Full Day Guided Tour Of Pune

Explore Pune and the main attractions of the city, also known as the "Queen Of Deccan". Take this guided tour of Temples, Museums, Fort and Palace of Pune city.

Highlights

• Guided full day tour of Pune with hotel pick-up & drop.
• Visit Dagdu Sheth Halwai Temple, one of the most famous Lord Ganesha temple in Pune.
• Take a tour of the Kelkar museum, Shaniwar Wada, Darshan Museum and also the Aga Khan Palace.
• See one of the largest collection artefacts including embroidered textiles, sculptures, antique vessels, and swords of the Marathas.
• Visit Aga Khan Palace which is a national monument of India’s freedom movement.

Detailed overview

Pune is a city in the western state of Maharastra, once the base of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire which lasted from 1674 to 1818, is now a beautiful metropolitan city. It is the second most populous city in Maharastra. It is famous for the Aga Khan Palace, built in the year of 1892 and now a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Itinerary

• At 9:00 am, your host cum guide of the tour will pick you up from your hotel/residence in Pune.
• First place of the visit will be Dagdu Sheth Halwai Temple.
• This is a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh and arguably the most famous one in Pune.
• This temple was built in 1892 by a sweet maker who lost his son to the plague. The temple played a crucial role in inspiring Lokmanya Tilak to organize the annual Ganesh festival to unite Indians to fight for freedom from the British.
• At 10 am, you will be visiting the Kelkar museum. 
• History comes alive during this Pune tour at the Raja Dinkar Kelkar museum which is one of the largest one-man-collections in the world.
• Dinkar Kelkar toured some of the remotest parts of India and collected artefacts including embroidered textiles, sculptures, antique vessels, and swords of the Marathas.
• You will be fascinated with Mastani Mahal, a room recreated from the ruins of the original Palace which was a symbol of the royal romance between Baji Rao the legendary prime minister of Maratha Empire and Mastani, his lady love.
• Your next destination in the Pune tour is Shaniwar Wada at 11 am, the seat of power of the Peshwas or Prime Ministers of the powerful Maratha Empire.
• This Palace was built in 1730 in honour of Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat for services rendered to the Maratha Empire.
• Shaniwarwada is considered as the most haunted place in Pune! Our guide/hosts will tell you the stories of how the Palace witnessed an early and unfortunate death, a betrayal, a tragic love story, and treachery. 
• People believe that the fort is haunted by the ghost of Bajirao’s grandson Narayanrao, who was murdered by his family.
• At 12:30 pm you will visit the Darshan Museum. The Darshan museum is a unique biographical museum dedicated to the life and teaching of Sadhu Vaswani, a spiritual leader. 
• Sadhu Vaswani professed the need for love and reverence for the betterment of humanity. Upliftment of women and animal rights were two causes very close to his heart.
• Post lunch you will be visiting the Aga Khan Palace at 3 pm.
• The last place of visit for the tour, the beautiful Aga Khan Palace which is a national monument of India’s freedom movement.
• Built-in 1892 by Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, the Palace witnessed some remarkable events that define India’s freedom movement against the British. During the guided tour, you will realize why the Aga Khan Palace is a memorial to Gandhiji and his simple life.
• Our hosts will drop you back at your hotel at 4:30 pm.