Matheran Guide
How to Reach Matheran
Getting to the hill is easy. The last three kilometres are the part everyone underestimates-because there are no vehicles to allow them to drive them.
At a glance
Distances
| From | Distance | How |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai (CST / Dadar) | ~100 km | Local train to Neral, then toy train or taxi |
| Pune | ~120 km | Road or train to Neral / Karjat |
| Mumbai Airport (BOM) | ~100 km | Taxi to Dasturi Naka |
| Pune Airport (PNQ) | ~120 km | Taxi to Dasturi Naka |
| Neral Railway Station | 11.5 km | Toy train or shared taxi |
| Dasturi Naka | ~3 km | On foot, horse or hand-pulled rickshaw |
Distance to Dasturi Naka unless stated. Train timing and taxi fares change so check current schedules before you travel rather than watching any website -this is one included.
Three ways
Getting to the hill
By train, via Neral
This is how Matheran was meant to be reached, and it is still the best version of the trip.
- Mumbai CST or Dadar to Neral Junction. Local and express services run on the karjat line. Neral is the nearest railway about 11.5 km from the town.
- Neral to hill station resort on the toy train. The toy train takes more time as compared to a taxi but the trip is enjoyable. The train has been running since 1907 and slowly climbs from the forest.
- Or Neral to Dasturi Naka by shared taxi If the toy train timing does not suit you, you can take a shared taxi from Neral to Dasturi Naka.
By road to Dasturi Naka
100 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune along the Mumbai–Pune corridor through Karjat and Neral. The road leads up to Dasturi Naka. Ends there. That’s it. No more roads beyond this point.
- Drive or take a taxi to Dasturi Naka. This is the last point any motor vehicle can reach in Matheran.
- Park at Dasturi Naka. Paid parking, charged by the day, and your car stays there for your entire stay. Take everything you need out of it before you leave.
- Cover the last stretch on foot, by horse or by hand-pulled rickshaw. See below — this is the bit people get wrong.
By air
Mumbai is around 100 km away, while Pune is about 120 km away.For either airport you can take a taxi to Neral.You can take bus or train to Neral and then catch the local train for the toy train journey..
If you are arriving and traveling on the day make sure to reach Dasturi Naka well before dark hotel point view matheran. The final part is a walk on laterite paths and it is much less pleasant at night, with suitcases.
The part people get wrong
Dasturi Naka to the hotel
It is about three km from here, and vehicles cannot go all the way to the hill station in Matheran. There are three common ways to reach the hotel from Dasturi Point.
On foot
30–45 minutes
This is the choice and it is pleasant if you are not carrying much. Red laterite paths wind through forest. There are uphill stretches. It becomes slower when you carry luggage. It becomes slower again in the monsoon when everything is wet. I find that most people enjoy the walk on the way in rather than on the way out.
By horse
Faster
Horses are the transport in matheran hill station , not a tourist attraction. Horses are how people and goods move here. Horses are easier to ride than expected when you have children and they are usually the highlight of the trip. I have seen that many families enjoy riding horses.
Hand-pulled rickshaw
Best for elderly guests
This is the practical option if someone in your group has limited mobility or cannot manage the walk. Tell us in advance. We can have one waiting, rather than leaving you to arrange it at the parking. I know that this is the choice for those who find walking difficult.
Porters for luggage
Arrange in advance
Tell us your expected arrival time at Dasturi Naka and our porters can meet you there for the bags. Porters for luggage are the most useful thing to sort out before traveling to hill station resort rather than calling from the parking with four suitcases, at your feet. I think this saves a lot of hassle.
Before you set off
Your car stays at Dasturi Naka for the whole stay. There is no way to bring your car up, retrieve something from your car quickly or move your car closer. Empty your car of anything you might want.
Pack light, or plan for porters. Everything you bring gets carried three kilometres by someone. You, a horse or a porter. Hard trolley suitcases do not roll on earth in hotels in hill stations.
Arrive in daylight if you can. The paths are unlit in places. The walk is much harder after dark especially, with children or heavy bags.
Practical
Things worth knowing
Once you are up here
Westend Hotel is located on R.C. Church Road, near the westened hotel Matheran Police Station. Charlotte Lake is 500 meters away and Echo Point is less than a kilometer away which is more important than it seems. In a town where there are no vehicles the distance from your hotel is the distance you walk twice every day.
Direct booking
Arriving soon?
Send your arrival time at Dasturi Naka and we will have porters waiting.
Questions
Getting to Matheran
Westend Hotel is located on R.C. Road near the Matheran hill station. Charlotte lake in matheran is about 500 metres away and Echo point is under a kilometre of matheran, so most of the visitors visit these viewpoints and walk up properly.
No, Matheran does not permit any kind of motor vehicles. Every car, taxi, bus stop at Dasturi Naka is paid parking for vehicles. These rules applied for all hotel guests. There is no exception and nothing a hotel can do to change and manage it.
About 30 to 45 minutes to reach by foot, take a hand pulled rickshaw,horses which take longer because of luggage and slower n monsoon paths are wet.Build it in arriving time rather when you reach the hotel in hill station.
Matheran toy train is reason to come in Matheran most come for it. Children never forget this toy train experience rather they forget the viewpoint of matheran. It is slower than taxi,so treat it as a trip not a transport.
Dasturi Naka, which is the last point any vehicle can reach. There is paid parking and charges according to days. Note that your vehicle stays for the whole of your stay,so take everything in your vehicle that you need out.
Yes.Tell us when you reach Dasturi Naka and our potter will meet there. This is the most useful thing in advance, particularly with your children and heavy bags- this is something to sort out from the phone by the parking.