17 Best Adventure & Trekking places near Kolhapur

Situated on the banks of the River Kali, the picturesque town of Dandeli is one of the top Karnataka tourist places. It is located about 130 km from Goa, and 462 km from Bangalore. Dandeli is quite famous for its gorgeous natural backdrop, wildlife, and adventure activities, that can be experienced as part of Dandeli tour packages.

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka. Dandeli is one of the top white Water Rafting destinations in India. Kayaking, water rafting, and canoeing trips on the Kali River are some of the things one can indulge in Dandeli. Sathodi Falls, Syntheri Rocks, and Kavala Caves are the other important places to visit in Dandeli.

Explore our Dandeli Travel Guide for complete details on the stunning scenic place. Dandeli can also be visited along with Goa tour packages and Gokarna Packages.

Distance from Kolhapur: 212 Kms

At a distance of 12 km from Bhandardara, 165 km from Mumbai & 174 km from Pune, Kalsubai Peak is a mountain peak in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. This is one of the popular places of trekking in Maharashtra, and among the must include places in Bhandardara tour packages.

The peak of Kalsubai perched at an altitude of 5400 feet (1646 m) and it is the highest peak in Maharashtra. The peak lies within the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of the best places to visit in Bhandardara for adventure enthusiasts. The peak is a small plateau and offers a commanding view of nearby forts and Bhandardara Dam. It was used for keeping watch on their enemies during the Maratha rule in the region. Kalsubai Temple is Located at the topmost peak of the Sahyadri mountain range of Maharashtra.

Mount Kalsubai is a famous trekking destination in Maharashtra. The trekking route attracts a large number of visitors, some to conquer the highest peak in Maharashtra, some trek to Kalsubai to visit Mandir and offer prayers to local deity Kalsubai. The temple houses an old well, where the water level never drops below 3 feet. A religious fair is organized by the locals at this temple during Navratri.

To reach the summit there are various trekking routes. The ...

At a distance of 6 km from Ratanwadi, 23 km from Bhandardara, 183 km from Pune & 197 km from Mumbai, Ratangad is an ancient hill fort situated at Ratanwadi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. It is one of the best forts in Maharashtra and an ideal place for trekking around Mumbai & Pune.

The Ratangad Fort is one of the most popular places to visit in Bhandardara and the place leaves visitors spellbound with its rich heritage. The fort is located at a height of 4250 feet. Ratangad Fort is 400 year old fort, which was used by Maratha warrior Shivaji. The fort was initially ruled by the Mughals and it was conquered by Shivaji Maharaj.

Ratangad has a natural rock peak with a cavity at the top which is called Nedhe or Eye of the Needle. The fort has four gates known as Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan and Trimbak. There are two caves on the Ratangad Fort, one of the caves is smaller and can accommodate 8-10 people, while the other cave is larger and can accommodate 40-50 people. It also has many wells on the top. The base village Ratanwadi has Amruteshwar Temple which is famous for its carvings. The Pravara River originates in Ratangad Fort. According to the local legend, Sage Agastya meditated and performed penance in Ratangad. At that place two drops of Amrut was dropped and water started flowing out from Ratangad continuously resulting in the river Pravara hence the name 'Amrutvahini'.

There are numerous ...

At a distance of 20 km from Mahabaleshwar, 140 km from Pune & 221 km from Mumbai, Pratapgad, also known as Pratapgarh, is a large hill fort located in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the best heritage places to visit near Mumbai, and among the popular attractions not to miss as part of Mahabaleshwar packages.

The fort lies at an altitude of 1080 m and is built on a spur that overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar. Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj had commissioned Moropant Pingle, his prime minister, to commence the construction of this fort to defend Nira and the Koyna River banks, and also to guard the Par pass. It is one of the most scenic places to visit in Mahabaleshwar. The construction of the fortress was completed in the year 1656. The fort stands as the witness of the historic Battle of Pratapgarh between Shivaji and Afzal Khan, the commander of the Bijapur Sultanate, on 10th November 1659. In 1818, the Maratha forces had to surrender the Pratapgad Fort after losing the third Anglo-Maratha War.

After the Battle of Pratapgad, the Afzal tower was constructed outside the fort as a lookout for enemies. It is said that Afzal Khan's head is buried under the Afzal tower which is also known as Afzal Buruj. Afzal Khan's tomb is ...

Distance from Kolhapur: 207 Kms

At a distance of 17 km from Matheran and 8 km from Diksal, Garbett Point or Garbut Point is located near Matheran with grand view of the plateau below. The huge plateau gives a view to various waterfalls on the neighboring mountains. This place is also one of the top things to do in Matheran hill station and it is one of the must include places in Lonavala packages..

Garbut Point, situated about 5 km walk from Matheran Railway Station, is a comparatively secluded and less visited vantage point. Flanked by a gorgeous valley on one side and the thick jungle on the other, Garbett Point is a place from where enthralling views of sunrise and sunset can be observed.

Garbett to Matheran trekking is very famous for adventure lovers from Mumbai and Pune. The trek is a bit long and requires a little patience to accomplish. The trek starts from Diksal village. After walking for 5 minutes one can see a huge manmade lake. Visitors need to walk along the perimeter of the lake and cross a fast moving stream. One needs a rope to cross the stream during the monsoon season. The fields and the mountains are lush green with waterfalls all around.

After crossing the stream, trekkers need to climb a steep hillock till a nearby village. After short steep climb from the village, one will reach the narrow Garbett plateau, which ...

At a distance of 3.5 km from Neral Railway Station,13 km from Matheran, 88 km from Mumbai & 117 km from Pune, Peb Fort, also known as Vikatgad, is an ancient fort situated near Neral. This is one of the popular places of trekking near Mumbai, and among the must-visit places as part of Matheran Tour Packages.

Situated at an altitude of 2100 feet, the fort derives its name from the Goddess Pebi at the base of the fort. The fort is also named Vikatgad for its supposed shape of the Elephant Headed God, Ganesh. Historical references clearly indicate that Shivaji Maharaj used the caves on the fort to store the grains. It is one of the popular places to visit in Matheran.

The fort is famous for its caves which are maintained by disciples of Swami Samartha and the meditation chambers carved out from the rock inside the mountain. To get inside the meditation chamber, one has to crawl through a narrow passage and then climb down into the meditation chamber. The chamber is very well maintained with tiles on the floor for people to sit and meditate. The fort also has a temple dedicated to Swami Samartha on the top and has the footwear or Padukas worn by the great saint kept on the top. The view of the entire Neral and Karjat region from the top is worth the climb. Another ...

At a distance of 46 km from Matheran, 16 km from Panvel, 61 km from Mumbai and 117 km from Pune, Prabalgad Fort or Prabal Fort is located between Matheran and Panvel in Maharashtra. It lies at an altitude of 2300 feet in the Western Ghats. This is one of the most beautiful tiny forts in Maharashtra and a great place for trekking near Mumbai.

The fort was built on a plateau very close to Matheran. Prabalgad Fort was built during Bahmani Sultanate to keep an eye on Panvel Fort and Kalyan Fort in North Konkan. It was known as Muranjan until it was taken over and renamed by the Maratha forces under Shivaji's rule. This magnificent fort was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji from the Mughals. Historians believe that there was a treasure hidden inside the fort at the time of its capture.

Prabal Fort presently in ruins is located at the flat summit of the Prabal hills in the western side of Matheran. The fort contains a temple to Ganesh and some stone ruins. The fort initially had two gateways and eleven towers. However in 1818 AD, these gateways were destroyed in uncongenial fights. At present, one can see only four towers in the fort and a pond on the top of Prabal hills.

Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, this heritage site is a popular tourist attraction of the region. One can see this fort from various viewpoints of Matheran including Little Chowk Point and Louisa Point. Right next to Prabalgad, to its north, ...

At a distance of 40 km from Matheran, 19 km from Karjat, 66 km from Mumbai & 115 km from Pune, Irshalgad is a fortress located between Matheran and Panvel in Maharashtra. It is a twin fort to Prabalgad and among ideal weekend getaways near Mumbai. The area of the fort is not large but there are several water tanks cut from the rock.

Irshalgad pinnacle is accessible by an easy to moderate 3 km trek and it takes about 1.5 hours. The trek starts from Karja village which is about 11 km from Karjat Railway Station. From Karja village one can follow a well-defined path till Irshalwadi village. The path from Karja passes through a steep ridge and then tapers to an easy ascend till Irshalwadi. From the village one has to walk straight up to a small temple dedicated to a local deity. Take left from the temple, standing at this point one can see the Irshalgad peak on the right side. However one has to traverse from left to reach the base of the pinnacle.

There is a water tank on the route from the Irshal plateau to the peak. From there, visitors will reach the needle hole near the top through a simple rock-climbing route. To reach the top of the pinnacle, it is essential to have rock climbing equipment. From the top one can see the forts of Prabalgad, Matheran, Chanderi, Malang gad, Karnala and Manikgad.

At a distance of 80 km from Kolhapur, and 89 km from Ratnagiri, Vishalgad Fort is an ancient fort situated at Vishalgad village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. It is one of the historical forts in Maharashtra, and among the best places to visit near Kolhapur.

Also called Khelna or Khilna by the locals, Vishalgad Fort was one of the important forts of the Maratha empire. According to history, Vishalgad Fort was built in the year 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh and was initially known as Khilgil. In 1209, the then king of Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri defeated Shilaharas and captured the fort. In 1309, Allauddin Khilji defeated King Ramchandra of the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri and soon the fort was attached to the Khilji dynasty. Later, the fort was under the rule of the Vijayanagar Empire, and then the Adishlahi dynasty. In 1659, Shivaji captured the fort from Adilshah and renamed the fort 'Vishalgad' which means grand or giant fort.

In July 1660, the fort witnessed Shivaji's escape from the Adilshahi blockade around Fort Panhala and the Battle of Pawan Khind. After Shivaji's death, Chhatrapati Sambhaji would spend most of his time on the fort. He took initiative in the renovation and reconstruction of some parts of the fortresses and gates of the fort. During the times of the Maratha Empire, Vishalgad was made the capital of a large region consisting of ninety towns and villages in Kolhapur and Ratnagiri districts. In 1844, as a result of mutiny by the Killedars, ...

Distance from Kolhapur: 81 Kms

At a distance of 8 km from Khireshwar, 15 km from Malshej Ghat, 50 km from Bhandardara, 166 km from Pune & 218 km from Mumbai, Harishchandragad is a historical hill fort situated in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Maharashtra, and among the famous places to visit as part of Malshej Ghat packages.

Situated at an altitude of 1,424 m, the fort once played a major role in guarding and controlling the surrounding region. Among the most prominent tourist places in Malshej Ghat, the fort originally dates back to the 6th century during the rule of the Kalchuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era and various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century AD. Sage Changdev used to meditate here in the 14th century AD. Later the fort was under the control of Mughals and Marathas captured it in 1747 AD. Remnants of Microlithic human inhabitants have been discovered here. The fort of Harishchandragad has been mentioned in various Puranas like Matsya Purana, Agni Purana, and Skanda Purana.

Rohidas, Taramati, and Harishchandra are the three peaks in Harishchandragad. Taramati peak is the highest peak in the fort and provides a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby surroundings and the forest area. Many peaks and attractions ...