The Harishchandragad fireflies festival starting from May 17, 2025 and ending June 22, 2025 is one of the best locations near Mumbai to see max firefly. Online Booking is available. At Short distance from Mumbai it's couple and family friendly. It's a beautiful trek location near Mumbai, its also famous for Cloud Formation and Monsoon Trek. Prior to the third weekend of May, fireflies sighting will be minimal.
Being aware of the details mentioned on the this page is important to have a great experience.
Next batch is scheduled on May 17, 2025.
| Event Name | Fireflies Festival 2025 - Harishchandragad |
|---|---|
| Duration | Overnight Trek |
| Dates | 17-May-2025, 24-May-2025, 31-May-2025, 07-Jun-2025, 14-Jun-2025, and 21-May-2025 |
| Location | Harishchandragad, Maharashtra |
| Eligibility | Click here |
| Suitable for | All age groups |
| Category | Fireflies Trek |
| Organised by | Mischief Treks |
- Watch shiny fireflies under night sky.
- Veg , Non-Veg and Jain food available
- Complete safety and security.
- Safe for women, girls, solo travelers, groups, and couples.
- Visiting ancient Kedareshwar Cave
- Spectacular view from the Konkankada
- Taking blessings from Kedareshwar Temple
- Blissful view of Taramati peak
- Picturesque view of Konkan from Konkankada
- Cloud Formation at the top
- Fireflies twinkling on the way to the fort.
Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival 2025 Trek near Mumbai
Charges and Travel Options:
⚠️ The charges mentioned below are "Base Price" for booking at least 20 days in advance. Charges for booking less than 20 days prior to event date will be higher. Kindly click on "Book Now" button to check the dynamic pricing applicable for a given date.
| Charges | Price Description |
|---|---|
| Rs.750 | You have to reach the base village in your own vehicle. We will be sharing GPS locations and directions/instructions in the WhatsApp group. |
| Rs.1400 | Pickup/Drop from Kasara railway station included. Pickup/Drop Time: 2:47 pm Kasara. Next day 9:00 am pickup from base village |
Explanation of charges:
The above charges are per person charges.
⚠️ Eligibility condition
1. If you wish to apply for being part of our group, you need to "Read" and "Understand" the details provided on this page, and the About-us page so that you can be "Aware".
2. Each participant needs to be mentally fit to participate. Do not book this event if the details mentioned on this page are not agreeable to you. Mischief Treks does not accept ignorant people.
| Date | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
| 24-May-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
| 31-May-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
| 07-Jun-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
| 14-Jun-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
| 21-Jun-2025 | 05:00 PM | Available |
NOTE: The above date and time is for starting the travel from Mumbai
What is included in the tour
- Morning breakfast & tea
- Lunch Veg/Jain
- Fireflies Sighting
- Transport
- ( If opted for)
- First Aid Guide & expertise charges.
What is NOT included in the tour
- Personal expense
- Personal vehicle parking charges
- Rescue charges (if required)
- Boating and life jackets
- Soft Drinks
- Bottled water
- Things not covered in inclusions
- For those opting for without-pickup option, All charges incurred for reaching campsite are excluded from charges paid. Eg. Central and State Govt Toll, Forest Dept etc.
Meeting Point: Kasara ticket booking counter window no 3, on platform 4
Three hours prior to the event date and time, we will be creating a WhatsApp group for coordination purposes. Exact GPS locations for each pickup point, coordinator contact, will be shared in the group.
Catch the Kasara Fast Local train from the station nearest to you
Train timings:
CSMT-9.32 pm
Dadar-9.50 pm
Kurla-10.00 pm
Ghatkopar-10.06 pm
Thane-10.27 pm
Kalyan-11.01 pm
Kasara-12.11 am
Note: Those coming in own vehicle need to meet reach Baba da Dhaba before 12.25 am and follow our vehicle till the trek location in your own car/bike.
Trek Schedule
- Once the train reaches Kasara, meet the trek leader at Platform no 04. We'll head towards the pickup vehicles waiting for us outside the station.
- We'll be stopping at Baba Da Dhaba for washroom break around 12:45 am, post that we would be moving towards Pachnai - Base Village for Harishchangragad Trek.
- On the way to Harishchandragad watch fireflies.
- We'll be reaching there by 04:30 am, you can freshen up and have your breakfast till 05:30 am.
- Post breakfast we will be having a short introduction and safety round and then we will start our trek.by 05:45 am.
- We would be reaching Konkankada by 08:30 am, we would be exploring Konkankada and the view of Majestic Valley.
- We can then have Dabba - party here to refill our tummy and regain our energy levels and start descend by 10:30 am.
- We will be reaching the base by 12:30 pm and have our lunch by approx 01:00 pm.
- We'll be starting our return journey to Mumbai by 01:45 pm, we'll be reaching Kasara station by 04:50 pm.
-
Based in the time we reach Kasara station we can take one of the following trains for CSMT at: 05.03pm / 6.18pm / 8.15pm. Check train schedule to get ETA of arrival in Mumbai.
PLEASE DO NOT BOOK THIS EVENT WITHOUT READING AND UNDERSTANDING DETAILS IN THIS SECTION
Transport:
The bus/jeep will take you to the base village location. Approx distance from Mumbai is 201.8Km. and from Kasara its approx 100.7Km. If you do not reach on time the pickup vehicles will move out without you. No refunds are provided in such case.
Washroom:
Three basic washrooms are available within a walking distance of 2 min. This is a tribal area (aadvasi area) so the washroom is pretty basic. (refer album link given in image section)
Food:
During fireflies festival is sourced from local "Adivasi" villagers, this is basic home cooked food and is prepared by the villagers in the region. In past several years people have loved this food. But since lockdown got over, the expectations of people have become unreal and food is still that same authentic village food. Do not book this event if food is your priority. Alternatively please carry packaged food along with you if you are grumpy about food.
Fireflies Sighting:
Fireflies Glow only in weather condition suitable for mating. As we are currently in transition phase of moving from Summer to Monsoon the weather is completely unpredictable and can change within hours. Its not possible to predict the weather in advance. Natural phenomenon like Rain, Wind, Flowers, Fireflies, Clouds, Heat wave, Cool breeze, Humidity, etc. are not in our control and we do not assure occurrence of any natural phenomenon. During Fireflies Festival, on some occasions, we will be able to spot thousands of fireflies, and sometimes we may barely get to see a few. The first and the last batches will have lesser number of fireflies.
Traveling by Own vehicle:
Ideally you are supposed to meet the group at Dogra-Food-Mall in Kasara at the specified time in itinerary and proceed to the base village along with the trek leader and other participants to avoid any inconvenience. All travelling expense till the village . like tolls, entry charges etc to be paid by the participant.
Rain & Weather:
Rains are expected to start from the month of June, during initial days the soil soaks up most of the rain water as it has been try for several months, as days pass by, the rain water starts flowing. This Shed is a village home comprising of a hall and two rooms, this shelter is only for protecting from extreme bad conditions and its not a stay-option.
Reminder
The main focus of this event is watching "Fireflies" and this is Not a Camping focused event.
Please do NOT book this event if your focus is on luxury/comfort camping only. This is specifically a Fireflies-focused event and due to weather conditions, all other things need to be handled as per the best-suited option basis.
The event schedule, itinerary, group composition, and all operational aspects are subject to change without prior notice. In these uncertain times, we will try to do our best to get things rolling but unavoidable circumstances may impact the operations.
IMPORTANT:
Please do not book this event without reading and understanding the details mentioned on this page including inclusions, exclusions, FAQ's, Itinerary, Important note, and cancellation/rescheduling policy.
Beware of "Chapri" type of shady characters on Instagram, luring people using cheap-tricks like discounts or offers, they generally use stolen or without-permission reposted images/videos/text content. Its pretty easy for any one to create a instagram ID with fake followers.
Always research about "Compatibility" and "Category" of the group you plan to join. After all, you will be spending entire duration at night in company of the group "You" choose.
- Identity Proof (must)
- Torch with extra battery (must)
- A bottle of water (atleast 2 Ltrs)
- Some ready to eat food. Plum cakes, Biscuits etc.
- Medicine that you require usually (We do have a basic first aid kit)
- Please avoid wearing Gold and other ornaments or carry precious items.
- Extra pair of clothes, Slippers/Crocs/Sandals
- Power-bank
We will be creating WhatsApp Group for coordination.
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Aggregate Rating: 4.85 out of 5
Rating count: 2431
Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival FAQ
Q: What are the best dates to attend the Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival in 2025?
A: Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival is scheduled from May 17, 2025, to June 22, 2025. For having the best experience of seeing fireflies you can plan your visit between May 24, 2025, and June 15, 2025. During this period you have best chance to find the highest number of fireflies. As heavy rainfall begins in the fourth week of June, fireflies sighting decrease.
Q: How to book Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival online?
A. Booking tickets for the Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival 2025 needs to be done online through the official website of Mischief Treks on www.mischieftreks.com You need to click on Book Now button on this page and select the preferred date available for booking Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival.
Next step is to select number of people you wish to book for, and then enter contact details. After this proceed for making payment. Pay attention to warnings and alerts that get displayed if you have made any mistake while entering details. The total amount comprises of option selected by you along with convenience fee to three percent levied for online processing. Once you have made the payment you will receive a n email containing further information.
After verifying your payment our team will get in touch with you regarding KYC form which needs to be submitted within 3 hours of receiving the form link. Submitting the KYC form completes the booking process.
Q: Is Fireflies Festival suitable for females?
A. Absolutely, We at Mischief Treks believe in equality and adventure for all. Whether you are a female or male, as long as you're physically fit and ready to embrace nature's wonders, you're more than welcome to join our events and have a memorable experience.
Q: Are Kids allowed to participate in Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. Yes Kids are allowed. Age does not matter, It purely depends on how fit the kids are and how they have been raised in terms of adaptability to nature. One of my 3-year-old nieces can do all the Fireflies events at all the locations easily, but on the other hand one of my 16-year-old cousin can't even dare to think of going to any of the events listed on our website. His parents have raised him in such a way that now he is incapable of being in nature. This may sound harsh, but its ground reality.
Q: Is Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival safe for solo participants?
A. Yes, mostly 30% of participants come up solo and blend in. Mischief Treks has a reputation of providing a memorable experience for each and every participant.
Q: Is Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival safe for girls?
A. Mischief Treks has a track record of making our trekking and camping events extremely safe for girls. Normally 60 to 70 percent of our participants are females.
Q: Are pets allowed at Fireflies Festival?
A. We don't mind having pets along, but the forest stray dogs cause trouble for all other participants when they sense presence of any outsider animal in their territory. Hence, we highly recommend not bringing any pets into any forest region including Fireflies Festival.
Q: Are any discounts or coupon codes available?
A. Mischief Treks is known to be one of the rare few organizers who do not try to manipulate people using marketing tricks like unreasonably increasing charges and then providing offers and discounts to make people feel as if they have got best deal. The concept of Group-discounts end up making solo participants pay more. We at mischief Trek believe in honest and transparent charges for one and all.
Q: How much time will we spend watching the fireflies?
A. We at Mischief Treks make sure everyone gets enough time at the spot where fireflies are visible in huge number. However, if you are craving an extended firefly experience, feel free to stay back at the spot as long as you like. You can join back with the group once you are done. It's all about creating unforgettable moments.
Q: Is there mobile phone connectivity available at the Trek?
A. Well, If you use Jio phone you will have phone network coverage, but if you use Airtel or any other phone you might get intermittent network. The mobile network coverage is pretty patchy. So, be prepared for some digital detox with Mischief Treks and embrace the nature vibes.
Q: Is there a mobile phone charging available at the Trek?
A. Sorry, but the trek is located in forest region at a remote location and there is no option to charge your mobile phones. Mischief Treks recommends bringing along a portable power bank with you so that you don't run out of phone battery power.
Q: How's the road to the Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival location?
A. The road till Ghoti Turn from NH3 is in good condition, but the remaining path is like average Indian roads. Some sections of the road is under repair and you may have to take diversions.
Q: How do we get in touch after reaching the meeting point?
A. Three hours prior to departure from Mumbai, we will be creating a WhatsApp group for coordination where you will be provided all the necessary information regarding the contact person, exact point to meet, GPS coordinates etc.. The common meeting point is Kasara. Apart from on-field coordination related info, all other information is already available on this page.
Q: How far is Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival from Mumbai?
A. Harishchandragad is 201 Km from Mumbai. The best way to find out a more precise distance from your location is to type these 4 words on google search ‘My location to Harishchandragad distance’ and you shall get accurate details.
Q: How far is the Harishchandragad Fireflies location from Kasara station?
A. The Harishchandragad is approximately 100 Km from Kasara station. You can take public transport from Kasara station. Maharashtra state run ST Busses are available to reach nearby place called Shendi from there you can easily reach Harishchandragad in local jeep transport.
Q: What is provided in meals/food at Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. The meal will consist of veg and Jain food options. Rice, Chapati, Daal, seasonal veg, salad. For breakfast Poha and tea will be available. This basic home cooked food is prepared by local tribal villagers. Restaurant and Hotel food is not available at Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival.
Q: Is drinking water provided?
A. Yes, normal tap water for drinking is provided free of cost to all participants. Also you can purchase bottled water at the base village
Q: Is alcohol allowed during Fireflies Festival?
Ans. No, Alcohol is not allowed at the Fireflies Event.
Q: Is washroom available at Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. Yes, we have washrooms available at base village. This is a basic workable washroom in a forest area of the 'Adivasi' village, it's clean and usable until people reach, beyond that, it purely depends on the participants on how they use it. It won't be like the ones you find in hotels or restaurants. This region is a tribal forest area and the washroom is in line with the village people. There are no washrooms on the trek route.
Q: How many people will be participating in Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. The final count of participant depends on the number of people booking/cancelling the event. Generally, the batch size is approximately 20 to 30 participants for Fireflies Festival.
Q. Can we pay in cash or instalment for Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. Sorry, we do not accept cash payments. Advance booking is mandatory with 100% payment. Bookings close once slots are sold out. Ideally booking needs to be done 4-5 days in advance.
Q. We are coming by our own vehicle, where should we reach?
A. You need to reach ‘Dogra Food Mall’ at the scheduled meeting time, the food mall is at 10 min driving distance from Kasara station. After this point cell-phone network coverage is bad and maybe our team wont be contactable on phone. You will be given exact map coordinates after you finish booking formalities. Open parking space is available near the base village at your own risk.
Q. Is Parking available at Harishchandragad Fireflies location?
A. No, Official parking lot is not available at the Harishchandragad Fireflies location. There is a open space where people park their vehicles. You may choose to park your vehicle at the given location at your own risk. Till date we have not encountered any issues related to parking.
Q: Will the Fireflies event be canceled if it rains?
A. As you are already aware that June is a rainy-season month and the fireflies events are organized in this month with a clear understanding that it may rain. The Fireflies event will not be canceled. Refer Points to Note section above for further clarification
Q: Which locations are available for booking Fireflies Festival 2025?
A. Out of the several locations for fireflies festival we have handpicked few best ones as mentioned below.
Best Fireflies Festival Camping Locations in Maharashtra
- Bhandardara Fireflies Festival
- Igatpuri Fireflies Festival
- Rajmachi Fireflies Festival
- Kothaligad Fireflies Festival
- Secret Location Fireflies Festival
- Karjat Fireflies Festival
- Prabalmachi Fireflies Festival
- Sandhan Valley Fireflies Festival
- Ghatghar Fireflies Festival
Q: What are the major problems faced by organizers during Fireflies Festival?
A. The Fireflies festival happens during end of may till mid June, and this is the worst time to go camping, But the fireflies are visible only in this season and camping is the only thing we can rely upon. Hence if the participants haven't read and understood the event details mentioned on this page, they might end up having unrealistic expectations from the organizers or they may expect this to be like the regular camping events. For example, at fireflies events food will be pretty basic, tents will have a Styrofoam mat, bonfire cant be done as smoke harms fireflies, if heavy rain or wind is expected then tents cant be pitched and we will have to move to a shelter etc. etc. Hence during enquiry phase we insist and almost force people to read-and-understand all aspects of Fireflies events Before-Booking. Yet some people just scroll through and ignore the Important Points, Terms, FAQ section and About-Us section. We cant guess what you already know and what you don't. So, we insist that you need to at least once reading event details to avoid any omissions. Even after all the efforts to educate the participants some still choose to be not aware of the facts and their unrealistic expectation causes lot of pain to the organizers.
Q: Can someone call me and read out the details on this page?
A. We at mischief treks have a strict condition, each participant who wishes to join our group needs to be aware of all the aspects of the event. Hence we have mentioned the details with utmost clarity and transparency on this page. We will not make phone calls to read out information that is readily available this page. We strongly urge you to refer to the provided resources before requesting redundant assistance. We do not verbally provide details on phone as it usually creates a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication. If something mentioned on this page is confusing, you can get clarity on chat by clicking on WhatsApp icon on your screen, we shall revert with written clarification to all the queries. To discuss things that are Not mentioned on this page we can arrange a callback from one of our Trek Leaders.
Q: What if my application to join is disapproved due to my behavior?
A. Its important to understand, if you are expelled or if you try to force yourself on us, your application will be rejected based on your unacceptable behavior. No refunds are provided in such case of expulsion or disapproval of joining.
Q: I have booked/paid for the event, is my booking confirmed for Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival?
A. No !, your booking can become invalid if you do not submit the "Most Important Details" required for emergency situations. This form needs to be submitted within 3 hours of receiving Booking Confirmation email. We do not allow anyone to the event until we have complete and authentic details of the person. This info is crucial in case of an emergency and is a mandatory KYC parameter. The link for the "personal details - KYC form" will be sent after you complete the booking instructions mentioned on the website. Submitting incomplete/incorrect/fake details in the form or not submitting the form will make your booking invalid and no refund will be provided in such case.
Q: Why is submitting emergency contact details and KYC information mandatory?
A. It’s a standard protocol and also part of guideline by local authorities. We are accountable for every Human-Body present at our event, and in case of any unfortunate event need to provide all relevant information about you to governing authorities. In order to comply, we have to take authentic information from you. Providing Fake/Incomplete information, or non-submission of the details will make your booking (paid amount) invalid and no refund will be provided in such case. You will not be allowed to participate in the event.
Q: Since when is cancellation policy applicable?
A: The policy is applicable for your booking immediately after you make the payment, irrespective of the date and time when you booked. The refunds/rescheduling requests will be processed based on the refund slabs mentioned in cancellation policy. The date and time of booking the event are irrelevant for calculating applicable slabs for refunds.
Q: Where can I see fireflies near Mumbai?
A. Around Mumbai, there are many destinations to spot Fireflies in Rajmachi Village, Siddhagad Wadi, Prabalmachi village, Bhandardara, Ghatghar, Kothaligad, Kondane Caves and Purushwadi, etc. We at Mischief Treks organize Firefly Festival at multiple locations like Rajmachi, Prabalmachi, Bhandardhara, Igatpuri, Kothaligad, and Mischief Treks Special Location.
Q: Where can we see fireflies in Maharashtra?
A. The Western Ghats are probably one of the best places to see these fireflies in action and here are our top 7 destinations. Rajmachi, Karjat, Bhandardhara, Igatpuri, Kothaligad, Prabalmachi and Mischief Treks Special Location.
Q. Which is the Official website for online booking Harishchandragad Fireflies Festival 2025?
A. The official website for Online-Booking of Fireflies Festival 2025 at Bhandardara, Karjat, Rajmachi, Igatpuri, Kothaligad, Ghatghar, Samrad, Secret Location, and Prabamachi is https://www.mischieftreks.com
Online registration is available for Groups, couples, Family and kids.
- 90% will be refunded if canceled 16 to 30 days (720+ hrs) in advance.
- 75% will be refunded if canceled 11 to 15 days (360+ hrs) in advance.
- 50% will be refunded if canceled 06 to 10 days (240+ hrs) in advance.
- 0% refund if canceled in less than 05 days (120 hours) of the event date and time.
- 0% refund if the participant drops out, misses bus pickup, or does not reach the meeting point on the scheduled date and time.
Rescheduling
- Rescheduling can be done free of cost if the rescheduling request is sent to us 120 hours prior to event date and time.
- If the request is sent in less than 120hrs, 50 percent of event charges need to be paid for cancelling the current booking, and then rescheduling it to a batch available on future date.
Refunds
- Refunds will be calculated and processed on basis of the slabs mentioned above.
- Refund amount will be transferred 24 hours after event date and time.
- Refund Credit will be received at your end depending on your mode of payment. Credit card refunds take 5-15 days to reflect on your statement. UPI refunds are generally credited to your account within 2-3 hours by your bank.
If the event itself gets canceled, you will be given the option to switch to any other event or any other date, Or you can opt for a 100% refund. If you need to reschedule your booking to any other available date, it can be done free of cost if the rescheduling request is sent 120 hours prior to the trek. From 0hrs - 120 hours prior to the trek date and time free rescheduling is not permitted. It will be counted as cancellation done in less than 120hours of the event date and time. It's a humble request, please do not give medical reasons, crib, argue or try to blackmail us if you drop out or cancel/reschedule the trek in the last 5 days.
Logic and Reason: The basis of the cancelation policy is to protect the participant and the organizers from undue financial losses arising out of unforeseen situations. If the event gets canceled due to the medical/personal emergency of the organising team member, the participants will not have to suffer financial loss. Similarly, if there is a medical/personal emergency at the participant's end, the organizing team will not have to suffer financial loss.
