Marunji Backside Hill Pune – Sunrise and sunsets views from this hill are mesmerizing

“Watch more sunsets than Netflix”

It has almost been 6 years that I have been living in Pune and my love for this city is endless. Why do I love this city so much?  The obvious reason – “It has so much to explore nearby”. But currently having a full time job means that I can possibly explore on weekends. So what about weekdays?

Sunrise from the top

It won’t be wrong if I call Pune as a “hill city” as it is surrounded by mountains all over. And once such hill in my own backyard is what we call as “Marunji Back side hill”. I have been to the top of this mountain 50+ times and trust me, every time I have been blessed with something new

The cloudy views

Located at the Hinjewadi phase 2, a hike of around 45 minutes to 1 hour will take you to the top of the mountain. In the rainy season, the entire mountain becomes lush green, while in the winter the brownish fallen leaves provide some stunning scenes.

The sunrise and sunset view from the top are stunning. One can hike up this mountain regularly to keep himself/herself fit and that can be of great help while going for longer treks. That is what exactly I am doing from the past 5 years.

Amazing views

How to reach the Marunji Backside Hilltop

There are dozens of routes from where one can ascend or descend the mountain. In this particular post, I will the details of the most popular route.

You can park your vehicle a few meters at the Kaali Mata Mandir which is near to Wipro Circle.  The route starts just adjacent to the Temple.

After walking for almost 1 km on the Kaccha road+ thin trail, you will reach a rocky terrain, where there is a small temple and a flag. Make sure you don’t divert from the kaccha trail until you reach this point. From this rocky terrain, look for the highest mountain that is visible, that’s the top.

There is also a pole at the top which is visible from this point. If you are still confused, open compass in mobile and look at the North-West side to identify the top. From the rocky terrain, now walk towards the west. After 3-4 minutes of walk, you would need to take a right to get to the next trail.

I have tied red ribbons all along the way to help you to identify the correct trail. So keep looking for that. After 10 minutes of hike or so, you will be able to see the top clearly. The last stretch to climb is little tricky so take utmost care. Take the help of trees while ascending and descending this section. In total it takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach the top from the start point.

The views from the top are mesmerizing. Its a feeling of success once you reach the top. One can see the breathtaking Kasarsai Dam in the vicinity. From the top, the trail further goes till phase 3. One would need to pass through another set of  7-8 mountains to reach the same. If you are an adventure freak, do give it a try.

Kasarsai dam in the background

Though its a small hike, one can experience so much on this trek. The winter mornings provides you with some astonishing shots of the city covered with fog. Sunrise and Sunset views from the top are mesmerizing.

Please don’t throw garbage

I have lead many groups on this mountain, and everyone who joined me was amazed to see the beauty from the top. It’s a trek you shouldn’t miss if you are living in Pune. Also, I keep posting on my Instagram stories whenever I am going to this mountain, so you can keep a check and tag along someday. Hope we meet sometime on this mountain 🙂

For more details, you can also check out my latest vlog on Marunji Hills. If you find the video helpful do like, share and subscribe to my channel 🙂