Mumbai, Ellora & Ajanta Caves Journey

Western India is easy to travel in once a few practical things are settled. Everything below is what a Singapore traveller usually wants to know before booking.

Fitness

No special fitness is needed. The most physical morning is Daulatabad Fort, where the path to the top climbs steep, uneven steps and passes through a dark tunnel, and you can stop partway if you prefer. Elephanta has a flight of steps up from the jetty, and Ajanta has steps between the caves along the gorge. Everything else is short walking with the car close by.

Weather and what to wear

From October to March, Mumbai stays warm and humid, much like Singapore, while Aurangabad has warm, dry days and noticeably cooler mornings and evenings. April and May are hot on the plateau, and June to September is monsoon season, with heavy rain in Mumbai. Light, loose cotton clothing that covers shoulders and knees works everywhere on this trip and is expected at temples and the dargah. Shoes come off at religious sites, so slip-ons save time.

Money

India uses the rupee. Cards are accepted at hotels, malls and larger restaurants, but markets, small shops, temple stalls and tips run on cash. ATMs are common in Mumbai and Aurangabad. You can change Singapore dollars before you leave Changi or at authorised money changers in India; keep smaller notes for tips and snacks.

Connectivity

Mobile coverage is good in both cities and along the expressway, and patchier around the cave sites. An e-SIM bought before you fly is the simplest option. A local SIM needs your passport and a photo and can take some hours to activate. Hotels have Wi-Fi.

Food

Maharashtra is very vegetarian-friendly, and Mumbai has some of the best street food in India, from vada pav to pav bhaji. Aurangabad has a strong Mughlai tradition, and naan qalia, a slow-cooked meat curry eaten with bread, is the local dish to try. Halal food is widely available in both cities. Food can be spicy, so ask for less chilli. Eat at busy places, choose freshly cooked food, and drink bottled water. Lunch and dinner are not included, which leaves you free to eat where you like, and your guide can point you to trusted places.

Closing days

Elephanta and Ajanta are closed on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in Aurangabad is closed on Thursdays. We plan your departure date so that each day of the itinerary falls on an open day.

Singapore passport holders need a visa to visit India. For a holiday like this one, the simplest route is the Indian e-Tourist Visa, applied for online before you travel. There is no need to visit an embassy.

Applying

Apply only on the official Indian government site, indianvisaonline.gov.in. Several private websites look similar and charge extra. Applications must be made at least four days before you arrive, and we suggest applying as soon as your flights are booked. You upload a scan of your passport photo page and a recent photograph and pay the fee online. The approval arrives by email; print it and carry it with your passport.

Options and rules

The e-Tourist Visa comes in three lengths: 30 days, one year and five years, all allowing multiple entries. The fee depends on your nationality and the length you choose, and it is non-refundable. Your passport needs at least six months of validity when you apply and two blank pages. Mumbai is one of the designated airports where you can enter on an e-Visa.

What we arrange

The visa is not part of the tour price, and the application has to be made by you, since it is personal to each traveller. We are happy to look over your answers before you submit if you are unsure about any question. Rules can change, so check the official site close to your travel date.

Mumbai is one of the easiest places in India to reach from Singapore. Singapore Airlines, Air India and IndiGo all fly nonstop from Changi, with several departures a day.

Flying time

The flight takes about five and a half hours in either direction. India is two and a half hours behind Singapore, so a morning departure from Changi lands in Mumbai around lunchtime local time, which suits the gentle first afternoon in this itinerary.

Arriving and leaving

Your driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel. On the last day, the drive from Aurangabad back to Mumbai takes about six to seven hours, so an evening or night flight home works best. We confirm the timing with you before you book your tickets.

Planning around it

Schedules change by season, so we confirm timings at booking rather than publishing a schedule that dates. Book flights once your tour dates are fixed against the cave closing days, and make sure your travel insurance covers delays and missed connections.

Most visitors stay perfectly well on this trip. The main things to manage are heat, water and a stomach meeting new food.

Heat and sun

The humidity of Mumbai will feel like home, but the sun on the Deccan plateau is strong, and the cave sites offer little shade between caves. Carry water, wear a hat and sunscreen, and take the climb at Daulatabad slowly, ideally in the cooler part of the morning.

Food and water

Drink bottled water, which is provided in the car every day, and avoid tap water and ice from unknown sources. Choose busy places with freshly cooked food, and start gently with street food on the first days. Bring a basic kit for an upset stomach, including oral rehydration salts.

Tell us before you travel

Let us know about any heart or mobility condition, since some sites involve many steps. Bring enough of your regular medication for the whole trip plus a few spare days, in original packaging and in your hand luggage. Your doctor or a travel clinic in Singapore can advise on routine vaccinations for India.

If something goes wrong

Mumbai and Aurangabad both have good private hospitals, and you are never far from your car. Travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation is strongly recommended for every traveller.

This trip takes you into Hindu temples, a Sufi shrine and Buddhist and Jain caves, often on the same day. A little preparation goes a long way.

Temples, caves and the dargah

Cover your shoulders and knees at every religious site. Shoes come off before entering temples and Haji Ali Dargah, and there is usually a place to leave them. At Haji Ali, covering your head is respectful for everyone, so a light scarf is useful. At Grishneshwar Temple, men remove their shirts before entering the inner sanctum, and photography is not allowed inside.

Photography

Photography is fine at most cave sites, but flash is banned inside the painted caves at Ajanta to protect the murals. Ask before photographing people, particularly at Dhobi Ghat and at temples, and follow your guide's advice at each site.

Bargaining and tipping

Bargaining is normal at market stalls such as Colaba Causeway, and a friendly, unhurried manner works best. Fixed-price shops and weaving centres generally do not bargain. Tipping your guide and driver is customary in India and is not included in the price.

People

People in Mumbai and Aurangabad are generally warm and curious, and you may be asked for a photo yourself. A smile and a namaste, palms together, is a polite greeting anywhere.

You are not handed a voucher and left to it. Join a small-group departure on one of the set dates, or book the same itinerary privately for just your party. Either way you travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver, and a local English-speaking guide joins you for the sightseeing in Mumbai and around Aurangabad.

Support line: +65 80961243
Support email: travel@hsj.sg

What your guide is for

Much of what makes Ellora or Ajanta legible is not written on a sign: which cave was Buddhist and which Jain, what a panel of the Buddha's past lives shows, why a temple was carved from the top down. Your guide knows the sites and the stories behind them. Ask questions. That is what the day is for.

While you are away

Our operations team is reachable throughout your trip for itinerary changes, flight delays or anything unexpected, and we are in a time zone close to yours. If a closure, the weather or a flight change moves a day, we rework the plan and the hotels rather than leaving you to it.