Dharavi Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Dharavi as well as an individual male
Dharavi as well as an individual male
Dharavi
Dharavi showing interior views as well as an individual male
Dharavi showing food

Discover time-honored pottery workshops, extraordinary entrepreneurship, bustling bazaars and revered temples amid one of Mumbai’s liveliest neighbourhoods.

Dharavi is a teeming and colorful neighborhood of serpentine lanes lined with artisan workshops, bazaars and temples. It’s the center of Mumbai’s small-scale industry, entrepreneurship and resourcefulness, a place to experience an unprecedented feeling of community spirit. Dharavi is famous as one of Asia’s largest shanty towns, yet it is a popular destination for curious tourists. Try to recognize sites that were used as filming locations for the 2008 blockbuster movie Slumdog Millionaire.

The most convenient way to visit Dharavi is via organized tours. Come in the morning to witness the streets waking from a deep sleep and becoming an animated village. Watch as worshippers move between the churches, temples and mosques and as market sellers set up their stalls. Listen as the sounds of morning prayers resonate from temples such as Arulmigu Ganesar Alayam, Haji Malang Baba Dargah and Hanuman Mandir.

Wander along narrow alleys and peek inside humble homes and chawls, which are traditional multilevel tenements. On 90 Feet Road and 60 Feet Road you’ll find a veritable showcase of Dharavi’s energetic lifestyle. Soap factories, leather shops and tanners stand amid bakeries, cafés, spice stores and fresh produce hawkers. Meanwhile, chai wallahs weave between frantic tuk-tuks and horn-tooting taxis to offer milky spiced tea.

Visit Kumbharwada pottery colony, established in the 1930s, to see a multi-generation families of artisans craft all types of pots from sundried clay. Marvel as women make poppadoms, crispy Indian snacks, by hanging them out to dry on overturned wooden baskets. Check out the neighborhood’s recycling area, where workers busily separate and recycle waste brought from all over the world. Climb onto a factory rooftop to appreciate the enormity of the neighborhood.

Dharavi is about a 30-minute drive from Mumbai’s tourist-friendly coastal districts of Colaba and Kala Ghoda. Get here by taking an affordable tuk-tuk or taxi. Alternatively, ride a train to Mahim Junction station, located on the eastern edge of the neighborhood. Several tour operators have offices in Dharavi and can arrange for an English-speaking guide to meet you at the train station.


Popular places to visit

Activities


Our pick of the best Dharavi Hotel Deals

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
5 out of 5
IA Project Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji Intl Airport, Mumbai, Maharashtra
The price is AU$201 per night from 14 June to 15 June
AU$201
14 June - 15 June
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free valet parking, a full-service spa, and 3 restaurants. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
9/10 Wonderful! (973 reviews)
"great"

Reviewed on 5 Jun. 2025

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport by IHG
Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport by IHG
4 out of 5
Sakinaka Junction, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra
The price is AU$124 per night from 29 June to 30 June
AU$124
29 June - 30 June
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property condition ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (812 reviews)
"Efficient & courteous service. Reasonable tariff"

Reviewed on 25 May 2025

Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport by IHG
Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Palm Grove
Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Palm Grove
5 out of 5
Juhu Beach, Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra
The price is AU$173 per night from 20 June to 21 June
AU$173
20 June - 21 June
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this beach hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in ...
7.8/10 Good! (711 reviews)
"Every thing was just perfect here the employees are so helpful and respectful the room was so clean the food was excellent I would come back to this hotel if I ever visit again everything was organized. I am so happy with everything. Thank you Ramada employees"

Reviewed on 7 Jun. 2025

Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Palm Grove
ITC Maratha Mumbai, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Mumbai
ITC Maratha Mumbai, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Mumbai
5 out of 5
Sahar, Andheri (E), Mumbai, Maharashtra
The price is AU$215 per night from 20 June to 21 June
AU$215
20 June - 21 June
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (648 reviews)
Excellent stay
"Excellent stay"

Reviewed on 26 May 2025

ITC Maratha Mumbai, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Mumbai
Trident Bandra Kurla Mumbai
Trident Bandra Kurla Mumbai
5 out of 5
C-56, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra
The price is AU$222 per night from 28 June to 29 June
AU$222
28 June - 29 June
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,003 reviews)
"Always a pleasant stay at Trident. No complaints!"

Reviewed on 6 Jun. 2025

Trident Bandra Kurla Mumbai
Novotel Mumbai International Airport
Novotel Mumbai International Airport
5 out of 5
CTS 1359, Andheri - Kurla Rd, Marol, next to Airport Metro Station, Mumbai
The price is AU$171 per night from 20 June to 21 June
AU$171
20 June - 21 June
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Mumbai. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
9/10 Wonderful! (187 reviews)
"Place was clean and nice. Breakfast was great. Staff was very good"

Reviewed on 9 Jun. 2025

Novotel Mumbai International Airport
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Dharavi

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Bandra Kurla Complex

Bandra Kurla Complex is popular for its abundant dining options, and if you're looking for more to see and do, you might think about a trip to Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre or MMRDA Grounds.

Bandra Kurla Complex
Mt. Mary Church showing heritage elements as well as a large group of people

Bandra West

Travellers come to Bandra West for its abundant dining options, and you can see top attractions like Linking Road and Mt. Mary Church while you're in town.

Bandra West
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Dadar

Get to know Dadar and its many features like its churches and gardens. You might want to explore sights like Shivaji Park and Plaza Cinema, and you can jump on the metro at Dadar Western Station or Matunga Station to get around the city.

Dadar
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Kurla

When in Kurla, you can plan a visit to Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre and MMRDA Grounds, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Kurla
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Airport Area

While Airport Area isn't home to many top sights, Juhu Beach and NMIMS Mumbai are some notable places to visit nearby.

Airport Area
ISKCON Temple featuring heritage architecture

Juhu

While visiting Juhu, you might make a stop by sights like Juhu Beach and ISKCON Temple.

Juhu

Dharavi Travel Guide

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