Nashik is the old city where stands one of 12 Jyotirlinga Temples of India. Where the mahakumbh mela is held once every 12 years.
Where civilisation thrived millions of years ago – testimony to which are the carved cave temples – like none other in the world.
But Nashik is also the “wine capital of India“. With the largest number of wineries and vineyards of India.
With a thriving modern culture where people spend time in club houses, malls and pubs!
So, in short, there is a lot of things to do in Nashik and a lot of places to see in Nashik – from ancient to modern. Nashik has something for everyone. Now, the question is, if you have got just one day to explore Nashi, what are the places to see and things to do in Nashik that you will choose as your top pick ? Let me suggest you some of the best of the best as well as some off beat things to do in Nashik that you might not know about. These are the places that I had on my bucket list for my one day in Nashik on my Maharashtra Road Trip.
Table of Contents
Staying in a vineyard in Nashik – one of the most unique thing to do in Nashik in one day
Well, if there is one thing that Nashik has to offer like no other place in India, it is a vineyard stay. Just like how you would in Tuscany in Italy, you can stay right in the center of the a vineyard. And sip your wine too 🙂 There are many to choose from, including some of the well known ones are Source at Sula located right in the middle of the plantations. And Beyond by Sula – which is very near to the Gangapur Lake, Regenta Resort Soma Vine Village and Vellona Vineyards.
I suggest staying a little farther from the main town. As the prices will also be lower and you will not be bothered by the hustle and bustle of the city. And what’s great is you don’t need to venture out anywhere to enjoy this specific item on your bucket list. Just roam around the whole day, and return here in the evening to chill to the views and enjoy your wine and relax. And the next day you can have a lavish buffet breakfast at their open air restaurant before you check out from here. Isn’t that a great deal?
Taking a winery tour in Nashik – Again, something, very less places in India offer
Since Nashik is the “wine capital of India”, with wineries all over. It only makes sense to visit a winery when in Nashik. There are many right inside the town. And some a little farther off. Most of the wineries in Nashik offer a wine tasting, wine making process walkthrough plus vineyard tour at a fixed cost. And they offer several rounds of the tour all through the day, all through the week. So, based on how you visit the rest of the places, you can walk-in into a winery, pay the tour cost, and take the next tour to the vineyard.
Although we don’t drink wine, but we did spend the afternoon in a winery. Having lunch overlooking the beautiful vineyard. And enjoy rest everything that they had to offer. Like visiting their gift shop, souvenir shop, taking some Instagram worthy pictures and just enjoying the vibe of it all.
Here’s our complete guide on how you can experience the best of a vineyard in Nashik
Visiting the Trimbakeshwar Temple – the Jyotirlinga Temple in Nashik
One of the major reasons thousands of people visit Nashik every day is for the Trimbakeshwar Temple. The temple is very old and very important Hindu
Pilgrimage centre, a temple dedicated to God Shiva. And one of his 12 Jyotirlingas, it is a highly revered place to visit. However, as the day progresses, the temple tends to get pretty crowded. So, I recommend visiting as early in the morning as possible like we did. So that you can offer your prayers. And then proceed to use rest of your day for the remaining sightseeing in Nashik.
When we visited Trimbakeshwar Temple, we reached here early in the morning, before 6:00am. And there was still a queue for the darshan. However, there is a separate “donation queue” for which you can buy ticket at an additional cost. This queue is smaller and moves faster. Pay money and get to see your God faster 🙂 Something I don’t really like doing. But had no choice as we had only one day in Nashik to spend. So, using this facility, we were able to complete our visit to Trimabkeshwar Temple in about an hour.
Here’s all the information needed to visit Trimbakeshwar Temple Nashik.
Enjoying boating at MTDC Boat Club in Nashik
The MTDC Boat Club is a very recent addition to the places to see in Nashik. And I highly recommend visiting here if you want to chill out on a budget without compromising on the quality. The place is located right besides the Gangapur Lake, across the Gangapur Dam built on Godavari River. It has a large open cafetaria with views of the lake, a nice restaurant with budget but tasty menu options, a small kids play area, clean washrooms, benches to sit and enjoy the views of the lake. And a boathouse with lots of different kind of boating option. What’s more, the price for everything is very reasonable.
I visited here mainly for the absolutely mesmerising views of the turquoise lake water and scenic mountains behind them. And it was totally worth it.
Here’s complete details of the MTDC Boat Club Nashik.
Exploring the Pandavleni Caves in Nashik – must not miss on list of things to do in Nashik
Want to treat the explorer in you? There’s nothing better than the Pandavleni Caves Nashik to head to then.
Located right outside the city of Nashik, the Pandavleni Caves are more than 2500 years old buddhist caves. Made of fine carvings and excellent sculptures on monolithic rock structures. They draw parallel to the Ajanta caves and Ellora Caves near Aurangabad. And also the Kalra Caves and Bhaja Caves near Lonavala. And even to the Udayagiri caves that I visited on my Madhya Pradesh Road Trip along with the Stupas of Sanchi. A set of 200+ stairs lead to a steep climb on the top of the hill where these caves are located. Of the total 24 caves discovered here, there are around 5 which are very large. With Verandah supported with ornate pillars and a large internal hall with several inner chambers. Walls decorated with different forms of Buddha and his disciples, depicting the life of that time and stories from Buddha’s time.
These caves are definitely worth a visit. The Pandavleni caves should be visited in early morning or late evening hours when the sun is not so harsh. From the top, you also get to enjoy an excellent view of the whole city of Nashi. Here’s my post with complete details of Pandavleni Caves.
Other places to see in Nashik & Things to do in Nashik
I feel the above things are enough to do in a day in Nashik. But, if you have more days at hand, you can try some of the below things to do in Nashik and see some of these places –
- White water rafting in Viatarna River
- Having a meal in a spice garden restaurant
- Dip in the holy water at Ram Kund
- Go shopping that the famous Saraf Bazar like the locals or the large Nashik City Center mall.
- Do a half day trip to Shirdi from Nashik
- Visit the old Someshwara Temple and the Navshya Ganpati Temple
- Trek to some of the nearby waterfalls like Vihigaon Waterfall
- Visit the Gangapur Dam
How to reach Nashik
Nashik has an airport that connects it to most of the other airports in India. It is also well connected by road and rail from Mumbai and Pune. Since it is a major city and there’s a lot to do here, there are plenty of options to commute as well as for food or stay. You can hire a cab, rent a car and self drive or take a local taxi through your accommodation for just the activities that you want to do.
Because of it’s nice connectivity, Nashik is a favourite weekend getaway from Mumbai. And in the recent past, it has emerged as a preferred weekend getaway from Pune as well.
In fact, since Nashik has an airport, you can count it as a weekend getaway from Bangalore as well.
Where to stay in Nashik
Like I said, if you have just one day to spend in Nashik, then I highly recommend staying in a vineyard in Nashik. But, if you would like to explore some other accommodation options, there are all kind of options in Nashik. Here’s a complete list of accommodations in Nashik. We also experienced a stay at Express Inn Nashik, which was located very close to the Pandavleni Caves, right besides the Nashik – Aurangabad highway. Which proved convenient for us as the next day, we were taking a trip to Aurangabad. Some of the other hotels you can explore are 7 Apple, Ibis Nashik and Radisson Nashik.
When is the best time to visit Nashik
The best time to visit Nashik is the monsoon and winter months. From June – February. As this region never gets very heavy rainfall. But cloudy weather makes for a perfect day to explore around without worrying about the harsh heat. In winters, days still feel like summer days, with highest temperature hovering around 30 degrees. But, evenings get cooler, with temperature dropping to the range of 18-14 degrees. Nights are cold in December and January.
What should I pack for a trip to Nashik
- Comfortable walking shoes for trekking to the caves, waterfalls etc.
- Breezy and comfortable cotton dresses for beating the heat
- A traditional cloth to visit the places of worship like the Trimbakeshwar Temple.
- Sunscreen lotion, a hat or umbrella to protect agains the sun and sunglasses
- Mosquito repellant and insect repellant to use when you venture out in open areas in the evening
- There is no dearth of different kind of food in Nashik. So, you need not pack any
- You can easily buy drinking water bottle everywhere you go.
- Pack your general medicine and other necessary items you would carry on any trip. Refer to my packing tips and tricks to make it super easy.