Monsoon Madness In Mumbai

Join us for a tour to remember as we go off the beaten track in Mumbai, one of India’s most famous cities! Our journey will take us into the heart of this fast paced metropolis experiencing the lives of the locals, checking out the awesome food and drink as well as the rich beach life and night scene. We will also have time to experience a Bollywood production so make sure you bring your dancing shoes! August is also during the monsoon season giving us a refreshing look at a very hot but super cool city...

Sunday 1 August 2021

• Morning arrival at Mumbai airport.
• Check in to hotel.
• After a time to relax and rest, we will meet at 2pm in the hotel lobby for our first tour of Mumbai!
• We will visit the After breakfast visit Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Place Hotel, Rajabai Clock Tower, Victoria Terminus, Marine Drive, Kamla Nehru Park, Hanging Garden, Gandhi Museum, Dhobi Ghat, and Kala Ghoda.
• After our tour we spend the evening in Chowpathy, the best place to test the best food of Mumbai, enjoying delights such as Pani Puri, Paw Bhaji and Dahi Kachori as well as checking out some of the best beach bars.

Monday 2 August 2021

• After breakfast we will enjoy a walking tour through the historic markets of south Mumbai which will give you a taste of real India!
• The wide streets and narrow alleyways are alive with activity. In front of colonial buildings and alongside temples and mosques, vendors shout from carts that sell everything from colorful birds and spicy snacks to flowers and Indian clothes.
• Our exciting journey will take us to the Crawford Market - the iconic market for shopping scented candles, exotic fruits, cake mold party wear and other accessories.
• Next up is the Mangaldas Market - well-known for its saris and fabrics followed by a visit to the Zaveri Bazaar, famous for jewellery and diamonds.
• Our next stops will have us experiencing the spice and flower markets where your senses will go into overdrive!
• After lunch will meander through the quiet lanes of Kala Ghoda interacting with locals and exploring lesser-known areas of Mumbai and gain local knowledge which can’t be found in any guidebooks!
• Late afternoon we start our bar crawl of Mumbai’s best rooftop bars and party late into the night.

Tuesday 3 August 2021

• Today we start our day early to experience the chaos as millions of Mumbai's working-class head out in the morning!
• We will ride the famous suburban train, hop on a classic red bus, cruise around town in a typical black and yellow taxi to discover Mumbai beyond the typical tourist sites!
• This amazing experience will give you an idea of the struggles and challenges felt by the working class as well as their unconquerable spirit.
• Another important part of today’s tour is the chance to learn firsthand about the Dabbawalla lunch delivery services!
• The Dabbawallas constitute a lunchbox delivery and return system that delivers hot lunches from homes and restaurants to people in Mumbai at work.
• This evening we will visit Chowpatty beach, enjoy the evening sunset as well as checking out the most popular beach snacks before heading off on a nightlife tour of this city that never sleeps, visiting most of the night hubs in Mumbai and having an opportunity to witness the charm and appeal of its electric nightlife...

Wednesday 4 August 2021

• Today we will visit the Elephanta Caves, an important tourist attraction outside of the large Mumbai metropolis.
• We will catch a ferry from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island to start our fascinating tour of the caves which contain a collection of rock art linked to the Sect of Shiva.
• Ancient Indian art found here is one of its most perfect expressions, particularly in the huge and high reliefs of the main cave.
• We will visit the seven main cave excavations, all carved from solid basalt rock and dating from approximately the 6th through 7th-centuries AD.
• After our tour we will take the ferry back to Mumbai to prepare for another action packed bar crawl throughout the city.

Thursday 5 August 2021

• Today we get off the beaten track again for a day of food discovery!
• Our day will consist of discovering the best specialty food shops, ethnic eateries, local restaurants as well as a glimpse of street food in Mumbai that no tourist will ever see!
• Afternoon at leisure to discover more bars in this fascinating city.

Friday 6 August 2021

• This morning we will head off on a Bollywood and drive to one of the nearby shooting spots, where you can witness the live shooting of many different upcoming Bollywood movies!
• We will see the stars practicing their lines or the director discussing scenes with them, the crew members preparing for a shot or the technicians preparing the sets.
• After this fascinating tour, we will enjoy four live dance performances where audience participation is welcomed!
• After lunch we will take an awe inspiring tour of Dharavi, one of biggest slums, made famous by the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
• Dharavi is one of the largest informal settlements in the world. The 500-acre district, established in the center of the city in the 1880s during the British colonial era, is home to a tight-knit community of about a million people, many of whom produce textiles, leather crafts, and handmade pottery for a thriving informal economy.
• Our tour will give is an insight into daily life and show how residents use their ingenuity and creativity to reside in an otherwise challenging socioeconomic environment.
• After our tour we will join the locals watching a Bollywood movie in a local cinema!
• Our tour ends with spending the night in a house in Dharavi with a local family of 16 as well as discovering secret bars in this fascinating slum.

Saturday 7 August 2021

• After breakfast we will visit Vasai, a city to the north of Mumbai, found on the other side of the Vasai River.
• This city is full of colonial relics including the famous Vasai Fort which was built hundreds of years ago by the Portuguese.
• The afternoon will be spent learning how to cook special Mumbai dishes at a local restaurant where we will enjoy eating the finished products with copious amounts of Indian made wines!

Sunday 8 August 2021

• End of tour.
• International flights home.

TOUR COST: £899.00

What's included

• Air-conditioned private 12 seat minibus.
• Pickup and drop off from the hotel.
• Seven nights hotel accommodation.
• Twin sharing rooms.
• Breakfast.
• Local guide.
• Smiling Grape western guides.
• All applicable taxes.
• Fuel charges, parking fees, toll and taxes.
• Masks and hand sanitizers in the bus.
• Monument entrance tickets.
• Ferry tickets to Elephanta Caves.
• Entrance tickets for Bollywood Tour.
• Local bus and train tickets.

What's excluded

• International flights.

• Food and drinks.
• Personal expenditures.
• Tips.

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