Small Group Dharavi Slum Tour: Factories & Pottery Area

Walk through working factories instead of watching from outside

A small-group guided tour of Dharavi, Mumbai's 2.1-square-kilometer neighborhood of 700,000 people, takes you through single-room factories, residential areas, schools and the pottery district over roughly two hours. Your local guide speaks English and leads you on foot through plastic recycling workshops, aluminum refurbishing, clothes manufacturing, bakeries and other trades that operate inside the slum. Children from age 1 are welcome; mineral water is provided. The tour starts and ends at different points, so the guide will walk you to the nearest railway station if you need it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dharavi Slum and Pottery Area

• Visit Dharavi locality
• Explore pottery area

The Experience

Dharavi operates as a working city within the city—not a museum or a lookout point. You walk past single-room factories where people recycle plastic and aluminum, refurbish oil paint cans, dye cloth, manufacture suitcases and bake bread. The guide takes you through residential streets, past schools, and into the pottery area where artisans work at their wheels and kilns. The whole route covers the neighborhood on foot, so you move at a pace that lets you stop and watch, ask questions, and see how the work actually happens.

The tour runs roughly two hours and includes mineral water. If you book the Churchgate pickup option, train transportation to Dharavi is included in the price. The starting and ending points are at different locations—a practical detail that matters for your next move—so either take a cab to your destination or ask the guide to walk you back to the nearest railway station. The guide speaks English and the tour suits all fitness levels, though you will be on your feet the whole time moving through narrow streets and workshop spaces.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide.
• mineral water bottles.
• train transportation if you book the Churchgate pickup option.
• access to working factories, residential areas, schools and the pottery district.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Young Tours And Travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see how goods are actually made and recycled in a working neighborhood, not a curated or staged version of it. The guide is local and the route goes into the spaces where the work happens, so you get a direct look at the trades and the daily rhythm of Dharavi.

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Top questions

What kinds of factories and workshops will I actually see inside Dharavi?

The tour takes you through single-room factories where workers recycle plastic and aluminum, refurbish oil paint cans, dye cloth, manufacture clothes and suitcases, bake bread, and make Hindu shrine items. You also visit the pottery area where artisans work with clay.

How long does the Dharavi slum tour take?

The tour runs roughly two hours. You walk through the neighborhood on foot, so the pace depends on how long you spend watching the work and talking with the guide.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Children are welcome from age 1. The tour is on foot through residential and factory areas, so very young children will need to be carried or in a stroller for parts of the route.

What happens at the end of the tour, and how do I get to my next destination?

The tour ends at a different location from where it started. The guide will walk you to the nearest railway station if you need it, or you can take a cab to your hotel or next destination.

Which pickup option should I choose?

Slum With Dhobighat Tour includes a visit to the dhobighat (open-air laundry) along with Dharavi's factories. Pickup from Mahim and pickup at Eros Cinema are both slum-only tours; choose based on which location is closest to where you're staying.