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Places to Visit in Saputara

Hatgadh Fort is located on the fringe of Gujarat and Maharashtra, at a distance of about 5 km from Saputara. Attributing to its location at an altitude of approximately 3,600 ft, the only way to reach the fort is by taking an easy trekking route and it is one of the best places to visit in Saputara.

Located in Mulher in the district of Nasik, this ancient fort is stationed at the Sahyadri Range. You can witness the reservoirs of Ganga and Jamuna can be found, which act as a source of water for the villages located in the vicinity. Tourists can enjoy spectacular views of the entire valley and Suragana Village from the top of the fort.

How to reach: Can only be accessed by an easy trek to the top.

Timings: Opened every day from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Entry fee: NA

Vansda National Park, spread across an expanse of 23.99 sq km, is approximately 40 km away from Saputara. The jungle has a tropical humid environment and is maintained by the South Dangs Forest Division. Vansda National Park comprises a dense moist deciduous forest and some parts of the forest remain dark even during the day.

This national park is considered as one of the best places to visit in Saputara. The national park is home to many wild animals like leopards, hyenas, wild boar, sambars, four-horned antelopes and many kinds of reptiles and bird species.

The park is also home to about 443 species of flowering plants such as bamboo, dudhkod, kakad, timru, humb, kalam, modad, haldu, sisam and others. The jungle is also home to numerous tribal population. The most appropriate time to visit Vansda National Park is during the months of October to March.

How to reach: The closest railway stations to this national park are Waghai and Bilimora and can also be reached by road.

Timings: Opened every day from 06:00 AM to 05:30 PM

Entry fee: INR 500 (Vehicle + Guide)

Valley Viewpoint, also known as Sunrise Point, is a peak located in Saputara. The peak can be reached by a 1.5 km trek on the way to Waghai. This point gives stunning views of the entire Saputara Valley, along with the villages and lush green forests parched around the hill station.

The popular picnic spot, where families and tourists can be seen admiring the natural beauty. It is also considered as one of the famous places to visit in Saputara and an adventure spot as travelers have to trek to reach this peak. The view of the sunrise from this peak lures numerous tourists during the early morning.

How to reach: Can only be accessed by a 1.5 km trek.

Timings: Opened every day from 07:00 AM to 07:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

Saputara Lake situated about 1.5 km away from Saputara hill station and is considered as one of the most famous picnic spots of the Saputara Valley. Parched with lush greenery, this man-made lake is popularly known for its boating activity. 

This vicinity is surrounded by various children's parks and playgrounds. Many boating clubs located near the lake provides you with rowboats, along with paddle and sailboats and the lakeside is clustered with lots of food zones, tea stalls and shopping area available for tourists which makes you very excited. Apt time to visit the lake is just after the monsoon months.

How to reach:  Located 250+ km from Mumbai / 85 km from Nashik and 160+ km from Surat and can be accessed by any means of local transport.

Timings: Opened every day from 9:00 AM to 08:00 PM

Entry fee: INR 35

Sunset Point is situated on the Sunset Point Road, near Saputara Museum. Popularly known as Gandhi Shikhar or peak, this point is stationed at a distance of 1.7 km from the town. The viewpoint provides stunning views of the sunset, accompanied by Dang Forest and various tribal villages in the vicinity and  it is one of the amazing places to visit in Saputara.

Although the point can be visited by tourists all year round, the best time is from the month of March to November and considered to be one of the best places to visit in Saputara.

How to reach: Tourists can reach this point in 10 minutes by using Ropeway and the point is located in the vicinity of famous tourist spots like the Vansda National Park and Saputara Museum and also can be reached by any local transport.

Timings: Not applicable.

Entry fee: Free

You will always come across this name if you hear a conversation about waterfalls in Dang, Gujarat area. Gira Dhodh, situated in Wanarchod village close to Waghai is one of the stunning places to visit in Saputara during monsoon season. Girl falls are often mistaken with Girmal falls. 

Both are in Dang but located far away from each other. ‘Gira’ falls are near Waghai, on the WaghaiSaputara state highway. ‘Girmal’ waterfall is in Girmal village, near Ahwa. An excellent place for relaxing from a busy city life and is undoubtedly the most popular waterfalls in Gujarat. Saputara attracts lacks tourists all year around. Thus, most of the visitants visiting Saputara get down at Girafalls. 

How to reach: This place can be accessed by boarding any bus going to Saputara and drop off at Wanarchod village after crossing Waghai town.

Timings: Not applicable

Entry fee: Free

Saputara Tribal Museum, famously known as Saputara Museum, is a tiny museum located on the highway to Surat and Nasik. The artifacts of the museum provide an insight into the lifestyle of the tribal locality of the Dang District. This museum was constructed in order to bring the tourists with the tribal culture and lifestyle of the settlement of the district. 

There are many artifacts from many tribal communities residing in the region include Bhils, Kunbis, Gamits, and Warlis. The museum exhibits a variety of artifacts like clothes, utensils, traditional articles, lifestyles, house objects, musical instruments and ornaments. Collection of the museum depicts the everyday life of the tribal communities of the region. 

This museum also houses various artifacts that belong to the Dang tribe of Saputara. Workshops and other exhibitions are also held in the museum every year in order to showcase the lifestyle, history and ecology of the aborigines of the region.

How to reach: As it’s located in the heart of the town you can access the museum by any local transport.

Timings: Opened every day from 10:00 AM to 05:30 PM

Entry fee: INR 2

This place is considered one of the best places to visit in Saputara. Purna Sanctuary is hanged by the lush dense forests of Western Ghats. It is spread over an area of 160.8 sq km and was sanctioned as a sanctuary in 1990. 

A compound of diverse varieties of flora and fauna, the sanctuary a home to many animals like elephants, sloth bear wild bulls and rhinoceros. Vegetation of the sanctuary comprises various types of forests including humid deciduous forests, bamboo brakes and teak forests.

The sanctuary also houses about 700 known species of plants like tectona grandis (teak), dendrocalamus strictus, and wrightia tinctoria (dudhala). Other species include pongamia pinnata (karanj), haldu, catechu (khair), saccopetalum tomentosa, lagerstroemia parviflora (chopadi bondara) acacia ferruginea and many others.

How to reach: The place is well connected with all means of local road transport.

Timings: Opened every day from 06:00 AM to 05:30 PM

Entry fee: INR 20 per person.

Originally a spot for the Snake temple, The Nageshwar Mahadev temple took over the older temple and is located on the southern banks of the beautiful Saputara Lake. One of the unmissable places to visit in Saputara, the sacred temple is seen live in action and activity during Shivratri.

The shrine of the most powerful Lord is positioned in an underground chamber in one of the 12 jyotirlingas. Lake Garden is located adjacent to the temple and early morning visit to the temple and the garden will surely do you good. A very old temple yet well-maintained it is a calm, peaceful and a spotless place to bring the spiritual side of you. 

Timing:  6.00 AM – 6.00 PM

Entry Fee: Entry is free

Location: Saputara Point Road

Also known as Town Viewpoint the location was named table point because of its flat table-like surface on top of the hill called Governor's hill. Reach the zenith of the table point and get mesmerized by the beauty of the valley and the mountains that is sure to take your breath away and it is one of the amazing places to visit in Saputara.

A perfect place for adventure lovers, you can engage in diverse activities like camel riding, horse riding along the valley, zip lining and bike tours. You can also notice that there is a ropeway on one end of the ropeway which you should embark on to enjoy the best moments here.

Timing:  No specific timing, but best visited in daylight for 2 to 3 hours

Entry Fee: Entry is free

Location: Table Land Ghat Road

One of the most flowering tourist attractions located in Matheran nearby to Saputara is the Echo Point. As the name suggests, this point enables tourists to hear their voices revive from the spectacular surroundings. There are many waterfalls near Echo Point.

Tourists come here to make a memorable experience of the wild natural beauty and mountain ranges. Some attractions of the point are Louisa Point, Charlotte Lake, and King George Point. This point is also considered as one of the most famous places to visit in Saputara.

How to reach: The place is well connected with all means of local road transport.

Timings: Opened every day from 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

One of the most remarkable Saputara Tourist places, the Step Garden has been made totally on step pattern. You can find a wide array of window boxes, plants and intricate wooden work in the steps of the lush garden and it is one of the best places to visit in Saputara.

The centre point of the garden has woodland shacks for the tourists. The recreation centre in the garden provides a great place for the kids to play and enjoy. As you progress along the steps and ascend to heights, the sites will welcome you to spectacular beds of blossomed flowers and plants.

The unique layout and one of its kind appeals, Step garden is surely a place to capture the moments. A great spot for picnickers Step Garden is surely unmissable.

Timing: 8.00 AM – 12.00 PM & 3.00 PM – 7.00 PM

Entry Fee: Rs 10/- per head

Location: Table Land Road, 2 km from the main city

Lake Garden, a well maintained beautiful garden on the banks of the Saputara Lake, is one of the prime picnic spots in the vicinity. The garden comprises of different plants and rare species of trees. The garden is set up in lush green surroundings.

Many spontaneous facilities including playing field are available in the Garden, mainly aimed at children. This is an excellent location for evening outings with family. This garden is very close to many famous attractions in Saputra.

How to reach: The place is well connected with all means of local road transport as it is located in the heart of the town.

Timings: Opened every day from 09:00 AM to 08:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

The Saptashrungi Devi temple is stationed at Vani near Nashik in Maharashtra. This temple is one among the 51 Shakti peethas present on the Indian subcontinent. The Devi is said to be swayambhu self-manifested on a rock on the face of a mountain and surrounded by seven peaks hence the name- Sapta Shrungi Mata (mother of the seven peaks).

The portrayal of the Devi is massive about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, holding various weapons. The idol is always coated with Sindoor, which is considered propitious in this region.

How to reach: There is an old path with steps cut out of the mountain, which starts right at the foothills, at Vani and goes all the way to the temple.

Timings: Opened every day from 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

Honey Bees Centre is a facility in Saputara where pure honey is extracted from natural resources. Situated near the Lake Garden, this is a place where tourists are enlightened about the honey industry and every stage from the rearing of the bees to the final stage of honey gathering can be observed here.

You can also buy honey from here and this facility is considered to be one of the best places to visit in Saputara for better knowledge about the bees and their habitat.

How to reach: The place is well connected with all means of local transportation.

Timings: Opened every day from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

Rose Garden is an exquisite garden that boasts several species of roses. Located in the environs of Lake Garden and Step Garden, this is another beautiful getaway and one of the best places to visit in Saputara for tourist looking for relaxation. The garden is also weighed as a popular picnic spot. During the springtime, the roses of Rose Garden are in full bloom, making this season the apt time to visit it.

How to reach: Rose Garden is a small flower garden near Saputara and can be accessed by any local transport.

Timings: Opened every day from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Entry fee: Free

The Ropeway is a convergence of cable cars, which are connected through a rope. The cable cars travel at an elevation of around 25 to 30 ft. This utility can be found on the way to the Sunset Point and enables tourists to move around the entire town.

This facility provides a bird's eye view of the entire city. Within 15 minutes, visitors can reach to the Governor's Hill from down. The cable car can accommodate up to 12 people at one time. The Ropeway is also used to carry tourists to places like Sunset Point and Sunrise Point.

How to reach: The place is well connected with all means of local transportation.

Timings: Available every day from 09:00 AM to 05:30 PM

Entry fee: INR 62

It is good to know about our mythological history and Pandava Gufa is one among the places to visit in Saputara that does that. Also known as the Arvalem caves, it is believed that the caves were used by the Pandava brothers as a rest point during their hideout days.

The rocky trail of the caves presents a challenging trek yet the caves presents as a beautiful destination visited by many. On the way to the valley, you can also witness several tribal valleys and breath-taking forts. The caves have been cut to architectural perfection and present a perfect spot for taking pictures and making memories.

Timing: Not applicable but best visited in the evenings

Entry Fee: Entry is free

Location: Javtala, Dang district

Spread over 24 hectares is the Waghai botanical garden is one of the largest gardens in Gujarat. Every year about 1 lakh tourists patronize the place to take a look at the innumerable plant species on display and it is one of the best places to visit in Saputara.

About 1400 plant species and 1077 genera representing 100 families make for the spot’s attraction. Very many varieties of bamboos are available here, the most popular names being Chinese bamboo and beer bottle bamboo. Every avenue in the garden is named after plants.

The property has artificially created different types of forests like deciduous, evergreen etc. A canteen with a rest house also is a part of the garden which is why many tourists also use this spot as a pit stop to and fro Saputara.

Timing: 8.00 AM - 6.00 PM

Entry Fee:  Entry is free

Location: NH360, Ambapada, Gujarat