Overview

Pune has come a long way from being a place that has been host and home to so much history. It is now where that heritage co-exists with a blossoming modern city that is young at heart and young in its opportunities. A hub of education and technology, the pleasant Pune is also home to so much culture that is hidden in its unassuming exteriors.

Experiences

  • Joshi’s Museum of Miniature Railway: One man’s passion is another’s amazement. Model train enthusiast Bhau Joshi has built a functional, elaborate mini-township layout complete with railway stations, roads, flyovers, buildings, traffic signals and more. A truly curious engaging sight by a man who materialized his vision into a technological marvel.
  • Osho Teerth Gardens: What was, till a few years ago, a wasteland with a dirty canal making its way through it, is now a fantastically green Japanese-style park bordering the Osho Ashram. The park spread over 12 acres, is a fine marriage of conservational ethos with the needs of a modern city. What you’ll enjoy is diverse greenery, a clear stream bisecting the park, and ample photo opportunities.
  • Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: A fascinating, prosperous collection of antique objects from Indian daily life collected by the eponymous collector, it is one of Pune’s finest places to visit. Observe members of the 20,000-strong collection, including jewellery, music instruments, household equipment, toys, entire doors & windows, and a lot more, most of them still in pristine condition.
  • Gliding: 

    Take a few gliding lessons or fulfil your dreams of flying on a joy ride in a glider, at the Hadapsar Gliding Centre in Pune. If you don’t have the time or inclination for lessons, you should definitely partake in a bit of guided gliding in the company of a trained pilot, given that it’s for an ultra-cheap price here.

  • The Sawai Gandharv Bhimsen Music Festival: Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi founded the Sawai Gandharv Music Festival, India’s leading classical music festival in 1953 in memory of his guru Sawai Gandharv. The festival, which had the revered founder’s name appended to its name recently, has been the breeding grounds of prodigies and the showcase for established names in Indian classical music. Attend and have your mind blown.
  • Shanivar Wada: 

    An 18th-century Peshwa fortress only the mammoth gate to which remains, owing to a fire, Shanivar Wada is now the verdant hangout of choice for the average Pune person. Evenings see a couple of light shows being hosted, in Marathi and English that recapitulate the vivid history of this former Peshwa stronghold.

  • Book Shopping: Being a genuine education hub, with numerous colleges and universities and research institutions, it is only natural that Pune loves to read. That love is aided by so many great bookshops around the city, many of them centred on the Appa Balwant Chowk. Shop for the latest fiction, no-fiction and educational titles, or second hand books, or books by the kilo; you’d most probably find it all.

Grub

  • Independence Brewing Company: One of Pune’s best dining experiences; the Independence Brewing Company is a world-class going out experience- impeccable décor, a delicious much-loved menu, and the seven brewed beers on tap, the best part about the place. The seven brews on tap keep rotating, but some crowd-pullers, but do try the Four Grain Saison and the Method to Madness IPA. The fine aesthetics and the great service will get you hooked.
  • High Spirits Café: The centre of all action, the High Spirits Café is where everybody flocks to for some live entertainment or a nice meal throughout the week. From comedy nights to live music and DJs spinning the latest in dance music, the place has everything to keep the young occupied and make the elderly young.
  • Kayani Bakery: A part of history, Kayani Bakery has delighted people of the city with its cakes and breads and biscuits since the days of the British Raj. As in demand as ever, its Shrewsbury biscuits, bread and sponge cakes exemplify what ‘selling like hot cakes’ means.
  • Malaka Spice: As much a warm family-run establishment as it is a stalwart culinary institution, Cheenu and Praful Chandawarkar’s Malaka Spice is a mouth-watering barrage of one great Oriental dish after another. Putting the local in stay local firmly in bold, the chefs firmly scrutinize everything that goes into their preparations; one bit and you’ll know why it is so well-loved.
  • Dario’s: An elegant, intimate Italian joint serving up heavenly pastas, pizzas and salads in its indoor and al-fresco dining settings, Dario’s is a vegetarian foodie’s delight. And their desserts are the cherry on the cake.

Stay

To book from the widest range of hotels, visit SpiceVacations.com.

First Class

  • Conrad Pune: Be inundated with luxury at the Conrad Pune from the Hilton chain of hotels. Plush, well-equipped rooms ensure superior comfort. Elsewhere, the hotel pampers your senses with 6 dining options and a bar, a 24-hour fitness centre, a 24-hour business centre, a salon and spa, and an enrapturing temperature-controlled outdoor pool. Can’t ask for more, if you’re willing to pay a premium.
    Distance from airport: 6 km
  • Atmantan Wellness Retreat: A rejuvenating wellness retreat, Atmantan is located on the outskirts of the city, in a revelatory lakeside part of the country. Facilities are indulgent, but the real strength are the infinite opportunities to disconnect, unwind and go for many wellness services like massages, therapy sessions, fitness sessions, hammam baths and a whole lot more.
    Distance from airport: 60 km

Premium Economy

  • Four Points by Sheraton: World-class hotel and serviced apartments, with gym, 24-hour spa and more, minutes from the Pune Airport.
    Distance from airport: 4 km
  • Vivanta by Taj: Blue Diamond: 5-star luxury hotel, with extensive amenities, fitness centre, spa and more.
    Distance from airport: 6 km

Economy

  • Hotel Sagar Plaza: A comfortable stay in the heart of the city that is as friendly in service as it is on your pocket.
    Distance from airport: 9 km
  • Laxmi Happy Homes: A no-frills homestay, with tastefully done rooms for rent at surprisingly cheap costs. Guests can enjoy common areas, free Wi-Fi, a well-equipped shared kitchen, and warm hosts, among other privileges like the excellent location.
    Distance from airport: 6 km

Weekend Getaways

  • Matheran: Just under three hours away, Matheran can feel worlds apart from Pune, thankfully so, for the absence of all motor vehicles. All vehicles are banned here, and by default the hill station gentles ambles along, absorbing so many visitors in its quiet retreat. Walk around green vistas, take in gorgeous views, ride on horseback or cross a valley on a rope, you’ll love the serene nature of this place.
  • Khandala:Khandala, Maharashtra 

    Conveniently located about an hour and a half away from Pune right on the Mumbai-Pune highway, Khandala is a verdant hill station preferred by lovers of nature, great views and hiking. Not really known for vigorous action, you can certainly enjoy many scenic view-points and the slightly-challenging hiking trails that lead there, along with the Bhushi Lake.

  • Khadakwasla: A small hamlet centred around the eponymous dam on the river Mutha, Khadakwasla is, unbeknownst to most, central to India’s defence acumen. Short distances from the dam are the acclaimed National Defence Academy, the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, the College of Military Engineering and some other defence establishments. A few kilometres to the south is the Sinhagad Fort of lesser-known origins, believed to be about 2000 years old.

General Information

Languages: Hindi, English, Marathi

Public Transport: The major means of public transport are the public buses operated within the city by the PMPML, the city’s transport authority, and auto-rickshaws. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Ola Cabs have also established a robust network of cabs across the city.

Weather: Pune experiences a combination of semi-arid hot and tropical pleasant climate. The summer months from mid-March to June see hot, dry spells, with the temperature sometimes soaring past 40.

Monsoon and winters are quite pleasant, with the Monsoon season seeing pleasant temperatures and moderate rainfall. The daytime temperatures can be pleasant during winters while the night can get chilly, with mercury often dropping to 5-6 degrees Celsius.