Dharavi Slum Tour: Ethical Visit through Mumbai's Heart
4.9
585 Ratings
Mumbai
Experience an ethical walking tour of Mumbai's Dharavi slum, exploring its narrow alleyways and meeting local residents. Discover their innovative small-scale industries and support educational projects in the community.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Dharavi - Come visit Dharavi, the city within a city and one of Asia’s largest slum. We shall cover places like The Recycling Area, Rooftop Visit, Popaddom Making, Kumbharwada Pottery Colony etc.

The area is an industrial hub and is home to nearly one million of Mumbai’s residents.

  • Reality Tours & Travel - The tour will end at our office in Dharavi where guests can enjoy a soft drink and learn more about how funds are re-invested back into the community.
What's Included
  • Lunch included
  • Guidance by a local English-speaking guide
  • Complimentary water or cold drink
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Take an ethical walking tour of the Dharavi slum on this unique adventure in Mumbai. Follow a guide through Dharavi’s narrow alleyways, where you’re introduced to local residents and their small-scale industries

It is an immersive and educational adventure through the Dharavi slum’s colorful pathways, where societal innovation flourishes among the small industries like recycling, pottery, stitching, soap crafting, and beyond. With the tour capped at six participants, it ensures a comprehensive and intimate encounter.

A portion of the fees for this cultural expedition is invested back into Dharavi’s community, directly aiding educational initiatives.

  • Out of respect for its residents, no photography is permitted while in the Dharavi slum
  • Please note that dress codes are conservative throughout India; modest and respectful clothing that covers the shoulders and knees is required
  • A significant portion of the proceeds from your local tour operator goes back into the local community to support a variety of educational projects
Location
Churchgate
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(585 Ratings)
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D692hrdaniell
Apr 15, 2024
An exceptional tour company - This is an exceptional tour company. Their communication before the tour was swift and comprehensive - including a precise photo guide for how to find the meeting place. The guide, Shifa, was friendly and engaging, sharing her knowledge and experience of life in Dharavi with great cheer and skill. She also accompanied a few of us to a nearby station in a taxi to ensure we got on the train back into town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Essephreak
Apr 14, 2024
Great tour - I wish they'd reconsider their policy re photos - An excellent, informative, enlightening tour which certainly included areas you could not otherwise easily see. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable. The organization does good things. Strongly recommend. And I know that these folks have though a lot more about this than I have, but my one issue is the blanket prohibition on photography. Of course one needs to be careful and respectful when photographing *anywhere* or *anyone* in public. But the tour major streets with street-side businesses not too different from elsewhere in Mumbai and the rest of India, as well as "industrial" zones (plastic recycling, leather works, pottery), where it's difficult to see how photographs of non-human subjects would cause much harm. Residential zones, of course are more sensitive, and I can understand the overriding need for privacy there. Again, I'm sure Reality Tours has thought this through in a lot more depth than I have, but maybe this will give some food for thought. Or, at minimum, they might consider enhancing the collection of photos that they provide online for their customers. That collection has a number of portraits, but very few photos of the physical environment, the industries, the architecture, etc. Anyway, again, I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Another_aussie_bloke
Apr 10, 2024
A must do in Mumbai! - Seeing the smiles on the children's faces of this village while playing cricket with a plank of wood as a bat and a broken chair as a stump will make your heart melt. The hard working men and women of Dharavi contribute so much to society and you will see that in this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Dharavi as she has lived there he whole life. Also worth noting that Reality Tours donates 80% of profits back to the slum communities to run education programs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee520703
Apr 8, 2024
An eye opener that everybody should see - We thoroughly enjoyed this tour - something we will remember for always. Our tour guide was very informative and we learned so much about life in the slums. So many people misunderstand what the slums are (including us before we took the tour). It certainly changed our understanding and we were left in admiration of the ingenuity and endeavour of the many people who live there. Highly recommend this tour to everyone !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorenzr960
Apr 2, 2024
Must do - We did the slum tour and were so happy with it, that we booked the street food tour. It was awesome. Both Tourguides were really friendly and open.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Discover55281346688
Mar 29, 2024
Unique and eye--opening experience. - If you are looking for something unique and an eye-opening experience then you should definitely take a tour with them. I took part in the Dharavi Slum Tour as part of our project for college. It turned out to be unlike any other trip I had taken, providing a distinct and interesting viewpoint. Additionally, the organization conducts an NGO aimed at educating children within Dharavi, with 80% of the tour proceeds supporting this cause. The founder, Mr. Krishna Pujari, showed a great deal of expertise and helped out when needed. Since most of the tourists I saw were foreigners, I hope that their efforts will be more well-known to domestic travelers like me.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber57515937293
Mar 27, 2024
Me and a friend took the Dharavi tour and it was an amazing experience! The tour guide was super informative and helpfu - Right from the time we arrived, we were made to feel included amongst other fellow travellers, made me feel safe throughout and was indeed a seamless and an enjoyable experience. Had it not been for Reality Tours, I wouldn't have explored this hidden gem on my own.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rukaiyal2697
Mar 27, 2024
Holi at Dharavi - Had the most amazing time at this tour of Dharavi along with the most fun Holi party with the Dharavi community! Was so so soo much fun! Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer
Mar 27, 2024
Must do - After originally using Reality Tours in 2012, I returned to Mumbai last week and again booked a tour but this time I also attended the Holi celebration. Very well organised and a thoroughly entertaining and educational experience. I wish more people would choose to see dharavi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
387iainc
Mar 25, 2024
Thought provoking experience - An excellent tour. We had a young man aged 31 as our guide who was born and lived in the slum area and he was a font of knowledge. He spoke excellent English which he started to speak only in 2016. His information was delivered clearly and concisely and as we made our way through the area. It was obvious he was well respected by the locals as he always told us when we could and when we could not take any photos as well as guiding us through the slums.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
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May 2024
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