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Mumbai Culture & history

Our most recommended Mumbai Culture & history

Mumbai: Private Day Tour with Elephanta Caves

1. Mumbai: Private Day Tour with Elephanta Caves

Explore Mumbai's most stunning locations and tourist attractions in this eight-hour tour with an English speaking guide. Start the day with a pickup and head towards the gateway of India for the ferry to Elephanta Caves. Enjoy the must-see destination for history lovers.  After an-hour ferry ride climb 120 steps to the plateau where the caves can be entered. There are seven major excavations in the area, and you'll be able to explore the history behind the artifacts and structures found inside. Explore the hall which is supported by huge pillars and this masterpiece of 6th-century architecture.  Discover 3 caves and learn about India's religious history. Each cave has a unique feature: one is a large Hindu Cave, the other is a Buddhist cave, and the final one is a cave dedicated to the God Shiva with a massive three-headed Shiva sculpture. After the Elephanta Caves, go back to explore Mumbai, starting with the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gate Way of India.  Head to the UNESCO World Heritage Site and see the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Train Station. Continue towards Crawford Market, a British era market that has been standing for over a century and a great place to see an array of spices.  Visit Mahatma Gandhi's residence (Mani Bhavan) and head to Malabar Hill to witness the Banganga water tank and take a breathtaking view of the Queen's Necklace below at Kamala Nehru Park. On your way back see another spectacular panorama along the marine drive and visit a temple in Mumbai. Before ending the tour take a train ride with the Mumbai train and experience what the locals call the lifeline of Mumbai. Your guide shows you Dhobighat, a colorful landmark outdoor laundry where hundreds of workers wash and dry huge quantities of clothing. Your tour will end by driving back to your hotel by taking all the extraordinary memories along with you.

Mumbai: Private Bollywood and Dharavi Slum Tour

2. Mumbai: Private Bollywood and Dharavi Slum Tour

Discover the true colors of Mumbai on a tour of Bollywood City and the Dharavi slum. Learn Bollywood dancing during a dance performance, and go beyond stereotypical slum beliefs on a slum tour that will inspire you in your own daily life. After pickup from your accommodation in Mumbai, set off to explore the city by air-conditioned vehicle with your English-speaking guide. Hear about Mumbai’s place as India's largest city and home of the Bollywood movie industry, and receive thorough explanations about special effects in Bollywood City. See Bollywood cafés, a Bollywood costume gallery, and the Bollywood Museum. Enjoy a Move for Dance Show based on the film, music, and dances of Bollywood films, a combination of formal and folk Indian traditional music and dance traditions fused with Middle Eastern techniques. Admire the unique energetic style of the groups of dancers as they perform 5 Bollywood dances, and get a chance to learn alongside them by having a dance yourself. After the Bollywood part of your tour, continue to Dharavi slum and explore the real Slumdog Millionaires. Feel a sense of adventure as you pass through the narrow alleys in the second biggest slum in Asia and the third biggest in the world. Feel, also, the strong sense of community and the special spirit that exists here. Don't expect to find extreme poverty on your walk through Dharavi. In fact, discover a wide range of activities in the legendary mini-city, including a plastic recycling center, leather works, pottery workshops, and places where poppadums are baked. See the schools and churches used by the residents and the places where soap is made, before concluding your tour with drop-off back at your accommodation in Mumbai.

Mumbai: Bollywood Studio Half-Day Tour

3. Mumbai: Bollywood Studio Half-Day Tour

Marvel at the amazing world of Indian films on this half-day tour of a Bollywood studio as you step into the magical, mesmerizing world of Indian TV and cinema. See the film sets, learn about Bollywood movies, and watch a live dance show that you can also join. Start your day with a pickup from your hotel, then head to the Bollywood studio complex where you'll learn about how the movie industry in India works. Walk around the lot and see sets from famous films as your guide provides insight into the filmmaking process for Bollywood movies. Get the chance to see a live shot for an actual movie or TV series, followed by a special Bollywood dance show in which you may also take part. If time permits, and actors agree you might even be able to get a photo with the actors and actresses. As your tour ends, drive past some of the Bollywood celebrities' opulent homes on the way back to your hotel.

Elephanta Cave Tour with Bollywood Tour

4. Elephanta Cave Tour with Bollywood Tour

This 8-hour tour takes you from Mumbai to the rock art of the Elephanta Caves of Elephanta Island. You will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Gateway of India at Mumbai. From here, cruise by boat to reach the Elephanta Caves. On your arrival at the island you will proceed to the Elephanta Caves which contains a collection of rock art linked to the sect of Shiva. At Elephanta, Indian art found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly in the huge and high reliefs of the main cave. There are seven cave excavations in the Elephanta group, all carved from solid basalt rock and dating from approximately the 6th through to the 7th-Centuries AD. Among the cave excavations, Cave 1 is the most impressive, representing a superb example of evolved Brahmanical rock-cut architecture. The full-day tour showcases all aspects of Mumbai, from the city’s narrow geographical layout, its coastline, the neighborhoods that make up the city, the old heritage district, the old commercial and residential districts, the up-and-coming areas, and the movie studios of Bollywood. This is an ideal opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Mumbai, and to experience the phenomenon of Bollywood.

Mumbai: Full-Day Private Sightseeing Tour

5. Mumbai: Full-Day Private Sightseeing Tour

Book yourself a private full-day tour to visit Mumbai's most famous landmarks. Settle into your air-conditioned car as your local guide takes you from one stop to the next, offering fascinating stories of Mumbai's past and present. Savor a simple local lunch, delivered to you by the efficient system of the Dabbawallahs, a hot lunch delivery service on bikes. Start off with a convenient pickup from your hotel. Drive to the Gateway of India, the arch monument overlooking the Arabian Sea. Spend some time walking around and taking pictures, while your guide also introduces you to the significance of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel located nearby. Stop at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a magnificent Gothic-inspired UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dhobi Ghat, the world's largest open-air laundry, is an interesting place to visit and learn about a unique community of people. The tour also visits Mani Bhavan, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and his political work in Mumbai. Drive around the peaceful, leafy neighborhood of Malabar Hill and make a quick stop at a local temple. Your tour takes you to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (or the Prince of Wales Museum), where you can make an optional stop to explore India's historical past and culture. End a memorable day with a pleasant evening spent at the Marine Drive, before being dropped back to your hotel.

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Elephanta Caves

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What people are saying about Mumbai

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 121 reviews

This was an incredible experience. It was moving. Dave is extremely humble and kind, with an incredible wealth of knowledge. He also has a lovely sense of humour. Being able to see this island with someone who was raised there made it authentic. The village and the caves are difficult to describe, it’s something that must be seen. From taking a ferry, walking the earth, observing the architecture, seeing the peaceful way in which people live in unity, to hearing the ancient history of the place was all nothing short of incredible. Many many many thanks. Kavendren

A perfect combination between rural & urban places starting with the pleasant ferry tour to Elephanta island & the amazing caves. Very interesting explanations by David, our guide on the island. Back in Mumbai a fascinating and very dedicated private tour by Dinesh, our second guide which even included a short ride on the local train and a walk through the world’s largest outdoor laundry DhobiGhat. Highly recommended!

The guide at the caves was born there and actually lives there and gave a lot of interesting information and stories about Shiva, the god of the main cave. The Bollywood tour was a dream came true to see behind the scenes how the films are made. The guide and driver went out of their way to help me to join the night activity I booked, a food tour, in time, which I appreciated very much.

We had a great time on the tour. The guides were very knowledgeable and help with all our needs.

Overalll we had a great day trip and would highly recommend them.