Nestled in the Western Ghats of India, Matheran is a small hill station located near Mumbai in Raigad district. With dense forests and lush greenery, a trip to Matheran is an ideal get away to take a break from the hectic lifestyle in Mumbai.

So I decided to visit Matheran for a one-day trip from Mumbai when my brother was in town.

How to reach Matheran

Travelling from Mumbai to Matheran is very convenient. We left early morning and took the local train from Ghatkopar station headed towards Karjat and got down at Neral station, which is the nearest railway station to Matheran. There are three ways to reach Matheran from Neral station.

1.Train from Neral to Matheran

Riding the Toy train from Neral station to Matheran. But the Matheran railway can be quite unreliable and is usually suspended during monsoon. When available, the 21 Km long train ride takes more than 2 hours and costs Rs.300 per person. Train availability and timings can be found here.

2.Shared taxis from Neral station and train from Dasturi Park

Outside Neral station, there are a lot of shared taxis headed towards Matheran. Neral station to Matheran taxi fare is Rs.80 per person.Taxis drop you off at Dasturi park. From there you can take the toy train (available even during monsoon and the station name is Aman Lodge). There are 10-12 trains in a day and you can only book the tickets at the station. There is a train every 1 hour and the ticket counters open 45 mins before the train departure.

3.Shared taxi from Neral station and walking from Dasturi park

But the best way to go to Matheran from Dasturi park is by walk along the train tracks. It takes around 30-45 mins by walk and is very refreshing to say the least.

We took the taxi till Dasturi car park and walked from there along the scenic train tracks.

Places to See in Matheran

After reaching Matheran market, there are directions for various viewpoints that one can access. Here is a map of all the places to see in Matheran. The famous ones are Alexander Point, Echo point, Louisa point & Charlotte lake.

As vehicles are not allowed beyond Dasturi park, all the places can be visited either on foot or by horse rides. Walking is the best way to explore Matheran and that’s what we did.

Echo point is one of the famous viewpoints in Matheran. Apart from offering panoramic view of western ghats, the echos and reverberations it produces are unique and so the viewpoint gets its name.

Alexander point is very famous among the locals as the view of sunrise from this point is mesmerizing and offers beautiful views of Palasdari lake. Unfortunately we were not lucky enough to enjoy those as we had gone early on a rainy day and there was fog all over as you can see below.

Charlotte lake is one of the main attractions in Matheran and offers scenic views. The water flowing from the lake down towards the valley down the hill is a spectacular sight.

Best time to visit Matheran

The best time to visit Matheran is during winter (October-February) and the lush greenery in the hills right after the monsoon elevates the beauty of Matheran. We visited in October and the combination of light drizzle and fog made for a cinematic atmosphere.

For thrill seekers who are fond of trekking, summer (March-June) time is ideal. Various trekking trails in Matheran can be found here.

Places to stay in Matheran

Although the trip can be covered in one day like we did, many stay at Matheran for a couple of more days to enjoy the serene atmosphere and beautiful surroundings far away from the noisy Mumbai. So accordingly, there are quite a few good places to stay. Here you can find the best resorts in Matheran.

The crisp mountain air & spectacular views of Sahyadri hills have stayed in my memory ever since and I can’t wait to go back.