Planning a Trip to the Wine Capital of India in 2019? We Will Guide You to the 10 Best Places to Visit in Nashik

Situated on the banks of river Godavari, the city of Nashik is a major Hindu pilgrimage centre. Nashik is a historically, mythologically, socially and culturally important city in the northern part of the state of Maharashtra in India. It is believed that Lord Shri Ram stayed at ‘Panchavati’ in Nashik area during his exile. Anjaneri near Nashik is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.

Numerous forts, majestic temples and natural beauty are scattered in and around Nashik. It is a bustling township where you can see the true blend of the ancient and modern India. Kumbh Mela is the major attraction of Nashik, occurring once every twelve years, which draws innumerable devotees to the city.

The river Godavari originates from the Brahmagiri Mountain, Trimbakeshwar about 24 km from Nashik. Being situated at a high altitude and surrounded by lush mountainous terrain, Nashik is also an ideal place for adventure enthusiasts. Its temperatures rise slightly in October, but this is followed by the cool season from November to February, which is a favorable season for tourism.

The Great ancient poets Mahakavi, Kalidas and Bhavabhuti have expressed their respect for Nashik in their literary works. There are two opinions about how the city was named “Nashik”. one is that due to surrounded by nine peaks it is named Nashik and in another reference to Ramayana, when Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakshman lived in Panchavati area of Nashik, Lakshman cut the nose of Ravana’s sister (‘Nasika’ in the Sanskrit language) at this place in Shurancha. This opinion is more popular.

Nashik is called the Wine Capital of India, as half of India’s vineyards and wineries are located in Nashik. Nashik has many wineries which allow you to witness the wine production process along with wine tasting. Sula winery is one of the top and the very first winery of Nashik. As a result, a large number of tourist visit Nashik every year just to taste the wine during the Sula fest.

If you are a foodie, Nashik is no less than a heaven for you. You just cannot miss Nashik’s popular Misal Pav. People here are die-hard foodies and a big fan of street food. Most of the time you will see the street side food stalls with a milling crowd.

Nashik holds a rich mythological heritage of Hinduism. There are countless temples in Nashik and therefore people call Nashik, the city of pilgrimage.

Nashik is surrounded by enormously beautiful mountains and waterfalls, which can keep you enchanted for weeks.

Nashik is 185 km from Mumbai and you can reach there through NH-3 via Thane-Kasar-Igatpuri. The nearest airport from Nashik is Mumbai or Pune. Nashik railway station is also one of the major stations of the Central Railway. There are a number of trains that connect Nashik to other cities and towns. There are several private luxury bus and state buses available between Nashik and cities like Pune, Shirdi, Aurangabad and Mumbai.

Nashik has something for everybody. It is really a complete holiday package. From old and exotic temples for religious people, to vineyards it has a variety of experiences to offer you.

Nashik receives a good amount of rainfall between June to September, so this is the best time to visit for those who love Monsoon. However, January to March will be the perfect time to visit Nashik for all good reasons plus you can take part in the Sula vine fest, which is generally organised during this time.

Nashik offers the best of the hospitality with its grand and beautiful resorts. It is an emerging tourism hub in Maharashtra, hence there are numerous resorts that provide the finest quality of services and food. Additionally, you may find some of the best vineyards stay as well.

The Sula Vineyards is a famous winery which is located about 14 Km from Nashik and is renowned for its varieties of grape wines. The company started from a mere 30-acre estate in Nashik and has now extended to approximately 1800 acres spread across Nashik. This large estate is open to the general public for a round of wine tasting and a tour of the vineyard on all days throughout the year and has gained immense popularity over the years.

Sula Vineyards is home to sixty wineries and boasts of being the first ever winery in India. The Sula Fest that takes place here between January and March is an added delight. Also, the vineyard has two restaurants that serve lip-smacking food, a gift shop and a bottle shop. The vineyards also house a resort to live in, a winery, and a tasting room in which people can taste different samples and varieties of wines that are produced at the winery.

This vineyard is an ideal getaway for people who wish to spend their weekend or day off in leisure, away from the rush of city life. The ambience and surroundings of the place will take you to the sceneries of some Karan Johar movies and let you forget that you are actually in India. If you want to take part in the Sula fest you can check on their website sulafest.com.

Saptashrungi is a hill range situated 60 km from Nashik and forms a part of the Sahyadri range. Named after the seven hills surrounding the place. These majestic hills have amongst them numerous waterbodies which are called Kundas, which greatly add to the beauty of the hills.

The Saptashrungi temple is situated in the hill range. As per mythologies, the great goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells right between the seven hills. In fact, Lord Ram along with Seeta and Laxman had come to these hills themselves to seek the great goddess' blessings.

As the imposing image of Devi stands 8 feet tall in all its glory in her two levelled shrine, it also instils in her devotees, a sense of peace and tranquillity. The mother goddess nurtures her devotees and makes them feel safe and blessed in her home. Entering shthe rine makes one feel like the enlightenment and relief from all the sorrows, grief, stress and discomfort.

As per legends, when Laxman cut the nose of Surpanakha, 10,000 demons came to fight Lord Ram and Laxman, at that time to hide Mata Sita, Sri Ram and Laxman made this gufa in one night. As an identification mark, they planted 5 banyan trees near the gufa. It is also believed to be the place from where Sita was abducted by Ravana. The Sita gufa cave temple is in the Panchvati area of Nashik itself. It is a very small place on the main road and you can easily pass by, without noticing it. But this gufa is really charged with spiritual energies and a must visit place in Nashik. A narrow staircase leads to the caves which house idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman as well as a Shivling, said to be the one Sita worshipped.

People visiting Sita Gufa can also visit the nearby Ram Kund near Godavari river, where it is believed that Lord Ram used to take bath during his stay in Panchvati. Godavari river is very close to Panchvati and here the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years.

Next to Sita gufa is famous Goraram Temples and Marich Museum. The Kalaram Temple at a short distance from Sita Gufa is also a very famous and must visit pilgrimage site in Nashik.

At a distance of 30 km from Nashik, Sinnar is a small town mainly famous for Sri Gondeshwar Temple and Gargoti Museum.

Gondeshwar Temple which is situated about 2 km from Sinnar Bus Station represents the best example of Indian temple architecture. The temple's origin dates back to twelve to thirteenth century. It is a Shaiva Panchayatan or a group of five temples within a large enclosure. The temple is an astonishing display of stone carvings and sculptures portraying the stories from the Puranas, Mahabharata & Ramayana.

Gargoti Museum is another important place of sightseeing in Sinnar, which is about 6 km from Sinnar Bus Station. It is one of the best museums in the world and the only museum in India that displays the mineral treasures of the earth like rocks, minerals and crystals varying in nature, shape, color and application.

The famous Trimbakeshwar Temple which is one among the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva is 28 km away from Nashik, located on the banks of River Godavari. It is also one of the most visited places in Maharashtra to visit.

The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva as Trimbakeshwar. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra. A crown studded with precious stones rests on top of this Linga, which is said to be from the age of Pandavas.

Kushavarta, a holy pond in the temple premises is the origin of the Godavari River. It is believed that Trimbakeshwar was the abode of the revered sage Gautama and as per the legends, Gautama, in order to get relieved of the sin of gohatya, worshipped Lord Shiva at Brahmagiri Mountains for the downflow of River Ganges. The wish was granted and Goddess Ganges took the form of River Godavari and originated from Kushavarta of Brahmagiri Mountain.

Gangadwar, Brahmagiri Hills, Caves of 108 Shivalingams, Parashuram temple, Bilwa Tirtha, Gautama Tirtha, Indra Tirtha and Ahilya Sangam Tirtha are some other places which can be visited in Trimbakeshwar.

Pandavleni Caves are the ancient rock-cut caves situated on Trirashmi Hills, 8 Km south of Nashik. These caves are one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Maharashtra and also one of the popular places to visit in Nashik.

The Pandavleni caves are around 2000 years old. It has a group of 24 Buddhist Caves, which date back between 1st century BC to 2nd century AD. Amongst all, cave number 3 and 10 are the best. Cave number 3 has a large Vihara with fascinating sculptures, whereas cave number 10 is complete in all structural and inscriptions. Both the caves have pictures of Buddha all over the rocks.

Since the caves are facing eastwards, it is suggested to visit the caves early morning to see the real beauty of carvings and pictures in sunlight. The Pandavleni Caves can be reached by a flight of steps from the bottom of the hill and one needs to do 20 minutes trek to reach the caves.

Dudhsagar Waterfalls is a majestic waterfall situated near Gangapur in the suburbs of Nashik.

Dudhsagar Waterfalls, popularly known as Someshwar Waterfalls, is one of the most favorite hangout places of Nasik. This small and beautiful waterfall is formed over the holy River Godavari. The height of the waterfall is 10 m and the huge water flow during the monsoon season makes the place much-loved picnic spot by families and preferred by youngsters, to spend a relaxed evening.

The other attraction near the place is Someshwar Temple. Which is one among the oldest temples dedicated to Lord Mahadeva in Nashik. The temple premise also possesses a boating club and a small children's park providing recreation.

A little away from Nashik, the Anjaneri Mountains offer the right amount of solitude from the busy city life. For reaching Anjaneri Hills you have to first reach Trimbakeshwar from Nashik, and further trek for another 10 Kms to reach the Anjaneri mountain.

Anjaneri Parvat is quite significant amongst the devotees, as locals say that the cave on the top of the hill was the place where Goddess Anjana gave birth to Lord Hanuman and that's how the mountain got its name. Along with the cave, believed to be the place where Lord Hanuman was born, there's Anjani Mata temple.

A lot of other places associated with the life of Lord Hanuman are also there, which can be seen while trekking on the hill. A cave decorated with inscriptions that are as old as 1000 years also appears while trekking on the hill.

The Coin Museum is located 19 Kms away from Nashik in the campus of the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies, which is on the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar road. The museum has a fine collection of research and well-documented history of Indian coins.

Coin Museum was established in 1980 under the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies. This museum is the only museum of its kind in Asia. The environment of the museum is so cool, as it is located in the backdrop of the enthralling Ajneri Hills.

Apart from casting and machine striking, the museum also exhibits dioramas depicting coin minting and coin manufacturing techniques. Numismatic material and some bronze, terracotta's, copper-hoard objects, paintings and some other historical artefacts are also displayed.

At a distance of 22 km from Trimbakeshwar and 45 km from Nashik, Harihar Fort or Harihargad is a small hill fort, which is one of the popular monsoon trekking places near Nashik. Situated at an altitude of 3676 feet, Harihargad lies on a triangular rock with all the three sides vertical and is approachable only from one side i.e. through 200 feet high rock cut staircase.

The most fascinating aspect about this trek is the rock cut steps that one has to negotiate to enter the fort. Ascending and descending through this patch is a thrilling experience. Nirgudpada is the base village for Harihar Fort trek. Visitors need to trek 4 km from the base village in order to reach the Harihar Fort. It is a moderate trek and it takes 2 hours to reach the top of the fort.

After climbing up this first set of stairs one can reach the entrance of the fort also called the Darwaja. There is a small temple of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva on the plateau. A small pond is there in front of this temple and the water is potable. There is a small palace with two rooms inside the fort. The view from the top is excellent.

Nasik is famous for its shopping streets and street food. One can find a range of items starting from handicrafts, silver items, souvenirs to ancient copper remains and statues of brass.

Though the city of Nasik is spread over 15-20 km only, it very well serves the shopping needs of the tourists. Some of the very famous markets of Nasik include college road which is known for its branded clothes where clothes of high quality are available at nominal rates, Saraf Bazaar which is well known for its gorgeous jewelry, Main Road which lies at the heart of Nasik and is the old market from where one can buy almost anything and finally the Deolali market place.

Similarly, Nashik is the best place for a street food lover. When you are in Nashik you can't miss the famous Misal Pav. Misal pav is loved by everyone and Nashik is known for its unique Misal Pav dishes. There are different varieties of Misal pav available in Nashik, but the Ambika Misal serves an authentic, a spicy and delicious Misal Pav loved by the locals and the tourists in Nashik. Apart from Misal Pav there are other famous snacks you can try on in Nashik, Thalipeeth at Heramb is a must try cuisine to taste the traditional Maharashtrian veggie food, Bhelpuri at Shukin Bhel, Sabudana Wada at Sayantara, Shawarma at Arabian Express, Kheema Pav at Joggers Pavilion, are best places to hang out and have some tasty snacks.

However, having street food, at a roadside stall is an awesome experience. Snacks and street food when consumed outside or eaten while hanging out with your friends or family gives an experience that cannot be matched by even the best restaurants.