Western Ghats Treks

Maharashtra's highest point and a popular weekend night hike from Mumbai and Pune, with iron ladders on the final stretch.

Rolling grasslands over the source of the Tunga river, named for its horse-face-shaped summit ridge.

The Konkan Kada cliff-edge view is the payoff for a genuinely tough scramble, past 11th-century caves and temple ruins.

The highest fort in Pune district and the first fort captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — a demanding day climb with genuine exposure near the top.

A twin-fortress trek in the Sahyadri foothills, popular as a monsoon overnight trip from Mumbai and Pune with waterfalls along the way.

Widely considered one of the toughest day-and-a-half treks in the Western Ghats, with relentless elevation gain through shola forest.

Coorg's highest peak, a grassland-and-shola climb usually done as a long day trip from Kakkabe or Madikeri.

Wayanad's best-known trek, centred on a naturally heart-shaped lake partway up the peak — worth checking current summit access before planning around it.

Kerala's second-highest peak and one of its most botanically significant trails, open to trekkers for only a few months a year.

A forested peak near the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, with a summit temple and sweeping Arabian Sea views on a clear day.

A short but notoriously exposed climb up hand-cut rock stairs to a needle-thin summit — one of the most photographed and most dangerous popular treks near Mumbai.

A narrow canyon trek — the "Valley of Shadows" — involving rappelling in places, best done with a local guide rather than independently.

A Sahyadri fort trek notable for its natural rock-cut Nedhe (needle-hole) arch near the summit, often combined with a Sandhan Valley trip.

Mullayanagiri, near Chikkamagaluru, is Karnataka’s highest summit. Many visitors drive most of the way and climb the final steps; a longer hill walk is a separate route and should not be assumed from the summit car park.

A range historically significant as the site where coffee was first cultivated in India, combining a pilgrimage site with forest walking trails.

Long famous as Bengaluru's classic night trek for cloud-sea sunrises, though the night-trekking ban means most trips now run as day hikes — check current status.

A gentle, heavily road-accessible hill near Bengaluru — popular for sunrise trips more for the view and cool air than for the walking itself.

Kerala's second-highest peak, a rolling grassland and shola trek near Munnar's tea estates, quieter than the more famous Anamudi.

Gentle rolling grasslands and pine forest near Kerala's tea and cardamom country — a light, scenic day trek rather than a demanding one.

A walk to the world's highest organic tea plantation, straddling the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border with sunrise views over the Western Ghats.

A short forest walk from Kodaikanal's backpacker village to a dramatic cliff-edge viewpoint over the southern plains.

A lesser-known Eastern Ghats-adjacent hill range with waterfalls, betel-leaf plantations, and a genuinely dramatic approach road.

Known as the "Spa of South India," a short low-altitude walk connecting a cluster of waterfalls considered to have therapeutic mineral content.

A multi-day ridge-and-forest trek connecting Kodaikanal to the Palani hills temple town, less standardized than the shorter day hikes around Kodaikanal itself.

Shivaji Maharaj's first capital and one of the largest fort complexes in the Sahyadris, with three distinct fortified plateaus (machis) to explore.

Sinhagad is a historic hill fort southwest of Pune, with both road access and trekking approaches. The Sinhagad village ascent and Kalyan Darwaza approach differ in steepness, so the walking route must be chosen before interpreting any distance.

Twin forts near Lonavala that can be combined in a single day, popular for their monsoon waterfalls at the nearby Bhaje caves.

Named the "forest of darkness" for its dense monsoon canopy, one of the lushest short treks in the Sahyadris and best experienced in peak monsoon.

A monsoon waterfall trek to a two-tiered natural pool below a dam backwater, popular for its clear turquoise water in season.

A steep climb up the famous "Shidi Ghat" iron-ladder route to a Jyotirlinga temple inside a wildlife sanctuary, considerably more demanding than the standard road-accessible approach.

One of India's most photographed waterfalls, a four-tiered plunge inside Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary — access has become more regulated after past accidents, so confirm the current approved route rather than assuming the historic rail-track walk still applies.

Known as the "Cherrapunji of the South" for its extreme rainfall, home to the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station and notable king cobra habitat.

India's second-highest plunge waterfall, with a steep stepped trail down to the base for a close-up view when conditions and current access rules allow.

A forest walk to two striking black crystalline limestone rock spires with a cave temple, a distinctive geological feature unlike most other Western Ghats treks.

South India's highest peak, inside a national park famous for the endangered Nilgiri Tahr — one of the most tightly access-controlled treks in this record.

A gentle hill-station trek through tea and cardamom country in Kerala's southern Western Ghats, less crowded than Munnar.

One of the last untouched tracts of tropical evergreen rainforest in the Western Ghats, saved from a hydroelectric project by a landmark 1970s-80s conservation movement — access remains deliberately restricted to protect it.

The second-highest peak in Wayanad, named for a demon king in Hindu mythology, overlooking India's largest earthen dam.

A lesser-known wildlife sanctuary near Agasthyakoodam's approach zone, offering guided forest walks focused on birding and wildlife rather than summit trekking.

A high-altitude shola-grassland park bordering Kerala's Silent Valley and Eravikulam, protecting one of the last strongholds of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.

The highest point in the Nilgiris, road-accessible almost to the top, making the walking portion short and suitable for a light add-on during an Ooty trip.

A gentle hill-station trek through coffee and orange estates in the Eastern Ghats-adjacent Shevaroy Hills, with several viewpoints reachable on foot.

A compact, easy hill-station trek popular for paragliding and short forest walks, a light weekend option between Bengaluru and Chennai.

A wildlife-focused forest walk in the Anaimalai hills, combining jeep safari with short guided treks in search of elephants, gaur, and hornbills.

A high-altitude shola-grassland plateau — among the least commercially developed high montane grasslands in the southern Western Ghats, protected as tiger reserve core habitat.

Khopoli to Duke Nose Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Lohagad Fort to Bhaja Caves Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Korigad Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Tikona Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Tung Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Visapur Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Kothaligad Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Peb Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Karnala Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Sudhagad Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Vasota Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Korigad Peth Shahpur Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Nishani Motte Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Brahmagiri Hills Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Ettina Bhuja Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Madhugiri Fort Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Savandurga Hill Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Kunti Betta Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Kote Betta Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Brahmagiri to Iruppu Falls Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Karnataka. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Vellarimala Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Kerala. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Ponmudi Varayadu Malai Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Kerala. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Munnar Lockhart Gap Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Kerala. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Anayirankal Tea Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Kerala. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Meghamalai High Wavy Mountains Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Siruvani Forest Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Velliangiri Hills Trek is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Kotagiri Longwood Shola Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Goa Dudhsagar Railway Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Goa. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Goa Tambdi Surla Forest Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Goa. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.

Goa Netravali Waterfall Trail is recorded as a possible hiking destination in Western Ghats, Goa. Panth has not verified a complete walkable route, trailhead, distance or current permissions. Use this catalogue entry to discover the area, not as a navigational itinerary.