A Complete Guide to the Nagphani Trek

Trekking in Sahyadri is often associated with steep climbs, forts and thrill. There are quite a few waterfall treks in the Sahyadris as well. However, many of these treks have some technical patches, risky spots, or generally required high endurance. Forts in Maharashtra range between 2500 ft to 5000 ft in terms of altitude and require you to trek for 2-3 hours to reach the top. The Nagpheni trek is different.

The Nagphani Trek or Duke’s Nose Trek is a low-effort, high-reward and is located very conveniently. You reach the top in just over an hour and are yet rewarded with 360-degree views.

Nagphani means Cobra’s hood, named after the shape of the mountain. The trek is also called Duke’s nose, because it resembles the profile of Duke of Wellington. On a clear day, you can easily spot the peak while driving on the Mumbai-Pune express highway.

While this trek does have some steep patches which would tire you out, it is quite suitable for a beginner, specifically because it’s a low endurance trek. Taking it slow will give you enough time to catch your breath and you’ll be at the top in no time! 

There are also some adventure sports that are organized by certain groups. You can zipline, and rappel down the 90-degree cliff from the top of the mountain. 

Things to take care of: 

While this is an easy trek, it is recommended you attempt it wearing proper footwear to avoid slipping. Also, once you are at the top, it is advisable to stay away from the edges. While the route you take to reach the top is a gradual incline, the other side of the mountain is a steep cliff with almost a 2km drop. Prioritize your safety over taking risky pictures at the edge.

Trek Snapshots:

• Duration: One-day
• Distance from Mumbai: 90 km
• Distance from Pune: 75 km
• Highest Altitude: 3200 ft (975 meters)
• Total Trek Distance: 4 km (round trip)
• Base: Kurvande Village, near Lonavala
• Permits: Not Needed

➤What to Watch out for

1) Shiva Temple at the Top

The Shiva mandir located at the summit is a highlight that you will be able to experience irrespective of the season. The temple is a small construction, with the shivling inside the temple, and a trishul and idol of Nandi right outside the temple. Coincidentally, you may also spot a few cows and bulls grazing on the trail. The temple is located at the top of the summit, which by its name means cobra hood. Hence a Shiva temple on top of a “cobra hood” makes it interestingly placed.

2) The Monsoon Clouds and Waterfalls

In monsoons, you get to experience a unique movement of the rain clouds. The Nagphani mountain is a steep cliff on one side and an inclined slope on the other. Due to this shape, rain clouds ascend from the cliff side and gradually lower on the slope, the side from which you would be trekking. You will experience a gust of wind that suddenly surrounds you with fog, and you have visibility of only a few meters. Similarly, another gust of wind will wipe away these clouds and you will start seeing the western ghats all around you again. This gradual crawl of the clouds is definitely a highlight of the Naphani Trek.

In monsoon, you can also see a few waterfalls on surrounding mountains. This requires the weather to be clear, and no fog on the day you’re trekking. But if you are lucky enough to see waterfalls in the lush green landscapes, it really elevates the entire trekking experience

3) Sunset View from Summit

The sunset view from the top is something you are more likely to experience during the winters. Visibility is better during winters, and the skies are quite clear with a few clouds in the sky. Since you have a panoramic view from the summit, you get an unobstructed view of the sun setting behind the western ghats. You may also be lucky to experience a sunset glow during this hour.

4) View of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway

In winters, and on clear monsoon days, you can see the Khandala ghat portion of the Mumbai Pune expressway as well as the settlement of Khopoli in the background from the summit. On the other side, you can see certain resorts and village homes in Lonavala as well. 

Seeing the heavy traffic on the expressway from the summit offers a stark contrast: the highway and busy lifestyle is not too far away from this trek, but you can still catch a few minutes of peace, away from the city life yet not too far away from it.

➤ Suggested Itinerary

The Nagphani trek can be done in any season, and at any time of the day. This is also a good place to watch the sunrise/sunset, since the top offers a panoramic view.

You can do this trek in the daytime only if you are trekking in the monsoon season. So the suggested Monsoon Itinerary would be:

• Start from Mumbai around 7 AM
• Have breakfast on the way and reach the trek base by 9.30 AM
• Reach the hilltop by 11 AM
• Start your descent by 11:30 AM
• Return to base by 12.30 PM
• Back to Mumbai by 3 PM

In other seasons, it's better to plan this as a Sunset Trek. So a suggested Sunset Trek Itinerary in Winter would look like:

• Start from Mumbai around 2 PM
• Have lunch and reach the trek base by 4.30 PM
• Reach the hilltop by 6 PM
• Witness Sunset and start your descent by 6:30 AM
• Return to base by 7.30 PM
• Back to Mumbai by 10 PM

➤ Detailed Trail Information

The Nagphani Trek is short and quickly takes you to the top of this iconic hill. However, it can be divided into 3 distinct sections :

1. Trek Start Point to First Flat Patch: 300 m | 15 mins
2. Trek through the Flats to Hill Base: 1 km | 20 mins
3. Climb to the top of Nagphani from Base: 750 m | 40 mins

Section I: Trek Start Point to First Flat Patch

Trek Distance: 300 m
Trek Duration: 15 mins

• The trek start point is the parking lot where you leave your vehicle. Standing there, it would be difficult to judge that the trek start point is actually anywhere nearby.
• You need to look for Leela Villa, a resort next to which the trail begins. It is hardly 100 meters from the parking location. 
• The initial patch consists of a rocky terrain, with an easily identifiable path to walk on. The rocky terrain also has some lose mud, that may be a little slippery during the monsoon season. The trick is to place your foot on large and solid rocks rather than mud or smaller rocks. 
• After a walk of around 300m, that would take you around 10-15 minutes, you should reach the end of the first slope and arrive at the flat lands.
• You should be able to identify the flat patch when you see a few mountains in the background, and a water processing station. On a clear day, you should be able to see the Nagphani top in the background, and you can head in that direction. Even in case of fog, you can follow a well-marked trail that leads towards the foot of the peak.

Section II: Trek through the Flats to Hill Base

Trek Distance: 1 km
Trek Duration: 20 mins

• The next kilometer is walking on a relatively flat surface with slight increase and decrease on altitude. The trail is well marked and easy to follow.
• On either side of the path, you will find tree cover. During the monsoons, there will be a green carpet of grass on either side of the path. This will be a golden spread of hay once the rains recede. 
• You will see the Nagphani peak grow bigger and bigger in size as you head directly towards the foot of the mountain. On either side, you will also enjoy a vast expanse of the western ghats laid out on either side. To your left would be a protected area that is a restricted military zone, and you should steer clear of it.
• This section should take approximately 20 minutes to cover, and you will know you have reached the base of Nagphani when you see a broken-down sign board.
• The sudden increase of elevation of the trail ahead will also be a give-away that you are now ready to begin the final stretch of the trek. 

Section III: Climb to the top of Nagphani from Base:

Trek Distance: 750 m
Trek Duration: 40 mins

• The last leg of the trek is categorized by a drastic increase in elevation over a relatively shorter distance covered.
• Once you start the ascend to the top, you need to cover an approximate distance of 750 m to get to the summit. During this section, there will be larger rocks over which you will be required to climb. The trail is still quite clearly laid out, and you can choose from a a couple of trails, all of which lead to the top. Taking the longer route with a more gradual increase in elevation is recommended for beginners since it will not wear you out quickly.
• After covering approximately 100-150m on this steep ascent on a shrub or bush free terrain, you will reach an area with light vegetation. There will be a couple of small trees, and some shoulder level bushes and shrubs. The trail goes through this vegetation patch, and it is a real relief if you sit down here for a while when trekking in the sun. 
• Once you cross this vegetation patch, the top of Nagphani is within reach and requires only 10 more minutes of trekking to reach the top. So far, we have been climbing on the mountain that is adjacent to Nagphani. In this section, you cross over to Nagphani and cover the last ascend on a gradual slope to reach the top. 
• At the summit, you’ll find a small Shiva temple with an idol of Nandi and a trishul right outside the temple. There is a patch of tiled area around the temple, and if there is a local present, they appreciate it if you do not enter that tiled area with your footwear on.
• There is a safety railing that surrounds the summit. While the railing isn’t in its best shape, it is highly recommended to not cross the perimeter since there is a vertical drop on the other side of Nagphani. While the side you would have trekked from was a gradual ascent, the other side of the mountain is a cliff. It is advised to be especially careful during the monsoon season, since the fog will unable you to have clear vision of the edge of the cliff.
• This is a good place to sit and enjoy the moment for a while. You can catch a beautiful sunset during winters, and you can enjoy the rainy wind during monsoons.
• You can descend from the same route on which you climb up. It might get tricky while going down since you will have to climb down the larger rocks you encountered during the ascend. Do not feel shy in using your hands for support on your way down, this will ensure you have sufficient grip while coming down. 

➤ Best Time to do the Nagphani Trek

The Nagphani Trek is an all-season trek, with each season having its highlights and challenges. Recommended months for this trek are July to September if you are looking for a monsoon trek and November to February if you are looking for a winter trek.

In peak monsoon season, rock surfaces are slightly slippery, soil is loose, and getting a grip during the ascent may get a little difficult. The highlights of the trek during monsoon include lush greenery, fog, walking in the rains and witnessing movement of clouds. 

By November, the rains stop and the October heat also settles. The weather starts getting cooler. There is some greenery in November, the landscape gets golden in December, and turns yellow by January. However, the skies are clear, and you can get a great view from the summit. In winter, the weather is favourable for trekking and you can also catch the sunset. 

Summers are not recommended for trekking in Maharashtra because the air is dry and hot, and the sun is unforgiving. The temperatures start to rise in the middle of March. There is very little tree cover on the entire trail. If you're planning to visit Nagphani in the summer, it's best to start early and aim for a sunrise hike, and complete your descent before the sun is too high in the sky.

➤ How to Reach the Nagphani Trek

The Nagphani Trek starts from the Kurvande Village near Lonavla

How to Reach Nagphani Trek from Mumbai or Pune by Car

• If you plan to drive by your own vehicle, you can park your vehicle at Kurvande village. There is a ground right at the start point of the trek, where you can park your vehicle
• If you are going by a 2-wheeler, you can drive all the way up to Leela Villa and park there.

How to Reach Nagphani Trek from Mumbai or Pune by Public Transport

• There are many outstation trains that start from Mumbai and stop at Lonavala. Some of these include Indrayani SF express (22106), Pune intercity SF express (12127), Vishakapatnam Express (18520). All of these trains start from Mumbai early in the morning and reach Lonavala by 9 am. Plan well in advance to get a reserved ticket. If not, you can also try to get into the general compartment. There is a later train as well, the Deccan express (11007) that gets to Lonavala at 9:40 am. Taking this train will delay the time you are starting your trek.
• There are local trains that run from Pune to Lonavala every hour. You can plan to take any of these. The run time is approximately 1.5 hours. You can also take intercity trains from Pune to Lonavala, which include Sinhagad express (11009), Pune Lonavala local (99808) or Deccan queen (12123)

From Lonavla– The trek starting point is 6-7 kms from Lonavala Railway Station and takes around 20 minutes to reach. You can easily get an auto outside the station. Make sure you note the contact number of your auto driver so you can request them to come pick you up after the trek

➤ Frequently Asked Questions about the Nagphani Trek

1.  Is there any permission required to do the Nagphani Trek?

No. There are no permissions needed to do the Nagphani Trek.

2. Is Nagphani trek and Duke’s nose trek the same?

Yes, the Duke’s nose trek is the same as Nagphani trek. Nagphani is a local name, which means the hood of a cobra (because of the shape of the mountain). The mountain also resembles the profile of Duke of Wellington, hence the name of Duke’s nose.

3. How difficult is the Nagphani Trek?

While this is an easy trek, it is recommended you attempt it wearing proper footwear to avoid slipping. Also, once you are at the top, it is advisable to stay away from the edges. While the route you take to reach the top is a gradual incline, the other side of the mountain is a steep cliff with almost a 2km drop. Prioritize your safety over taking risky pictures at the edge.

4. Are there any food stalls and water sources on the Nagphani Trek?

After starting the trek, there are no food stalls on the way to the summit. However, there are several local snack shops, grocery stores, and resorts around the trek start point, where you can get local delicacies. There are no natural water sources on the trek either. At the summit, there are a few puddles during monsoon, but these are not potable sources. Carry enough water from the base village.

5. Can I do the Nagphani Trek alone?

It is safe to do this trek alone. There are no technical patches or threats of wildlife. The route is also well marked and easy to follow.

➤ Places to Visit After the Nagphani Trek

1. Tungarli Dam: Tungarli is a small dam near Lonavala, located at a slight elevation from the rest of the town. The dam is less frequented and is an off-beat location. There are some fort-like ruins at the location as well. The wall of the dam overlooks the rest of dam and is a picturesque location. Distance from the trek is about 8km.
2. Bushy Dam: Bushy dam is a famous tourist attraction near Lonavala, where people enjoy the water of the overflowing dam. While this is a good place to visit, it is important to take care of safety during monsoons. This location is also pretty to enjoy from a distance, with flowing waters and a green landscape. Distance from the trek is about 9km.
3. Sunil’s Wax Museum: This wax museum is a different kind of attraction compared to the other outdoor locations. This museum is located in the heart of Lonavala, with a theme similar to Madame Tussaud’s museum in the UK. Distance from the trek is about 5km.
   

➤ Other Treks in the Region

Lohagad is a relatively easy, but slightly longer trek than the Nagpheni. In contrast to the Nagpheni trek, the Lohagad trek has a stone staircase that leads all the way to the top. This is a common trek and is often crowded on weekends. Distance from Nagphani is about 18km.

➤ Trek Contribution

Trek documented and written by Dhairya Mehta as part of the Great Backyard Trail Documentation Challenge, where trekkers from around the country come together to contribute information on quick day-hikes out of popular cities or tourist destinations. This is aimed at growing awareness about quick hiking routes in India by making information about them more accessibile. Trekkers who accompanied her on previous instances and contributed to trek photography include Heema Bhagat, Ankit Chaubey, Jeetendra Manjunath, Pranav Tople, Priyansh Parekh, Ronak Patil, Sumeet Patel and Vipul Patil.