We had two whole days and a lot of places to visit in Nashik. Unfortunately, the weather acted up. A cyclone hit the west coast of India on the day that we arrived in the city and the heavens opened pouring rain down on us.
Nashik is not one of the big cities that people talk about when visiting India. It is however very popular among the local Indian tourists. This is because it has great weather, has a lot of religious institutions (so there’s a lot of religious pilgrimages that people take) and a ton of great food.
We initially tried to get everything done but unfortunately with the rain playing spoil sport, everything got cramped into a single day. One thing that we did learn however was that there are a couple of things that you can do on a rainy day.
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Where To Stay In Nashik
With Nashik, you will find that there are a variety of different types of accommodation and you can choose to either stay in the city or in the countryside. Personally I love the outskirts because the greenery is so soothing to the eyes.
Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa (Luxury)
⭐️ Rating: 9/10 (753 Reviews) Price: $178 per night 📍Location: CTS No 289, 2, Vikrikar Bhavan Road, Pathardi Phata, Nashik Details: Read more on booking.com now!
If you want to stay in style and be pampered through the day then the Radisson Blu Hotel is the place for you. The hotel has some swanky rooms with all the luxuries you could want in a luxury hotel. It even has a lovely pool which you can enjoy on warm sunny days. Did I mention that there’s a hot tub that you can enjoy too?
If you want to get in a bit of activity then you can hit the table tennis section or enjoy the sauna and spa section. For those of you who are confident driving in India, you can hire a car from here itself instead of dealing with the online platforms.
“The rooms are very nice and cozy. The Breakfast layout is wonderful. The hotel staff is very courteous and helpful. Nice property”
Prdel (read more reviews now!)
Don’t forget to check out the in house restaurant which serves up a variety of different cuisines including American, Cantonese and Cajun Creole. The best part is that they help you with dietary preferences so ask before you order.
1. Pandavleni Caves
Pandavleni caves is one of the places to visit in Nashik that is on the outskirts of the city.
The Pandavleni caves are situated a short drive away from the city and are one of the places to visit in Nashik that provide a great view of the city. It’s a holy and ancient Buddhist site situated atop of a small hill. The caves are beautifully carved, and each cave has a different design.
The entrance fee is negligible so don’t hesitate to put them on your list. I won’t go into too much detail about them because we already have an in-depth article on how to get to the caves and general information about them. You can find the link below.
2. Sundarnarayan Temple
Situated on the banks of the River Godavari, at the corner of the Ahillyabai Holkar bridge, the Sundarnarayan Temple dates back to 1756 and is considered to be the oldest temple in Nashik. The temple is easily accessible from the road.
Unfortunately, the temple was closed when we reached there but we still managed to admire the outer façade. Since it is easily accessible, it is worth stopping for a minute to take in the architecture which is so different from the South Indian temples.
3. The Main Temple Square
The crowds at the main temple area next to the river.
Situated in the heart of the city is a main temple area through which the Godavari river flows. The place has religious symbolism for the Hindus and is also the location where the Kumbh Mela is held. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that flocks of devotees visit the area every day. With so many people around you, the place does get overwhelming.
A number of temples also dot the area. We did not enter them but admired them from the outside since we did not want to disturb the religious activities.
4. The Nashik Market
The colorful fruits and vegetables in the market make it a cool place to visit in Nashik.
Like all Indian markets, the Nashik markets are also busy, bustling and colourful. One of the markets that we visited was on the banks of the Godavari. It had vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to dried fish.
Local Maharashtran sweets and savories were stacked up in large piles. One of the popular things to buy in the area are the raisins. Grapes are locally grown and sourced to other parts of the country.
5. The Godavari River
A glimpse of the bridge from the banks of the river.
While I have been describing all the places to visit in Nashik, it would be remiss of me not to add the Godavari river to the list. The rive isn’t the cleanest but it is definitely supposed to be cleaner than the Ganges. The Godavari river has an auspicious status in Hinduism and since Nashik lies on its banks, Nashik is a temple town.
There are numerous places where you can catch a glimpse of the river. You can choose to visit it in the city center or closer to its source where it is supposed to be much cleaner.
6. The Shrine Of Infant Jesus
I just had to pose!
Nashik is a pilgrimage spot for the Hindu devotees. That is something that we have established already but did you know that it is also a famous pilgrimage point for the Christians too? This is largely because one of the famous Christian shrines.
Much like Velankanni in the south, the Shrine of Infant Jesus draws lots of Christian devotees to Nashik. The Shrine is beautiful, and we were lucky to get a grand tour. Our luck has a name and his name is Brother Owen Caston. It was really nice catching up with him over a cup of hot tea on a cold Nashik day.
7. Someshwar Waterfalls
Someshwar waterfalls is a great place to visit on the outskirts of Nashik.
Someshwar waterfalls is not far away from the city. It’s a quaint little place to stop and watch the water cascading down its path. The waterfall isn’t very big and on a dry day, you can climb down close. We were lucky that we had the best of both worlds.
It had rained the previous two days which meant that the amount of water cascading down had increased but it was dry on the day we visited so we could get up close to the waterfall. Definitely a nice place to visit in Nashik though I must warn you that it wasn’t spectacular.
Did I mention that you can watch the locals going about their daily activities?
8. Balaji Temple
A glimpse of the temple from outside.
If you do visit the Someshwar waterfalls then you will notice that there is a temple on the opposite side of the road. This is the Balaji temple. We hadn’t heard of it before but since we were right at its doorstep we decided to wander in. The temple is quiet and peaceful, very reminiscent of the calm nature of the village temples.
9. Sula Vineyards
The Sula vineyards is one of the popular places to visit in Nashik.
The Sula vineyards are a popular stop for numerous people visiting the area. You can take a tour and learn about the process of wine making or you can just enjoy tasting the different types of wine that Sula has to offer. We spent a lovely evening here watching the sunset and enjoying the Sula Brut Tropicale which just so happened to become our favourite.
Some people choose to stay at ‘The Source at Sula’ or ‘Beyond by Sula’ to have the full vineyard experience. You also don’t need a designated driver to drive you back after all the wine tasting.
10. Trimbakeshwar Temple
Trimbakeshwar temple is a great day trip away from the city.
The Trimbakeshwar temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and lies in the town of Trimbak in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. It’s a lovely drive away from the city if you have the time and the transportation.
The temple marks the origin of the sacred river Godavari and hence attracts a lot of Hindu devotees from across the country. The temple is busy, and the lines are long. Remember that you can’t take cameras and footwear into the temple. The market outside the temple is interesting too. It’s definitely on those places to visit in Nashik.
11. Sadhana Misal
One of the best places to eat in Nashik.
Nashik is famous for its ‘Misal pav’’ and one of the best places to indulge in the delicacy is in Sadhana Misal restaurants. The Misal pav comes with an array of papad, salad (onion and coriander topped with lime), missal and of course pav (bread). You can wash it down with a juice of your choice and even try out the local ice cream.
Being a temple town, Nashik is full of different temples. I’m not sure you could cover them all in a day. Despite being a centre for pilgrimage, it is also the wine capital of the west (if that’s a thing, lol).
The cool temperatures, the abundance of places to visit in Nashik and the good for make the city a dream to visit. The best part about it, is that you can stay on the outskirts of the city and avoid the rush while enjoying the lush green colors of nature.
Have you been to Nashik? We would love to hear all about your experiences in the comments below.
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