Visit the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga for darshan and the temple's peaceful atmosphere; temple generally opens from early morning (around 5:00am) to evening (around 9:00pm) — arrive early for shorter queues.
Enjoy a hearty thali or local Konkani/Maharashtrian fare at a guesthouse or dhaba near the temple; good opportunity to taste local produce after the trek.
Drive east toward Ahmednagar district to visit Shani Shingnapur en route to Shirdi; the temple is famous for its unique open-village shrine to Lord Shani.
Visit the Shani temple (generally open from early morning to evening) and observe the village known for traditionally having no doors — a cultural experience as well as religious.
Visit the main Sai Baba Mandir and, time permitting, the Chavadi and Samadhi complex; note large crowds — midday queues and pre-booking for special darshan can help.
Guided vineyard + winery tour and tasting at Sula (Nashik's best-known winery); tours usually run from late morning into the afternoon — reservation recommended as slots fill fast.
Visit Trimbakeshwar Temple (open early morning — plan for early darshan to avoid crowds); the temple is an important pilgrimage site with sacred kunds around.
Short drive (around 30 minutes) from Aurangabad to the Ellora complex; visit Grishneshwar temple (adjacent to Ellora) first — Grishneshwar is a Jyotirlinga and worth focused darshan.
Visit the Grishneshwar Temple close to the Ellora Caves; temple timings are generally from early morning to night — ideal to visit early to avoid crowds.
Explore the magnificent rock-cut caves (open generally 9:00am–5:30pm); highlight is Cave 16 (Kailasa), plus many others showing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain art — plan 2–3 hours.
Celebrate the end of your pilgrimage with a good dinner in Mumbai — many excellent restaurants across cuisines; aim for a reliable option near your hotel.
Shiradi Ghat (on the Pune–Mangalore/Hassan route) is a stunning Western Ghats corridor with viewpoints and forested drives; note this is a significant southbound detour (~200–300+ km out of the way) and will add many hours to your trip.
You can either return north toward Aurangabad route (long drive) or use Shiradi as the start of an extended southern loop — expect to add at least a full extra travel day if you include this.