To start off your tour of Elephanta island, choose a pickup time that fits your schedule, though it’s best to get an early morning start. Take a beautiful, hour-long ferry ride across the bay from Mumbai to Elephanta Island, and begin your exploration of a labyrinth of caves, temples, and shrines with your own private guide. An elaborate system of man-made caves cut directly into solid basaltic mountains, the Elephanta Caves were used as sacred places of Hindu and Buddhist worship starting in the 5th to 7th century. Amble through the vast columns and arched colonnades, gazing at elaborately carved sacred shrines to deities.  The main cave, otherwise known as the Shiva Cave, contains numerous carvings depicting various aspects of Lord Shiva including his wedding, his slaying of Andhaka, and more. The most significant sculpture in the cave is the 20-foot-tall, three-headed Shiva, known as the Trimurti. Other wings of the caves have shrines dedicated to Shiva’s sons, Kartikeya and Ganesh, with similarly spectacular carved statues.  All the while, enjoy insightful commentary from a local guide, expert in the history of the Elephanta Caves, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism as a whole. After touring the magnificent island, you will be ferried back to the harbor. From there, your driver will drop you back at your hotel, marking the end of a memorable tour through over 1,500 years of history.

Known to many as one of the largest slums in Asia, Dharavi is Mumbai’s beating heart. Home to about one million of Mumbai’s inhabitants, its industries have an annual turnover of approximately $ 1 Billion. Learn the challenges of migrants as they settled into this community, their entrepreneurial stories and how to debunk the negative stereotypes of slums. For more insight, opt to have lunch as a family opens their home to you or go on a street walk tour to explore art. This walking tour takes care to be non-intrusive and community centric. Contrary to sensationalist media and films, Dharavi is an area of entrepreneurship, an estimated 20,000 businesses thrive here. Observe recycling, pottery-making, embroidery, bakery, soap making, leather tanning, poppadom-making and many more. Climb to a rooftop to get a view of the entire settlement. Navigate through the maze-like alleys and stop to talk to friendly locals. The tour will also visit the residential areas of Dharavi. People from all over India have come to live in Dharavi, making it a microcosm of India. This diversity is apparent in the temples, mosques, churches and pagodas that stand side by side. 80% of the profits from this tour are re-invested in educational community initiatives.