After pick–up from your hotel in Mumbai, travel roughly 3 hours in an air-conditioned private vehicle to reach Karla around 10:00 am. Take a walk through the impressive site, ascending 200 steep steps to reach the caves, excavated thousands of years ago from a hillside in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. The rock-cut shrines were developed for Buddhist monks to use during the monsoons. They featured chaityas (prayer halls) with intricate carvings, the largest of the rooms measures 148 feet and was created in the 1st century B.C. After exploring the caves, take a break to purchase lunch at a restaurant of your choice. Then head to the Bhaja caves, another religious site near the Karla Caves. At the end of a full day, drive back to your Mumbai hotel where your tour ends with a hotel drop off.