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-   -   Mumbai to Shirdi : Route Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/8861-mumbai-shirdi-route-queries-7.html)

Hi,
I am just back from the trip to Shirdi.
Details:
Departure: Mumbai @ 7.00 am
Arrival : Shirdi @ 12.15 pm
Route: Mumbai-Ghoti-Sinner-Shirdi.

Route Update: I had decided to take the Nashik route as ghoti sinner wasnt much advised on the forum. However, took the right turn from the highway at the spur of the moment. It saved us half an hour and 30kms of ride. Roads are adequate or most of the route. However, I agree that this can be avoided during the night as speed breakers keep springing up now and then.
We came back from Shirdi following the same route.

Stops: Stopped at Dalvi Durbar while going towards shirdi. Good food but stinking washrooms, i wud prefer vitthal kamats in future.

Stay in Shirdi: Lord's Inn, approx 100m frm the temple.

I am planning to drive down to Shridi from Mumbai in the 3rd week of February. Any suggestions or route updates?

I am also planning Navi Mumbai- Shani Shingnapur-Shirdi-Nasik. Can this be covered in 2 days? What could be the itenary?

Hi, Yes You can cover your desired itenary in 2 days comfortably. However avoid the Ghoti Sinnar road. It is in terrible condition with absolutely no road at all in 2-3 stretches. It is better you travel to Nasik, Nasik Road, Sinnar and Shirdi.
You can even add the Trimbakeshwar Route to same if you may so wish

Thank you so much Shanna for your advise. Google maps is showing the attached route. What is your take on that? The idea is to visit Shani Shingnapur on Saturday. During the entire journey, what could be possible stopovers near highway to unwind and relax? Thanks.

Hi
I would suggest leave early morning by 5.30 or so, drive to Trimbakeshwar ( your google map will show a small left after around 20-25 kms after igatpuri. Follow the route, the roads are neat and you will reach trimbakeshwar in around 20 min. Drive to the parking lot and park your car there. HOLD, you might find a short height man limping near the parking lot, he will ask you whether you require his services. he charges Rs.200 to take you around, Nivruttinath Maharj Samadhi Mandir, Holy Kund, Mahadev Temple. I did avail his services. was good enough. Once you are done, savour some Misal Pav, Wada Usal on the stalls outside. Then travel to Nasik, if interested then do visit Panchavati, Tapodhan or else as per your itenary travel directly to Shirdi . If you are planning to stay overnight to shirdi then travel to Shani Shingnapur the next morning. The journey to & Fro will need around 2.5 hrs comfortably. On the way or way back, make it a point to halt at one of the agriculture institute, they sell some good produce like jaggery, Sugar, Vegetables. Worth it.
You can even try the Ranjangao Ganpati temple on way back, if you are really interested in driving taking a detour via pune.

Thanks again Shanna for posting. I am astonished by the details you have put in there. It will be helpful to all the readers. I will definitely try to cover all these things. One small detour is that I might try to do it in reverse order. As we would prefer to visit Shani Shingnapur on Saturday.

Update on the Trip

Day 1
Departure: Mumbai @ 8.00 am
Arrival : Shirdi @ 1.45 pm
Route: Mumbai-Nashik-Sinnar-Shirdi.

Stops: Stopped at Foodhub, Asangaon for breakfast. Good washroom for men but the washroom for women is under renovation and a makeshift arrangement has been made which is not in a good condition.

Road Condition: As suggested by Google Maps, I took the Nashik route. The route was smooth without any major surprises; except for the wrong directional oncoming traffic at Kasara Ghat.


Day 2
Departure: Shirdi @ 10.30 am
Arrival : Shani Shingnapur @ 12:15 pm
Route: Mumbai-NH160-left turn at Rahuri-State Highway66-Shani Shingnapur

Road Condition: The road condition at NH160 at some parts after Shirdi is not good. Have got small sized potholes for a 5km stretch.
The state highway 66 is in extremely bad condition with non-existent roads in certain parts and ongoing road work. There was extreme traffic jam at Sonai on this road due to non-existent roads, road work in progress and unruly traffic.

Returned from Shani Shingapur to Shirdi the same day.

Day 3
Departure: Shirdi @ 11 am
Arrival : Mumbai @ 6.45 pm

Took a detour from Nashik to visit Sula. Had lunch there and then started on the return journey. Overall the return was uneventful.

Route: Shirdi-Sinnar-Nashik-Sula-Mumbai.

On toll plazas and fastag
A point to note here is that Arjunalli toll plaza had significant traffic both ways and had to wait for almost 10-15 minutes. The Nashik Sinnar toll had dedicated Fastag lanes (middle 2 lanes) which was surprisingly empty; any car without Fastag that was entering that lane was made to reverse. But problem was that there was significant traffic much before the toll plaza and reaching the entrance for dedicated lane was a pain.

The main problems at toll plazas are due to -
1) cars without Fastag entering the dedicated lane and offering cash,
2) cars with Fastag, but are blacklisted due to negative balance
3) many cars still do not have fastag and are refusing to pay double toll charge
4) If 2-3 lanes of the opposite lane is opened up, the opposite lane do not have tag scanner and toll officials are asking for cash in fastag vehicles also. In case anyone insists on not paying cash, they are getting hand held scanners.

In all these cases people are engaging in arguments with toll officials which is taking a lot of time.

Hi, will much appreciate any update on the recent condition of the Rahuri-Shani Shignapur road. Have been there couple of years back, while visiting Shani Shignapore from Shirdi, however, the road was in very bad shape (almost non existing in many parts). Just hoping if the condition has improved by now. Planning to trip Shirdi, Shani Shignapur in coming weeks.

Wanted to share an update on the Mumbai-Shirdi route, undertook a recent one day trip on June 21st. Route followed was Thane-Ghoti-Sinnar-Shirdi.

The route upto Ghoti was good. With construction underway for a bypass at Ghoti, the road conditions from Ghoti junction for a the first 8 to 10 kilometers is patchy and with moderate rain that was encountered during this time, this stretch has additional turned slushy, yet it is manageable to drive on with restrained speeds.

From Sinnar to Shirdi, there is major work underway for road widening and upgrade. The sections of the road that have been built are very good to drive on with the frequent diversions in between that are patchy.

Overall the journey was uneventful except for the rains gods pouring down all the while, right from our entry till the time of exit from the main temple.

Hi Mohan - Planning a visit this weekend and so far have always avoided the right at Ghoti to Sinner as had a terrible experience few years back. Are the roads better after the first 10 kms like you say - manageable with the rains onslaught that we are now seeing in Mumbai ... ?

I usually continue till Nashik and circle back but it is an extra 45 mins/ 1 hour as per maps now...

Regards
Anand

Hi Anand,

I think my present response to your query may be coming in late for your benefit but anyways here goes, the 8 to 10 km stretch that I mentioned from the start of the junction of Ghoti towards Sinnar must have certainly degraded with the present rains (the condition of the road was equivalent to a rally track ;) when i drove through) with non existent tarmac, but the road after that was in good conditions (with some exceptions but those would be far and few in between and again those are in the stretch between Sinnar and Shirdi where the lane upgradation work in going on).

On the whole i believe except for the stretch mentioned above, the other sections of the route should be good enough even with the present amount of rains we have received.

Thank you Mohan. Not sure of this stretch I continued till Nashik and from there to Sinnar. Except for some minor diversions, most of the roads were very good through out - much better than in the past and despite the rains. Took the same route on the return journey as well.

Mods, pls delete this post - posted in wrong thread.

Hi, I'm planing to travel from thane to shirdi in the coming week will appreciate any update on the recent road condition on ghoti-sinnar route. This is first time I'll be driving to shirdi.
Google maps suggest the ghoti-sinnar route which is about 223km from thane, and other route option is through nashik which is about 252km. I've been told to stay away from the ghoti route by some past travelers as the road condition were pretty bad then. I'll travelling with my family in my sedan, and wish to avoid bad roads. Any suggestions of the very recent road condition?