Matheran Tourism

Matheran is a hill station and a municipal council in Karjat Tahsilin the Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is one of the smallest hill station in India, it is located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. It is about 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. Matheran's proximity to many metropolitan cities makes it a popular weekend getaway for urban residents. Matheran, which means "forest on the forehead" (of the mountains) is an eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. It is Asia's only automobile-free hill station.

Matheran is famous for its 38 viewpoints, which provide panoramic view of the peaks of Western Ghats. Porcupine Point, Panorama Point, Echo Point, Charlott Lake, King George Point, Louisa Point, Monkey Point, Paymaster Park, Panthers' Caves, Rambaug Point, Heart Point, etc. are the some important tourist attractions in Matheran. Matheran also offers activities such as trekking, hiking, climbing, etc. The ride on the toy train which connects Neral to Matheran used to be quite famous but the service has now been discontinued temporarily.

Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai is the nearest airport, which is around 90 km from Matheran. Mumbai is well connected to other major airports in India and abroad. Neral Railway Station is the nearest railhead, which is about 11 km from Matheran. It has trains from Mumbai, Karjat, Pune and Kolhapur. Mumbai & Pune are the major railheads near Matheran. Neral is the nearest town and is well connected by buses with Mumbai and Pune. Tourists to Matheran can also drive up to Dasturi Point (8 km away from Neral) and reach Matheran by foot or on pony.