Maharashtra is two trips in one. There's Mumbai and the rock-cut caves at Ajanta and Ellora — some of the finest ancient art anywhere, carved straight out of the hillside. Then there's the Sahyadri range behind the city: Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar, Shivaji's hill forts, and the Kaas plateau, which turns into a carpet of flowers for a few weeks each year.
What you actually see
Ajanta Caves
Buddhist cave paintings, lost to the forest for a thousand years.
Ellora
Kailasa temple was carved downward out of one piece of rock.
Gateway of India
Mumbai's front door, with the Taj behind it.
Kaas Plateau
A UNESCO site that flowers for about three weeks a year.
Mahabaleshwar
Strawberry country, and the view from Arthur's Seat.
Raigad
Shivaji's capital, on a hilltop reached by ropeway or 1,400 steps.
When to go
October – February
Dry and cool — the easiest time for Mumbai, the caves and the forts.
June – September
Monsoon turns the Sahyadris green and every hillside into a waterfall.
August – September
The narrow window when the Kaas plateau is actually in bloom.
Maharashtra in photos
Photos from trips we have run.
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