It has been a long time since I have wanted to go to Shirdi and I have finally got some time off and will soon be going to Shirdi for a couple of days. I plan to drive to Shirdi and would like to know what the distance is from Pune to Shirdi. I would also like some help with knowing what route to take for a safe and hassle-free journey.
Hi, welcome to the forum! Overview The distance between Pune and Shirdi is about 200 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 4 to 5 hours, more or less. There are two usual routes taken by travellers who want to reach Shirdi from Pune. Both are good routes, with their own advantages and disadvantages. The first route passes through the Pune Nashik Highway while the second route passes through the Ahmednagar Shirdi Highway. Below, we would discuss both of these routes and which one would be more suitable for you. Routes from Pune to Shirdi We would first discuss the route via the National Highway 60 and the Pune Nashik Highway. This is the usual route taken by travellers and it passes through the normal highway stretches. Of course, as is with any conventional route, traffic in this route is quite high. 1. Route via Pune Nashik Highway - Pune > Rajgurunagar > Manchar > Narayangaon > Alephata > Sangamner > Shirdi (190 Kilometres) This is the first route that you can take to reach Shirdi from Pune. Up to Rajgurunagar, roads are good and has four lanes so easy to drive in. Thereafter, roads are just two lane ones but still good enough to drive in. Drive into the Pune Nashik Highway until you reach Sangamner. Take a right into Loni and you would reach Shirdi proper by then. Overall, road conditions of this route are largely good with some average patches along the way. Perhaps the greatest driving challenge in this route is the last few kilometres just before you reach Shirdi. One disadvantage of this route is that traffic can be very bad in some stretches of this route. That is, from Rajgurunagar to Alephata and Sangamner to Shirdi. If you leave late from Pune, you might encounter this traffic so it's advisable to depart from Pune as early as 4:00 AM, at the very least. However, this route is the shorter of the two routes. It's possible to reach Shirdi within three hours with this route, as long as you are able to leave Pune in the wee hours of the morning. 2. Route via Ahmednagar Shirdi Highway - Pune > Lonikand > Ranjangaon > Shirur > Ahmednagar > Nagapur > Vilad > Rahuri > Kolhar > Astagaon > Shirdi (202 Kilometres) This is the second route that you can take to reach Shirdi from Pune. From Pune until Ahmednagar, road conditions are good but with some potholes in between. The tricky part begins in Ahmednagar, where you would be deciding whether you'd take the bypass road or not. It's advisable though not to take the bypass road, which is a left turn just before the town of Kedgaon. While this bypass can take you away from the traffic in Ahmednagar, the road conditions are pretty much bad, filled with craters and potholes, that it can take about an hour or two just to traverse this stretch. It's best to traverse the traffic in Ahmednagar, about 15 minutes or so, than take the risk with the bypass road. From Ahmednagar to Kolhar, roads are mostly four lane ones. However, dividers are sometimes missing on the roads, making it seem like it's just two lane ones in some places. Roads are good though but with some patches of potholes. Plus, you cannot drive fast because there are slower-moving vehicles alongside the roads. It's very scenic though as you get to drive pass rural villages and enjoy the slower paced life in these areas. Once you reach Kolhar, continue on until Astagaon. Roads are average here with some craters and potholes before you reach Shirdi. This is the longer route, so that's one disadvantage. You can reach Shirdi in about 4 to 5 hours with this route. But if you want to avoid the city-like traffic of the Pune Nashik Highway route, you can opt for this one. There's still some traffic in the Ahmednagar town but it's pretty manageable. Though if you have lower ground clearance for your vehicle, you might want to rethink this route as the roads are not as properly maintained as compared to the previous route. Which Route Should You Choose? If you leave early from Pune, early in the morning, you can just take the Pune Nashik Highway route. The route is pretty direct and easy to traverse, plus the road conditions are better. It has tolls though so you do need to spend some money if you take it. But you do save fuel too, that is if you are able to avoid the traffic, since the roads are more manageable to drive on, less shifting or gears and such. The route is also shorter, so if you need to reach Shirdi in a quicker time, then there's no doubt that you need to take this route. However, if you are not able to leave Pune early, then you can opt for the second route. Sure, it is longer, but it doesn't have as much traffic unlike the former. Roads are average though so if you're not an experienced driver, you might face some challenges. Remember not to take the bypass road in Ahmednagar, because the roads there are very bad. Just brave the traffic of Ahmednagar, for a few minutes at least, and continue on to Shirdi. Also, if you're planning to reach Shirdi during high traffic days like Mondays or Fridays, then it's better to opt for this route. Conclusion It's really up to you what route you would like to choose. If you like highway driving, less hassles and less worries, then opt for the Pune Nashik Highway route. It comes with the usual downsides of higher toll fees and traffic. Or you can opt for the Ahmednagar Shirdi Highway route, for a more scenic and slow drive. Road conditions are pretty average in this route though. I hope this helps you!
