Overview/Itinerary

About Karnala Fort Trek

Karnala fort also called Funnel Hill is a hill fort in Raigad District about 10 km from Panvel city, 65km from Mumbai city, situated along the Mumbai-Goa highway. Currently, it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. The fort of Karnala is famous for its strange pinnacle and the bird sanctuary that is set up amidst the forest. Today, the ruins of the fort are a popular destination for hiking and tourism. This Fort is at a height of approx 1500 ft. It is a great trek for beginners and for parents who want to introduce their children to trekking and Mother Nature.

History Karnala Fort 

This stunning quaint fort is one of the best specimens of the 13th-century constructions. It is likely to be constructed under the rule of Yadavs and Tuglaq before the 14th century. This fort was of great strategic importance as it overlooked the Bor Pass which connected Konkan to the Vidharba region of Maharashtra. This pass was the main trade route of these areas and a person who controlled Karnala had an ‘eye’ on the trade. Till 15th century the fort was under Nizamshahi rule.

When Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, wanted to capture the fort, his army initially surrounded the fort. They built temporary obstructions and continued to attack. After a few days, they captured the fort. After that the Mughal Empire, the Angres and Peshwas ruled the fort. In 1818, colonel Brother of the British captured it. Finally, the tricolor was furled here. However, the cisterns here show that the fort is ancient and dates back to the 12th century.

Best time for Fort Karnala Trek 

During the monsoons, you can see songbirds like the paradise flycatcher, magpie robin, and the Malabar whistling thrush. There is also the racket-tailed drongo that can be seen. The best time to see migratory birds at the Karnala is between the months of October and April.

A variety of colorful birds such as the ashy minivet, red-breasted flycatcher, blackbird, black-headed cuckoo-shrike, blue-throat, Green Bee-eater, chestnut headed green bee-eater, blue-tailed bee-eater, Purple Rumped Sunbird, Coppersmith Barbet, Tailor Bird, White Spotted Fantail, Golden Oriole, Red Vented Bulbul, Red Whiskered Bulbul, White-throated Kingfisher, Cattle Egret and the blue-headed rock thrush can be spotted. The surrounding landscapes are hauntingly beautiful as the pinnacle is draped by the clouds and mist during monsoon.

Karnala Trek Details 

It is a wonderful trek of 2 hours from the bottom of the hill. Once you enter the bird sanctuary there are essentially two routes that wind through the forest and lead to the trail up the mountain. The main route is a well-defined trail and goes straight through the center of the forest. The alternate route is a crude track that encircles the sanctuary before rejoining the main trail. The final climbing steps near the entrance of the fort are made safe by iron railings

Karnala fort actually consists of two forts one at a higher level and other lower. At the center of the higher level is a 125 feet high basalt pillar. It is also called Pandu's tower. This structure was used as watchtower when the fort was occupied however now it is in a ruined condition. The presence of bee hives also makes it difficult to climb and have resulted in at least one casualty in recent times. It is not advisable to cook food at the base of the pinnacle, as the smell of smoke irritates the Honey Bees.

There is a water cistern which provides fresh water all year long. There is a temple dedicated to goddess Bhavani located at the bottom of the fort. Bhavani Temple.

Karnala Event Details

• Trek Difficulty: Easy to Medium
• Trek Distance: 3 km
• Washroom Available at the base village 
• Location: Near Panvel 
• Karnala Fort Height: 1500 ft
• Karnala Fort: Hill Fort
• Base Village: Shirdhon
• District: Raigad
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Cost for Karnala Trek

• Cost without transport: Rs. 599/- per person
• Cost with transport: Rs. 1199/- per person
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Karnala Fort Trek Event Itinerary

05:10 Meet at SGNP main gate, Borivali.

05:15 Leave for Karnala trek.

05:35 Pick up at WEH metro station bus stop, Andheri.

05:50 Pick up at Kalanagar bus stop (on the highway), Bandra.

06:10 Pick up at Sion station circle.

06:25 Pick up at Diamond Garden, Chembur.

06:45 Pick up at Vashi below the main bridge near Vashi Plaza.

07:15 Pick up at McDonald's, Kalamboli.

08:00 Reach at base village and have breakfast.

08:30 Start ascending.

10:30 Reach the top and explore.

11:30 Start descending.

13:30 Reach base village and have Lunch.

14:00 Start return journey towards Mumbai.

18:00 Approx. arrival at Mumbai.

Please note

• Please carry packed lunch.
• Please wear trekking shoes for this trek with a good grip.
• Those who are coming by their own vehicle, please follow all covid-19 safety guideline and reach at base village on time.
• Due to above issue, if you come late or unable to come, will not provide any refund.

Inclusions/Exclusions

What we'll give/What we won't

What is included in the tour

• 1 veg Breakfast
• Travel by private non-Ac vehicle (with transport option)
• Trek Leader Expertise Charges
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What is NOT included in the tour

• Lunch for the trek
• Travel till base village and back (without transport option)
• Mineral water/lime water/ purchased for personal consumption
• All kinds of Extra Meals / soft drinks ordered
• Any kind of personal expenses
• Any kind of cost which is not mentioned in the cost includes above
• All expenses incurred due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances like roadblocks, bad weather
• Any medical / Emergency evacuations if required

Things to Carry

• 2/3 liters of water.
• Lunch for the trek.
• Proper face mask or shield.
• Sanitizer.
• Trekking Shoes provide more grip and comfort on trek.
• One Day Backpack 20 to 30 liters.
• Good Torch must with extra battery.
• Some Dry fruits / Dry Snacks / Energy Bars.
• Glucon D / ORS / Tang / Gatorade sachets.
• Sun Cap and Sunscreen.
• Personal First aid and Personal Medicine.
• Identity Proof.
• Please wear Full sleeves and Full Track Pant this will protect from Summer Sun / Thorns / Insects / Prickles.

Covid Safety Guidelines

1. Before planning for any adventure activity, please improve your minimum physical fitness. Most of us have been at home for a lockdown period.
2. Please convey your real medical conditions to Treks and Trails India while enrolling for the event.
3. Kindly wear three-layered masks, N95. Carry an extra disposable mask with you. Please ensure all participants, leaders, staff, and general persons wear masks before interacting with them.
4. Carry with your hand wash, sanitizer bottle, and clean your hands before touching food and objects.
5. Cover-up wear full sleeves shirts and full pants, hiking shoes, caps, and face bandana over your mask. Covering up will help reduce exposure to the Covid19 virus.
6. Bring your food and water with necessary cutlery like utility mug, fork, and spoon. Your mug can be used for cooking, eating, and drinking water. Carry your reusable water bottles; please don’t share with others.
7. Cooperate for temperature checks, questions reading any symptoms, and oxygen level checks; these are done to help you limit the spread of the virus. All these checks will be conducted multiple times during the activities.
8. Kindly do not register for the event or travel if you have come in contact with someone who has Covid19 in the last 14 days.
9. If you have any symptoms like fever, dry cough, weakness, body aches, etc., at the time of screening. You won't be able to participate in the event. You will have to be evacuated on the medical condition and should report to the nearest healthcare center.
10. Maintain a distance of six feet or more while sleeping at night. Incase distance is not possible, try sleeping in a criss-cross manner to avoid face proximity.
11. Please bring your garbage back to the city and dispose of it in your bin.
12. Consuming any alcohol, cigarettes, pan masala, tobacco, drugs should be avoided; they induce a lot of spitting, urinating, and passive smoke, which can be harmful for the general population.
13. Avoid touching new surfaces and touching your mask and face continuously.
14. If your adventure destination is overcrowded, be prepared to change your location or wait for the crowd to reduce.
15. If any participant, trek leader test positive after returning from the event within 14 days of the Activity. They should maintain transparency and inform Treks and Trails India. It will help all others isolate themselves and get tested. Participants and Treks and Trails will cooperate to help manage the situation.
16. Carry your own personal gear.
17. Keep the conversation with unknown people to a minimum and maintain a distance of more than 6 feet while talking.
18. Avoid speaking with the general population and maintain distance to keep yourself safe in these difficult times.
19. Participant need to install the Arogya Setu app

Cancellation Policy

• 75% refund if notified via phone conversation 8 or more days prior to the event date.
• 50 % refund if notified via phone conversation 4 to 7 days prior to the event date.
• No refund if the cancellation requested is less than 3 days prior to event date
• No show No Refund.
• Event Tickets cannot be transferred to another date against cancellation.
• Event Tickets cannot be transferred to another person against cancellation.
• If Trek get cancelled, we will refund "Trek Amount" only.
• If the event is canceled due to any natural calamity, political unrest or other such reasons beyond our control the same cancellation policy will apply.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Reach Karnala Fort or Karnala Bird Sanctuary ? 

For Participant Travelling from Mumbai or Pune for Karnala Trek 

• Need to reach Panvel Railway Station or Panvel Bus Depot 
• We will board local bus to Karnala Bird Sanctuary or Hire Rickshaw 
• You can also drive to Karnala Bird Sanctuary using Google maps gps. 
• Any bus travelling on the Mumbai-Goa highway can take you there.

Karnala Trek 2021 | Karnala Fort Trek from Mumbai & Pune

Monsoon Trek to Karnala Fort by Treks and Trails India. Karnala Bird Sanctuary is one of the scenic getaways, not very far from the city of Mumbai.

Karnala fort is a hill fort in Raigad district about 10 km from Panvel city. Currently it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

Karnala fort also known as the Funnel Hill is a hill fort in Raigad district, about 10 km from Panvel city and 65 km from Mumbai.

Karnala is a refreshing break from the big city - come here to watch the birds and wildlife, come here to picnic and to trek, and while you are enjoying all this, do spare a thought for preserving the ecology and tranquillity of the sanctuary.

How can I reach karnala?

Central Railway trains from CST Station stop at Panvel, 12 km from the sanctuary; from here you can catch autorickshaws, taxis and buses. State Transport buses run from Mumbai Central to Karnala. You can hire an Taxi from Mumbai or Pune and shouldn't be very expensive.

How do I get to karnala bird sanctuary?

To reach Karnala Bird Sanctuary in Raigad, Maharashtra, you can avail of the Central Railway trains from VT Station to get down at Panvel, situated 12 km from the sanctuary. Auto rickshaws, taxis and buses are available from Panvel. State Transport buses run from Mumbai Central to Karnala.

Who built karnala fort?

HIstory of Karnala Fort. The Karnala Fort was built the Devagiri Yadavs and the Tughlaq rulers before 1400.

How do you get to karnala Fort Trek?

The nearest train station to this picturesque location is Panvel. From Panvel you can hire an auto rickshaw, bus or a taxi to reach Karnala. Not many direct buses are available to the Funnel Hill, you can board a bus going to Alibag, Pen or Roha to reach Karnala.

Karnala is famous tourist destination in Maharashtra. Located near Mumbai on Mumbai- Goa highway, this place is best a must visit for weekend holidays spot.

Weekday trek to Karnala fort is the prefect trip where you get a chance to trek to the top of the hill forts and witness the wildlife of this region.

A renowned fort city, Karnala is set in the Raigad district within the state of Maharashtra. It is located at an escalation of about 439 m above sea level and is surrounded by dense green forests and lofty mountain ranges on either side.

Karnala is a quaint fort overlooking a sprawling bird sanctuary. It is an absolute beginner's trek amidst the natural flora and fauna.

Perfect for nature lovers, adventure seekers and history buffs - an exciting trek to the famous Karnala fort in Maharashtra along with a birding experience.

Sign up for a monsoon trek to Karnala, where you'll hike through a green bird sanctuary and explore an ancient fort.

Serene trek to Karnala !! About the Karnala Trek : Karnala is a famous bird sanctuary located on Mumbai Goa Highway. It also houses a small fort at top.

Karnala fort is counted as one of the best winter treks since the weather is pleasant and you can see a lot of bird activity in the jungle.

The karnala bird sanctuary is located in panvel taluka of raigad district, outside mumbai, india near matheran and karjat.

A little away from the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is the Karnala Bird Sanctuary filled with species of both flora and fauna that are sure to astound you.

How do I get to karnala bird sanctuary?

Central Railway trains from CST Station stop at Panvel, 12 km from the sanctuary; from here you can catch autorickshaws, taxis and buses. State Transport buses run from Mumbai Central to Karnala. You can hire an Taxi from Mumbai or Pune and shouldn't be very expensive.

The sprawling Karnala Bird Sanctuary and Nature Park in Panvel is home to over 222 species of birds. If you are a nature lover – this place is paradise!

Popular with bird-watchers and trekkers, Karnala Bird Sanctuary lies 60 km from Mumbai and 12 km from Panvel.

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