Trip Image Gallery
Trip Inspiration
Most of us must have been to Sinhagad Fort numerous times by car but the trek to Sinhagad Fort was on my wishlist for long.
I was not sure about where to park the car at base location, not confident about the route of the trek and lacking companions to come along.
I understood from friends that many people reach base location by 5am or 6am, reach the top in about an hour, spend some time there and come down by 9 am - pretty tight schedule.
This time, monsoon season did set the perfect mood and few friends agreeing on an impromptu plan made the Sinhagad Fort trek reality finally :-)
Also click to see: A family trip to Dapoli beaches from Pune
Best Time To Visit
Best time for "Sinhagad fort trek" is early morning time. And during monsoon season, you can see people trekking all day long. If going by car or bike then surely avoid weekends to escape from spending most of your time in traffic jams.
Places visited
We did this trek as more of a leisure trip and all four of us were trekking Sinhagad Fort for the first time. So see this Sinhagad fort trek review sharing from a non-professional trekker perspective.
While driving from Pune, the basic question arises for the first time trekkers about where to park the car to start the Sinhagad trek. So here goes the location info, tap on it to open in Google Maps:
Sinhagad Paytha, Maharashtra, India or
Sinhagad Valley, Aatekar Vasti, Maharashtra, India
When 1 kilometer is remaining from any of the destinations mentioned above on google maps, watch out for parking space on the left side. There are couple of designated parking spots before the dead end of the road shown in the picture below. In case, you reached the dead end then still you can take left for parking as we saw a small board pointing for parking space on the left side.
"From this dead end of the road, take left for parking space or take right for the Sinhagad Fort trek. The Sinhagad trek route starts from here :-)
Sinhagad fort trek difficulty level: it is easy to moderate. Due to the continuous uphill stretch (very scenic during monsoon season) it can be little difficult for 1st timers but if you regularly do hiking / trekking then it will be an easy trek for you.
The trek route to Sinhagad fort is roughly 2.5 kms long, which includes a bit steep terrain too. I will not recommend it for people accompanied by younger kids (toddlers) and elders with joint pains. Although we saw some people trekking with their younger kids too, so plan accordingly.
If you reach this location then consider you are halfway on the trek route. This spot is tagged as Dyanoba point on Google maps.
Dyanoba point, Sinhagad Trek path, Thoptewadi, Maharashtra, India
By this point, I was exhausted and felt that probably I did a mistake to take this trek without any workout for three months long. But we did reach the top with the tip from pro trekker about keep moving slowly and you will surely reach there. I am sure, the people who swiftly complete this trek regular will be laughing at this write-up but for the first-timers, this trek does test your stamina and patience, LOL.
The Sinhagad Fort and the high tension wire tower, both were in the clouds. Below click is of the backside, from here we were able to see beautiful Khadakwasla dam backwater and Pune city from too far. Very refreshing view to get energize and to resume the trek!!
On the way, there are numerous points where locals sell tea, coffee, snacks and nimbu pani.
The trek was scenic thus we kept taking a lot of pictures. We saw a cute little snail doing its own style of trekking on leaves, beautiful isn't it?
After 1 hour and 45 minutes we reached to reach the top of Sinhagad fort by trek. And what a rewarding feeling it was to complete the trek successfully and for the picturesque climate at the top. It was completely foggy with drizzles making this trek / hike worth every effort.
We quickly took a tour of the mighty Sinhagad fort and wanted to hog on the snacks on offer by locals. Especially we wanted to eat fully only when we complete the trek.
There are lots of details available on the internet about this fort but what fascinates me is the history behind how this fort, which was named as Kondhana fort earlier, got its name as Sinhgad Fort. Google around if you don't know about it already - A true story of bravery and valor of Vir Tanhaji.
Sinhagad Fort aye aur yeh nahi kiya toh kya kiya!!
Sumptuous and must try - Pithla Bhakri, Kanda Bhaji, matka curd, butta, boiled mungfali. Yum local delicacies.
The return trek from Sinhagad Fort is comparatively easy but can be slippery while it is raining.
The destination, either by vehicle or by trek, is worth every effort for the view, the feel and the Maharastrian food served by locals.
Transportation
We started from Pune (Magarpatta City) at 6 am, chosen Friday to avoid the rush and reached the parking spot at 7:15 am.
From Sinhagadh paytha or Sinhagadh trek parking spot, it was a trek worth 2.5 kms. The good news is that the Sinhagad trek route is available on Google maps too (so no chance of getting lost there).
From the parking spot, turn ON Google maps on your cell > select destination has Sinhagad Fort > Select mode of commute as walking - and boom you are ready to rock. (download the map to avoid network issues there)
I hope this helps to plan the trip well.
Pro-tips
1. Going early is always recommended to avoid heat.
2. Keep a water bottle and quick snacks like almonds, dates etc. Avoid eating too much on the way which will make you feel heavy and slowdown.
3. Keep going slow and steady pace rather than rushing. This will help to avoid exhaustion.
4. Definitely try local and popular delicacies at the top.
5. Definitely visit the samadhi of Veer Tanaji
6. Most recommended - go on weekdays if possible, to enjoy fullest and avoid the rush.
** Comment back if you like the details and even if this needs any edits **
Also click to see:
A day trip to Jagtap waterfall near Kahnhe phata.
A day trip to Devkund waterfall trek