Kanheri Caves - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Kanheri Caves
Kanheri Caves
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksCaverns & Caves
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Top ways to experience Kanheri Caves
See what travelers are saying
  • Charlotte
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great peaceful place close to the city center
    Very nice caves, close to the city. You can spend a hole day here (take lunch but watch out for the monkeys). Very nice if you want to be out of the busy city center. For sure go all the way to the top, the view is amazing!
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 28, 2023
  • JAN
    Waikato Region, New Zealand26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Kanheri Caves - Do not miss this (Sanjay Gandhi National Park)
    Visiting here is an amazing experience not to be missed. They are the best Buddhist caves I've visited. The waterfalls and trickling streams of water were pretty and cooling. Once you've climbed the steps to the top of the caves the views are awesome. The only negatives I have were to watch out for the security guards who tag along with you talking like a tour guide but say they are not, then afterwards ask for a tip. The other was paying to go into the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where the caves are, and then paying again at the gateway to get into the caves. Also as you arrive don't be taken in by the car/van guys who say it's a long way to the caves and try to usher you to their vehicle. There is a bus running inside the park very regular that goes direct to the caves costing only 26 rupees. Sorry I can't comment on the National Park as we only visited the caves.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 19, 2023
  • John B
    Swansea, United Kingdom9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful ruins / bothersome security guards
    The caves themselves are amazing. The security guards will keep harassing you however - constantly interrupting asking if you want a photo or telling you things about the caves (and then demanding a hefty tip despite not asking for assistance!). The site ‘cafeteria’ sold us out of date drinks too - it’s pretty horrid so I’d advice taking your own food/drink.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written September 27, 2023
  • JPHStVincent
    Singapore, Singapore776 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    great excursion
    A fantastic place and not hard to get to. I took an Auto from Borivali station which cost 23 rupees. I spent more than two hours exploring the caves (there are more than 100, some are magnificent, while some are small and plain). Not many food or beverage options inside, so take some supplies. Now here is some useful information. First you pay the entrance fee for Sanjay Ghandi National Park (85 rupees for foreigners, ignore the camera charge). The rickety bus to the caves costs 10 rupees (my return journey was in a share taxi at 50 rupees). The caves come under ASI so there is another entrance charge: 300 rupees. But so well worth while!
    Visited October 2023
    Written October 15, 2023
  • Raminder Nagpal
    Patiala, India244 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Essential information about the Kanheri Caves
    Required essential nformation for the trip There's a huge rush in the weekends. Try to go on working days. Monday is Closed. Ticket Counter opens at 8 am. Outside vehicles are not allowed. Cabs are available inside, the charges he was quoting 1650 for AC cab and 1150 for Non AC. Cab stays with you for two hours and takes you to Kanheri Caves where he waits for one hour so that you can explore the area and then come back. If you want to take a boat ride or take jungle safari, he will drop you there and not wait. Cycles on rent are also available inside the park and also outside, opposite the park there is a shop for cycles on rent. A bus is also available which has nominal charges. Take your own snacks. Take a cap with sunshade. Start as early as possible, as the rush keeps on increasing as the day passes. Ticket window closes at 11 am on Saturday. Avoid weekends. If you want to explore on a cab, the minimum time required is three hours.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 29, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,253 reviews
Excellent
565
Very good
534
Average
125
Poor
22
Terrible
7

Deepak Mallyk
Bengaluru, India20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Located amidst thick forest, this place is a good picnic spot in Mumbai and a good place to spend your day (entire day). The caves are vast and portray the craftsmanship of those of made them. On reaching the top spot near the caves, you would be surprised to see the natural treasure Mumbai possesses. If you don't have a personal car, you can also take an Ola or Uber inside the forest to the caves. The local cars operating at the gate are not recommended and are expensive.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Meg
119 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
it is located in SGNP in Borivali. Easily accessible through Buses and Rickshaws. It is about 5-6 kms from the main gate and you can either take your own vehicle or local govt. bus. There about 107 clusters of caves of various sizes. They have different formats where some are plane square rooms with gates and then there are some with elaborate sculptures. Govt has tried to get the caves to be in best shape as much as it can. If you climb high enough , you'll get birds eye view of the city.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ashvin S
Pinner77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I visited by car. You enter from the gate of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and drive 6km inside to reach the caves. There is adequate parking inside. There are several caves and you have to climb steps to reach all the caves. Some of the caves have statues and there is one cave which contains two large statues of Budha. If you like historical sites then you will enjoy the visit.
I use a walking stick and I held the rails to climb the steps.
There is a small cafe which sells sodas and some snacks. Be careful of the monkeys who snatched my bag of crisps and soda as soon as I placed them on the table!
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ACharlotte19
Kailua-Kona, HI12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I loved going to see the Kanheri caves while I was in Mumbai. It's amazing to see the way that they carved the caves into the side of the cliffs. I decided to go on my own & do the biking trip, but I didn't get a ton of the history while I was there. I would recommend getting a tour guide to go with you, because it's clear this place is full of fascinating information!
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Aadhes
Colombo, Sri Lanka2,446 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
We went here on Invitation it is a nice place to visit in the evening. There are many caves there with statues and murals. All these have lots of history date back to hundreds of years. I am told that wild animals roam in the late evening.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raminder Nagpal
Patiala, India244 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Required essential nformation for the trip
There's a huge rush in the weekends.
Try to go on working days. Monday is Closed.
Ticket Counter opens at 8 am. Outside vehicles are not allowed. Cabs are available inside, the charges he was quoting 1650 for AC cab and 1150 for Non AC. Cab stays with you for two hours and takes you to Kanheri Caves where he waits for one hour so that you can explore the area and then come back.
If you want to take a boat ride or take jungle safari, he will drop you there and not wait.
Cycles on rent are also available inside the park and also outside, opposite the park there is a shop for cycles on rent.
A bus is also available which has nominal charges.
Take your own snacks. Take a cap with sunshade. Start as early as possible, as the rush keeps on increasing as the day passes.
Ticket window closes at 11 am on Saturday. Avoid weekends.
If you want to explore on a cab, the minimum time required is three hours.
Written December 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AparnaSharma
Mumbai, India216 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
Despite having lived in Mumbai all my life, I had never ever visited Kanheri Caves. It took a few European friends of mine who were on their very first visit to India who got a strong recommendation for Kanheri Caves from a German tourist to have me explore the idea.
Nestled in Borivali East is a world that seems unexplored, untouched. Blanketed in green, enveloped on all sides by Mother Nature, these caves are perhaps the most untouched part of this crazy chaotic city of Mumbai.
You'll find it difficult to believe that we five were the ONLY tourists in this entire Kanheri zone.
These Buddhist caves are archaeological heritage monuments dating back to the period between 1st&10th century AD. A total of 110 caves including some that are inaccessible have the most aweinspiring carvings, frescoes & ancient paintings & engravings that one can ever imagine.
The access to these caves is from brilliantly maintained stairways that are as ancient as the caves themselves. The acoustics of some of the caves are phenomenal with perfect echoing that lends a mystic aura to the site.
One of the security guards offered to share his knowledge about the caves, precious information on their history, especially the different mudras of the Buddhist statues & the various components of the sculptures.
Make it a point to visit the topmost point which is a table-top part of the hillock.
Impossible to believe that such a serene verdant slice of land is a part of the cacophonic city of Mumbai.
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JAN
Waikato Region, New Zealand26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
Visiting here is an amazing experience not to be missed. They are the best Buddhist caves I've visited. The waterfalls and trickling streams of water were pretty and cooling. Once you've climbed the steps to the top of the caves the views are awesome.
The only negatives I have were to watch out for the security guards who tag along with you talking like a tour guide but say they are not, then afterwards ask for a tip.
The other was paying to go into the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where the caves are, and then paying again at the gateway to get into the caves.
Also as you arrive don't be taken in by the car/van guys who say it's a long way to the caves and try to usher you to their vehicle. There is a bus running inside the park very regular that goes direct to the caves costing only 26 rupees.
Sorry I can't comment on the National Park as we only visited the caves.
Written September 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melsy1
Ipswich, UK3,754 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Business
Really enjoyed my visit here. I spent around 2-3 hours here. (This included spending time watching the monkeys near the car park)
There's lots of caves. Suggest taking a photo of the plan as you walk in so you can refer back to it as you walk round.
Some of the caves are much and much alike but there's some stunning caves as you walk round. These have amazing images of buddah carved into the stone and large Pillars.
It's set on a hillside and will involve lots of steps. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. Suggest having plenty of water with you.
At the top there's a good view across the national park.
Written April 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter H
Cotignac, France326 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Friends
This is an amazing attraction but difficult in hot weather. One of our group walked (nearly) to the top, but the rest of us settled for seeing about 30 of the caves.

You certainly need to take the shuttle bus (very cheap) as it is about 5km from the entrance to the caves.
Written November 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kanheri Caves - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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