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Pune Walking Tour: Explore Shaniwarwada and Lal Mahal
4.9
36 Ratings
Pune
Immerse yourself in Pune’s cultural riches on a heritage walk. Explore haunted forts, magnificent palaces, ancient temples, and bustling bazaars. Join us now!
Immerse yourself in Pune’s cultural riches on a heritage walk. Explore haunted forts, magnificent palaces, ancient temples, and bustling bazaars. Join us now!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Shaniwar Wada - The walking tour begins at Shaniwar Wada, the historic seat of the Peshwas, or Prime Ministers, of the influential Maratha Empire, which was a major force in India from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Constructed in 1730 to honor Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat for his contributions to the Maratha Empire, Shaniwar Wada is reputed…
- Shaniwar Wada - The walking tour begins at Shaniwar Wada, the historic seat of the Peshwas, or Prime Ministers, of the influential Maratha Empire, which was a major force in India from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Constructed in 1730 to honor Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat for his contributions to the Maratha Empire, Shaniwar Wada is reputed to be the most haunted location in Pune! More details will be shared during the tour.
- Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir - Known as Dagdu Sheth, this temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesh and is arguably the most renowned in Pune. Built in 1892 by a sweet maker who lost his son to the plague, the temple was instrumental in inspiring Lokmanya Tilak to organize the annual Ganesh festival, uniting Indians in the struggle for independence from British rule.
- Laxmi Market - The tour continues through Laxmi Market, a shopper’s paradise! Visitors can explore charming shops in Pune’s most famous bazaar and flea market, aptly named after the Hindu goddess of wealth.
1:30 PM - Drop off at Laxmi Market.
- Kasba Peth Ganpati Temple - This iconic temple brings history to life. The idol of Ganesh was installed by Shivaji Maharaj and his mother Jija Bai in 1630. As the presiding deity of Pune city, the temple holds the honor of the first immersion during the Ganpati festival.
- Lal Mahal Chitra - Lal Mahal, or the Red Palace, was established in 1630 by Shahaji Bhosle, Shivaji Maharaj’s father. It is renowned for the encounter between Shivaji Maharaj and Shaista Khan. Although the original structure fell into disrepair, the current building is a reconstruction featuring oil paintings that illustrate key events in Shivaji Maharaj’s life.
What's Included
- Local guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Tea and coffee
- Local guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Lunch
Additional Information
Pune is a metropolis brimming with cultural richness, best savored through a leisurely stroll. On this exploration on foot, we traverse to Shaniwarwada - the eerie fortress and bastion of power of the Peshwas, the splendid Lal Mahal, constructed by Shivaji Maharaj’s father, Dagdu Sheth temple devoted to Lord Ganesh, erected by a confectioner, Kasba…
Pune is a metropolis brimming with cultural richness, best savored through a leisurely stroll. On this exploration on foot, we traverse to Shaniwarwada - the eerie fortress and bastion of power of the Peshwas, the splendid Lal Mahal, constructed by Shivaji Maharaj’s father, Dagdu Sheth temple devoted to Lord Ganesh, erected by a confectioner, Kasba Ganpati graced by an idol installed by Shivaji Maharaj, and Laxmi Market - a well-known trading hub for lucrative deals.
- Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women
Location
Shaniwarwada
Our guide will meet you at 930 at the entrance
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(36 Ratings)
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Bubblytracey
Mar 3, 2026
Spectacular! - Dhruv was such a great teacher. He tied in the geography of Pune with the history of its people, religion, architecture, food and so much more. He tailored the tour to my interests and was a master of dates and places.
I had an amazing day and would 100% recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robho5588hq
Apr 11, 2025
Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide - Excellent tour, Ajit was very friendly and gave in-depth descriptions of the significance of the places we toured. Nice way to understand some of the history of Pune.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Staceytn5309sx
Mar 5, 2025
Recommend - Ajit was great—he was friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the tour and it was a great introduction to Pune. I didn’t know when I signed up that I would have my own guide (I thought it would be a group tour) so that was a surprise. It was also nice to be picked up at my hotel since I had just arrived and didn’t know my way around yet.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samantha_h
Feb 12, 2025
Informative tour of Pune’s historical past - Very interesting tour by Ajit, who has a huge wealth of knowledge about Pune and India’s history. He was very friendly and enthusiastic which kept us going, as we were tired from just arriving in Pune - thank you Ajit!
Review provided by Viator
Synerpants
Feb 3, 2025
Great walking tour to get a sense of Pune in a few hours - I enjoyed the cultural walking tour with Pankaj. He's very knowledge about the sites and history of the people and places that we are visiting. He introduced me to delicious snacks and drinks, he is communicative and on time.
He even stayed behind to ensure that I got into the uber I ordered before we parted way. The forts & temples we visited are great example of the local history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dominic
Feb 1, 2025
Walking tour - Really good tour round the fort and temples. Pankaj was very knowledgeable. Great for a short trip to get an experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
788manjushak
Dec 23, 2024
Great tour to learn the history of Pune! - Loved our historical tour of Pune! It was especially great to learn about Shaniwar Wada, a place a couple of us had seen from the outside many times on our childhood visits to India. Ajit was very knowledgeable and answered all our Qs. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rwhish
Dec 18, 2024
Getting to understand the history of Pune - We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Ajit. He is a highly knowledgeable guide and we learned a great deal during our visit. Our 'three hour' tour lasted longer than that, because we were extremely interested in what he was telling us and showing us. At the end we asked him to point us in the direction of a nice south Indian restaurant: Wadeshwar was a perfect conclusion to our morning. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martinatravelling
Nov 16, 2024
Excellent experience - Very nice experience. I really enjoyed the walking tour. I got a sense of central Pune and saw a lot of historical places. I really suggest this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa27514130123
Sep 27, 2024
Definitely recommend - 100/10 - The tour was absolutely brilliant. Ajit sir was so passionate about these places in Pune that it rubbed off on us. He knew the history and told us everything from start to beginning while taking us through the tour. A genuine joy to take this tour. Made our pune trip sooo worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
