Mumbai City Tour with Ferry Ride and Dharavi Slum

Could have been better

Great tour agenda but use a different company. Our guide complained that we chose the 7:30am start time. He rushed through things. Company didn’t tell us Gerry wasn’t running due to holiday. Guide stayed in slums where he lived and sent us back with a driver- didn’t even see us back to finish the tour. 6-8 hour tour done in 4 hours. He even left us at a park for 20 minutes while he went to have breakfast.

Excellent tour with great impressions

My tour guide was very well informed and very flexible. He also took me to the points in the slums that interested me personally. Thank you Sunil for the great tour.

Amazing day tour of Mumbai!

We absolutely loved this tour! We were on a cruise and didn’t have a lot of time, one day, to see the city. Our tour guide Sunil picked us up from the port and we got into a nice 4x4 Jeep. We saw all the major highlights. Sunil was excellent, great English, young and fun! He made it very interesting. We had a blast running around the city with him. We HIGHLY recommend India Magic Tours when in India! They also reached out immediately to see how our tour was and for feedback. Thank you!!! Julie and Liz, USA

Itinerary not as promised so no Ferry ride and only 30 minutes in the Dharavi Slum

Got off to a good start - we were met on time at the Port from our cruise ship an initially had a goodd rive around Mumbai. However the traffic soon started building up - we went to the Indian Gate for the Ferry but this was a public holiday and we were told over an hour to get on the Ferry and despite having been picke dup at 8, we were heading to midday and still hadn't gone to the Dharvani Slum. So we told the guide we would miss out on the Ferry Ride. We then drove for ages right out to the North of Mumbai - it ould appear to drop our guide Lawrencs at home and the driver then had to run back to take us to slums to meet our slum guide. The traffic was awful and in the end we had to agree to only 30 minutes with the slum guide and not the 90 minutes we could have had, if the guide had stuck to the itinerary an taken us there first. We will go back to Mumbai - we will not bopok another trip with this company.

See the Key Sites in a Day in Mumbai, but some Caveats

We arrived to Mumbai by cruise ship. Our guide Hasim was easily to located and had a sign with my name written amongst all the other tour operators. Hasim, although nice and friendly, seemed to have limited knowledge outside of the script he was given. Granted, we were asking some questions that are harder to answer, such as, "what building is this?" as we drove past it, but even for the main sites we visited - e.g. a statute outside of the train station, he was unable to answer. I would think Hasim would appeal to a younger crowd who just want to be driven to the main sites and don't want to deal with taxis. We got the impression the driver knew more about Mumbai than Hasim, but couldn't speak English to convey. That being said, Hasim found a nice Bengali restaurant - Oh Calcutta! - and was always waiting for us. In other words, he did his job as an escort, but we didn't get a proper tour guide service. Also of note, there was no water offered and no ferry ride as part of the tour. For the tour of the slums, our guide Mahesh provided good details on the walking tour. I have visited Soweto in South Africa and favelas in Brazil and I can stay that Mumbai was a lot better than either SA or Brazil. I'm not sure if this is just the general state of the slums or just the portion we visited - the key highlight is one of the alleys you walk through was a filming location for Slumdog Millionaire. To be fair, the slum part of the tour didn't look much different from the rest of Mumbai - it's an urban jungle through and through. The driver did a great job navigating traffic. If you are looking for an all in one experience and just want to get to the major sites, Magic India is a nice choice, but there might be more cost effective options out there and I'm sure it depends on the tour guide you get.

Insightful, Thoughtful, must do tour

Today we toured the Dharavi Slums with our incredible guide Torab. He provided a very in-depth tour of Dharavi. He personally lives in and grew up in Dharavi. He took us through the different industrial areas, residential areas and Main Street markets. He was incredibly knowledgeable and showed the reality of this city, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit. I would highly recommend going on this tour with Magic Tours of Mumbai. It is a not for profit organization that hires college students who live in Dharavi part time, to help them afford school. Definitely do this tour!!

Mumbai at his best!

I was alone in Mumbai and so I decided to book this tour to have a "local guide". Overall a deep and satisfying tour, but Mumbai is nothing "exceptional" regarding monuments.Tour was absolutely great to understand the diversity and the mood of Mumbai! My guide was Vishal, a guy living in the Mumbai slum and my driver was Devraj. Vishal was absolutely great, full of information and kindness. Highly client oriented! Driver was 100% valued. Raccomended!

Wonderful trip in Mumbai

I booked the one day Mumbai city tour from Viator, it was a very nice experience to have the guild like Vishal and the driver Vikrant. They are very friendly and dedicated. And introduced me a lot during my trip. Although just one day trip, I almost had been to many Must-to-see places in Mumbai. And for the slum, it was really good place to go and I have learnt a lot from Vishal's guidance. I would love to thank you Vishal and Vikrant to give me this wonderful trip.

Great way to see Mumbai

We took the private Mumbai city tour which included a visit to Dharavi Slum, India's largest. We were picked up on time from our hotel. Driver and guide were both friendly and courteous and the car was clean and appeared in good working order. This was great way to see some of Mumbai's highlights and avoid dealing with traffic and getting lost. It is a big city with somewhat limited public transportation. While all the sites we visited were enjoyable, our 45 minute walk through the Dharavi slum was the highlight and very informative. Our guide, who said he lives in the slum, walked with us through different sections while explaining live in the slum. Although the living and working conditions are "challenging," it was not depressing and people seemed happy going about their lives. We debated about visiting the slum but are happy we did. You will need to decide for yourself. All in all a great day!

uncoordonated tour and messy

iI see same comment in previous review so how bad practices can stay. We have several guides uncoordinated . ferry boat was not included and we have to discuss to get it back. programme is sold but no one know it. We paid big extra for french guide but we got only for half of the programme , etc , etc

Mumbai city and Dharavi slum tour.

This tour is designed to satisfy the curiosity of people having to do the most of a short stay in Mumbai. It would do as well for a first time contact with that buzzing city.Thank’s to Rahul, my guide for the day, I had a glimpse on what lays behind that gigantic place. He guided me through time, history and key land marks, with his communicative enthusiasm.Knowledgeable and pleasant, he made me realize the complex equilibrium that exists in between the slums and the local economy. He drew me as well the opportunities and the realities, that lies behind the narrow passes of Dharavi.It has been a day well organized and well spent.

Excellent overview of Mumbai in a day

I was visiting Mumbai for a business conference and had limited time, and so was looking for a one-day overview of Mumbai. This an excellent option for anyone in the same situation. My situation became more complicated as a late minute business meeting was called, which meant that my one-day tour had to be scaled back to a 5 and half hour tour. My guide was Kirtan, who rolled with my changing circumstances really well and managed the time at each place so that I still got the overview without feeling rushed. The highlight for me was the Dharavi slum tour, which was an eyeopener of how the poorest eke out a living, in a entrepreneurial way, but the most desperate living conditions. I recommend anyone visiting Mumbai should find a way to visit Dharavi while they are there. Another highlight was Ghandi's house in a residential area of downtown Mumbai, which yielded unexpected insights into the life and times of the man. Overall, even though I missed some parts of the tour because of my changing business commitments, a very good tour with a very good guide.

A great day out in Mumbai

There is no way around the fact that the traffic is horrendous but you just have to put up with it. Great guide and driver - we pretty much covered the highlights. If you combine this tour with the slum tour plus the street food tour you will get a great understanding of this city. Well worth the money.

Spirit of Dharavi

My guide Furkan grew up in this slum and is a current resident. He was therefore extremely knowledgeable about the area. It meant a lot to him that I would leave with a good understanding of the area. He was passionate throughout the tour and took amazing care of me.

Great trip inside the culture and history of Mumbai

I was doing business in Mumbai and had a free day. We booked a tour at the last minute with India Magic Tours and got an excellent experience of the city with our guide Rahul Devaliya (Roy). He was friendly, enthused, and took us to an interesting mix of well-known sites, from the Gate of India and the Hanging Gardens, to more obscure ones, such as the Gandhi home and museum and the world's largest open-air laundry. The best stop was an improvisation, to a Hindu temple that had a music and dance celebration going on. We got to immerse in the festivities and meet a traditional dancer, who was resplendent in her outfit and took time before her performance to chat with us. These are the kind of experiences that I look for when I travel, getting out of the tourist bubble and immersing in the culture, and Rahul did a great job figuring out what we liked and adding spontaneity so the trip so it didn't feel canned.

Great customizable tour of all main Mumbai highlights in one day!

If you're going to Mumbai for a short period of time and you don't want to miss the city's key sightseeing spots, this tour is perfect for you - especially because it's private and fairly customizable depending on your interests. Having the tour of the Dharavi Slum included is definitely what differentiates this tour from any other. You'll get to see the real way the average citizen lives in the slums, and the sense of community that these hardworking and friendly people project. My tour guide Rahul was great in every possible way, kudos for him on being such a passionate and knowledgeable guide.

Mumbai in the Summer

The tour and tour guide was the best tour we have ever taken. Couldn’t have wished for a better experience.

Great Overall Experience

Roy was really thoughtful and insightful in giving the tour. He took me both to tourist locations and non-tourist locations.

Good and Interesting tour. You get...

<p>Good and Interesting tour. You get to see the very tough conditions that the people living on the Slum faces. Very educational!!!</p>

Mumbai in a day

We arrived in Mumbai at 8 a.m. Saturday by train, and had a flight departing at 11 p.m. I had previously booked the Mumbai Slum tour to fill in the time through Trip Advisor and India Magic Tours. We were met at the train station promptly by our guide Rahul. The driver was able to keep our luggage in the trunk during our tour. We spent the first couple of hours visiting the downtown British architecture, and "Miami Beach" before heading into the Dharvi Slum where Rahul lived. He was proud of this neighborhood of densely packed humanity. I think it is important to see how people get along in this environment. Slums are not like those in the United States. People are productive and positive and strive to make a living under tough circumstances. After lunch there at a nice, working class restaurant we booked a tour of Bollywood with Magic Tours because we still had about six hours to kill before we needed to get to the airport. Bollywood was interesting in that they let you onto the sound stage when they are filming a soap opera, and you can walk around the sets. My wife is a movie lover and thought this was well worthwhile, but I am not a fan of movies, and was less impressed, but we were dropped off at the airport in time for our flight back to the U.S.

Thorough Crash Course of Mumbai

What a wonderful way to see Mumbai when time is short. I feel like I got the highlights in under 8 hours and now know where I'd like to spend more time if I get a chance to come back. Vishal was a perfect guide. He provided a lovely mix of insights, opinions, customs and history. Anyone who gets him as a guide is in for a treat.

Overall an insightful and fun tour...

<p>Overall an insightful and fun tour, but nothing exceptional. Driver was great my actual guide - which seems to vary from tour to tour - seemed to just be along for the ride.</p>

We only had 1 day to see Mumbai and...

<p>We only had 1 day to see Mumbai and feel super lucky to have Rahul as our tour guide. It was great to have a native tour guide who is so proud of his city. He was able to accommodate us very well and it was super easy to schedule even though we booked the tour the day before. Having a private tour guide and driver is definitely the best way to see Mumbai and all it has to offer.</p>

A wonderful way to see several...

<p>A wonderful way to see several different worlds in a short period of time! Well worth the investment! There is no way one could see so much in such a brief period of time on one's own. I had a driver and a guide and both were friendly and highly professional. My guide, Rahul Devaliya was charming, considerate and well-informed and informing. He was particularly skillful as we toured the not-to-be-missed Dharavi Slum - a magnificent tour of a city within the city of Mumbai. HIGHLY recommend!!!</p>

Great trip of the city sights and a very impressive walk through the slums

My driver Mr. Pathak was already waiting by hotel way before pickup time, so there was no waiting at all which was pretty cool. Next we got to our guide pickup. His name was Roy and he talked all about the highlights of the city and we visited some nice spots. Also don't miss the street brewed tea. After the city tour we proceeded to a walk through a part of the slums. It gives a very aweinspiring view of what the people do here even though living conditions are often harsh.

The main part of this tour I booked...

<p>The main part of this tour I booked for was the Slum tour, and that was tastefully and sensitively done, with my guide clearly being familiar with several people and friendly with them. I liked having a personal tour, but having another peer to ask a question or two would have been nice too.</p>

I really enjoyed this trip, I...

<p>I really enjoyed this trip, I discovered many interesting Mumbai sites, the guide was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this trip.</p>

I read the reviews on line and...

<p>I read the reviews on line and though this was clearly the tour to go for.<br/> Unfortunately it did not live up to it's billing. For a start although the tour was claimed to be around 8 hours for me it was less than 7 hours. Several parts were missed. The part Take a ferry tour to get a glimpse of the coast of Mumbai was completely missed. The Lunch included was not, I was dropped of at a restaurant and told to call the guide when I was finished, so i paid for lunch. The Entrance Fee's included weren't, although it was only 10 rupee.<br/> The walking tour of the slums was 1 hour and after that i was taken back to the hotel.<br/> The driver, Mr Pathak, was very friendly, the guide also quite friendly</p>

This tour was awesome. My guide...

<p>This tour was awesome. My guide Kirtan was both entertaining and knowledgeable, and he was great about personalizing the experience for me. Our driver Mr. Pathak was also amazing, always on time, fun, and knowledgeable as well. I highly recommend booking a tour with this company, they really go out of their way to make sure your trip is perfect.</p>

Awesome day out in Mumbai, a great...

<p>Awesome day out in Mumbai, a great way to see the city highlights in one day. A fantastic guide at Dharavi and during the day, totally customisable tour to meet your needs. Also got the added bonus of trying a few famous local dishes! Highly recommended trip to anyone short on time in Mumbai and wanting to see as much as possible.</p>

very interesting tour really enjoyed it...

<p>very interesting tour really enjoyed it and the tour guide was very knowledgable thanks</p>

Tour was suppose to start at 9am...

<p>Tour was suppose to start at 9am. Got an email day prior to tour - said driver would be there 9:30am. We arrived in lobby at 9:15 and driver seemed irritated he had to wait. Slum Tour was good - very eye opening. It was a hot day so we were anxious to get in the car.<br/> City tour was just alright. We enjoyed the Ghandi museum most. Both driver and guides were on their phones constantly which we thought was rude. Decided not to get out of car at a few places because of the extreme heat. Can't control the heat, unfortunately.</p>

This was a most remarkable tour guided...

<p>This was a most remarkable tour guided by Kamlesh and driven by Pradeep. A safe driver in the tumult of Mumbai manic driving is essential and we felt safe all the time.<br/> We viewed many important sights including the Victoria Rail station, Dobbe Gaut, Monument Gate, Hanging Gardens, Mumbai University, Ghandi House, did some shopping and most importantly viewed both the commercial and residential parts of the slums.<br/> Kamlesh was very confident in this area and his advice, commentary and guidance was first class - we could not have been more pleased despite the sights one sees - this is real Mumbai and the tour is expertly delivered. Be prepared to have your senses assaulted but to leave knowing what life is like for the proud slum dwellers. This tour is very highly commended.</p>

The tour and the guide were both...

<p>The tour and the guide were both excellent. We wanted to try Pav Bhaji while we were there so he adjusted our tour so he could take us to a Pav Bhaji restaurant for lunch. Both the Mumbai and the Dharavi slum tours were good but I must say the Slum tour was an eye opener and our favorite tour of our entire 21 day trip in South East Asia.</p>

Toll

Ich kann die Tour nur jedem empfehlen die slums tour ist ein muss und gehört einfach zu Indien dazu Rahul war sehr nett und weis sehr gut über alles Bescheid.Nach der slum tour wurde dann die Stadt besichtigt Lawrence ist der beste Guide den ich je hatte in seinen Händen kann man nur gut aufgehoben sein wir hatten eine sehr schöne Zeit kann nur jedem die tour empfehlen....Grosses Dankeschön an Lawrence you made my Day big up for you 👌🙏😊 In liebe Romy aus Luxemburg ❤

Mumbai les favelas

J ai fait ce tour incroyable avec Raaj Ç était juste magique étant donné qu il est né la bas il vous en parle mieux que personne et malgré la difficulté du lieu je peux dire que c est ma visite la plus émouvante de toute l Inde car Raaj a su me faire voir aussi les bons cotés d avoir du travail et de permettre à tous d évoluer et d éduquer correctement les enfants en Inde Bravo et merci

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