Private Dharavi Slum, Dabbawala & Dhobi Ghat tour with Transport
Description
Home to over 1 million people & overflowing with houses, recycling units and multi religious structures, “Dharavi” amazes its each and every visitor. This tour believes in breaking many stereotypes about the slums which lament them in bad light. With many small-scale industries, Dharavi is actually a big employment generator too for the common people. Watch Spirited “Dabbawala” workmen ferrying the Tiffin boxes of Mumbai locals, also watch the men in action at an open air laundry the “Dhobi ghat”.
Tour Options
Itinerary
10:00 Hrs The guests will be picked up by the Guide from the Hotel and drive to the Churchgate Railway Station where they will see the Dabbawalas disembarking the Dabbas ( Tiffins ) in the wooden cart from the Train. 10:30 Hrs At Churchgate station the Guest will see how the people stand in the Ticket Counter Q and take their tickets to reach their offices. Now the guests will escorted towards the platform to board the Local Train for Mahalaxmi Station. Local Train are the major means of transport in Mumbai. . This Tour will give you an opportunity to experience the Mumbai Local Train. We travel in First Class Compartment and will be traveling from South to North Mumbai when there is no crowd.
11:00 Hrs Guests arrives at Mahalaxmi Railway Station is served by the Mumbai Suburban Railways. The station is situated next to municipal dhobi ghats at Mahalakshmi, on the suburb of Mumbai. Most of the Dabbawalas get down at Mahalaxmi Station as all the Corporate offices are in this vicinity. Here the Dabbawalas sort out the Tiffin Boxes based on the markings on the Tiffins which is done area wise. A brief introduction here with the dabbawalas and their exact arrangements how the tiffin's are coded and distributed at the right place at the right time. The Tiffins are put on the Wooden Crate which carries 150 Tiffins and driven by 3- 4 Dabbawalas in different directions for delivery on the bicycle. 12:00-12:30 Hrs The Guests will escorted out from the Mahalaxmi Station. The guests will proceed to the Open Air Laundry firmly known as DHOBI GHAT. A unique feature of Mumbai, the dhobi is a traditional laundryman, who will collect your dirty linen, wash it, and return it neatly pressed to your doorstep. All for a pittance. The "laundries" are called "Ghats": row upon row of concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. The clothes are soaked in sudsy water, thrashed on the flogging stones, then tossed into huge vats of boiling starch and hung out to dry. Read more about Dharavi Dabbawala & Dhobi Ghat tour with Mumbai local train ride 2019 - https://www.viator.com/tours/Mumbai/Dharavi-Dabbawala-and-Dhobi-Ghat-tour-with-Mumbai-local-train-ride/d953-76234P89?mcid=56757
More than half of the citizens of Mumbai have to live in slums in order to survive in the costly mega city. “Dharavi”, has become a chosen spot for such dwellers and it hosts a whooping population of at least half a million. Many believe that tours to “Dharavi” become famous because of the success of the Oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. Our local slum guide shall take you through the commercialized area of the slum where many small scale cottage units / recycling units operate. Especially scrap / industrial waste recycling is a big enterprise in Dharavi and the locals scavenge materials from all over the city. Discarded materials are brought upto the little workshops for cleaning, processing and recyclling them, for example from old Aluminum cans to plastic chairs
drop back to your south mumbai/colaba hotel
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup preferably from south mumbai/colaba region hotels only. For other locations, kindly check with us for the supplement cost.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 18 years
Reviews(30)
Very happy with the tour and Sufiyan. Recommended
Dear Mr Michael, It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
We had an amazing tour with Shruti to the Dabbawalas, Dhobi Ghat and Dharavi, and she was fantastic. She spoke very clear, fluent English and explained everything in so much detail. Her knowledge was impressive — she answered every question confidently and gave us real insight into how everything works behind the scenes. What stood out most was how respectful and informative she was, especially in Dharavi. She helped us understand the community and businesses there in a completely different light. She was friendly, professional and made the whole experience engaging from start to finish. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Highly recommend!
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
We had the most incredible tour with Shruti visiting the Dabbawalas, Dhobi Ghat and Dharavi slums. From start to finish she was absolutely brilliant. Her English was excellent, which made everything so easy to understand, and she explained every detail with such clarity and passion. You could tell she was extremely knowledgeable — not just repeating facts, but truly understanding the history, systems and social impact behind everything we saw. The Dabbawala system was fascinating, and she broke it down in a way that made it simple yet impressive. At Dhobi Ghat she explained the entire laundry process step by step, and in Dharavi she gave us a respectful, insightful view of the community, the industries and the real story behind what people often misunderstand. She was warm, professional, patient with questions and made us feel completely comfortable throughout. It didn’t feel rushed at all — she made sure we really absorbed the experience. I would highly recommend Shruti to anyone wanting an authentic, educational and well-guided tour of Mumbai. She truly made the experience unforgettable.
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Sufiyan 👍 crear. Trip was amazing.
Dear Mr Maciej It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Sajid was an absolutely brilliant guide and made our day in Mumbai unforgettable. He took us to see the dabbawalas, Dhobi Ghat, and Dharavi with such knowledge and respect, bringing each place to life through fascinating local insight. Everything was perfectly organised, and he made us feel comfortable the whole time while giving us a real, authentic window into the city. We couldn’t recommend Sajid highly enough!
Dear Mr Kieran It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai's Dharavi area. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Excellent experience. An eye opener in many respects. It’s a must do tour in Mumbai. Sajid was excellent as a guide with a lived experience.
Dear Mr Sathyen It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Shajid was a great guide, helpful and informative. Very interesting tour, amazing to see the slums and be guided through the various areas.
Dear Ms Charlotte It was a pleasure to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Excellent in depth tour of the three areas of Mumbai very knowledgeable and friendly guide called Sajid Would highly recommend
Dear Guest It was an honour to arrange your visits in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Had an amazing tour, our tour guide Sajid was really friendly and very knowledgeable and helpful. Would recommend this activity
Dear Ms Kruti It was an honour to arrange your visits in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
This comprehensive tour took us to three places. First, the huge open air laundry which turns over a massive amount of cleaning each day. Secondly, the living area (workplace and residential quarters) of a “slum” area and, finally, the place where home-cooked meals are delivered to workers in the city in lunch boxes. Each experience left us amazed at what was being achieved and we felt we gained a better understanding of these aspects of life in Mumbai. The tour was enhanced by the knowledge and interest of our guide and the fact that we got around using local trains and buses. Highly recommend this tour.
Dear Guest, It was an honour to serve you in Mumbai. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again. Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
