Dharavi pottery workshop tour in Mumbai: Learn wheel throwing

Throw clay at a potter's wheel in Dharavi's oldest pottery community

A guided tour of Dharavi in Mumbai that combines walking through the neighborhood's recycling, leather, and pottery businesses with hands-on pottery instruction in Kumbharwada, the city's historic pottery hub. The tour lasts about three hours and includes a local English-speaking guide. You'll learn how clay is sourced and shaped, then make your own piece on a wheel in an active workshop. Meet at either Mahim or Colaba Gate depending on your option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dharavi and pottery workshop

• Walk through Dharavi slum
• See recycling and pottery-making
• Visit embroidery, bakery, soap factory
• Observe leather tanning and poppadom-making
• Explore residential areas and street art
• Visit Kumbharwada pottery community
• Learn pottery history and process
• Try wheel throwing pottery
• Enjoy soft drink and community talk

The experience

Kumbharwada, one of Dharavi's oldest quarters, has been the center of Mumbai's pottery industry for generations. The tour starts with a walking route through the neighborhood where you'll see how potters source their clay, prepare it, mold it by hand and wheel, and fire it in kilns. Your guide, a local resident, walks you through the residential areas too: the temples, mosques, churches and pagodas that stand side by side, reflecting the people who've migrated to Dharavi from across India. You'll also pass through other workshops: recycling operations, leather tanneries, poppadom makers and embroidery studios, each one a small business that keeps the neighborhood running.

The hands-on part happens in a working potter's workshop where you'll get a general overview of the craft, then step up to a wheel and throw clay yourself. You're making an actual piece of Kumbharwada pottery, not a demo. The guide will show you the basics and you'll shape something real. Afterward, there's time for a soft drink while the guide explains how the tour fees support local development initiatives in the community.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide for the full three hours.
• hands-on pottery wheel instruction and materials in a working workshop.
• soft drink after the workshop.

Options for this experience

4 options

Private Pottery-Meet:C/gateUp to 6 people · Guide in English · Available from 14 Oct 2027Private option: we meet at the Wheeler Convenience Store, about 30 metres before the platforms, and take a train to the slum. Starting point: Maharshi Karve Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020, India

Private Pottery-Meet:MahimUp to 6 people · Guide in English · Available from 14 Oct 2027Private option: we meet at the main entrance ticket counter on the west side of Mahim Junction Railway Station, opposite V Jai Bakery. Starting point: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Group pottery tour, meeting point: MahimUp to 12 people · Guide in English · 10:00 and 14:30Shared option: we meet at the main entrance ticket counter on the west side of Mahim Junction Railway Station, opposite V Jai Bakery. Starting point: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Group Pottery Tour-Meet:C/gateUp to 12 people · Guide in English · 09:15 and 13:45Shared option: we meet at the Wheeler Convenience Store, about 30 metres before the platforms, and take a train to the slum. Starting point: Maharshi Karve Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020, India

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:15, 10:00, 13:45 and 14:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Reality Tours & Travel Pvt Ltd

Is this one for you?Choose the private option if you want a dedicated guide and more time at the wheel. The group tour works well if you're comfortable learning alongside other visitors and prefer a lower price. Both start at your chosen meeting point (Mahim or Colaba Gate), so pick whichever is closer to where you're staying in Mumbai.

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Top questions

What exactly is Kumbharwada and why is it the pottery center of Mumbai?

Kumbharwada is one of Dharavi's oldest neighborhoods and has been home to the city's pottery industry for generations. Potters here source clay locally, prepare it by hand, shape it on wheels, and fire it in kilns. A craft that has defined the quarter for decades and made it the hub of pottery making in Mumbai.

Do I actually get to make pottery on a wheel, or just watch?

You get hands-on time at the wheel. After a general overview of pottery making in the workshop, you'll throw clay yourself and create an actual piece of Kumbharwada pottery under the potter's guidance.

What other businesses and neighborhoods do I see during the walking part?

Beyond the pottery workshops, you'll walk past recycling operations, leather tanneries, poppadom makers, and embroidery studios. The tour also takes you through residential areas where you'll see temples, mosques, churches and pagodas standing side by side, reflecting Dharavi's diversity.

How long is the whole tour and what's included?

The tour runs about three hours and includes a local English-speaking guide throughout. A soft drink is provided after the pottery workshop. You'll need to choose your meeting point (either Mahim or Colaba Gate) when you book.

Is this tour private or in a group?

You can book either a private pottery workshop or a group pottery tour. Both options meet at either Mahim or Colaba Gate. Choose the private option if you prefer a dedicated guide and smaller group, or the group option to meet other travelers.