Ajanta Ellora Caves - Day Picnic to Historic Caves Near Mumbai

“A perfect day picnic spot and weekend fun ‘Ajanta Ellora Caves’ for those who love historic monuments and rock mountain architecture, These Caves is one of the top listed tourist attractions near Mumbai and is also listed in Mumbai Darshan Guide for historic places near Mumbai Ajanta caves are located in Jalgaon city (Maharashtra) at about 456 km, and Ellora caves (Aurangabad) in Maharashtra state are at about 360 km from Mumbai…”

About Ajanta Caves near Mumbai

Although we are talking about both Ajanta and Ellora Caves, let’s take them one at a time to understand them better. Specially known as a picnic spot for its rock-cut architecture, Ajanta Caves, located in Ajintha village at Jalgaon city (Maharashtra State, India), have 29 varieties of rocky caves in a mountain location famous for their paintings and old Buddhist carvings.

One can find carvings on pillars and walls that speak to decades-old Buddhist thoughts. If you are a tourist, this place near Mumbai is a must-see, an ideal day picnic spot recognised by UNESCO as one of the best world heritage sites in India.

Some important attractions that most tourists miss when visiting Ajanta Caves are the Saptakunda or Waghora waterfall, which is on the other side of the cliff, and the View Point for Ajanta Caves from where a single view Panoramic clicks are possible.

This is because, generally, people follow the regular route to this heritage spot. If you are a real adventurous photographer and believe in getting some rare, great panoramic pictures of Ajanta caves, then you must visit the ‘Ajanta View Point’. To reach this point, one needs to keep a note of a sign board named View Point, which is actually 13 km before the parking area of the caves. Once you reach the sign board, it’s about 8 km from there.

You will pass through an old village and some rough fields, and then reach the peak. This viewpoint was discovered by ‘John Smith’ in 1819 while out for a tiger hunt in the deep forest around Ajanta caves. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has made it a special point of attraction since then, and it is much liked by those photographers who like to travel some extra miles to get the best clicks of such old caves.

How to Reach Ajanta Caves

Distance of Ajanta Caves from Aurangabad is 100 Km. (Aurangabad also has Airport that connects well with Delhi and Mumbai city). Regular buses are also available that are running between Aurangabad and Ajanta caves. Recommended is private taxi from Aurangabad or Jalgaon if your planning to visit to ‘PANORAMIC VIEW POINT’.
Balapur Distance till the Ajanta View Point (Waghora Waterfall) is 8 Km.
Distance between Ajanta and Ellora Caves is 105 km.

By Road: At a distance of about 456 kilometres (Via National Highway 3) and 462 kilometres (via NH3 and major state highways) from Mumbai, You can reach caves via these 2 different routes. For more information and to see the road map, visit the Mumbai Ajanta Caves Distance Mumbai Ajanta Caves Distance page.

By Rail: The nearest station is Aurangabad. You can board the available express, superfast, and mail trains starting from Mumbai Central and CST, and once there, you can get Buses and taxis to reach the caves.

By Air: Again, Aurangabad has its own airport, so you can land directly inside the city and explore those caves as part of your one-day picnic near Mumbai.

About Ellora Caves

Ellora Caves are also on the famous list of world heritage sites, located in Aurangabad city (Maharashtra State, India), with a total of 34 caves inside. The speciality is that these caves are all based on Indian religions like Hindi, Buddhism, and Jainism.

The astonishing stone-cut artwork and paintings are what one can enjoy during a picnic at such destinations. It’s one of the rarest historic caves in India, quite near Mumbai city. The caves are covered by Mumbai tourism as one of the best sightseeing attractions in India. Some major attractions to be seen inside the Ellora Caves are:

Kailasa Temple’s elephant, made of stones resembling the whole mountain, was held over by them.
Some epic scenes of the Ramayana appear when you walk towards the south side walls
The carving work done on the stones of Kailash temple is just Amazing.
The depth view of caves is worth a watch as this cave was built in a complete different way. As it is said, The work was started from the top and the final results as seen were made by digging the stone.
The 34 temples and Monasteries dating from AD 600 to 1000 show ancient Indian civilization, which has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983.

How to Reach Ellora

By Road: Ellora Caves is about 359 kilometres from Mumbai (Via National Highway 3) and about 321 to 346 kilometres (Via NH 3 and State Highway 30). To get the exact driving directions and road map, visit the Mumbai Ellora Distance page. Main routes are Mumbai to Igatpuri, Kopargaon to Ellora, and Aurangabad to Ellora, which take about 5 to 5 and a half hours.

By Rail: Same as Ajanta Caves, Just get down at Aurangabad city via available Express, mail, or Passenger trains and reach the caves via private vehicle, rental cars, or tourism buses available there. Some trains to check for are the Devagiri Express trains, Nandigram, Tapovan, and Janshatabdi Express.

By Air: The nearest airport for both Ajanta and Ellora Caves is Aurangabad.

Best Time To Visit These Caves

Since Ajanta Ellora Caves are at ancient rocky locations in Maharashtra state, Winter is the most preferred season. The summer heat may put you off rocks, and monsoon rain may make these rocks slippery. Winter in India is from November to February and mid- to late-March.

A few more things to keep note of are to carry good, tough shoes as there will be lots of walking, Water bottles to be enough to keep you hydrated, and finally, take care of our Heritage site and do not litter. Our Future generation will also like to see it as it is.

Stay / Accommodations Near Caves

There are a couple of resorts and hotels near Ajanta Ellora Caves, which can be a good option if you plan to travel for more than one day. And since these destinations are on the World Heritage List, Hotels and resorts in nearby locations should not be a problem.

Cheap Budget Stay: Hotel Panchavati, which is about 10 km from Aurangabad Airport and 2 km each from Railway Station and Main Bus Station. It has a restaurant and an overnight stay option, along with all the other facilities required.

Cheap to Costly (Mid Range Hotel): The Best Medium-Cost Hotels with Semi-Luxurious Facilities At a distance of 35 km from Ellora and 90 km from Ajanta caves, 10 km from Aurangabad Airport, and 2 km from the station.

High End Luxurious Hotel: One of the best options when it comes to luxurious stay options is the Taj Group of Companies, and Hotel Vivanta is where you get the best facilities and services (5 to 7-star level treatment). Vivanta by Taj is located at 8-N (12), CIDCO Rauza Bagh, Aurangabad, and you can contact it.