Lohagad Fort Trek (updated) – Quick facts before you go

Located at North-West side of Pune, Lohagad fort, at an elevation of 1033m, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lonavala. Lohagad fort is around 13 km away from Lonavala and 65 km away from Pune.

This trek will be a great choice for beginners as it is an easy one day trek which can be covered in 3-4 hours.

During monsoon, the fort gets covered in the fog and mist which looks magical. This simple, scenic and pleasant trek is one of the best monsoon treks near Pune and Mumbai.

There is another fort named Visapur fort nearby which is larger than Lohagad. Both, Lohagad fort trek and Visapur fort trek, can be done in a single day.

The main attraction of this trail is the route itself. There is long scorpion’s tail-like structure on the fort called ‘Vinchu Kada’ and it is one of the major highlights of this trek.

You will also get to see the reverse waterfall in monsoon days. There are many caves on the fort which were used to keep the treasury. You can also see Karla caves, Bhaja caves and Pawna Lake from the top of the fort.

If you are looking for the quick weekend getaway or an adventurous escape, Lohagad fort trek is a perfect choice. You will get to see lush green beauty and panoramic views of the Sahyadri range.

Contents

• Lohagad fort trek under a minute
• Iconic things to see on the fort
• Lohagad Fort History
• How to reach Lohagad fort
  • Private vehicle
  • Bus
  • By Train
• How to get to the fort
• Best time to visit the fort
• Accommodation and food
• The Bhaja caves
• Visapur Fort trek
• The Perfect plan of Lohagad fort trek
• Precautions to take for Lohagad fort trek
• Is Lohagad fort trek easy and safe?
• Lohagad Fort Images

A scenic & pleasant journey -Lohagad fort trek

Difficulty Level: Easy
Type of a trek: One day trek, Monsoon trek
Best time to visit Lohagad fort: Monsoon season, Winter Season
Distance from Lonavala: 13 km
Base village: Malavli
The time needed to climb Lohagad fort: 5 hours (from Malavli)

Iconic things to see on the fort

You have to walk through 4 doors to enter the Lohagad fort. At first, there will be ‘Ganesh Darvaja’ then the ‘Narayan Darvaja’. You will get to see two warehouses. Then there is ancient ‘Hanuman Darvaja’ and finally entering through the ‘Maha Darvaja’ you will reach on the top of the fort.

One of the major landmarks of the Lohagad fort is the old ‘Darga’ (Mosque). You will see remnants of the court besides it. There is also a historical structure called ‘Laxmi Kothi’. You will also see cannons in front of ‘Laxmi Kothi’.

The aerial view of the fort looks like a scorpion’s tail. This extended part of the hill is called ‘Vinchu Kada’. It is well fortified and will take 15-20 minutes to reach at the very end. If you want to get a rousing 360-degree view of the surrounding, you got to visit the place.

Lohagad Fort History

The history of Lohagad goes back to the period of Satvahana. Several other dynasties such as Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Chalukyas, etc. had a hold on this mighty fort.

This fort was under the Maratha Empire for most of the time. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj surrendered it to the Mughals by the treaty of Purandar in 1665. He recaptured the fort in 1670 and used it to keep the loot from Surat.

In Marathi language, Lohagad means Iron fort and it stands tall to its name.

In Peshwa time, Nana Phadnavis was living on this fort for some time. They built many structures on the fort such as a big tank and step-well in his period.

How to reach Lohagad

By private vehicle

If you are coming from Mumbai then you can come to Lonavala and from here head towards the Dudhivare Khind. It will take around 1 hour from Lonavala to reach the Lohagadvadi base village.

There is well-constructed road available till the base of the Lohagad fort.

In rainy days, there will be huge traffic due to single lane. If you are going in the monsoon, I will recommend you to park your vehicle at Bhaja village and start your trail from there.

Although there is a well-constructed road, there are many rough patches and steep turns. I have seen many experienced drivers struggling at those patches.

There are 2 different routes available from Pune. You have to take old Mumbai – Pune highway and head towards Lonavala. Just before the Lonavala, you will reach Malavli village. Take a left and then there will be a 6 km drive till the base. You can park your vehicle at Malavli village and start the trail from there.

Another route is from Paud- Kolvan and Lohagad fort. This route is not that popular and you need to drive across Pawna Lake.

By Bus

There is no direct bus service available to Lohagad. You need to catch a bus till Lonavala. From here you can hire a cab to Lohagad.

The road from Lonavala to Lohagad is very scenic and passes through the famous Dudhivare Khind.

By Train

The nearest railway station to Lohagad fort is Lonavala railway station which is around 13 km away from Lohagad. You can take a suburban train from Lonavala till the Malavli stop if you are coming from Mumbai.

There are many suburban trains available from Pune to Lonavala. You can get off the train at Malavli station. The fort is around 6 km away from Malavli.

You can take a shared auto or taxi from here till the base. Most of the trekkers start the trail from the station itself. There is a well-constructed road from the station to the base of the fort.

How to get to the fort

There two different routes available to reach till the base of the fort. The trail from Malavli railway station is quite popular and you can cover Bhaja caves, Visapur fort and Lohagad fort in a day.

The total distance you need to cover is around 6km from Malavli station to Lohagad. In 2-3 hours, you will reach the base of the fort.

The second route is from Lonavala side. This route will take you through amazing Dudhivare Khind.

Both the roads are very scenic and end up at Lohagadwadi which is a base village for the Lohagad fort trek. From here, there are well-constructed steps to reach the top of the fort. It will take roughly 45 minutes to reach the top.

There are many historical structures, temples and Darga on the top.

To go to the Vinchu Kada you need to walk towards the North-west side of the fort. In around 15 minutes you will reach the mighty Vinchu Kada.

Most of the trekkers wander only at the gate and around the temple, but the main attraction on Lohagad is Vinchu Kada and you must explore it if you want to enjoy the real beauty of the Lohagad.

Best time to visit the fort

You can visit the Lohagad round the year. But the best time to visit the fort is in monsoon. Lohagad fort trek is magical in monsoon days.

You will come across many waterfalls and will get splendid views as the fort is covered in the fog and mist. Don’t forget to enjoy the reverse waterfall on the fort.

Remember, there will be a huge crowd on rainy days. Avoid weekends if you don’t want to wait in a queue to climb the fort.

Accommodation and food

There are many food stalls available at the base of the fort. You will get snacks, water bottles and delicious Maharashtrian Thalis.

Camping is not allowed on the Lohagad fort. They close the doors of the fort in the late evening.

You can camp near Pawna Lake. There are many lake camping organizers available.

If you want to explore the surrounding region then stay at a hotel in Lonavala. There are many worth seeing places in the area.

The Bhaja caves

There is a total of 22 ancient rock-cut caves and stupas built in the 2nd century and used by the Buddhist Monks. This place is very peaceful and far away from urbanization.

To go to this place you need to take a little detour from Bhaje waterfall. It’s around half km away from the main trail. It almost takes a half hour or so.

Visapur Fort trek

A small range connects Visapur Fort and Lohagad and divides the basins of the Indrayani River and Pavana River.

Visapur Fort is larger compared to Lohagad. You can visit both the forts in a single day.

During the Lohagad fort trek, you will come across the ‘Gaimukh Khind’. The left side route will take you to the Visapur Fort.

The road is well marked so there will not be any confusion.

The Perfect plan of Lohagad fort trek

Well, it’s always good if you start the trek as early as possible.

There are many worth seeing places on this trail. You can visit Bhaja caves by taking a little diversion from Bhaje Waterfall. It will take a maximum of an hour.

After walking for some time you will come across ‘Gaimukh Khind’. Take a left from here and head towards the Visapur Fort. In the monsoon days, there is water flowing down from the steps and the view is stunning.

You can explore the fort and after spending an hour or so you can again come back and head towards the Lohagad Fort. This detour will take around 2 hours.

After reaching to the base of the Lohagad fort, take a rest for a while. Have your meal and then climbing around 350 rock steps you will reach the top of the Lohagad.

Precautions for Lohagad fort trek

You are going to come across our ancestors (thanks to Mr Darwin) during the trail. Yeah, monkeys. You don’t want the monkeys to steal your food, so avoid carrying any food or snacks in your hand. Beware of the monkeys. Yes, I mean it. Haha!

Wear a pair of good quality shoes, as there is lots of walking involved in this trail.

You will come across many waterfalls during the trail. The most famous one is Bhaje waterfall. And I will recommend you to enjoy the waterfall from a distance.

There are no protective bars at the edge of the cliffs. So stay away from the edge. The wind is so strong during the monsoon and it may cause an accident.

Tip for you:

If you are coming by train then there will be a huge crowd and you might not get a place to even stand up in the train.

What you can do is, get on the train which is heading towards the Lonavala from Pune. The same local will come back again to Pune, so you need not be worried about the seat. Thank me later!!

Is Lohagad fort trek easy and safe?

Lohagad fort trek is one of the best one-day treks near Pune and Mumbai. The trail is simple and straight forward. If you are looking for a quick escape from the busy city life then head towards the Lohagad fort. The complete trail is a long walk till the base of the fort. After climbing well-constructed steps, you will reach the top of the fort.

Lohagad fort Images

Banner Image by Tejas Shimpi