Set out from Pune after an early breakfast and enjoy the roughly 3-3.5 hour drive via NH60, stopping for chai and a quick snack at a highway dhaba near Igatpuri to stretch your legs and soak in the Western Ghats views. Arrive in Nashik mid-morning and check in to your chosen hotel or heritage bungalow, then take a short freshen-up before heading toward Sula Vineyards to begin your winery experience.
Join a guided Sula Vineyards tour that covers the vineyards, fermentation rooms and barrel cellars, then settle in for a leisurely wine tasting featuring Rasa Shiraz and Chenin Blanc paired with light tapas at the Tasting Room or Little Italy at Sula’s restaurant. If time permits, drive a few minutes to York Winery or Soma Vineyards for a contrast in tasting styles or book the Sula vineyard picnic (advance booking recommended) and stroll the manicured grounds while the sun warms the vines.
Return to Nashik town as golden hour fades and stop at the scenic Gangapur Dam viewpoint for photos before dinner, or stay at Sula for their sunset views and live acoustic music (check event schedule). For dinner, drive into Old Nashik for a hearty Maharashtrian thali at local favorite Hotel Panchavati Gaurav or choose a relaxed meal at Sula’s on-site restaurant, then unwind back at your hotel—rest early to be fresh for tomorrow’s Panchavati temple trail and market exploration.
Wake refreshed after the winery day and head to Panchavati to begin with the Kalaram Temple — admire the black rock deity and the temple’s elegant courtyard before joining the morning aarti for an evocative local ritual. From there, stroll a short distance to the ancient Sita Gufaa (Goddess Sita’s cave) and the nearby Ramkund ghats, where pilgrims bathe; pause for a chai at a nearby stall and watch the steady stream of devotees and rituals along the Godavari.
After a leisurely temple morning, explore the nearby Kapileshwar and Kunda Ganapati temples, then make your way to the bustling Old Nashik bazaars on Trimbak Road for a lunch of spicy misal pav or thali at a well-loved local eatery like Hotel Suruchi or Hotel Panchavati Gaurav. Spend the rest of the afternoon browsing specialty shops for paan masala, religious paraphernalia, and Nasik’s famed raspolli sweets, and duck into the Nashik City Museum or Muktidham marble temple if you want a quiet cultural pause.
As dusk falls, take a relaxed walk along the Godavari Riverfront near Ram Sagar and catch the sunset colors reflected in the water, then join the colorful evening aarti at Ramkund for a memorable, atmospheric close to the pilgrimage circuit. Finish your weekend with a farewell dinner at a cozy restaurant in Old Nashik—sample local Konkani or Maharashtrian seafood or enjoy a comforting thali—and return to your hotel to pack for the drive back to Pune the next morning.