Your journey exploring Mumbai’s cultural roots with an English-speaking guide begins at 9am at your hotel. Be sure to dress modestly and wear comfortable shoes to visit religious sites and spend the day walking (this outing is not recommended for guests with heart complaints or related medical conditions).
Take in an Arabian Sea view from Gateway of India, where your guide will reveal a few details about its design and construction. Your next stop is Prince of Wales Museum, where your entry fee is covered to marvel at nearly 50,000 artifacts from across the world and decades as far back as the Indus Valley civilization. You’ll continue to Mani Bhavan Mahatma Gandhi Museum with another included entry, and see the nearby Gandhi statue. Drive past the Hanging Garden, ornate Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk Square, and Victoria Terminus railway station to observe Mumbai's past mingled with the present. See more of the modern city driving past University of Mumbai, Rajabai Clock Tower, and Nariman Point. You’ll be dropped off at your hotel around 1pm, unless you’ve upgraded to the full-day option.
For the full-day adventure including Kanheri Caves, your guide will make recommendations for an authentic local lunch on your own around 1pm in the city center. After lunch, learn about the history of Buddhism in India as you make the 30-minute drive into Sanjay Gandhi National Park and to the entrance of the caves, where your tickets are included. As you marvel at the monumental former monasteries and their sculptures, you'll learn how monks lived, studied, meditated, and worshiped, andabout the Buddhist influence on India’s art and culture. After about three hours exploring the caves, you’ll return to your Mumbai hotel at approximately 6pm.