshi temple and flows out from the 'Kund'. The Mahadevgad Fort is about 3 km from Amboli. The Nagatta Falls is an excellent location for picnics and relaxing. Amboli has many viewpoints, like the Sea View Point, the Kavelsad Point, the Parikshit Point, and the Mahadevgad Point. Located 10 km from Amboli, the Bauxite Mines are another attraction.

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Distance from Kolhapur: 110 Kms