Can you drive to Matheran, and what does the cab cost?
You can drive to Matheran, but only as far as the Dasturi Naka car park; no private vehicles are allowed beyond it. Dasturi is about 85 km from Mumbai, typically 2.5 hours via Panvel or Kalyan and Neral. Because the drive is short, the minimum fare applies: Rs 4,350 Pay Now to Reserve in a RutzIndia.com sedan and Rs 7,620 Pay Now to Reserve in an Innova Crysta, before 5% GST.
Matheran is unlike any other hill station in India, and it is worth being very clear about why before you book a car. In the mid-nineteenth century a British collector of Thane climbed the forested plateau above Neral, liked what he found, and a small resort grew up around a network of red-earth bridle paths. Motor vehicles never arrived. Today the entire town and its surrounding forest form an ecologically sensitive zone, and cars, motorbikes and buses stop at the edge. Inside, the soundtrack is birdsong, horses' hooves and the occasional shout of a hand-rickshaw puller.
That makes Matheran a trip in two parts. The road trip, which we handle, takes you from your door to Dasturi Naka at the top of the ghat. The last stretch, about 2.5 km to the main bazaar and further to the viewpoints, is on foot, on horseback, by hand-pulled rickshaw, or in one of the small number of battery e-rickshaws that local rules now allow on the main road. Your chauffeur parks at Dasturi and waits there, or drives back down and returns to collect you on your chosen day.
The drive from Mumbai, Thane and Pune
Via Panvel and Karjat (from South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai)
From South Mumbai, the driver crosses to Navi Mumbai over the Vashi bridge or uses the Atal Setu sea link to Chirle, then joins the old Mumbai-Pune road towards Panvel. Beyond Panvel the route turns north-east through Chowk and Karjat on the Karjat-Kalyan road, reaching Neral, the railhead at the foot of the hills. From Neral a narrow, well-made ghat road of roughly 8 to 9 km climbs through forest to Dasturi Naka. Total time is typically two and a half hours.
Via Kalyan and Badlapur (from Thane and the northern suburbs)
From Thane, Mulund or the Eastern Express Highway corridor, the more direct route runs through Kalyan and Badlapur to Neral. It is shorter in distance but passes through busy towns, so timing matters; early mornings are smooth, weekday evenings are slow.
From Pune (about 120 to 130 km)
Pune travellers take the Expressway down the Bor Ghat and leave it at the Khalapur end, then follow the Karjat road to Neral. Allow about three hours.
The Neral-Dasturi ghat
The final ghat is steep in places, with tight hairpins and occasional monkeys on the parapet. It is perfectly manageable for a sedan or an Innova. Tempo Travellers also go up, but large coaches may be asked to stop lower down. In heavy monsoon rain, the road can be affected by small slips and falling branches, and there are days when local authorities restrict traffic. Your driver will check conditions before setting off.
What happens at Dasturi Naka
Dasturi is a busy car park with a ticket office, horse stands and porters. This is how it usually works:
- Parking. Your driver pays the parking fee (added to your invoice at actual cost) and parks. On a day trip he waits here; on an overnight stay he can wait at Dasturi or go down to Neral and return at a set time.
- Entry fee. Visitors pay a municipal entry charge, often called the capitation tax, at the counter. Keep the receipt; you may be asked for it again. Rates differ for adults and children and are revised occasionally.
- Getting into town. Choose your mode: walk (about 30 to 45 minutes to the bazaar on a gentle, shaded path), ride a horse, hire a hand-pulled rickshaw, or take an e-rickshaw where available. Porters carry luggage for a fee. Agree all prices before you start.
- The toy train shuttle. Near Dasturi is Aman Lodge station, from where the narrow-gauge shuttle runs to Matheran station in the bazaar when services are operating. It is a charming few minutes for children.
The historic toy train itself runs all the way from Neral to Matheran on a two-foot narrow gauge line opened in the early twentieth century. When it is operating, some visitors like to be dropped at Neral station and ride the train up while the car goes round to Dasturi with the luggage. Services are typically curtailed in the monsoon, so check the railway timetable before planning around it. The Matheran article on Wikipedia gives a useful history of the town, the railway and the eco-sensitive zone.
What to see once you are inside
Matheran is small enough to cover on foot over a relaxed weekend, and more than two dozen named viewpoints ring the plateau. The best-loved include:
- Panorama Point at the northern tip, with sweeping views towards Neral and, on clear days, the Mumbai skyline. Superb at sunrise.
- Echo Point and Louisa Point, where the cliffs throw your voice back and the Prabal fort ridge stands across the valley.
- Charlotte Lake, the town's water source, fringed by forest and busy with families at weekends; swimming is not allowed.
- Porcupine Point (Sunset Point), the place for the evening, looking west over the Konkan.
- One Tree Hill and Garbut Point, quieter lookouts reached by forest trails.
- The bazaar on Mahatma Gandhi Road, with chikki, fudge, leather chappals and cane goods.
The forest itself is the real attraction: tall evergreen trees, laterite paths that turn a deep rust red, and birdlife that includes hornbills, paradise flycatchers and several species of bulbul. Walk early and you may have whole trails to yourself.
Seasons: when to plan a Matheran road trip
October to February. Clear, cool and green after the rains. The ideal time for viewpoints and long walks.
March to May. Warmer but still a relief from coastal humidity, and busy with school holiday crowds.
June to September. Matheran in the monsoon is a dream of cloud and waterfalls, but the paths become muddy, some viewpoints are unsafe, and the Neral-Matheran train is usually suspended. Many regulars love it; first-timers should come prepared for rain every day. The state portal Maharashtra Tourism posts seasonal notices for Raigad district destinations.
Holi, Diwali and New Year's Eve bring big crowds and higher hotel rates. Weekdays are consistently calmer.
RutzIndia.com services for Matheran
Because the car cannot enter the town, we structure Matheran bookings around the Dasturi car park. Pick the pattern that suits your trip:
- One-way drop to Dasturi, billed on the distance driven. You return by the toy train and local train, or book a separate car for the day you leave.
- Day trip with waiting, the driver parked at Dasturi while you explore. Billed on the 250 km daily minimum.
- Overnight stay with the car, the driver waiting at Dasturi or Neral, with a night allowance.
- Two separate one-way transfers, dropping on day one and collecting on day three. Often the cheapest option for longer stays.
- Groups in a Tempo Traveller from Mumbai for family gatherings and school outings, with the vehicle waiting at the car park.
| Mumbai to Matheran (Dasturi) | Dzire sedan | Ertiga | Innova Crysta | Tempo Traveller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One way (about 85 km, minimum fare applies) | Rs 4,350 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 5,460 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 7,620 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 11,820 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Day trip with waiting (250 km minimum) | Rs 9,000 | Rs 10,500 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 14,250 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 19,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Drop day 1, pickup day 3 (two one-way trips, minimum fare each) | Rs 8,310 | Rs 10,410 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 14,550 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 22,560 Pay Now to Reserve |
Fares are before 5% GST. Tolls on the way, Dasturi parking and any driver night allowance (Rs 1,500 per night on overnight hires) are billed at actual cost. The Matheran entry charge, horse rides, rickshaws and porters inside the town are paid by you directly, since we cannot take a car there. All our cars are within four model years.
Our cancellation terms are the same for every booking: free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours and the full fare within 24 hours or for a no-show. You can read the cancellation policy in full, and book online with card or UPI.
A relaxed two-day plan
Day 1. Leave Mumbai at 7 am, reach Dasturi around 9.30 am. Walk or ride into town, check in, and spend the afternoon on the southern points: Charlotte Lake, Echo Point and Louisa Point. Sunset at Porcupine Point.
Day 2. Sunrise at Panorama Point, breakfast in the bazaar, then the northern trails to Hart and Monkey points. Walk back to Dasturi by 1 pm, where your driver is waiting. Home to Mumbai by mid-afternoon, before the evening traffic.
With a third day, the Sahyadri towns of Lonavala and Khandala are about an hour's drive from Neral via Karjat and Khopoli, and make an easy add-on. For a sea-and-hills weekend, pair Matheran with the beaches of Alibaug.
Packing and practical advice
- Pack light. You or a porter will carry everything from Dasturi. A backpack beats a wheeled suitcase on laterite.
- Shoes with grip. Paths are dusty in winter and slick in the rains.
- Cash. Horses, rickshaws and porters generally want cash.
- Horse welfare. Choose a well-kept animal and do not push riders to gallop on crowded paths.
- Monkeys. Keep food out of sight at viewpoints.
- Accessibility. Matheran is hard for anyone with limited mobility; hand-pulled and battery rickshaws help, but some viewpoints involve uneven steps.
For more Mumbai road trips, local hire and airport runs, see the Mumbai taxi service page, or look at our one-way taxi fares across Maharashtra.
