Today enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Mumbai, starting with a 1-hour ferry ride to Elephanta Island - originally called Gharapuri ("Fortress City") but renamed by the Portuguese, who found a large stone elephant here.
The Elephanta Caves date from between 450 to 750 AD and are now a World Heritage site, containing gigantic rock effigies of the Hindu faith. One of the most interesting of the large sculptured panels is the three-headed Shiva - shown as the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer. Another Shiva panel shows the God dancing the 'Tandava' and thereby causing the world to shake.
After lunch (own account) enjoy a private City Tour, starting with a photo stop at the Gateway of India and a drive past Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum). This is one of the premier art and history museums in India and the building itself is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. We also drive past the beautiful old buildings of Mumbai University, the Rajabhai Clock Tower and Mumbai High Court, with another photo stop at the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Railway Terminus, built in an exuberant Italian Gothic style and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We then take the Marine Lines flyover to Chowpatty, with its lovely seaside promenade, and the beautiful Hanging Gardens perched on the top of Malabar Hill. We drive past a Jain Temple and the circular Parsi Tower of Silence to the Mani Bhavan Museum, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed when visiting Mumbai.
Time permitting we also drive to Dhobi Ghat, Mumbai's open-air laundromat, which remains very popular despite the creation of the modern washing machine! We then board a local train for the short ride to Churchgate Station in southern Mumbai, an area known for its Art Deco buildings. Afterwards you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Note: Elephanta Island and Price of Wales Museum are closed on a Monday.