Weekend getaways from Pune

Pune's classic hill escape, 90 minutes up NH48: monsoon waterfalls at Bhushi Dam, the 2,000-year-old Karla and Bhaja caves, easy fort climbs and chikki shops for the ride home.

Best time: Year-round (lush June to September)

Twin hill stations above the Krishna valley: sunrise at Wilson Point, Arthur's Seat cliffs, boating on Venna Lake, Pratapgad fort and strawberries with cream most of the year.

Best time: October to June

Konkan beach weekend over the Tamhini Ghat: walk out to Kolaba Fort at low tide, laze on Kihim, Nagaon and Kashid beaches, and eat the day's catch at seafood houses in town.

Best time: October to May

India's wine capital and an ancient pilgrim city on the Godavari: Sula's tasting rooms, the 2nd-century BC Pandavleni caves, Ram Kund's ghats and the Trimbakeshwar jyotirlinga.

Best time: October to March

Pune's beloved dawn ritual: trek the 2.7 km trail or drive to the summit of the Maratha fort Tanaji Malusare took in 1670, walk between the Pune and Kalyan gates, and refuel at the village food stalls on top.

Best time: Year-round

Pune's favourite monsoon drive: the Mulshi Dam backwaters, then 15 km of Tamhini Ghat waterfalls, mist and green velvet hills, with lakeside resorts and bhajiya stalls along the way.

Best time: June to December

India's paragliding capital, 45 km up the old Mumbai highway: tandem flights off Shinde Wadi and Tower Hill, lakeside camping at nearby Pawna, and the ancient Bedse caves in between.

Best time: October to May

A UNESCO World Heritage 'valley of flowers' 25 km west of Satara: the laterite plateau erupts in wildflowers August to early October, with Thoseghar waterfalls and Sajjangad fort close by. Daily visitor caps in bloom.

Best time: August to October

One of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, tucked into dense rainforest at 3,250 ft in the Sahyadris: temple darshan, the surrounding wildlife sanctuary, Hanuman Lake and misty monsoon treks.

Best time: November to February

A private planned hill town styled on Italy's Portofino, spread over lakeside hills beyond Mulshi: promenade strolls, waterfront cafes, Temghar Dam views and lakeshore watersports make an easy no-plan day out.

Best time: Year-round