One Day Bike Ride near Mumbai: 12 Best Routes and Distances

Mumbai does not make it easy to leave. The traffic, the tolls, the sheer size of the city. But the moment you clear Panvel or cross onto the old highway, the payoff is right there. A one day bike ride near Mumbai can start less than two hours from your doorstep, in the Western Ghats or along the Konkan coast, and almost all of it fits into a single day if you are honest about your start time.

This is a rider's shortlist, not a tourist list. Twelve rides, sorted by distance, so you can pick by how much day you actually have rather than by how good the photos look. Each one has the road distance, an honest ride time and the way out of the city you need.

One thing before the list. Two-wheelers are not allowed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. For every ride heading that way you take the old Mumbai-Pune highway, NH48, through Panvel and Khopoli. It is slower, it is far more scenic, and it is the legal route. Riders get turned back at the Expressway toll plaza every weekend for not knowing this.

Bike ride distances from Mumbai

Rough road distances from south or central Mumbai, one way. Ride times assume an early start and include the crawl out of the city.

Short rides, under 80 km

• Yeoor Hills | about 35 km | 1 hour | a forest road inside the city limits
• Kharghar Hills and Pandavkada | about 40 km | 1 hour | a hill climb and a monsoon waterfall
• Karnala | about 50 km | 1.5 hours | fort, birds and an easy first ride out
• Vasai Fort | about 55 km | 1.5 hours | Portuguese ruins almost nobody rides to

Full day, 80 to 140 km

• Lonavala and Khandala | about 83 km | 2 to 2.5 hours | the classic first ghat ride
• Matheran base at Dasturi | about 85 km | 2.5 hours | a ghat climb to a car-free hill station
• Pawna Lake | about 120 km | 3 hours | quiet water ringed by forts
• Alibaug and Kashid | about 120 to 140 km | 3 to 3.5 hours | the Konkan coast and a proper beach
• Malshej Ghat | about 130 km | 3 to 3.5 hours | monsoon waterfalls and misty hairpins
• Tamhini Ghat | about 140 km | 3.5 hours | the best riding road on this list

The long ones, 150 km and up

• Bhandardara | about 165 km | 4 hours | lake, dam, dark skies and fireflies
• Diveagar and Harihareshwar | about 180 km | 4.5 hours | empty Konkan beaches

Three roads carry nearly all of this. The ghats and Pune side go through Panvel onto the old highway NH48. The coast goes down NH66 through Panvel and Pen. Malshej goes the other way entirely, out through Thane, Kalyan and Murbad.

Short bike rides near Mumbai

The most useful ride is often the one you can actually leave for at seven on a Sunday and be back from by lunch. These four are the short bike rides near Mumbai worth knowing.

1. Yeoor Hills

Distance: About 35 km one way | Ride time: 1 hour | Best for: Forest air without leaving the city

Yeoor is the Thane edge of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and the road up is a genuine forest climb with monkeys on the parapet and almost no traffic once you pass the gate. Thirty-five kilometres from central Mumbai you are riding under a canopy. It is the shortest real escape on this list.

Rider tip: There is a forest checkpost with an entry fee and fixed timings. Reach it early, carry cash, and do not expect to ride out after dark.

2. Kharghar Hills and Pandavkada Falls

Distance: About 40 km one way | Ride time: 1 hour | Best for: A hill climb and a waterfall, forty minutes out

The Kharghar hill road is the closest thing Navi Mumbai has to a ghat, a short twisting climb to a viewpoint over the whole city. Pandavkada Falls sits below it and comes alive in the monsoon.

Rider tip: Access to the falls is regulated during heavy rain, and for good reason. Check at the gate rather than riding past a barrier.

3. Karnala

Distance: About 50 km one way | Ride time: 1.5 hours | Best for: An easy first ride out of the city

Karnala sits just past Panvel on the way to the coast. The bird sanctuary is a gentle forest walk and the fort above it is an easy trek with a big view from the top. Short, green and low stress.

This is the ride to hand a newer rider. Nothing about the road punishes someone still finding their feet.

Rider tip: Because it is close, it is easy to leave late. Beat the Panvel traffic by rolling out early and the whole ride opens up.

4. Vasai Fort

Distance: About 55 km one way | Ride time: 1.5 hours | Best for: Ruins, and going north for once

Almost every rider leaves Mumbai heading south or east. Go north instead and you reach Vasai Fort, a sprawling Portuguese ruin with churches, arches and banyan roots pulling the walls apart. It is quiet, photogenic and strange, and it is barely an hour away.

Rider tip: The Western Express Highway is the fast way out but it is thick with traffic after eight. Leave by six thirty and this becomes a breakfast ride.

Full-day rides near Mumbai

5. Lonavala and Khandala

Distance: About 83 km one way | Ride time: 2 to 2.5 hours | Best for: The classic first ghat ride

If you only do one ride from this list, make it this one. The twin hill stations sit right on the edge of the Sahyadris, and the climb up the old highway is the whole point. Cool air, green hills in the monsoon, and viewpoints every few kilometres.

Ride up to Tiger Point and Lion's Point for the valley views, cool off at Bushi Dam, and do not leave without the chikki and a hot vada pav. Weekends get crowded, so an early start is the difference between a great ride and a slow crawl behind tourist cars.

Rider tip: The ghat corners are tight and often wet. Keep your speed sensible and let faster traffic pass rather than chasing it.

Route guide: Mumbai to Lonavala by bike

6. Matheran, up to Dasturi Naka

Distance: About 85 km one way | Ride time: 2.5 hours | Best for: A ghat climb with a proper reward at the top

Matheran is Asia's only vehicle-free hill station, which catches out riders who plan to ride into it. You cannot. Bikes stop at Dasturi Naka, and from there it is a walk, a horse or the toy train into town.

That is not a reason to skip it. The climb from Neral up to Dasturi is one of the better short ghat sections near Mumbai, and knowing where the road ends turns a frustrating day into a good one.

Rider tip: Park at Dasturi, take a photo of where you left the bike, and carry only what you want to walk with. The last stretch into town is three kilometres on foot.

7. Pawna Lake

Distance: About 120 km one way | Ride time: 3 hours | Best for: A calm lakeside day away from the crowds

Just beyond Lonavala sits Pawna Lake, and it is a completely different mood. Where Lonavala is busy, Pawna is quiet water ringed by hills and forts. The last stretch turns narrow and rural, which is exactly what makes it fun on a bike.

Pack a flask, find a spot by the water, and watch the light change over Tung and Tikona forts across the lake. The roads near the lake are patchy in places, so it rewards a relaxed pace.

Rider tip: Fuel up in Lonavala. Pumps thin out once you turn off toward the lake.

8. Alibaug and Kashid

Distance: About 120 to 140 km one way | Ride time: 3 to 3.5 hours | Best for: A coastal ride and a proper beach day

If the ghats are not calling, head for the coast. Alibaug is the easy pick, with its fort sitting out in the water at low tide, but keep riding another 30 km south and you reach Kashid, which has the cleanest, quietest sand within reach of a day ride.

You can also cut the road distance by putting the bike on a ferry. Be careful which one you book: the RoRo from Bhaucha Dhakka at Mazgaon carries vehicles across to Mandwa, while the passenger boats from the Gateway of India do not take two-wheelers at all. Plenty of riders find that out at the jetty.

Rider tip: Coastal sun is deceptive. Carry water and do not underestimate how tiring a hot ride back can be. Leave the beach with daylight to spare.

Route guides: Mumbai to Alibaug and Mumbai to Kashid

9. Malshej Ghat

Distance: About 130 km one way | Ride time: 3 to 3.5 hours | Best for: Monsoon waterfalls and misty hairpins

Malshej is the monsoon ride. When the rains come, the ghat turns into a wall of waterfalls, some spilling straight across the road, and the whole climb disappears into mist. If you have seen photos of riders in the clouds near Mumbai, this is usually where they were.

The hairpins are long and the views are enormous. Lower down near the reservoir you might even catch flamingos. It is stunning, and the same rain that makes it beautiful makes it slippery, so this is a ride you take slow.

Rider tip: Waterfalls on the road are tempting to stop under. Water levels rise fast, so do not park in the flow, and never cross a stream where you cannot see the road surface.

Route guide: Mumbai to Malshej Ghat by bike

10. Tamhini Ghat

Distance: About 140 km one way | Ride time: 3.5 hours | Best for: The single best stretch of road on this list

Ask riders around Mumbai for the best road and Tamhini comes up more than anything else. The section between Kolad and Mulshi is a long, flowing ghat through dense forest, and in the monsoon there are waterfalls almost the whole way. Fewer tourist cars than Lonavala, better corners than Malshej.

Go for the road itself rather than a destination. There is nothing to see at the end and that is entirely the point.

Rider tip: Sections of the surface break up badly after heavy rain and there is very little phone signal through the ghat. Ride it in company, and top up fuel at Kolad.

The long ones

11. Bhandardara

Distance: About 165 km one way | Ride time: 4 hours | Best for: An ambitious dawn start with a big payoff

Bhandardara is the reach-for-it ride. Farther, so it needs a disciplined start, but the reward is a lake, the old Wilson Dam, Randha Falls in full flow through the monsoon, and some of the darkest skies within reach of the city. In May and June the forests here light up with fireflies, which is worth the extra kilometres on its own.

Rider tip: Decide your turnaround time before you leave and hold to it, wherever you have reached. That one habit is what separates a long day from a night ride you did not plan.

12. Diveagar and Harihareshwar

Distance: About 180 km one way | Ride time: 4.5 hours | Best for: Konkan beaches with nobody on them

Past Kashid the coast keeps going and the crowds stop. Diveagar is a long clean beach with a temple town beside it, and Harihareshwar a little further has cliffs, a hill temple and rock pools. The coastal road down through Shrivardhan is one of the great Konkan rides.

This is the far edge of a one day ride. Doing it properly means leaving in the dark and accepting that most of your day is saddle time.

Rider tip: Fuel and food both thin out after Murud. Fill up there and eat before you commit to the last stretch.

Planning your one day bike ride near Mumbai

Run through this before you leave.

A few more things that separate a good day from a bad one:

• Start early. Clearing the city and Panvel before the traffic builds saves you an hour and a lot of temper. A full pre-ride checklist takes five minutes and saves a bad day.
• Wear the gear. Ghat corners and highway speeds are not the place to ride in shorts. If you are still building your kit, start with the essentials for beginners.
• Respect the monsoon. The rains make these roads beautiful and dangerous in equal measure. Slow down, double your following distance, and never gamble on a flooded crossing.
• Be honest about the distance. Bhandardara and back is 330 km in a day. If that is new territory, read how to pick a ride that matches your skill level first.
• Riding out in a group? Agree the pace, the stops and the sweep rider before you leave, not at the first petrol pump. Our group riding guide covers the rest.

When to go

October to February is the best window, when the ghats are still green from the rain but the roads have dried out. The monsoon from June to September gives you Malshej and Tamhini at their most dramatic, but only ride it if you are genuinely comfortable in the wet. Summer rides are dawn rides, before the heat turns the return leg into a slog.

Common questions

How far is Malshej Ghat from Mumbai by bike?

About 130 km one way, roughly three to three and a half hours of riding. The route is out through Thane, Kalyan and Murbad, not the Pune side, so it does not touch the Expressway question at all.

What is the best short bike ride near Mumbai?

Yeoor Hills at about 35 km if you want forest, Kharghar at about 40 km if you want a climb and a view, and Karnala at about 50 km if you want a walk at the end. All three get you out and back before lunch.

Can you take a bike on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway?

No. Two-wheelers are barred from the Expressway. Every ghat ride on this list uses the old Mumbai-Pune highway, NH48, through Panvel and Khopoli instead.

Which one day bike ride near Mumbai is best for a beginner?

Karnala or Lonavala. Karnala is short and flat, Lonavala is the gentlest introduction to ghat riding you will find. Leave Bhandardara and the Konkan coast until you have done a few 200 km days without your shoulders complaining. If you have never done a highway run at all, read the mistakes new riders make on their first highway ride first.

What time should I leave Mumbai?

Five to six in the morning for anything past 100 km. Getting out of the city is the slowest part of every ride here, and an hour earlier at the start is worth two at the other end.

Find your riding day

The hard part of a bike ride near Mumbai is rarely the road. It is getting the group together, agreeing on a plan, and actually leaving on time. That is exactly what RydrLoop is built for. Post the ride, find riders heading the same way, and turn a solo idea into a proper group day out.

If you would rather point your bike somewhere else, the same one day logic works out of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore.

Pick a direction, set an early alarm, and go. The ghats and the coast are closer than the traffic makes them feel.