Our road trip began in Mumbai on 3 October. We remember the package as approximately nine days and eight nights; the final return date is unconfirmed. This is our experience with two daughters, aged 5 and 8, travelling in an Innova Crysta with a driver.
Journey stages, not day numbers or a geographic map. We stayed in Parli after Ellora, visited Ambajogai before Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath, and returned to the same Parli hotel. The return to Mumbai was via Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Days 1–5 below are dated from our account. After Ellora we stayed in Parli. The following day linked Ambajogai, Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath before a second night at the same Parli hotel. These later stops follow as journey sections without assigning exact dates we cannot confidently recall. Timings and payments are approximate memories of October 2026.
Our package was approximately nine days and eight nights as remembered, starting the road journey on 3 October 2026. Use the day accounts below for the detail we recorded.
Our family package cost ₹118,000 for two adults and two children, including the car, hotels and breakfast only, for approximately nine days and eight nights as remembered. This is our historical package price, not an all-in trip total or current quote. Check these items when comparing your own package:
Our remembered Aundha Rudrabhishek payment was about ₹1,200. At Grishneshwar, ₹2,500 was a quote for Panchamrit, not the payment for the Rudra Abhishek we chose. These amounts cannot be added up into a trip total.
Use the itinerary with its trade-offs
These are the consequences of the sequence we followed. Keep them alongside the day-by-day account when deciding whether the same pace suits your family.
We returned to Bhimashankar early on 4 October for Rudrabhishek after visiting for Sparsh Darshan the previous day. Later we reached Trimbakeshwar at approximately 15:00, with guide-arranged entry, and stayed in Nashik. Our timings include those particular arrangements. They do not establish how an ordinary queue or another family’s pace will fit the same route.
Click Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was our base for Ajanta and the following departure towards Grishneshwar and Ellora. Ajanta and Ellora were separate outings in our account. Walking, the shuttle at Ajanta and the heat at the caves were practical parts of the day, alongside the temple visits.
After Grishneshwar and Ellora we stayed in Parli. The next morning we visited Ambajogai, then Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath, before returning to the same Parli hotel. This tells you where our route doubled back; it is not a claim that this is the shortest possible circuit. Compare the overnight location with your own next destination before booking.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We arrived in Mumbai on 30 September 2026 at about 16:00, after flying Zurich → Delhi → Mumbai, and stayed for two nights with family or friends.
On 2 October we visited Siddhivinayak Temple and Mahalaxmi Temple. Our photographs record Siddhivinayak’s busy, decorated covered approach and the front of Mahalaxmi Temple. These were our pre-tour Mumbai visits; the road pilgrimage began on 3 October.
Day 1 · 3 October 2026
A scenic first road day, with a break around Malshej Ghat followed by our first Bhimashankar visit for Sparsh Darshan.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We began the road journey from Mumbai on 3 October, heading towards Bhimashankar through the scenic mountain region. We visited Bhimashankar Temple that day for Sparsh Darshan, then stayed nearby so that we could return early the following morning for Rudrabhishek.
A photography and rest stop on the mountain journey.
Day 2 · 4 October 2026
Our early-morning return to Bhimashankar for Rudrabhishek, followed by the second major Jyotirlinga temple of our journey: Trimbakeshwar.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We woke at about 04:00 and left Aranyakulam Resort around 05:15 to return to Bhimashankar Temple. This was our second visit: after Sparsh Darshan on 3 October, we performed Rudrabhishek early on 4 October and then continued towards Nashik / Trimbakeshwar.
After Sparsh Darshan the previous day, we returned early for Rudrabhishek.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
This was our second Bhimashankar visit. We had already made Sparsh Darshan on 3 October and returned early on 4 October specifically for Rudrabhishek.
We could not reach Parking 1 and used MRMC parking between Parking 1 and Parking 2. That added roughly 200 metres of walking.
We contacted a local person / guide to help us understand the Abhishek process. Priest booking was handled inside or around the temple. There were several Abhishek options, and we performed Rudrabhishek.
The next temple stop after Bhimashankar.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We reached Trimbakeshwar at around 15:00 after our early Bhimashankar Rudrabhishek. A guide helped arrange VIP darshan: we entered through the VIP gate and joined the queue via the main entrance. We viewed the three forms associated with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and performed a puja in the courtyard. We stayed in Nashik afterwards.
Day 3 · 5 October 2026
A long road day linking Saptashrungi, VIP darshan at Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur with our Sambhajinagar base.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We left Quality Inn around 08:30–09:00. Our route took us to Saptashrungi, then Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, where we used VIP darshan, followed by Shani Shingnapur before continuing to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, also known as Aurangabad.
For our family, the inclined transport was the practical way up to the hill temple.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
Saptashrungi Mata’s temple is on the hill. We observed a stair route of approximately 560–600 steps and a funicular / inclined transport option.
Our sacred stop between Saptashrungi and Shani Shingnapur.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
After Saptashrungi, we visited Shirdi Sai Baba Temple before going to Shani Shingnapur. We used VIP darshan during this visit. We do not have a first-hand photograph from Shirdi.
Our next sacred stop before the onward journey to Sambhajinagar.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
After our Shirdi visit, we continued to Shani Shingnapur and then to Click Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Our photograph records the flower-decorated shrine lit after dark; we do not add ritual details that were not recorded.
Day 4 · 6 October 2026
A major heritage day from our Sambhajinagar base, with parking and a shuttle journey before reaching the caves.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We had intended to leave early, but set off from Click Hotel around 10:15. We reached the Ajanta parking area at approximately 12:30–12:45.
Ajanta brought a major cave heritage stop into our journey alongside the temple visits.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
During our visit, private vehicles did not continue directly to the cave entrance. We left our vehicle at the parking area and used the shuttle transport from there.
From memory, we paid or observed approximately ₹45 per adult at the parking / entry stage and about ₹30 per person for the shuttle bus, with a few additional small fees along the way. These are our October 2026 recollections, not a complete fee breakdown or current prices.
Day 5 · 7 October 2026
Rudra Abhishek in the morning, followed by Ellora’s Cave 10 and the Kailasa Temple.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We left Click Hotel around 08:00. From memory, the drive to Grishneshwar took about an hour. After the temple visit, we continued to Ellora and then travelled to Parli for an overnight stay.
A relatively short weekday queue and a choice of Abhishek options.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We bought flowers and Gangajal. The weekday queue was relatively short during our visit.
We considered several Abhishek options. The Panchamrit option was quoted at approximately ₹2,500 in October 2026, but we ultimately chose Rudra Abhishek. The ₹2,500 figure is not the price of the ritual we chose.
The sound and shape of Cave 10 were among the details we remembered most.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
Cave 10’s Buddhist prayer-hall setting, seated Buddha and ribbed ceiling stayed with us. To our family, the ceiling had an “elephant-ribs” appearance. The acoustics and the echo of chanting were memorable.
We skipped caves 1–9 because of the heat and the time available. Covering every cave was not realistic for our family that day.
A highlight of the heritage side of our pilgrimage.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We then proceeded to Kailasa Temple, also written Kailasha. It was a major visual and architectural highlight of our Ellora visit.
Later in the journey
Ambajogai followed by Abhishek at Parli Vaijnath, before continuing to Aundha Nagnath.
Ambajogai: our first stop after the Parli overnight, before Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
After Grishneshwar and Ellora, we stayed overnight in Parli. The next morning we visited Ambajogai first, then Parli Vaijnath, where we performed Abhishek. We continued to Aundha Nagnath and returned to the same Parli hotel for a second night. We have not recorded the exact hotel name, the Parli Abhishek name or its price.
Later in the journey
An afternoon visit and Rudrabhishek during a temporary change to the usual darshan arrangement.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
We reached Aundha Nagnath in the afternoon after Ambajogai and Parli Vaijnath. It was not very crowded during our visit, and the temple felt relatively far from the main city and tourist centres. After Abhishek we returned to the same hotel in Parli for a second night.
A temporary arrangement during our October 2026 visit meant that the Shivling used for darshan and Abhishek was at another location, only a few minutes’ walk from the main Nagnath temple. This describes our visit, not the current arrangement.
We also visited an old nearby temple that we understood to be ancient. It contained another Shivling that appeared similar in size and form to us; we have not established that temple’s historical identity.
We performed Rudrabhishek. Around ₹1,100 was initially discussed; the priest quoted about ₹1,200 after the ritual. We paid about ₹1,200 during our October 2026 visit.
The return journey
Closing the circuit via Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
First-hand journeyOur October 2026 experience
After completing the pilgrimage circuit, we returned via Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and ultimately back to Mumbai. The road pilgrimage began on 3 October 2026. We remember the booked package as approximately nine days and eight nights; the final return date is not confirmed.