Travel guide
Matheran
Asia's only car-free hill station, about 800 m up in the Sahyadris — and the practical things nobody tells you before you go.
- Altitude
- About 800 m
- District
- Raigad, Maharashtra
- From Mumbai
- ~100 km
- From Pune
- ~120 km
- Nearest railhead
- Neral, 11.5 km
- Motor vehicles
- Not permitted
- Toy train since
- 1907
- Viewpoints
- 30+
One rule shapes everything here
In Westerned Matheran Hotel do not allow motor vehicles. Not allowed,discouraged, not permitted by them. Every bus, car,taxi stop to the Dasturi Naka,and the area of any hotel is covered by foot, by horse or by hand pulled rickshaw in Matheran hill station.
That one single thing explains most of the thing. There is no air pollution and noise anywhere, so you hear birds chirruping at six in the morning and hear horse,hand cart sounds in the evening. The paths are red laterite rather than traffic because there are no vehicles for people and goods. Supplies come by horses,hand cart, which is why people ask about your food requirement during the day rather than at dinner.
It also means that getting there takes longer than the map shows and that walking is not a choice. Prepare for both of these things and matheran hill stations in the country to love everyone. Don't prepare for either of these things. The first afternoon is a surprise.
Guides
Everything worth reading before you come
How to reach Matheran
Train, road and air routes from Mumbai and Pune, plus the last stretch where no vehicle can go.
Read guide
Matheran toy train
The narrow-gauge line from Neral — timings, tickets and what the ride is actually like.
Read guide
Places to visit
More than thirty viewpoints. Which ones are worth the walk, and which are just a name on a board.
Read guide
Charlotte Lake
Five minutes from the hotel on foot. Best in the monsoon, when it overflows.
Read guide
Echo Point
Under a kilometre away. Worth timing for sunrise rather than midday.
Read guide
Best time to visit
Peak, summer and monsoon compared honestly — including which season to avoid for what.
Read guideTwo nights
A trip that actually works
One night is not enough — you spend it travelling. This is how most guests end up using two.
Arrive at Neral then take the toy train or a taxi to Dasturi Naka. Walk, ride a horse. Use a rickshaw from there. Do not plan any activities for the two hours; people arrive warmer and more tired than they expect. Charlotte Lake in the evening is a five‑minute walk from the hotel. Is enough for Day one.
Start before the heat and the crowds. Echo Point, Louisa Point, Panorama Point and One Tree Hill are the visited sites in the hotel in Matheran. Take a guide if you prefer the quieter forest paths of the main route. Return to the pool in the afternoon. Visit the spa if your legs need rest by then.
Sunrise at Panorama Point in hill station resort if you can manage it; then have breakfast. Walk back down to Dasturi Naka. Leave more time than you think; the walk down with luggage is slower than the walk up, without luggage.
Where to stay
Close to the lake matters more than you think
Matheran hill station has no vehicles, so the distance between the hotel to the viewpoints is covered by horses or hand pulled rickshaws. A property on the far side of town and a couple of kilometers of everything.
Westened hotel in matheran is the located on the R.C. Church Road is about 500 m from Charlotte Lake and under a kilometer from Echo Point of hill station of matheran which means you can walk down in the evening without planning it and come back without regretting it.
Direct booking
Planning a Matheran trip?
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Questions
About Matheran
Matheran is designed as an eco-friendly hotel on hill station and the only vehicle-free hill station in Asia. No vehicles are permitted in the hill stations in matheran. All vehicles stop at Dasturi Naka to walk there. Take a horse, hand pulled rickshaw for a walk in your proper place. the area is quiet and pollution free.
Minimum two nights needed to visit Matheran hill station. One day most of the time spent in travelling and two three viewpoints you can see.With two night whole day spend to visit different hotel point view in matheran and evening you can leave back Dasturi Naka to walk away.
It is the cheapest and greenest place in India and waterfalls run in Matheran hill station.Paths are slippery and the whole day clouds disappear. If you want to come in monsoon and greenery, the best time to visit is in October-February.
Roughly 100 km from Dasturi Naka from local train from Mumbai CST to Neral and matheran toy train take up. From Pune is about 120 km. either way no vehicles bring to the hotel door and take extra time to reach there.
Yes, most people do.The Matheran lake view spreads across the plateau and is connected by red laterite paths. You are not able to walk full day, horses, hand pulled rickshaw available to help and they are standard local transport rather than tourist new experience.