Nestled in the Sahyadri mountain ranges near the convergence of the Mula and Mutha rivers, Pune, a city surrounded by hills, is an evergreen tourist attraction in India. The second-largest city in Maharashtra has notably emerged as a metropolitan city while also preserving its image as the cultural capital of Maharashtra and the political center of the Maratha rulers. Pune’s popular tourist attractions include historical, cultural, spiritual and recreational sites like palaces, forts, temples, caves, gardens and parks, restaurants, and hotels.

The elevated location of Pune at an altitude of 560 m above sea level contributes to the pleasant climate of the city. Indian Eagle offers year-round deals on flight tickets to this year-round destination, so plan your trip and book our cheap flights to Pune. Here are 5 of the top tourist attractions in Pune you must visit.

Sinhagad Fort:

Sinhagad Fort is perched on a 760-meter-high-hill in the Bhuleshwar Range of the Sahyadri Mountains. Formerly known by the name ‘Kondhana,’ it served as the battleground for many legendary wars, including the ‘Battle of Sinhagad’ in 1670. The name ‘Sinhagad’ (meaning ‘Lion Fort’ in Marathi) is reminiscent of the fierce battles fought here. The historically significant Sinhagad Fort exposes the grand architecture of the Marathas, who strategically constructed this fortress at the center of the other forts that include Rajgad, Torna, and Purandar Forts.

The beauty of the endless greenery from the top of the hill makes it a popular tourist place in Pune and trekkers love trekking the steep paths to reach the hilltop for the views. While you learn the valiant history of the fortress during the trek, the picturesque beauty of the surroundings captivates you once you reach the top.

Shaniwar Wada:

Shaniwar Wada is a grand fortification built by Peshwa Bajirao I and is the royal palace of the Peshwas, who ruled Maharashtra. There is an interesting reason behind naming the palace as Shaniwar Wada. Both the laying of the foundation stone and the welcoming ceremony coincidentally took place on Saturday (i.e. Shaniwar), and thus the fort (i.e. Wada) got its name.

Although a major portion of the fort was ravaged by a mysterious fire, the remnants of the huge palace characterized by Mughal architecture are still majestic and hence this tourist place in Pune is popular to this date. Your mind conjures up the grand seven-storied palace by simply looking at the five gateways, the interiors of the palace with heavy chandeliers, paintings decorating the walls, marble floors, the beautiful gardens around the palace and the stunning statue of Baji Rao I at the entrance of the fort! The majestic light and sound show held after sunset against the backdrop of the dark twinkling sky is a major hit among tourists.

Also Read: Simple Pune Travel Guide

Parvati Hill:

Parvati Hill, situated at an altitude of 2100 feet above sea level, is one of the favorite tourist attractions in Pune. Nature lovers, trekkers, and devotees visit this place for their own reasons.

Devotees climb the 103 stone steps to offer prayers at the 17^th-century temples built by the Peshwas. This hilltop temple glows radiantly amid the lush greenery of the hills. The other four temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Lord Vishnu, and Goddess Rukmini. Visit the museum on the hill that houses the ancient portraits of the Peshwas, old coins, weapons, and other artifacts. The picturesque views of the city from a height of 2100 feet are absolutely overwhelming!

Aga Khan Palace:

Named after Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III, Aga Khan Palace is one of the prominent historical landmarks in India. Originally built with the noble intention of assisting the poor when famine hits the nearby areas, Aga Khan Palace served different roles throughout history. It acted as a refuge to the poor, a prison of freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba, and Mahadev Desai, and now it is the headquarters of Gandhi Memorial Society and a famous tourist place in Pune. This is the place where the ashes of Gandhiji are stashed.

The huge monument covering 19 acres of land, its Italian arches, manicured green lawns, the five halls preserving the portraits of legendary fighters during India’s struggle for freedom, exhibits of personal belongings of Gandhiji, a Khadi and handloom textile shop make Aga Khan Palace a fascinating symbol of the history and architecture. It is one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Pune.

Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden or Pu La Deshpande Udyan:

You might have heard about the 300-year-old Kōraku-en Garden in Okayama, one of the traditional gardens in Japan. If you haven’t visited it yet or wish to revisit, you can fulfil this wish at second-hand while you are in Pune. Yes! The Pu La Deshpande Udyan on Sinhagad Road is inspired by the Japanese culture and ideology of gardening and is the largest Japanese garden in Asia, situated outside of Japan.

Spreading across 10 acres, this tourist attraction in Pune is the perfect spot to find peace. Although walking on the lawn is not permitted owing to maintenance reasons, the walking paths take you through the diverse landscape of the garden comprising artificial ponds, waterfalls, hills, forest, well-cared green lawns, and plants. The waters of a natural canal flow through the garden. You can watch the colorful fish residing in the waters from a bridge dramatically built in the center of the garden. This garden is named in honor of the famous Marathi writer and humorist, Pu La Deshpande and its other name ‘Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden’ illustrates the friendly ties between India and Japan.

–Travel Diary

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The city of Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra is famed for its significant student population and thriving nightlife scene. Known as the ‘Oxford of the East’, Pune is worth paying a visit for exploring the rich cultural heritage and history of the Maratha kingdom.  From the iconic Agha Khan Palace of Pune and the magnificent Shaniwar Wada Fort built by the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire, there’s no dearth of historical landmarks to sightsee in Pune. Here’s a compact Pune travel guide for travelers who would like to explore the city’s wealth of attractions including best nightlife, top-notch restaurants and must-visit places in Pune.

What is Pune Famous for?

Besides marvelous monuments, the city allures the incoming tourists with top night clubs, awesome shopping markets, an array of fine-dining restaurants, and pretty beaches. The vibrant city’s close proximity to the Sahayadri Hill Range in the Western Ghats makes Pune a perfect location for adventure junkies who like to go on short road trips from Pune for adventure sports like hiking and trekking.

Pune Travel Guide:

Best historical monuments and places in Pune

Make sure you don’t miss out on visiting the famous tourist places in Pune outlined in our Pune travel guide. A vital point to keep in mind is certain historical landmarks may require you to hire a tourist guide for learning about the significance and history of the landmarks under tour. The must-visit monuments in our guide to Pune are:

• Shaniwar Wada Fort- A wall fortification and a top haunted place in Pune. There is an entrance fee of INR 5 per person for Indians and INR 125 per person for foreigners
• Aga Khan Palace- A magnificent palace attraction built in 1892 by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan. There is an entrance fee of INR 5 per person for Indians and INR 100 per person for foreigners
• Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple – A top religious site dedicated to Lord Ganesh. There is no entrance fee for visitors
• Empress Garden- A botanical garden with rare flowers. The annual flower show in January at the garden is a thing to look for. There is an entrance fee of INR 15 per person for visitors
• Osho Ashram- The place is a top attraction for transcendental meditation and gaining inner peace. It’s more like a paid resort than an ashram and you need to pay for your accommodation, food and learning the art of meditation from well qualified instructors. There is an entrance fee of INR 870 per person for Indians and INR 1790 per person for foreigners

Weekend getaways from Pune

Pune’s close proximity to the Sahayadri Range of mountains in the Western Ghats and the rich coastline of the Arabian Sea makes it a top location for taking short road trips from Pune to hilly mountainous landscapes and nearby beaches. The must-visit weekend getaways near Pune in our Pune travel guide are also the top tourist places in Pune like Tarkali Beach for soaking up the hot sun, Lonavala hill station for trekking & hiking, Kolad for white water rafting in the Kundalika River, and Malshej Ghat for admiring the spectacular waterfalls, scenic lakes and royal forts. The short road trips to the top weekend getaways near Pune can be very thrilling and the ride itself makes up for half the fun and excitement of the weekend getaways near Pune.

Pune’s Nightlife

Pune is the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai. The city of Pune has a thriving nightlife scene due to the presence of a significant number of students and academic institutions. From expensive pubs and lounges at luxury 5-Star Hotels like Mi-a-Mi at JW Marriot and Oak Lounge at Marriot Suites Pune to stand-alone pubs and restaurants like Penthouze near Westin Hotel and Euriska near Koregaon Park Plaza, the bustling city of Pune has so much to offer for the night owls who like to sample some quality cocktails along with great tasting finger-foods. No trip to Pune is complete without exploring its awesome nightlife and is a standard inclusion in any Pune travel guide.

Where to stay in Pune

From luxury 5-Star hotels to economy and budget hotels, from comfortable resorts to cheaper B&B style accommodations, there are plenty of options to choose for your night’s stay at Pune. Whatever kind of accommodation you choose for your night stay in Pune, you can be assured of the best holiday experience as most of them are equipped with the best amenities for delighting the travelers. Our Pune travel guide compiles some of the best hotels in Pune for your accommodation: Malhar Machi Resort, Le Meridien, Vivanta by Taj-Blue Diamond, and Phoenix Hotel.

Pune for Gastronomy

There is no better way of exploring Pune than going on a food spree at the city’s high-end restaurants and cheap hole-in-the-wall food joints. When it comes to gastronomy, Pune has its own signature style eateries for alluring the foodies. Be it Italian food, Mexican food, Asian food, authentic street food from Maharashtra or the utterly famous south Indian breakfast foods, Pune has a myriad of great tasting restaurants catering to the tastes of every foodie on this earth. Our Pune travel guide recommends these top restaurants in Pune: Arthur’s Theme in Koregaon Park for French Cuisine, Little Italy near Pune Central Mall for Italian cuisine, Mainland China near Pyramid Mall for Chinese cuisine, and Southindies near Pune Central for South Indian breakfast foods like idly and idiyappam.

Now that you have got a bigger picture about the must-visit places in Pune, things to do in Pune and the excellent nightlife scene in Pune by reading our compact Pune Travel Guide, don’t you think it’s about time you took a travel plunge to Pune to get enchanted by its beautiful attractions? Have your cheap flights to Pune booked with IndianEagle.com right away for huge savings on airfares.

-Travel Diary

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