[bhugs]

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Hi all, just returned back after doing Hyderabad-Aurangabad-Shirdi-Hyderabad trip. Roads are mostly good with stretch between Aurangabad and Shirdi on Samruddhi Highway the highpoint of the drive. This was better than Hyderabad ORR which till now was my favorite. For once I thought of going to Nagpur instead of coming back to Hyderabad, just to enjoy the drive but a stern wife sitting beside proved to be the plan spoiler
Since I started early morning at 3:45 am I reached my hotel at Aurangabad at 10:45 am which means a 7 hours drive and that included a fuel/toilet stop and a breakfast stop. The options for the breakfast are very less on this route though.
On my return drive from Shirdi, I again started at 4 am and reached Hyderabad at 12 PM that's 8 hours drive including 2 fuel stops and 1 tea stop. Had to face a very foggy road on return the stretch of around 15 kms took some time to cover as visibility was less than 10 M. Once again the food options are limited as it seems most of the restaurants on this route are only open for lunch and dinner. The one open were also serving only tea and packaged snacks.
Overall except for some bad patches, 98% of the road is very good and driving wasn't very difficult. Posting some pics during the ride for

[KK530]

I am planning to go to Shridi on 8th March. I wanted to know from you whether you directly went to Aurangabad and then to Shridi from Hyderabad . Also could you clarify which route you took from Hyderabad. Thank you.

[bhugs]

Originally Posted by KK530

I am planning to go to Shridi on 8th March. I wanted to know from you whether you directly went to Aurangabad and then to Shridi from Hyderabad . Also could you clarify which route you took from Hyderabad. Thank you.

Yes, I first went to Aurangabad thinking that I would take rest and then move to Shirdi next day but if you start early, you can easily go straight up to Shirdi as well. While returning I drove straight from Shirdi to Hyderabad. Only thing would be you need to pack some dry snacks or sandwiches as the meals options are limited on this route.
I went via Zaheerabad-Omerga-Naldurg-Tuljapur-Osmanabad-Aurangabad and then Mahasammrudhi Mahamarg to Nashik. Route conditions are mentioned above.

[Dinesh Chengalp]

Hi All,

Anyone made the Hyd-Shirdi driving route in this year's monsoons ? How are the roads ? Am planning in the coming week(24 Jul - 28 Jul) but a bit anxious about waterlogging and too much rains as I'm planning to travel with seniors and kids. Appreciate any inputs.

Thanks!

[nitinsagar22]

Hi,

I did Hyderabad, Shirdi, Trimbak and back to Hyderabad between 30 Sep - 2 Oct, just posting an update to this thread on route taken and road conditions.

Route taken : ORR from my home -> Muthangi exit (Mumbai highway) -> Naldurg -> Tuljapur -> Osmanabad -> Beed -> Aurangabad -> Kopargaon exit -> Shirdi -> Trimbakeshwar.

Muthangi exit (Mumbai highway) -> Naldurg: 240 kms
Traffic movement is high during day time and evenings, prefer early morning to get out of the town. Road conditions are average I would say being Mumbai highway. We can see the roads are pushed down on the tyre paths of a heavy vehicle. Cars automatically move across due to the up and down on the roads, need to hold the steering firm in these sections. As such the constant speed can be still maintained and this stretch can be completed in around 3 hours.

Naldurg -> Tuljapur -> Osmanabad
It is a two way road with no dividers in between, speeds are reduced and takes about 45 mins to finish this 33 kms stretch. Some pot holes are reworks happening in this region. Road towards Osmanabad is also similar and takes about 30-40 mins for the 21 kms stretch.

Osmanabad -> Beed -> Aurangabad: 242 kms
Great road conditions, can easily cruise around 100+ kmph or more. It took 4 hours to finish this stretch with 30 mins break for coffee.

Aurangabad -> Kopargaon exit -> Shirdi : 110 kms
Excellent road, Samruddhi expressway. 4 lanes on each side, there is good distance in between to avoid the lights glare from opp side. For Fuel, refreshments etc. there are designated exits and entries to the highway. Can easily cruise at 120+ kmph on this highway. It took 1 hour to exit at Kopargaon. After exiting towards Shridi it is a minor stretch of maybe 10 kms but the road conditions are real bad. Big sized pot holes are present.


Overall, to sum up roads had mixed conditions but 90+% of the roads in good conditions to drive. We had started at around 8 AM from Hyderabad and by 9 PM had Darshan at Shirdi temple. In between we had a stop for about 1.5 hours at Tuljapur Bhavani temple.

Shirdi -> Trimbak: 120 kms
We decided to drive to Trimbak as most of good hotels were full and we didn't prebook any and didn't like the ones we saw. A quick dinner and few hours sleep in the car then drove to Trimbak by next day early morning 3 AM for darshan.

On our return we took same route till Aurangabad, stayed there for the night and next day did a detour to visit Grishneshwar temple and back to the highway towards Hyderabad.

Hope it helps someone who is planning Shirdi/Trimbak trip ! Thanks

[subramak]

Any options for hotels in Shirdi? Is sun-n-sand still a good option.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by subramak

Any options for hotels in Shirdi? Is sun-n-sand still a good option.

If you want to visit the Sai Mandir at whims and fancies, G-Square is the best option. Its right opposite gate 5. You get a Haldirams downstairs as a bonus.

If you are on a budget, then MTDC is a decent but run-down option.

We've visited (by walk) 2-3 times per day staying at either of these 2 places.

[subramak]

Originally Posted by narayans80

If you want to visit the Sai Mandir at whims and fancies, G-Square is the best option. Its right opposite gate 5. You get a Haldirams downstairs as a bonus.

If you are on a budget, then MTDC is a decent but run-down option.

We've visited (by walk) 2-3 times per day staying at either of these 2 places.

Thanks, I ended up booking Temple tree as I needed a more modern property.

[jotemh]

Hi,

We did Hyderabad - Shirdi - Hyderabad trip during Sankranti holidays (15 to 17 jan)

Route taken was ORR -> exit 3 -> Mumbai highway -> Naldurg -> Tuljapur -> Osmanabad -> Beed -> Aurangabad -> Shirdi.

Road conditions are good except for a few small sections. @nitinsagar22 gave detailed breakdown of route above.

NH 65 (Mumbai highway) roads are in above average to good condition. There is construction work going on in MH part of the highway and you’ll see diversions.

After crossing Jalkot, highway changes from 4 lane to 2 lane undivided road from Aliabad to Naldurg. Drive carefully especially if you are driving during evenings and night time here.

Route from Naldurg to Tuljapur takes state highway. This road is good for most part. Couple of potholes and bad sections where it diverts from NH65 and where it meets Tuljapur bypass road.

During our drive, there are traffic police at every toll booth from Tuljapur to Shirdi. They are targeting out of state private vehicles. They stopped us 2 time while going to Shirdi and 2 times while returning. One cop asked if I have fire extinguisher in the car. I am not sure if it is mandatory or not. I lied and told him I have it, luckily he didn’t check and let me go.

Also, I saw mobile speed guns on the beed - aurangabad stretch and on Samruddi express way.

Samruddi express way is in good condition but being concrete road it is not as smooth as black top roads. Road is rough and expansion joints are bad in the last 20 KM before Shirdi exit. Speed limit is 120 on Samruddi express way, but make sure to drive at 100 or below the last 20 odd kilometres near Shirdi exit.

I couldn’t find any fuel stations with XP95 fuel on the Beed -> Aurangabad stretch. IndianOil app is showing few places with XP95 but they don’t have stock. After a small detour found one at Oasis chowk, Aurangabad. Google map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8UEPoFd8Ks9Zgam97?g_st=ic
I felt fuel is of good quality here. Filled here on onward and return journey.

We stayed at Hotel Hrushikesh in Shirdi. Hotel is clean enough, rooms are spacious, and has parking for about 8 vehicles. We went directly there and did offline booking. I later found that online booking is a bit cheaper for this hotel.

One highlight of the trip

We stopped for bio break at a random fuel station where this deer is roaming around. It is very friendly and let us pet it expecting some food.

Thanks!!

[JediKnight]

Hi,

I am planning to do a Hyderabad to Shirdi trip in March with my senior citizen parents. I want to stop somewhere in the middle so that I don't tire my parents. After a casual look at Google maps, Sholapur looks roughly midway. So I was thinking maybe Day 1: Hyderabad-Sholapur, Day 2:Sholapur-Shirdi. Is this a good itinerary.? Are there any good resorts/hotels near Sholapur preferably outside the city en-route to Shirdi? So as to avoid entering Sholapur and getting caught in the city traffic.