What are the places near Panvel?

The top places near to Panvel are Mumbai which is 26 km from Panvel, Matheran which is located 16 km from Panvel, Lonavala which is located 40 km from Panvel, Khandala which is located 37 km from Panvel, Rajmachi which is located 34 km from Panvel

Panvel Tourism (2025) - Maharashtra > Top Places, Travel Guide

Panvel Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 1 day

Best Time: July to February Read More

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"Mumbai’s suburban town near nature parks and forts"

Panvel Tourism

Best known as the gateway of Konkan coast, Panvel is the most crowded locality of Raigad District of Maharashtra. Located at a distance of 40kms from Mumbai metropolitan region, Panvel is highly populated. It is known for the forts in Raigad and Khopoli; and also the Karnala fort which is a popular trekking spot. Birds like Magpie Robin, the Malabar whistling thrush and Paradise flycatcher often migrate here making it the best spot for bird watching.

The city is situated on the banks of Panvel creek surrounded by the Matheran Hills. Panvel is also known for the two prominent Ganesha temples in Maharashtra - Ballaleshwar and Varadavinayak. With Hinduism being the major religion in the city, Panvel also has a mix of Agri smaaj, muslims and koli community in the region. The best time to visit Panvel is during winters as the city receives substantial rainfall during monsoons and scorching summers.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary

Karnala Fort

Prabalgad Fort

Bet el Synagogue

Ballaleshwar

Manikgad Fort Trek

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A Trekking Paradise near Mumbai

Panvel is a charming hill station of its own class, situated in Raigad district of the state of Maharashtra. Known as the gateway to Konkan region, Panvel is one of the numerous hill station are ideal picnic spots for enthusiastic backpackers and adventurers hailing from places like Mumbai and Pune. Apart from the scenic beauty that some of the sites in the hilly terrain of Panvel offer, the hill station has also some unexplored elements of the hospitality that India provides. Be it Bet el Synagogue, or Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Panvel has a distinct charm of its own in each site that it proudly represents as the ultimate travelling destination.

Restaurants and Local Food in Panvel

Panvel, from the very time it started developing into a proper city has never had much of sit-down restaurants. There are, and have been a lot of stalls and Udipis everywhere around the area. With the rapid industrialization of Navi Mumbai, a lot of fine dining restaurants too, have found themselves a place in the town. One can find a large variety of cuisines here, ranging from traditional Malvani, to Punjabi, South Indian, and even Chinese.
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Suggested Itinerary for Panvel

Day 1 - Start your day at 8:00 AM, and visit the Beth-el synagogue, a symbol of Jewish devotion and architecture in Panvel. Next, you should visit Karnala Bird Sanctuary, which is a popular tourist destination in Panvel, and a 27-minute drive from the Synagogue. Apart from the beautiful flora and fauna, the site is also very close to the high Karnala fort, which is a mute witness to some of the glorious days of the Maratha Empire.
Day 2 - The next day should be earmarked for a visit to the scenic beauties of Panvel. The first one on your list should be Kalavantin Durg, which is almost a 40-minute drive from the city of Panvel and is another custodian of the Maratha history. Or if you prefer, take blessings from the Ballaleshwar temple, which is a 1 and a half hour drive from the city of Panvel. Do take care that it is not a Tuesday or Thursday, otherwise, the crowd there might be too much to handle. By the time you have packed your bags, the adventures of Panvel won't leave your mind so easily.

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How to Reach Panvel

How to Reach Overview

Panvel is well connected by rail and road. Regular rail and bus services ply to and fro the city of Panvel. There is, however, no direct flight connectivity to Panvel; the nearest airport being the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. There are various commute available for travelling from Pune to Panvel. You can hire a private cab service or take the local train from Pune which will take approximately three hours to reach Panvel.

How to reach Panvel by flight

The nearest airports to Navi Mumbai/ Panvel are at Mumbai (25km), Pune (135km) and Aurangabad (330km), Mumbai being the easiest to access. From the airport, buses and trains are easily available to Panvel railway station, which can be a base point to travel in and around the area.

How to reach Panvel by road

Panvel is easily accessible by road. It is called the gateway of the Konkan region. There are two main bus stands in Panvel - ST stands on the national highway & NMMT stand near the railway station. The ST buses are available from Panvel to Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur, Dadar, Uran as well as beyond the city. NMMT buses are available from Panvel to Thane and Vashi (Bus No.58). NMMT AC Volvo buses are available from Panvel to Dadar (Bus No.111). By car, NH 17/66 connects Panvel with Goa and Mangalore.

How to reach Panvel by train

Travelling to Panvel by railway is the easiest since there is a direct train from CST on the Harbour line, and Panvel is the last station. Once at Panvel, you can easily get rickshaw services to the hotels of your choice.

Travelling from Pune:
A preferable commute is a local train from State Transport Depot (ST) in Pune where there are locals around every 5 to 10 minutes to Panvel. The cost of the ticket is around 20 Rupees. After halting at Panvel, you can take a local bus from the station to destinations like Uran, Pen and Alibag stopping at Karna which costs from 15 to 30 Rupees.
Top 3 trains Available from Pune to Panvel

Train name: Pune Gwalior Express
Train number: 11101
Serves on Monday only

Train name: Cape Mumbai Express
Train number: 16382
Serves all week

Train name: Hussainsagar Express
Train number: 12702
Serves all week

Local transport in Panvel

About 12 passenger trains also stop here (Some being the Ernakulam-Nizzamuddin Duronto, the Konkan Kanya Express, and Mangalore Junction express). Buses, taxis and autos are also hugely available in Panvel, in addition to the local trains.

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FAQs on Panvel

What is famous about Panvel?

The ideal trekking hotspot near Mumbai. Well connected by rail and road.

What is not so good about Panvel?

Risky without trained guides. Congested in peak seasons.

Who should visit Panvel?

Ideal for trekkers and adventurers. Suitable for backpackers from nearby metros like Mumbai, Pune etc.

What is the best time to visit Panvel?

You can visit Panvel throughout the year but the best time to trek in Maharashtra is always during monsoon. It is in monsoon that you get to float between the clouds as you climb one of the many forts that are built here. The monsoon season is also the migratory time for Indian birds. The Karnala bird sanctuary is paradise exactly at that point of time.
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What is the local food in Panvel?

What is the best way to reach Panvel?

What are the things to do in Panvel?

The top things to do in Panvel are Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Karnala Fort, Prabalgad Fort, Bet el Synagogue, Ballaleshwar, Manikgad Fort Trek. You can see all the places to visit in Panvel here

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Panvel Reviews

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Mahesh Pathak

on Prabalgad Fort 7 years ago

Information given on this page needs correction. It is written as Prabalgad is also called as Kalavantin Durg. This is not correct, both are distinct and different forts near to each other.

Aashimi Bhatia

7 years ago

- Applications like m-indicator by Mobogenie are extremely helpful for accurate timings on everything from trains, buses and fares of taxis and auto rickshaws. The railway section displays all statio (Read More)ns depending on which line you select, and this keeps you well informed about where you are heading and prevents you from getting lost as travel in Mumbai can be confusing for first timers.
- The area of Navi Mumbai, like most cities in and around Mumbai has rickshaws that follow the meter system, as well as those which don't. It's always better going by the metre system, but in some cases, there's not much of choice.
- Renting bikes or cars for oneself is always a better idea if you don't have your own transportation, so that you can travel freely. There may be difficulty in finding proper public transport near some of the forts. Karnala has its own parking system.
- As tempting as it is to camp at one of the forts at Panvel while you trek, it is advised not to. Cases of robberies are reported once in a while and it is always better to travel in large groups.
- Do not travel to the temples of Ballaleshwar and Varadavinayak on Tuesdays as you will find terrible amounts of crowd.
- If you are going to trek, make sure you have very good footwear. Also carry super glue with you because a lot of soles come off. Make sure you are carrying sugary items like chocolate, fruits and energy bars. They are light, but will give you more energy than any other foods.

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Panvel

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Panvel Travel Essentials

"Mumbai’s suburban town near nature parks and forts"

Panvel Tourism

Places To Visit In Panvel

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