Things to do in Pune
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Pune
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, clear ridges, trekking, paragliding and flamingos, with December the peak month.
Hot afternoons from about 22 to 38C, cheaper hotels, dawn sightseeing and mango season.
Monsoon: green Ghats and Ganesh Chaturthi, but slippery trails, no paragliding and waterlogged roads.
What's on
- Ganesh Chaturthi August-September, 10 days
Pune's greatest festival: Manache Ganpati, Dagdusheth, processions and drumming. Visit pandals 6 to 9 am.
- Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav December, usually first or second week, 4 days
Major Hindustani classical festival at Maharashtriya Mandal Sports Complex, Mukund Nagar. Book early.
- Pune International Film Festival January
Fixture of the cultural January in a serious film city.
- Pune Festival Around Ganesh Chaturthi, September
Official cultural festival of music, dance and sport layered onto the Ganesh season.
- Shiv Jayanti 19 February
Birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj, with processions and fort events across the region.
Best things to do in Pune
Shaniwar Wada
Peshwa palace fort with massive walls and gates, best understood with a guide in the old city.
Aga Khan Palace
Gandhi memorial palace with peaceful gardens, moving exhibits and room to slow down.
Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple
Pune's beloved Ganpati temple, worth seeing early for devotion and craft without festival crowds.
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
One man's vast collection of everyday Indian art, doors, lamps, textiles and instruments.
Pataleshwar Cave Temple
Ancient rock cut Shiva temple hidden in the city centre, calm under big trees.
Lal Mahal
Reconstructed red palace tied to young Shivaji, most worthwhile as part of a guided old city walk.
Mahadji Shinde Chhatri
Beautiful, uncrowded memorial complex with carved stone, coloured interiors and stained glass.
Parvati Hill
Peshwa era hilltop temples above the city, best at sunrise or sunset after the 103 steps.
Where to stay in Pune
Koregaon Park and Bund Garden
first trip, food, nightlife, all-round base
Tree lined lanes, Pune's best restaurants and bars, quiet side streets and easy airport access.
Shivajinagar and FC Road
sightseeing, students, mid-range value
Closest to old city sights, Pataleshwar and the FC Road cafe belt, with the best metro access.
Viman Nagar and Kalyani Nagar
airport, short stays, business-leisure
Modern east side by the airport and Phoenix Marketcity, with leafier Kalyani Nagar for longer stays.
Bavdhan
golf resort weekend
Valley resort base for Oxford golf, pool and spa rather than city sightseeing.
Think twice about
- Old city peths around Shaniwar Wada
Visit all day but do not sleep here: congested narrow lanes, almost no parking, few and basic hotels, early temple and market noise.
- Pune Railway Station immediate perimeter
Transient, tout heavy blocks with hotels trading on location alone and unpleasant late night walks with luggage. Ride straight to a real neighbourhood.
- Hinjewadi as a leisure base
An IT park district far from sights and restaurants, with long cross city drives and little leisure life on weekends.
Best restaurants in Pune
Paasha
Rooftop North Indian fine dining with kebabs, cocktails and the city's best restaurant view.
Koji
Precise pan Asian fine dining at the Conrad, strongest for sushi, seafood and noodle soups.
Malaka Spice
Leafy Koregaon Park institution for generous, fragrant Southeast Asian food in a villa garden.
Savya Rasa
South Indian regional cuisines treated as fine dining, ideal for ordering a spread to share.
Arthur's Theme
Long lived medieval themed European restaurant in Koregaon Park with sincere continental classics.
George Restaurant
Old Camp dining legend for Mughlai, tandoor and continental plates in generous portions.
Vaishali
Pune's famous South Indian canteen for idli, dosa and filter coffee, worth the queue.
Cafe Good Luck
Irani cafe since 1935 for bun maska, kheema pav and chai in an unchanged, unhurried room.
Outdoor things to do in Pune
Sinhagad Fort
Iconic fort climb with Khadakwasla views and a summit meal of pithla bhakri and onion fritters.
Rajgad Fort
Vast former capital fort with a long, rewarding climb and far fewer crowds than Sinhagad.
Lohagad Fort
Forgiving stepped fort climb above Pawna Lake, the best first Sahyadri trek for mixed groups.
Pawna Lake
Lakeside camping with barbecue and bonfire under dark skies, an easy overnight from Pune.
Indus Paragliding
Established Kamshet school for tandem flights over lakes, forts and green valleys.
Oxford Golf Resort
Prestige 18 hole valley course with strong maintenance, best played on a prebooked weekday.
The Poona Club Ltd
Historic banyan shaded 18 hole course in Camp, convenient if guest play is confirmed in writing.
Mulshi Lake
Scenic lake and Tamhini Ghat drive, greenest in monsoon and best done with a private driver.
Best hotels in Pune
The Ritz-Carlton, Pune
Pune's flagship luxury stay near Koregaon Park, with infinity pool, spa and top service.
Conrad Pune by Hilton
Art Deco luxury tower at Koregaon Park's door, often the best value at the top tier.
The Westin Pune Koregaon Park
Walkable Koregaon Park five star with a resort feel pool deck and loyal following.
Blue Diamond Pune - IHCL SeleQtions
Established Taj group hotel in Koregaon Park, a clear price step below the newest towers.
Jugglers Backpack
Well run hostel in a quiet Koregaon Park lane, keeping budget travellers in the best area.
JW Marriott Hotel Pune
Polished Senapati Bapat Road flagship, home to Paasha and handy for FC Road and the centre.
The Pride Hotel, Pune
Reliable Shivajinagar business hotel with easy access to FC Road and the old city.
Zostel Pune
Social hostel in Viman Nagar, handy for the airport and a practical budget base.
Is Pune expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,085 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹4,935 a person |
| Splurge | ₹10,510 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Shaniwar Wada: a few days ahead
- Aga Khan Palace: a few days ahead
- Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: a few days ahead
- Lal Mahal: a few days ahead
- Mahadji Shinde Chhatri: a few days ahead
- Pune Heritage Walk: a few days ahead
- Osho International Meditation Resort: weeks ahead
- Pawna Lake: a few days ahead
- Paasha and Koji for weekend dinners, days ahead.
- Oxford and Poona Club golf in writing before travel, with credentials and total cost confirmed.
- Sawai Gandharva tickets and December and Ganesh Chaturthi hotels, weeks ahead.
Is Pune safe?
- Keep phones and wallets secure in festival crowds and bazaars.
- Never enter dam backwaters or waterfall pools in the rains.
- Finish Sahyadri treks well before dark and heed district monsoon closures.
- Emergency number in India is 112.
Pune travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Shaniwar Wada without a guide at midday as a standalone trip.
- Lonavala and Bhushi Dam on a monsoon weekend.
- Lavasa as a destination rather than a scenic drive.
- Hotel breakfasts when Vaishali and Cafe Good Luck exist.
Getting around Pune: public transport and more
- Metro lines run PCMC to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi, fares 10 to 40 rupees and a 100 rupee day pass.
- Use Ola or Uber autos and cabs to fix prices, or insist auto rickshaws use the meter.
- Hire a car and driver through your hotel for fort and lake day trips.
Who Pune suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Pune your trip
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