The Pune to Bhimashankar distance is about 110 km by road — out on the Pune–Nashik highway through Chakan, Rajgurunagar and Manchar, then west via Ghodegaon and up the ghat road. Allow 3 to 3.5 hours each way. Leave by 5:30 AM for a morning darshan, confirm the day's hours with the temple trust, and come back down the ghat in daylight during the monsoon.
Route, road and temple status checked 15 Sep 2026 — see the sources at the end.
How Far Is Bhimashankar from Pune?
From central Pune it is about 110 km one way and 220 km for the round trip — the distance our one-day package is planned on. Most of it is the Pune–Nashik highway; the turn-off is at Manchar, and the final climb from Ghodegaon is a ghat road through the Sahyadri forest. If a distance website tells you 68 km, it is showing the straight-line distance, which no road follows.
| Stretch | Road | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Pune → Chakan → Rajgurunagar | Pune–Nashik highway | Chakan's industrial belt is the slow part in working hours — an early start clears it. |
| Rajgurunagar → Manchar | Pune–Nashik highway | Easy highway running. A natural tea halt, and the fast charger PlugShare lists is here. |
| Manchar → Ghodegaon | District road, heading west | Two-lane road through villages and farmland. |
| Ghodegaon → Bhimashankar | Ghat road | Narrow and winding. Fog on winter mornings, and the stretch that closes after heavy monsoon rain. |
There is a second way up, from Rajgurunagar (Khed) through the hills, which comes into its own when the Manchar side is blocked. Your driver will pick the approach on the day.
When to Leave Pune
Leave between 5:00 and 5:30 AM. You clear Chakan before its working-day traffic, you drive the ghat in good light, and you reach the temple in the morning. A morning darshan matters more than usual in 2026: the temple has run several different schedules since it reopened on 15 June, and the morning has fitted all of them.
We are not printing darshan hours here, because they are still changing. Our dated Bhimashankar temple status page tracks every change, and the simplest check is to phone the Shree Kshetra Bhimashankar Trust on 02135 222 880 the day before (post-Shravan hours were unpublished as of 15 Sep 2026).
Mondays, Shravan and Mahashivratri — on 6 March in 2027 — draw the largest gatherings. For a quieter darshan, choose another day; our temple crowd calendar lists the busy dates through March 2027.
Our One-Day Plan, Hour by Hour
| Time | Stop | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | Pickup at your door in Pune | — |
| 7:00 AM | Tea halt before the ghat section | — |
| 8:30 AM | Arrive at Bhimashankar | 110 km |
| 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Darshan, with four hours allowed for the queue and the stairway | — |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch near the temple or on the way down | — |
| 1:30 PM | Start back to Pune | 110 km |
| 4:30 PM | Drop at your door | 220 km total |
The four hours at the temple are deliberate. The queue can run two hours on an ordinary day and much longer on a Monday, and the stairway is slow going. If it all moves quickly, there is time to sit in the forest — the shrine is inside a wildlife sanctuary. Timings are indicative, so keep the evening free.
The Ghat Road in the Monsoon
The monsoon is when Bhimashankar looks its best, and when the road is least predictable. On 8 July 2026 landslides shut the road to the temple until further orders; reports at the time said both the Manchar and Khed approaches were damaged before repairs reopened them. Mid-August reports described a muddy, potholed approach.
October to February is the most comfortable season for most families, and the easiest for older travellers.
Can You Do It in an Electric Car?
Yes — it is the shortest of our pilgrimage runs, and an easy one for an EV. At about 220 km, the round trip sits comfortably inside a single charge for the cars we run, which is why our one-day package offers the MG ZS EV and Kia Clavis EV alongside the Innova Hycross. The climb up the ghat uses more energy; some of it comes back through regenerative braking on the way down.
As a backup, PlugShare lists a 30 kW DC fast charger at Manchar (Tata Power, at Rama Auto) — right at the turn-off, and a useful safety net. One thing an EV does not change: the state's EV toll exemption covers only the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, Samruddhi and Atal Setu, not this route. Any tolls are included in our fixed fare whichever car you choose.
Cold Mornings and the Stairway
The temple stands at roughly 930 m, and mornings are cool and misty for much of the year — carry a warm layer even in summer, and shoes with grip in the monsoon.
The temple sits below road level, so darshan means a staircase down to the sanctum and the same climb back up, with no lift. A new stairway was built during the 2026 works, so the step counts you will see online, from 200 to 300, predate it — treat any figure, including the "around 200" on our package pages, as approximate. Doli (palanquin) carriers have been available at the top but cannot be guaranteed. Anyone who would find the climb hard can wait comfortably at the top while the rest of the group goes down.
Tolls, parking and charging or fuel are included. We are a cab service, not a tour operator — darshan passes, pujas and offerings are yours to arrange.
Planning more than one temple? See how Bhimashankar pairs with Trimbakeshwar and Shirdi in our two-day trip guide, or all five Maharashtra Jyotirlingas in the Panch Jyotirlinga route.
Sources
- Shree Kshetra Bhimashankar Trust (official site and contact)
- Pilgrimage news reports — both routes blocked by landslides (July 2026)
- News18 Marathi — landslide road closure (8 July 2026)
- PlugShare — Rama Auto, Tata Power 30 kW, Manchar
- The Tribune — roads covered by Maharashtra's EV toll exemption
- Wikipedia — Bhimashankar Temple (elevation)
- DistanceBetween2 — Pune to Bhimashankar (the 68 km straight-line figure)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pune to Bhimashankar distance by road?
About 110 km one way, via Chakan, Rajgurunagar and Manchar on the Pune–Nashik highway, then Ghodegaon and the ghat road up to the temple. The round trip is about 220 km. Allow 3 to 3.5 hours each way. Some distance websites show 68 km — that is the straight-line distance, not a road you can drive.
What time should I leave Pune for Bhimashankar?
Between 5:00 and 5:30 AM. Our one-day trip picks up at 5:30 AM and reaches the temple at about 8:30 AM. A morning darshan has fitted every timing the temple has run in 2026, but hours after Shravan had not been published as of 15 September 2026, so call the trust on 02135 222 880 the day before.
Can an electric car do Pune to Bhimashankar and back?
Yes. The round trip is about 220 km, and our one-day Bhimashankar package runs on the MG ZS EV and Kia Clavis EV as well as the Toyota Innova Hycross. PlugShare lists a 30 kW DC fast charger at Manchar, on the way, as a backup. The Maharashtra EV toll exemption does not apply on this route — it covers only the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, Samruddhi and Atal Setu — so any tolls are simply included in our fare.
Is the Bhimashankar ghat road open in the monsoon?
Usually, but it is the part of the route that closes after heavy rain. On 8 July 2026 landslides shut the road to the temple until further orders, and reports at the time said both the Manchar and the Rajgurunagar (Khed) approaches were affected. In the monsoon, check the road and the temple's hours the day before, and plan to come back down the ghat in daylight.
How long is the drive from Bhimashankar to Pune?
About the same as the way up: 110 km and 3 to 3.5 hours. In our one-day plan you leave the temple area at about 1:30 PM and are home by about 4:30 PM, which keeps the ghat descent well inside daylight.
How much does a Pune to Bhimashankar cab cost?
Our fixed one-day fare is ₹4,999 in the MG ZS EV, ₹5,999 in the Kia Clavis EV and ₹7,499 in the Toyota Innova Hycross, for the whole car. It includes 300 km, tolls, parking, charging or fuel and the driver's allowance. Darshan, pujas, doli charges and meals are yours to arrange.