The city of Nashik in Maharashtra, is a renowned pilgrim and tourist town, ever made so popular with its temples, unique museums and wild rugged mountainous regions with hill top forts and shrines. The Wine Capital of India has lush vineyards and breweries as well as fields of tomatoes, onions and untamed marigolds.

The Ramayana, the epic story of Lord Rama has strong links with the town of Panchavati in Nashik and this is where you would find plenty of beautiful temples. Nashik is one among the divinely ordained regions of Haridwar, Prayag and Ujjain that celebrate the Simhastha Kumbh mela once in 12 years! Godavari also known as the South Ganges flows down the Trimbakeshwar Hills and meanders through the landscape, adding charm to the place that is already verdant and picturesque.

Beyond pilgrimages for the devout, Nashik’s undulating craggy peaks and valleys offer ample scope for adventure, nature tourism and photography. If you are planning a trip to Nashik, our travel and tourism guide should help you plan a good trip.

Nashik has good access by air, road or rail. The ideal way to reach the city would be by flight to Mumbai and a travel by road to Nashik.

By Air:

Nashik’s Ozar Airport caters to domestic flights to cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Bhopal. You can hire a cab from the airport to the city. The best option otherwise would be a flight booked to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport that caters to both domestic and international flights. From the airport you can book a cab to Nashik. You could also travel to Nashik by bus or train from Mumbai.

By Train:

Nashik has several trains coming in from most Indian cities. From the rail station book an auto rickshaw, a cab or hop onto a bus to reach your destination.

By Road:

There are inter and intra state private and government buses from many cities of Maharashtra and neighbouring states to the city of Nashik. Plenty of cabs and buses are available on the Mumbai to Nashik route.

Getting Around:

There are local buses, auto rickshaws, cabs and shared cabs for getting around town. There are special buses called Nashik Darshan buses that ply on important tourist routes, as well.

Nashik’s seasons are tropical, with hot summers, occasionally heavy monsoons and pleasant winters. The best time to visit Nashik would be in winter.

Summer (April - June):

Summer is festival time in Nashik and Ram Rath Yatra and Janmahotsav are celebrated with great fervour and splendour, with grand pageants passing along the streets of Nashik. But summers are hot and dry and not considered favourable for tourism.

Monsoon (July - September):

Monsoon months up the hills near Nashik are charming, with raging waterfalls, mist covered peaks and verdant greenery. But rains are intermittently heavy and you might find travelling and sightseeing a bother. Adventure tourism and any other variety of outdoor activity may have to be put off for the occasional clear day.

Winter (October - March):

The days are pleasant and cool and are ideal for travelling, tourism and trekking. Nights can turn very cold and you might need to pack suitable winter wear. A variety of winter festivals await eager tourists, including vineyard festivals.

Nature Trails:

A popular tourist schedule in Nashik is going off on a wild nature trail to the nature conservation zones of Nashik in which you have a wide choice of wild nature spots to choose from, with trekking trails, forts and a variety of animals and birds to photograph.

Boat Rides:

It’s a lovely feeling to sail a boat along the River Godavari, past the ancient temples that sit on the banks and the tall mountain peaks at the back drop.

Offbeat Adventures:

For all those adventurists out there, Nashik spoils you with several choices of adventure sports you would dream of indulging in. There are institutes to teach you the basics of adventure sports and wild opportunities to Zorbing, valley crossing or paragliding.

Historical Treks:

Clambering up a hill following a trekking trail amidst the lush undergrowth of wildflowers is a favourite sport of adventure seekers who come to Nashik. Finding a ruined fort, abandoned by the Mughals or Marathas with remnants of ramparts and secret chambers on top of the hill is yet another thrill to look forward to.

Fruit picking:

There are vineyards in Nashik where you can go in for some delightful fruit picking and grape stomping sessions. And in monsoon, you could go off on a guava picking spree.

A day at the Falls:

Monsoons and winters make Nashik an appealing place to be in, further accentuated by the spectacular waterfalls, like the Dugarwadi Waterfalls near Trimbakeshwar that’s a white cascade enveloped by lush forested mountain slopes.

Visit a Gallery:

Some of the most interesting places in Nashik are the city’s museums, that would attract history buffs, researchers, tourists and children. Go on an informative tour around numerous museums in and around Nashik. Check out Gargoti, the Mineral Museum in Sinnar that has an exceptionally unique collection of gem stones and precious stones, fossils, zeolites and natural crystals.

Shopping for souvenirs and keepsakes is an integral part of a tourist’s trip. The things that you could buy in Nashik are varied essentially because you can buy real fresh fruits like luscious grapes and guavas, dry fruits like raisins as well as utensils and ornaments made of gold and silver. If you get to eat Makai Chivda at a restaurant, you could buy more of these crispy, crunchy packaged tea time snacks that you would find sold in departmental stores in Nashik.

You may well buy branded clothes, Tibetan made winter wear, wooden handicrafts, bottle art and bead work. Some of the best buys are attractively patterned white and flower clay pots as well as plain red and black water pots, local textiles and Kolhapuri Chappals.

The traditional cuisine of Nashik is basically Maharashtrian, but you do find influences of Gujarathi and Rajasthani food. Some of Nashik’s must try items are the Gujarathi veggie thali meals, Danyachi usal with peanuts and coconut, shev bhaji, roti with bharli vangi, missal and vada pav, chiwda with chai as a tea time snack, lassi and dahi wada, so deliciously sought after especially in summers, Nashik’s own batata vada, bhel and pani Puri. Some of the street food of Nashik would also include momos, non veggie kebabs and grilled shawarma.

Nashik’s favourite desserts are Gulachi poli, the seasonal Ansa Phansachi Bhaji, sheera and jelabis. Sip at a falooda, soda, thick malai shake or pineapple sherbet in summer or choose from the array of tea variations in monsoon and winter.