Tour Details:

A day trip to the Elephanta Caves from Mumbai provides an intriguing glimpse into India’s ancient rock-cut art and spirituality. Situated about 10 kilometers off Mumbai’s coast, Elephanta Island is home to a series of 5th to 8th-century caves dedicated primarily to Lord Shiva. To reach the island, take a scenic 1-hour ferry ride from the Gateway of India, with views of Mumbai’s coastline. Once on the island, a short trek brings you to the caves, where you’ll find remarkable sculptures, including the famous three-headed “Trimurti” Shiva, symbolizing creation, preservation, and destruction. After exploring the caves and admiring the lush island scenery, you can return to Mumbai by late afternoon, completing a day filled with art, history, and a touch of nature.

Tour Heighlights:

• Ferry Ride from Gateway of India
• Ancient Rock-Cut Architecture
• The Trimurti Statue
• Exploring the Island’s Natural Beauty
• Local Handicrafts and Souvenirs

Tour Itinerary

08:00 AM – MUMBAI - ELEPHANTA CAVES
Pick up from hotel in Mumbai and transferred to the Gateway of India to take the ferry for Elephanta Caves.

09:00 AM – FERRY RIDE TO ELEPHANTA
First boat departs. It takes an hour to reach the Elephanta Island through sea, often called as Gharapuri in Mumbai harbor.

10:00 AM ARRIVES ELEPHANTA
On arrival, sightseeing tour of Elephanta Caves begin.

VISITING ELEPHANTA CAVES:

One needs to go to the Gateway of India in Mumbai to get the tickets for ferry to Elephanta caves. One has to journey through sea route. Elephanta Caves are unprecedented sculpted caves located at a distance of 10 km to the east of Mumbai. Caves are closed on Monday. On reaching to an Island, there are two groups of caves found.

One big group of five Hindu caves located on the western hill of the Island while a smaller group of two Buddhist caves located on eastern hill of the Island. These two groups of caves attribute the different styles of architecture dating back to the 5th to 8th centuries AD. The large group of five caves has rock cut stone sculptures dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, depicted in widely celebrated carvings. The small group of caves contains Buddhist monuments.

These caves are absolutely worth visiting as no inscriptions have been discovered till date about the original builders or about the timing of an excavation of the caves. The historical significance of Elephanta caves is conjectural.

05:30 PM RETURN TO MUMBAI
After visiting all the caves, board on to ferry back to the dock at Gateway of India as last boat leaves at 17:30 Hrs. Upon arrival in Mumbai. Transferred to your pre-booked hotel.