Elephanta Caves Private Tour with Train Ride and Gateway of India From Mumbai
5 h
Private
By train
Instant confirmation
About this activity
After you are done with your breakfast, our chauffeur, will pick you up at 8:30am from your hotel to kick start your trip to the Gateway of India followed by the grand Elephanta Caves.
The famous monument, the main tourist attraction in Mumbai, the Gateway of India is decked with four turrets and its yellow basalt stone structure has delicate latticework carved in it. The structure exhibits the amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim architectures. To the opposite of this grand monument, stands the rich and famous Royal TajMahal Hotel. This hotel is a witness of priceless memories of this glorious city. The Taj Towers located near the hotel is another appealing building for its wonderful architecture.
From the Gateway of India, you will be taken by a ferry boat to the Elephanta Island. The ferry boat is a type of luxury boat which ferries you around the harbor and reaches you to the lovely Elephanta Islands after a journey spanning nearly one hour fifteen minutes.
Now that you have reached the Elephanta Islands, let us throw light upon the whereabouts of what you can expect to find here.
After you reach the island, you have the option of walking on foot or taking a toy train to the main attractions of the place. Elephanta Island is a serene and spellbinding land blanketed in calmness and peace. The island is covered with lush green trees and monkeys dotting the place. It is advised that you do not carry food while strolling around to prevent troubles caused by the monkeys.
You will have to walk approximately 120 steep steps to get to the entrance of the temple, after you get down from the toy train. You might take the pony services offered, if you do not want to toil climbing up to the temple.
Spread over an area of nearly 60,000 square feet, the magnificent Elephanta cave complex comprises of massive rock carved temples, dating back to the ancient 5th century. These temples are sworn in the name of Lord Shiva, in particular. You will notice skilfully chiseled corridors and chambers as you walk through the temples. Treading past each bend, you will also find intensely sculpted art forms. Various images are depicted in the engraved rock surfaces, fluted pillars, dedicated, skillful stone work and structures chiseled out of the huge rocks. Catch a glimpse of the magnanimous Shivalingam, situated at the western end of the temple.
After you have completed touring the outstanding and exemplary Elephanta Island, you will be ferried back to the Gateway of India at 13:30 hrs. From the harbor, our appointed chauffeur will drop you back to your hotel, marking the end of the memorable tour.
Note - The afternoon boat leaves at 2:30pm (last boat at 3pm) and will return back to the Gateway of India by 6pm.
Read more
Show less
The famous monument, the main tourist attraction in Mumbai, the Gateway of India is decked with four turrets and its yellow basalt stone structure has delicate latticework carved in it. The structure exhibits the amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim architectures. To the opposite of this grand monument, stands the rich and famous Royal TajMahal Hotel. This hotel is a witness of priceless memories of this glorious city. The Taj Towers located near the hotel is another appealing building for its wonderful architecture.
From the Gateway of India, you will be taken by a ferry boat to the Elephanta Island. The ferry boat is a type of luxury boat which ferries you around the harbor and reaches you to the lovely Elephanta Islands after a journey spanning nearly one hour fifteen minutes.
Now that you have reached the Elephanta Islands, let us throw light upon the whereabouts of what you can expect to find here.
After you reach the island, you have the option of walking on foot or taking a toy train to the main attractions of the place. Elephanta Island is a serene and spellbinding land blanketed in calmness and peace. The island is covered with lush green trees and monkeys dotting the place. It is advised that you do not carry food while strolling around to prevent troubles caused by the monkeys.
You will have to walk approximately 120 steep steps to get to the entrance of the temple, after you get down from the toy train. You might take the pony services offered, if you do not want to toil climbing up to the temple.
Spread over an area of nearly 60,000 square feet, the magnificent Elephanta cave complex comprises of massive rock carved temples, dating back to the ancient 5th century. These temples are sworn in the name of Lord Shiva, in particular. You will notice skilfully chiseled corridors and chambers as you walk through the temples. Treading past each bend, you will also find intensely sculpted art forms. Various images are depicted in the engraved rock surfaces, fluted pillars, dedicated, skillful stone work and structures chiseled out of the huge rocks. Catch a glimpse of the magnanimous Shivalingam, situated at the western end of the temple.
After you have completed touring the outstanding and exemplary Elephanta Island, you will be ferried back to the Gateway of India at 13:30 hrs. From the harbor, our appointed chauffeur will drop you back to your hotel, marking the end of the memorable tour.
Note - The afternoon boat leaves at 2:30pm (last boat at 3pm) and will return back to the Gateway of India by 6pm.
Included
- Driver/guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entry/Admission - Elephanta Caves
Not included
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Port pickup and drop-off ($30 surcharge)
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Tour will not operate during high tide,and Navvy day (from 1 Dec -5 Dec)
- Pick up time will between 8:30 - 09:00 AM
- If the Elephanta Caves tour gets cancelled due to a high tide, then the Kanheri Caves tour will be arranged.
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
65%
Original
25%
Reviews
You may also like
See all 17 Collections
Click to discover other experiences
See all
Collections
Bollywood
23 Activities
Collections
Other Caves
23 Activities
Collections
Kanheri Caves
14 Activities
Collections
Dharavi Slum
20 Activities
Collections
By Night
13 Activities
Collections
Gourmet
19 Activities
Collections
City Tour
42 Activities
Collections
Dhobi Ghat
9 Activities
Collections
Cultural & Heritage
20 Activities
Collections
With Local
13 Activities
The person who accompanied me to Elephanta was helpful. But he was not the guide. The guide was a local i.e. stayed in a village near the caves. Not sure how much historical accuracy there was in what he said, seemed to be a lot of stories he had heard growing up there. I expected a professional guide with historically accurate knowledge - which can then be leavened with stories and anecdotes.
The caves are certainly intresting and worth seeing. I had one guide to accompany me to the island, and another who was very good to show me round. I've given only 3 stars for this trip because the journey time is really very long, esp. if you have to be driven through the city to get to the ferry.
This was a good trip. We were picked up by taxi from hotel. The taxi driver got us onto the boat at gateway to India. You can actually get tickets pretty cheap from there. The cost of the trip included pick up, boat trip, miniature railway drive for 5 minutes and the guided tour. The guide met us on the island. He was good but you can get English speaking guides free provided by the Indian government. The guide was very informative though it was sometimes difficult to understand him. It is possible to do the same trip for a lot less money on your own though our hotel was a long way out and it did cover the pick up and drop off.