Overview

 

Get a look at the culture and history of Mumbai on this private tour to diverse relics of Mumbai's past. With your expert guide, visit Mani Bhavan, a mansion where Gandhi lived and conducted political activities while visiting Mumbai. Then, explore Dhobi Ghat, considered the world's largest open-air laundromat, where age-old techniques of hand washing have been passed down from generation to generation. You’ll also drive through Malabar Hill, an upmarket residential area, and enjoy great views of the city's landscape, all while enjoying interesting commentary from your guide.



Tour Briefing:

 

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in the morning or afternoon and driven by comfortable private vehicle through Malabar Hill, an upmarket residential area offering spectacular views of the city and its vast surrounding landscape. On the drive up to here, see a Jain temple dedicated to Adinath (no entry), the first Jain tirthankara (religious savior), and pass the Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park. Continue to Mani Bhavan, once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi during his visit in Mumbai.This famous site was visited by Martin Luther King, Jr and Barack Obama. With your guide, explore the beautiful two-story structure, which now houses a vast library, a photo exhibition and a diorama depicting the Mahatma's life, as well as well-preserved memorabilia including an old charkha (spinning wheel) that he once used. (Please note that the library is closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month). Learn how Mani Bhavan was where the Quit India Movement was conceptualized in 1942. Continue driving approximately 15 minutes to visit a unique feature of Mumbai, Dhobi Ghat, considered the world’s largest outdoor laundromat. Learn how a dhobi is a traditional laundryman who collects people’s dirty linen, washes it and returns it neatly pressed to their doorsteps. Explore the seemingly endless rows of concrete wash pens. Witness how the clothes are soaked in sudsy water, thrashed on the flogging stones, tossed into huge vats of boiling starch and hung out to dry, and then see the laundrymen ironing and piling the clothes into neat bundles.On the way back to your hotel, drive past Victoria Terminus, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and pass the Gateway of India, built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to Mumbai. Throughout your tour, your expert guide will provide interesting and informative commentary about the places you visit and can answer any questions you may have..