Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide
4.5
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Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide
By Mystical Mumbai
About
Located on an island off the coast of Mumbai, the Elephanta Caves are rock-cut temples, some dating back to the second century BC. Learn about the legendary Buddhist and Hindu UNESCO-World Heritage Site—known as the “City of Caves”—during this guided tour, which covers the main temples dedicated to Shiva as well as smaller, off-the-beaten-track shrines. And because it’s a private tour, enjoy plenty of personal attention. The ferry and admission to the caves are at own expense and there is an option to include a family lunch.
from $95.00 per adult (price varies by group size)
$85.50
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 10-99
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
German, English, Spanish
Highlights
- Informative guided tour of Elephanta Caves
- Enrich your visit with detailed commentary on the UNESCO-World Heritage Site
- Travel with your guide from Mumbai port for added convenience (tickets own expense)
- Explore smaller, more remote caves as well as the main attractions
- Governement approved Licence Guide (English, Spanish or German speaking depending on option selected
- Local Family's home Lunch (Only if Lunch Inclusive Option Selected)
- Elephanta cave Entry fees
- Ferry to Elephanta Island
- Elephanta Village Tax
- Toy Train Ticket
What's not included- Hotel pickup & dropoff by airconditioned vehicle (available for extra charge of USD 40 for 1-4 pax)
- Gratuities
- Any other meals or drinks
- Entry/Admission - Elephanta Caves
- Disembark with your guide on Elephanta Island after a short ferry ride from the Mumbai port. At this bonafide open-air museum, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures are displayed within cavernous shrines, well-preserved despite centuries of worship. Learn about the long tradition of Hindu worship that ended with the beginnings of Portuguese colonial rule, and explore smaller, off-the-beaten-track Buddhist caves away from the main sights. Wander at your own pace through the spectacular rock-cut architecture and come face-to-face with timeless icons, like a 20-foot sculpture of Trimurti, or the three forms of the Hindu cosmos. Listen to detailed commentary on the Hindu pantheon of gods, including Shiva, who occupies a place of honor in the largest cave. At the end of the tour, return to Mumbai or, if you've selected the option, head to a family lunch for a delicious meal.
- Departure details
- Traveler pickup is offered.
- Meeting point or pickup from your accommodation with extra charge
- Regal Cinema, Colaba Causeway, opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India
- Airports:
- Mumbai Airport, Maharashtra 400099, Mumbai India
- Ports:
- Alexander Dock(Green Gate)
- Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 10591P8- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Minimum age is 10 years
- No strict dress code is enforced at tour sites. However, please be advised to dress accordingly for places of worship; spaghetti straps and short shorts are not recommended
- A moderate amount of walking is involved; comfortable walking shoes, and sunglasses/sunscreen are highly recommended, as well as a hat or scarf for ladies
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- prices for English,Spanish and German are different
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide on Tripadvisor
- How much is Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide?
- Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide price starts from $85.50. Discover and book Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide on Tripadvisor
- What is the Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide cancellation policy?
- Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide?
- Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide is hosted by Mystical Mumbai. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Mystical Mumbai on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 10591P8
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- You'll start atRegal CinemaOr, you can also get picked upSee departure details
- 1Elephanta CavesStop: 2 hours - Admission excludedDisemark with your Tour Guide After an hour long boat ride to Elephanta Island from the Gateway of India, explore the magnificent caves. The outer caves were used as a place of Hindu worship until Portuguese rule was established. The caves further in are smaller and are Buddhist caves. The main cave, otherwise known as the Shiva Cave, contains numerous carvings throughout depicting various aspects of Lord Shiva including his wedding, his slaying of Andhaka and more. There will also be a sculpture of the Trimurti in the main cave that is approximately 20 feet tall. Other wings of the caves have shrines dedicated to Shiva’s sons, Kartikeya and Ganesh. Book and explore this UNESCO World Heritage site with a guide from Gharapuri, which is a small village on the south side of the island.Read morePass byGateway Of India Mumbai
- You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
- tatianag34000Unique experience of diving into Indian culture and atmosphereWe enjoyed the tour with our guide Raj, he showed us around, told interesting stories and was there to help with any issue. Thank you, Raj!
- nazneenneela00Excellent serviceOur driver Mukesh was very humble, polite and punctual very honest and trustworthy .We would like to get him again in future
- HernanG_1200Real Bollywood StudioWe got to see how Bollywood really works, live shoots in studio and a brief review of it's history Thanks Raj for a great afternoon
- T8746SLpablog00Bombay good timeRaj was a very attentive guide, explaining the history of Mumbai on our way to the film studios. We got to see a live set and dance, alongside a few videos briefly explaining the history of Bollywood. If you want an in depth historical view of Bollywood this is not the place, but if you want to witness the reality of a day in the life inside a bollywood studio, then this is it. Drive to and from studio was around 1:15 HR each
- farimahd202300excellentour tour guide was so fun and nice and we had so much fun time with him , i will recommend him to everyone .
- RiyaadhM00Great tour. Even for solo travelersGreat tour. I am travelling alone. This was a good tour with a great driver and guide. Highly recommend this tour. Enjoy
- ahatn00Great time at Kaniheri caves in MumbaiThank you so much for taking me to Kaniheri caves in Mumbai. It was an incredible experience. The driver and tour guide (Dev) were awesome. Highly recommend!
- Koroxx00TopThe guide and drivers were nice, it was really interesting to discover different sides of Mumbai with this tour!
- 552kanel00WowI was short on time but they tailored the tour to suit me, great communication, guide/driver, a must do when in Mumbai 👍
- O6684HOellieg00Amazing tour experience, would recommend!!!The tour was fantastic, Mukesh was an amazing guide and driver, so funny and intelligent, he gave great insight into Mumbai and made the experience so interesting. As a solo female traveller it is often difficult to feel comfortable but Mukesh went above and beyond to make sure I was most comfortable and happy Mukesh is an amazing person, tour guide and driver and I am so lucky to have been on this tour, would definitely recommend as you can see all the sights in South Mumbai it truly is a full package experience. Definitely recommend and request Mukesh as your guide as he is truly fantastic at his job!!
- Amit G00Great experience, overall!!Professional and knowledgeable driver.. guided and took me to all the places including shopping wherever I requested.. love it!
- Mathieu C00DisappointedIt’s interesting to visit these parts of the city which makes us understand a bit more Mumbai and India overall But the tour was too quick and lacked informations and explanation. We would have liked a lot more descriptions about the economy of the slums, it’s people etc…
- sevlinee00Amazing and excellent serviceMr Shailesh is very helpful and fast response. The driver, Mr Mukesh is very kind, have a great knowledge of mumbai, helpful, good in english. Car is very clean, comfortable, always on time and always ask what we need eventhough the weather is hard due to the monsoon time in Mumbai. We dont feel any difficulties! We really had a good time. Hassle free since the airport pick up til the end of our time in Mumbai.
- wirley106600Excellent company very accommodatingTook this tour in January 2019 just never finished the draft review!!! By the time we (my daughter and myself) reached Mumbai we were running out of steam having done Delhi and the Golden Triangle and Goa in the days before. My daughter was tired and wanted to skip this tour and go and get her visa photos for her year long traveling meeting her boyfriend in Sri Lanka, so I called the tour company and asked if they would mind switching our tour to finding a photo store visa compliant and after a call to his boss they accommodated along with hotel pick up and taking us to a night spice market and for something to eat which was nice and safe.. so not the tour we booked but a savour to our problems.. thank you so so much
- sevlinee00Amazing!Mr Sailesh is very helpful. Mr Mukesh the driver is very kind. The car is comfortable, he is very polite, speak english very well, very helpful.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
91 reviews
Excellent
75
Very good
11
Average
1
Poor
2
Terrible
2
Madelyne O
1 contribution
Jan 2020
Nitin was super informative about the history of the elephant caves and gave us Americans the full private guided experience. He was kind, educated, and knew the area well. We felt at ease and comfortable while enjoying such a popular tourist attraction.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are glad that you really enjoyed the tour.
Written February 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ellen P
Jakarta, Indonesia428 contributions
I chose this tour because of its good review, & it really lives up to it. As a solo traveler who has never visited India before, I requested a pick up & drop off service on top of my package. I was picked up relatively on time at my hotel lobby. We arrived at the gathering point early, hence the guide has not arrived yet. The driver accompanied me until the guide arrived. Our guide, Muklis, is very polite & attentive. He led us to gateway of India, helped to take picture, & explained about many things during our 45 minutes ferry ride. At the island, we were led by another local guide who was born & stayed there. Apparently, that is the rule there. Since there were 8 people in our group, we were split into 2 smaller groups with 2 different guides. The guide obviously has lots of knowledge about the cave & share it generously with us. Upon finishing our trip to the caves, we were joined again by Muklis, who accompanied us back to Mumbai. Again, during the ferry ride, he shared a lot of interesting things about living in India as a local. When we arrived back in Mumbai, he made the effort to get taxi for those who did not order drop off service & accompanied me until I met the driver who took me back to the hotel. From beginning to end, it was a 5 star service. I highly recommend this tour.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
We just want to express our thanks for your amazing review! We're extremely pleased that you enjoyed your recent tour of Mumbai and we hope to welcome you again in the future.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your experience even better next time you join us!
Written February 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vj26
Rhosneigr, UK2 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
We had a fantastic visit to the caves from the moment we were picked up at hotel we were well looked after. At the caves we were met by our guidefor the day Shameer. I would highly recommend him. He was a great guide brilliantly spoken and very informative of the history on the island. Worth a visit.
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Hi.... Thanks for the review. Also thanks for the great day, we enjoyed doing the tour for you.
see you soon mumbai...
Written March 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kaye
Perth, Australia8 contributions
I was picked up from my hotel by Ankit. He escorted me to Gateway of India and on the boat over to the island where we met Sameer, my guide. He lives on the island with his young family. The caves were amazing and Sameer’s knowledge of the carvings and history added to the wonderful experience. He is also a very good photographer. The monkeys on the island were very naughty. Hang on to your water bottle!
Ankit escorted me back to the hotel and we enjoyed a lovely chat about other things to do in Mumbai where he is a guide.
Ankit escorted me back to the hotel and we enjoyed a lovely chat about other things to do in Mumbai where he is a guide.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Thanks for showing the interest in our tour. Also thanks for giving your precious time in writing the
review
Written February 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ettore
1 contribution
Oct 2022 • Friends
Interesting and positive experience, guided perfectly by Anthony and Krupesh that supported us on each step of the tour.
Krupesh, local guide of the island, perfectly explained the details of each single cave with passion and kindness.
The caves are wonderful and well maintained, on the island there is the possibility to buy local souvenir.
Anthony guided us from the hotel up to the caves, giving us great explanation and suggestion!!!!!
Thank you!
Really suggested
Ettore
Krupesh, local guide of the island, perfectly explained the details of each single cave with passion and kindness.
The caves are wonderful and well maintained, on the island there is the possibility to buy local souvenir.
Anthony guided us from the hotel up to the caves, giving us great explanation and suggestion!!!!!
Thank you!
Really suggested
Ettore
Written October 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
“We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us a 5-Star review.”
Written October 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Namrata S
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Solo
I had a wonderful day going to Elephanta Caves with private tour guides, Raj was excellent company all the way to the island and took great care of me throughout. Sameer, an island local, was my tour guide on the island, he showed me the beautiful carvings in the caves and explained each scene in in detail. He even took some really creative pictures for me! I had a great experience overall, definitely recommend!!
Written April 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Przem Pacucha
Loughborough, UK5 contributions
Jan 2022 • Solo
I booked this tour with very short notice 1h, but thy still managed to arrange everything. It is about 1 hour trip by boat to the island. I have received a very good guide from local man who knew everything about the tour and was very helpful. Guide English communication was good. The island and story behind is very fascinating and I recommend the tour if you have spare 4 hours. Bring also some spare cash for brilliant suvenires selling over by locals.
Written January 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Thank you very much for writing a review!
Written March 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charu M
New Delhi, India23 contributions
The caves were magnificent. On our way through ferry, we were surrounded by seagulls and felt amazing.
The driver, Mukesh and guide, Milind were polite and courteous. The guide had indepth knowledge on not just the history about the caves but also about the religion and culture.
Though I felt that the package was bit expensive, it was worth the price.
The driver, Mukesh and guide, Milind were polite and courteous. The guide had indepth knowledge on not just the history about the caves but also about the religion and culture.
Though I felt that the package was bit expensive, it was worth the price.
Written December 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Thanks a lot for selecting us
Written December 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stacey V
Springfield, IL15 contributions
The best reason to use this service is to have them set up and guide you through the process. We had just arrived in India and were figuring out how things worked. They had a wonderful driver pick us up from our hotel, guided us through the area near the Gate of India and to a ferry boat and then out to the island. Could we have done this by ourselves? Yes, you have to pay entrance fees for everything on this tour, but it was good having guidance in getting there.
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your review. will pass your your valuable review to our Guide and Driver. We are glad to
learn that you were happy with the overall services of our Tours.
Written January 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
T. R. Williams
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Solo
Excellent experience with fantastic customer service. The tour coordinator is very responsive and has everything well in order. The driver from my hotel was prompt and very courteous and informative. When I arrived off of the ferry at the caves, the tour guide met me and was extremely helpful. The tour guide constantly checked if I needed the washroom, water, food, had hand sanitizer, carried my bag, and was very informative and courteous (and… as it turns out, a pretty fantastic photographer).
Written March 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MysticalMumbaiTours
Thank you very much for writing a review!
Written March 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adventure650828
1 contribution
How long is the entire tour? I need to leave Mumbai to be in Pune by 5pm. Thank you- kros
Mi M
Greensboro, NC83 contributions
We were back to Gateway by 4 pm. Should be fine if you get earlier tour.
Maisgueuh
Nantes, France
Hello,
We cancel right after book by mistake.
We still waiting for refund
what's happening ?
Himang J
2 contributions
I learned that elephanta caves are shut because of repair....Therefore, lil unsurr whether the news is wrong or the available tour dates are errorneous
brendanledwith
cork2 contributions
Can we get a pick up from the seaport in Mumbai ,? we are on the celebrity constellation
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Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide provided by Mystical Mumbai
Product Overview: Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide
Prices From | $85 |
|---|---|
Number of Reviews | 91 |
Number of Photos | 92 |
Duration | 240 minutes |