Mumbai

Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide

Name: Mumbai Elephanta Caves Private Half-Day Tour including Guide
Brand: Mystical Mumbai
SKU: 10591P8
Price: 105.00 USD
Rating: 4.5 (127 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceMumbai, India

From $105.00

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

4 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Rewind to Mumbai’s pre-colonial days on a private half-day tour of the Elephanta Caves. With a private guide, ride a ferry to Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbor, and explore its UNESCO-listed caves and rock art, believed to date from the 500s. Explore the main Shiva Cave with its huge sculptures of Shiva and Hindu mythologies, and admire the smaller Buddhist caves as your guide shares their history. Ferry and entrance tickets at own expense and option to include a family lunch.

Private half-day Elephanta Caves tour from Mumbai
Catch a public ferry to see the UNESCO-listed ‘City of Caves’ on Elephanta Island
Tour the main, Shiva Cave with its giant Hindu rock statues of Shiva, Nataraja, and Yogishvara
Explore other Hindu and Buddhist caves, filled with statues and reliefs of religious scenes
Discover why the caves were carved, and the symbolism of their rock art
Personalized attention from a private, professional guide

What's Included

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

Hotel pickup & dropoff by airconditioned vehicle (available for extra charge of USD 40 for 1-4 pax)
Gratuities
Any other meals or drinks

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Regal Cinema
Colaba Causeway, opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Meeting point or pickup from your accommodation with extra charge

What To Expect

Elephanta Caves

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Gateway Of India Mumbai (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Minimum age is 10 years
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
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
Near public transportation
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

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

127 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 127 reviews

This was an incredible...

Sarah_K, Apr 2024

This was an incredible experience! Our guide lived on the island, was very knowledgeable, and helped us capture so many great photos along the way! Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We can’t wait to share your 5-star review with our team. They’ll be thrilled!

Tour was canceled, but the back-up plan was excellent

Tami_U, Mar 2024

Unfortunately, the tour to the Elephant Cave was cancelled, because the ferry was cancelled due to the visit of the President Modi to Mumbai, but this tour company offered an excellent back-up plan for me. They let me join the Dharavi slum tour, and I enjoyed it a lot.

A Must See in Mumbai!

Michael_W, Feb 2024

The caves are phenomenal. They are a must see in Mumbai. Sameer is a great guide and very knowledgeable. He takes great photos as well. I had a fabulous time! Note: There is a hand-off from the Mumbai side, and then you meet the guide on the island.

A great day to Elephanta caves

Kenneth_f, Dec 2023

A great day seeing Elephanta caves. Our guide Raj was great. Mukesh our driver was wonderful - such a delight to talk to and be around. Both locals who know so much of the area. The ferry ride to and from was so enjoyable, socializing with Indian families. Keep in mind - a lot of stairs - but you can be carried up and down like a king or queen so no worries. Wonderful local lunch. Great day. Recommend highly

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thanks for your 5-star review! We sincerely appreciate your feedback.

Totally worth the lost sleep, highly recommended!

ShekoSusan_K, Dec 2023

This tour was amazing and I recommend it to everyone who wants to understand the organized chaos which makes Mumbai so special. Tvishi was one of the most informative and fun guides I have had. She made this early morning adventure a true cultural learning experience. It's worth getting up before the sun.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Amazing feedback. Thank you so much for giving us 5 stars!

This was on 18 February...

Paula_V, Oct 2023

This was on 18 February 2023. I bought tour to Elefanta, private and in Spanish. They charged me USD 95 (a lot) for one person. When I had the tour, it was not a private tour, it was shared with other three people who paid for a better tour much more cheaper. Even worst, there was no guide speaking Spanish, so the tour was in English. I felt cheated. The guy in charge told me they solve the situation, however, nothing happend until now.

Great Caves

Pamela_S, Feb 2023

Loved learning about Hindu dirties and seeing the gorgeous statuary/caves and Taj Hotel. Ferry ride out—1 hr each way—is a bit of a haul.

Great local guides.

Denise_T, Jan 2023

Skipped the lines with a wonderful guide who then transferred us to another guide who was born in Elephanta and knew all the history. He also took some amazing photos of the family, braving the crowds.

Mystical Mumbai Tours Unreliable.

Amanda_P, Nov 2022

Tour guide kept delaying so we cancelled. We only had 3 days in Mumbai. Scheduled a 9 am tour with Mystical Mumbai Tours. Contacted company day before to confirm, and agreed to their request to move tour to 0930. We were contacted again to change tour time to 10 and we said no, because we had plans for afternoon. Arrived at mtg place and no guide. He kept texting 10 more minutes. When he said he’d probably be there at 10:20, we cancelled and headed off to ferry on our own. Requested company refund our 190 USD (very high amount compared to other tours and didn’t include standard hotel pick up/drop off) and owner did not agree to refund money until we threatened to contact our cc company to report him for fraud. Used Amaze Tours day prior for a city tour and had a perfect tour which included a guide and a driver for a lot less. Wrote review because had we known company lacked reliability, we would have booked with another company. Elephanta tour ended well for us, after we got off ferry we found a wonderful guide (Avi), an island resident, who gave us a tour for 50USD, so a savings of 140 USD.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

I’m sorry to hear about your experience, Amanda. I appreciate you reaching out and am sorry to learn that our customer service has fallen short of the level you deserve. It sounds like we missed some critical information when processing your insurance coverage for this visit–please reach out to us so that we can make it right. It’s also unfortunate to hear about the delay in tour departure time due to Major accident on the road and stuck in traffic. We also provided full refund and will be credited 2-3 working days Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback with me – we take all reviews seriously and will use them in our continuous improvement efforts!

Highly recommend

Jason_S, Oct 2022

This was a great experience. It is a 1 hour boat ride that can be out in the sun so bring your SPF. Sameer was our tour guide on the island and he is a native to the island. He was friendly, knowledgeable and took great photos of us. Anthony was our guide on the boat and he was friendly and knowledgeable about the city. Overall this was a great knowledgeable tour.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

"Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review."

Trip to Elephant Caves

mayaelizabethmann, May 2022

I’ll be honest, you don’t need to book a tour to visit the caves. You’ll also have to pay for the ferry ride and entrance separately so I do think it’s a bit expensive. That being said, Sameer and Anthony were brilliant, kind and just the best so if you do decide to go ahead and book a tour to the island, do go with them. Thank you both for being such good sports and kind people.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry you had a bad experience. We'll strive to do better. ”

My time on Elephant Island…

Gregory_C, Mar 2022

This was an incredible experience, and the driver and the guide did such a great job of meeting me and taking care of all needs for the day. Sameer Mhatre is one of the most knowable guides I have ever had. Such a wonderful man! We explored the caves and he not only made me aware of all of the history, but was able to answer all my questions. I could highly recommend this tour, and Sameer was GREAT!!!

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Thanks a lot for writing review !

Tour worth visiting

Teri_F, Feb 2020

Tour was very informative, the ferry ride was very calming and a different view of Mumbai from the water and the price was right. The guide on Elephanta was very professional and personal, taking pictures for us and showing us the best place to shop.

Response from Host, Feb 2020

First of all ,Thanks for taking the time to writa a review and sharing your experience to other.We appreciated it.Hope see you again.Thanks again

Good Experience

Peter_T, Feb 2020

The caves are definitely worth a visit. The caves are beautiful and the guide was knowledgeable. Speaking of guides, I was expecting one guide to accompany my group, but instead you get passed between guides (one to get you on the ferry and the other on the island). Having a guide on the ferry (70 minute ride each way) to point out landmarks and tell you about the history of Mumbai would have made this a 5 star experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2020

Thank you for the time that you have taken in providing a feedback of your tour with us. We are pleased to note that you enjoyed with us.

DO NOT BUY A GUIDE 3000 per person for 5 min!! COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY

yesheytsogyal, Feb 2020

COMPLETE RIPOFF! DO NOT BUY FROM THIS! YOU DON'T NEED A GUIDE UNLESS YOU ARE DISABLED OR SOMEHOW INCAPABLE OF HAVING ANY KIND OF COGNITION OF THE THINGS AROUND YOU. I am a travel agent (Bhutan Yodsel Tours and Treks) and wanted to check out few touristic sites in Bombay. I ended up paying 7000 for a guide (3000 per person) for a 5 minute explanation of the Elephante Site. AND this is just for the guide!! You will haev to pay ferry : 220 (ferry fees) 60 + 10 (entrance fees if you are regional) 400 (for foreigner) What I recommend is to read up on the site before you leave! The statues itself was pretty incredible, but not worth 7000++

Elephanta Island

steverusty957, Feb 2020

It was wonderful hearing about the history and stories of the caves, statues. Even better was the lunch with a village family. A truly authentic experience. Absolute highlight

Response from Host, Feb 2020

Thank you so much for your lovely review.

Great experience

Laura_W, Jan 2020

Really interesting place to visit and had a great guided tour of the caves. The boat trip over was really lovely too; I really enjoyed the experience. The tour guides met us at each point so although there were different people to get you to and from each point, the process was smoothly done - I’d definitely recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Feb 2020

thank you for your detailed description and feedback of our tours. We really appreciate these reviews

Great Tour and Guide

sarahderbymurphy, Dec 2019

Loved this tour and the personal touch of having it done by a local! Our tour guide was born and raised here and knew not just the facts but many personal stories as well. It was a great tour and would highly recommend!

Response from Host, Dec 2019

Thank you so much for writing a review. our guide always try to give the best and thanks for highly recommending us.

Definitely a trip to make if in Mumbai

judyikeda, Dec 2019

I booked this trip via Viator and was in contact with Mystical Mumbai. Shailesh was very helpful and the trip overall was excellent with Anthony as the guide to bring me (just by myself) to Elephanta Island and then I was greeted by Sameer who is a local on the island and is very well-versed with the history and each statue’s background. Plus Sameer is a great photographer and helped took wonderful pictures of me. I definitely recommend this trip which ultimately took half a day.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are glad that you really enjoyed the tour and we would really appreciate if you recommended this tour to your family and friends.

Driver's knowledge

Victoria_Q, May 2019

Guide has a very good knowledge of the Elephanta Caves. He also took us to his village to visit his home which was very interesting.

Response from Host, Jun 2019

Thanks alot for writing a review