Matheran is a city and a municipal council in Raigad district in the state of Maharashtra. It is 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. Located at around 90 km from Mumbai and about 120 km from Pune, it is a popular weekend getaway for urban residents. The name Matheran means either "forest on top" or "mother forest".

Matheran offers you a great panoramic view from as many as 33 points located here. Some of the favourite points to visit are, Porcupine Point, Echo Point,Panorama Point, Heart Point, Monkey Point (for the monkeys that inhabit the place) and many more where you could catch the most breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset as well as of the Sahyadri range and its valleys. In fact, the Panorama Point is rightly also called the Sunrise Point to catch that perfect sunrise.

You can also visit the Charlotte Lake and the Panthers Caves. One of the best things that you can do at Matheran, is to take a ride on the toy train, which takes you through the One Kiss Tunnel and very many fascinating little spots. In fact this is your ride from Neral to Matheran and is a great way to start your trip.

Accommodation

The place offers hill resorts costing you from anything below R.s 2000 to the expensive heritage resorts like the Verandha in the Forest that offers you a typical jungle stay.

How to get there?

Matheran is located about 100 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune. It lies on the busy Mumbai-Pune rail link and the nearest train station is at Neral, approximately 25 km from Matheran. From Neral, one can rent a taxi to the entrance of Matheran. From the taxi stop at Matheran, one can walk to the city center or rent a horse!

The nearest airports to this place are the airports in Mumbai and Pune.