Dabbawala, Dhobi Ghat & Dharavi slum Tour with Local Train Ride
Description
Meet The Dabbawalas of Mumbai! For anyone who has ever been to Mumbai, the Dabbawalas are a special class of people who everyone knows! For the uninitiated though – Who is a Dabbawalla? The closest meaning of the dabbawala in English would be the “lunch box delivery man” >Dhobi Ghat ( Open Air-Laundry ) (Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat) is a well-known open-air laundromat in Mumbai, India. The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai’s hotels and hospitals. There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Called the world’s largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists. >Why Dharavi is the heart of Mumbai? ( Slum Tour ) Asia’s largest slum Dharavi lies on prime property right in the middle of Indian’s financial capital, Mumbai. Dharavi is much more than a historic area of Mumbai’s poverty. Most of these things are created innovatively, in very small spaces!
Tour Options
Itinerary
>TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: • Place where Slumdog Millionaire was shot • Leather Industries • Pottery • Making of soap • Bakery • Colour Dye • Small Alley • Schools & Hospitals • Houses in Slum • Plastic Recycling • Muslim people making a shrine for Hindus • Recycling of veg oil can • The most interesting thing, guides himself lives in slums • Slum market
>Dhobi Ghat ( Open Air-Laundry ) (Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat) is a well-known open-air laundromat in Mumbai, India. The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai’s hotels and hospitals. There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Called the world’s largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists. The word Dhobi Ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present. It is located next to Mahalaxmi railway station on the Western Railway’s Saat Rasta roundabout. It can be easily seen from the flyover bridge of Mahalaxmi station. In 2013, World Records India and World Amazing Records honored World Record Certificate to Dhobi Kalyan.
Meet The Dabbawalas of Mumbai! For anyone who has ever been to Mumbai, the Dabbawalas are a special class of people who everyone knows! For the uninitiated though – Who is a Dabbawalla? The word “dabbawala” in Hindi when literally translated, means “one who carries a box”. “Dabba” means a box (usually a cylindrical tin or aluminum container). The closest meaning of the dabbawala in English would be the “lunch box delivery man” Each day throughout the city of Mumbai, 5,000 of the dabbawalas deliver some 130,000 dabbas to offices throughout the metropolis. In the nearly 120 years of this service, the dabbawalas’ approach has remained consistent: a semi-literate workforce (the dabbawalas) pick up the filled dabbas from the households that prepare them and deliver the boxes to the requisite offices; they then retrieve the empty dabbas from these delivery points and returned them to the originating households, in order to begin the process again the next day.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(113)
Good guide, amazing place to visit, long tour with a lot of information. Full immertion in the indian culture and life style. Thanks a lot
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re glad you had a fantastic experience and enjoyed the full immersion into Mumbai’s culture and daily life. It’s great to hear that the guide and the tour made your visit informative and memorable. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon!"
Amazing experience, the guide (Hardhik) was informative, knowledgable and supportive.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re delighted to hear that you had an amazing experience on the Dabbawala, Dhobi Ghat & Dharavi Slum Tour with Local Train Ride. It’s great to know that Hardhik made the tour informative, knowledgeable, and supportive for you throughout the journey. Your kind words truly motivate our team to continue delivering meaningful and memorable experiences. We look forward to welcoming you again on another tour with Mumbai Dream Tours!
I haven't stopped talking to friends about the experiences from the tour. My local guide Bharti brought so much energy and knowledge to the tour, and with it being her home made you feel very welcome, ie. Not just feeling like another tourist with a camera. You will see a side of the world like no other doing this tour. Plenty of opportunities to get refreshments along the way, as it's Mumbai heat after all! Thanks for an unforgettable day out, Bharti. And for the recipe suggestions!
Thank you so much for your amazing review! 😊 We’re thrilled to hear that the Dabbawala, Dhobi Ghat & Dharavi Slum Tour with Local Train Ride left such a lasting impression on you. It’s wonderful to know you’re still sharing your experience with friends—that truly means a lot to us! Bharti will be so happy to hear your kind words. Her energy, local knowledge, and personal connection to the community are what make the experience so authentic and welcoming. We’re glad you felt more than just a visitor and were able to truly connect with the place. And yes, Mumbai’s heat definitely calls for those refreshment breaks 😄 Thank you again for choosing Mumbai Dream Tours. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience soon!
We had an absolutely fantastic guide with Abhi. He has delighted us very much with his extremely friendly and outgoing nature. He has responded fantastically to our questions. It has enabled us to fully immerse ourselves in the world of Mumbai. We have rarely had such a competent and at the same time friendly guide. He took us into his world and thus gave us very deep insights. Thank you, dear Abhi. When we get back to Mumbai, we will explicitly ask for Abhi at Mumbai Dream Tours.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re truly delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic experience on the Dabbawala, Dhobi Ghat & Dharavi Slum Tour with Local Train Ride. Abhi will be especially happy to read your kind words. His friendly nature, deep knowledge, and ability to connect with guests are exactly what we aim to offer through our tours. It’s great to know he was able to help you fully immerse yourself in the real life of Mumbai and provide such meaningful insights. Your appreciation means a lot to us, and we’re honored to have been part of your journey. We look forward to welcoming you back to Mumbai—and we’ll be happy to arrange Abhi as your guide again!
We had a small issue with the meeting point, but as I've experienced on other tours, it appears to be a viator and not a tour operator issue. It was fixed with a quick message to Viator and the exact meeting point is the ticket office at Churchgate train station. Rakesh was an excellent guide and provided a day of memorable experiences. All 3 activities were fascinating, as was the local train and taxi rides. I would definitely recommend Rakesh and the tour to anyone visiting Mumbai.
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review! 😊 We’re glad to hear that the small meeting point issue was resolved quickly and appreciate your understanding in this matter. It’s wonderful to know that you had such a memorable experience on the Dabbawala, Dhobi Ghat & Dharavi Slum Tour with Local Train Ride. Rakesh will be especially happy to hear your kind words—his knowledge and dedication truly make a difference in creating meaningful experiences. We’re delighted that you enjoyed all aspects of the tour, from the local train and taxi rides to the fascinating insights into Mumbai’s daily life. Thank you for your recommendation, and we look forward to welcoming you again with Mumbai Dream Tours for more unforgettable experiences!
A very interesting and eye-opening tour in Mumbai with many surprising moments. It was exciting to see the different side of the city and learn so many background stories and insights. At times, we felt like we were part of a documentary. Our guide Hardik was incredible warm, friendly and knowledheable and he made this tour something special. Highly recommended!
"Thank you so much for your amazing review! We’re delighted to hear that the tour gave you an eye-opening and unique perspective of Mumbai. It’s wonderful to know that Hardik’s warmth, knowledge, and storytelling made the experience feel so special and immersive. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again for more unforgettable experiences with Mumbai Dream Tours!"
Mumbai Dreamtours is reliable and surprises with authenticity. 19-year-old Yousuf presented me with almost 4 hours of India vibes and adventures, Dharavi is a very special place with great people! Thank you Yousuf, best man!
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such an authentic and adventurous experience with Yousuf. Dharavi is truly a special place, and we’re glad he could share its unique spirit and amazing people with you. Your kind words and appreciation mean a lot to us. Thank you for choosing Mumbai Dream Tours!"
We had a great experience with our guide Hardik. He was informative and interesting, and was excellent throughout from the train ride to the Dhabawallas, Dhobi Ghat and Dharavi. The insights he gave us into what was happening in Dharavi were particularly interesting. I would definitely recommend this tour with Hardik as your guide - you won’t regret it!
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great experience with Hardik. From the local train ride to the Dabbawalas, Dhobi Ghat, and Dharavi, we’re glad you enjoyed the journey and found the insights meaningful and interesting. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again for more memorable experiences with Mumbai Dream Tours!"
Hardik was an amazing guide. Very polite and respectful. He has complete knowledge of the area, history and cleared all our doubts with a lot of patience. The pottery session was very fun. Overall it was a great experience.
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great experience with Hardik. His knowledge, patience, and respectful nature truly make the tour special. We’re also glad you enjoyed the pottery session! Your kind feedback means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again soon with Mumbai Dream Tours!"
Wonderful and instructional tour today with Hardip who is very knowledgeable and very charismatic. He explained everything and took us to his house in the slum where his family work and liver as potters. His mother made a special dish for us and we had a try on the potters wheel. A trip not to be missed.
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable and insightful experience with Hardik. Sharing local culture, family traditions, and authentic experiences like pottery truly makes the tour special. We’re so glad you enjoyed the warm hospitality and the homemade dish as well. Your kind recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again soon with Mumbai Dream Tours!"
