Kanheri Cave with Global Vipassana Pagoda Tour in Private Vehicle
Description
Kanheri Caves must-see destination for history buffs or archaeology afficionados who would like to see true excavations pertaining to the ancient histories of India. Global Vipassana Pagoda is built in a very scenic place and its a divine place for meditation. You will experience a 10 min meditation, a video presentation on Buddhism and Pagoda, a picture gallery which makes it a memorable experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Kanheri Caves are a group of caves and rock-cut monuments cut into a massive basalt outcrop in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, on the island of Salsette in the western outskirts of Mumbai, India. They contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions, dating from the 1st century BCE to the 10th century CE. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, which means black mountain. The site is on a hillside, and is accessed via rock-cut steps. The cave complex comprises one hundred and nine caves, carved from the basalt rock and dating from the 1st century BCE to the 10th century CE. Kanheri had become an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast by the 3rd century CE.
The Global Vipassana Pagoda is a Meditation Hall near Gorai, North-west of Mumbai, India. The Pagoda was inaugurated by Pratibha Patil, then President of India on 8 February 2009. It is built on donated land on a peninsula between Gorai creek and the Arabian Sea. The pagoda is to serve as a monument of peace and harmony. The Global Vipassana Pagoda has been built out of gratitude to Sayagyi U Ba Khin (1899 - 1971), Vipassana teacher and the first Accountant-General of Independent Burma, who was instrumental in Vipassana returning to India, the country of its origin. The center of the Global Vipassana Pagoda contains the world's largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We provide free pickup service from Hotel / Residence / Airport / Railway Station & Port and also free drop service. We only provide pickup & drop service from the hotel located in Suburb / North Mumbai or South Mumbai. Pickup & drop service from Navi Mumbai area or far away from Mumbai City (North / South Mumbai) will charge extra. Information Related to Elephanta Caves: Kanheri Caves is open 6 days a week. Only Closed on Monday. Private Vehicle is not allowed in National Park as it is under the control of the Forest Department. So we have to park our private vehicles at the Gate of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. From the Gate, we have to take Public Bus or Public Van to go up to Kanheri caves.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Must carry cap or hat, trekking shoes or sport shoes
- Kanheri Caves in Closed on Monday
Reviews(56)
Sameer offered an excellent, educational tour. So thoughtful, extremely knowledgeable. A must whilst visiting Mumbai. Thanks Sameer for an excellent, well curated experience.
Sameer the tour guide was communicative before the tour and day of. Dayanand the driver showed up exactly on time. Sameer shared history of the caves and the pagoda, and paced the tour to my interest and speed. Thanks for the great experience!
Sameer was excellent! Extremely knowledgeable. Truly an educational experience. Good experience driving thru the city, ferry and Tuk Tuk ride. An all inclusive package. Thanks Sameer
We had our private tour today with Vikrant from Shreeji Tours n Travels, we were picked up from our hotel on time and taken to our first stop it was like having a teacher by our side he had great knowledge of everything he was showing us again on our second stop we finished our day understanding a lot more than when we started it was a great day and we would highly recommend the booking.
The caves were breathtaking but also a very peaceful reprieve from the city. We unknowingly visited the pagoda on a Buddhist festival. There were thousands of rural people who had travelled far to visit the Pagoda. Sameer managed to usher us through the crowds to enter the Pagoda. When we however tried to exit, we found ourselves in a mass of people crowding towards the gate to the ferry. It looked like we would be waiting for several hours. Amazingly, Sameer and a rural man spoke with the crowd encouraging them to treat us as guests and allow us to pass. All the people smiled at us and happily moved for us to exit quickly. It was an experience I will never forget. The kindness and hospitality of these people was amazing. I would highly recommend Sameer as a tour guide. He was efficient, punctual, knowledgeable, quietly spoken and very professional.
If you want to get away from the busy streets of Mumbai, this is a great trip to go for. Our guide Shivam had a lot of knowledge on the buddhist caves and took good care of us. Thank you Shivam.
Vikrant is a very nice guide 👍👍👍 We had a very good day discovering the Kanheri Caves and the Vipassana Pagode. Plus a stop in an excellent recommended restaurant well known for pav bhaji.
My wife and I had a brilliant time on this tour of the Kanheri Caves and the Pagoda! Sameer was our guide, and throughout the day gave us lots of interesting facts and insights! We started the day with a drive to the caves, and Sameer gave us some history about Mumbai and the areas we passed, and even found me somewhere to stop and get a coffee on the way! The Kanheri Caves were stunning - the views and walk through the National Park alone were incredible, with some beautiful nature and animals. The caves also felt very special, and we really enjoyed exploring the history and how these caves were once a large monastery. Sameer was an excellent guide, answering all our questions and leading us through a mediation of our own, it was all very peaceful. We then got a boat over to where the Pagoda was, got some food at the cafe there, and explored what Vipassana Buddhism meant and some of its teachings. Would recommend the trip for anyone curious to visit the caves and pagoda, I think it was a lot more interesting and straightforward with a guide - a big thanks again to Sameer for a brilliant day 😁
This excursion started out really well. We started off with the caves, and while a bit of a hike, it was a fairly easy one even for me being very out of shape. I was never rushed, and my guide made sure I was alright throughout. The spot we went to for lunch was amazing, 10/10 for sure! It was as we started the second half that things went off. As we waited for our ferry and rickshaw ride to the temple, my guide began to put his arm around my shoulders and caress my hand and leg with his other hand. As we toured the temple, he continued to try to hold my hand and stayed very close to me even as I tried to pull away. This went on as we rode back to the ferry, where he finally noticed that I was pulling away from his touches and I had to remind him that this was very much not a date and I was paying him for a tour. While he did apologize and kept his distance after that, it soured the whole experience and was very unprofessional. For this reason, I can not recommend that any woman traveling alone book this excursion.
Dear Ma'am, Thank you very much for sharing your valuable feedback. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort caused. Please be assured that we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and have taken strict action — the guide in question has been permanently removed from our company. We deeply regret that this incident occurred and apologize once again for the experience you faced. Your feedback is extremely important to us, and we genuinely appreciate your understanding. It helps us improve and ensures that such incidents are not repeated. Thank you once again for bringing this to our attention.
Ravi was a great guide. He gave an un-biased perspective on how the physical monuments to Buddhism here are interconnected with all other religions. We had to rush our tour but Ravi made sure to show us the coolest caves, including many Stupas, paintings, rock cut statues and rooms.
