South Mumbai Walking Tour: Markets and Mumbadevi Temple

Highlights

A comprehensive tour that's ideal for first-time visitors
Learn about various aspects of South Mumbai's culture and history
Avoid getting lost in the busy city by touring with a guide

Summary

After meeting your guide in Colaba in the late afternoon, set off on foot through the streets and alleyways and stop first at Crawford Market. Founded in 1871, Crawford Market sports Gothic and Romanesque features, a defining architectural style of South Mumbai. Check out displays of colorful vegetables, meats, imported cheeses, homemade chocolates and household goods. (Please note that some endangered and exotic animals are sold at Crawford Market). Next up, get a taste of the vibrant Kalbadevi and Bhuleshwar bazaars. The sight and scents of a multitude of Indian spices make this area particularly stimulating. Stop to take it all in while sipping a complimentary cup of tea or soda before continuing on to your next destination: Mangaldas Market. Opened in 1893, Mangaldas Market is home to hundreds of clothing vendors and tailors, and it is known to celebrated fashion designers for its fabulous fabrics. Take a break from shopping to visit the quiet oasis of Mumbadevi Temple. Inside the temple, you might see devotees being blessed by Hindu priests and your guide explains the basics of Hinduism, the dominant religion of India. Near the temple, head into Mumbai’s flower alley, renowned for garlands of saffron-colored marigolds and red roses. Then see Bombay Panjrapole, an animal shelter that was founded in 1834. Situated on a quiet two-acre parcel within busy Bhuleshwar market, the shelter primarily cares for hundreds of cows, which are sacred to Hindus. After an eye-opening tour with your insightful guide, your tour ends at Madhav Baug in Bhuleshwar

Tour info

Duration

2 hours

Why take this tour?

Delve into the heart of South Mumbai on this in-depth walking tour of one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. Visit a range of interesting sites, including a temple, an animal shelter, and local markets. Your English-speaking guide will help you make sense of everything you encounter, so you end the tour with a deeper understanding of Mumbai.

What’s included?

Professional local guide
Snacks and beverage
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities

Things to know

Before you book

Duration: 2h 30m
Mobile tickets accepted
Instant confirmation

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Operator Website

Operated by:

Reality Tours and Travel

About operator:

Reality Tours and Travel is a responsible tour operator providing fun and authentic experiences around India. We invest 80% of our profits back into the communities we visit through our NGO Reality Gives. We are especially well known for our educational Dharavi Slum Tour that shows visitors the industrial and residential areas of one of Asia’s largest slums, located in the heart of Mumbai. We also offer city, village, multi-day and customized tours and we recently expanded to New Delhi and the Sanjay Colony Slum. Our tours educate visitors about the issues as well as opportunities in slums and hopes to encourage them to understand underprivileged communities better. We use 80% of the tour profits and 100% of merchandise profits to fund our sister-NGO Reality Gives that runs and supports a variety of programs in Dharavi and Sanjay Colony. Our goal is to provide authentic and though-provoking local experiences through our tours and to use the profits to create change in our communities. Our vision is a world where all tourism promotes cross-cultural understanding and local development. Our NGO, Reality Gives, provides young people in the local community with high quality education and experiences to help them maximize their potential. We do this by focusing on English, Computer and Life Skills classes as well as a series of activities and workshop in expressive art and sport. We run these program out of three community centres around Dharavi.