Dhobi Ghat

Strings of brightly-colored clothes drying under the Mumbai sun also make for a popular picture. More than just a laundry, Dhobi Ghat is also a great place to see old saris being brought back to life under expert hands. If you love the smell of clean laundry and want to get right into the thick of things at Dhobi Ghat, plenty of tours come here.

• Dhobi Ghat is a must-visit for photographers.
• For the best photos of the iconic Dhobi Ghat, just head to bridge across the railway tracks from Mahalaxmi train station.
• Wear comfortable footwear with good grip; unsurprisingly, Dhobi Ghat can get wet and slippery.

Dhobi Ghat is located right by the Mahalkshmi station of the Mumbai commuter railway, about a 15-minute train ride north of Churchgate. It's conveniently close to a number of Mumbai attractions and both the Mahalakshmi Temple and the Haji Ali Dargah (Sufi shrine) are a 5-minute autorickshaw ride away.

The best time to visit Dhobi Ghat is early in the morning, particularly if you want to get photographs. If at all possible, try to avoid a trip to Mumbai during the rainy monsoon season (July through September), when streets can get flooded (and clothes can't be hung to dry).

Many tours to Dhobi Ghat also include the chance to learn about and interact with dabbawalas, food couriers. These men are collectively responsible for delivering thousands of hot lunches across the city every day, picking up lunch boxes from homes and delivering them to their respective owners at their work places, yet rarely make mistakes; the system has fascinated economists for generations.

Situated in Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi neighborhood, Dhobi Ghat is famous for being the world’s largest outdoor laundry operation. It’s a popular spot to see laundry washers at work among a massive expanse of laundry troughs and clotheslines, and you can come here to learn about the operations and take photos.

Yes, you can tour Dhobi Ghat. Many people check it out from a viewpoint, often as just one stop on a multi-sight Mumbai tour. However, some tours will take you into the heart of the action, where you’ll be able to see different aspects of washing operations.

Visitors on Dhobi Ghat tours will typically see washer-people (dhobis) washing clothes, typically while standing in vats of detergent and water. Other aspects of the washing facilities include scrubbing areas, sorting areas, clotheslines, and large chambers where water is boiled for cleaning and sanitization purposes.

Yes, photography and videography are both allowed at Dhobi Ghat. While most people won’t mind being photographed or recorded, it’s courteous to ask people’s permission first, before turning on your device. Be especially mindful of photographing or recording videos of women without asking first, especially if you’re a man.

Yes, you can interact with the dhobis, or washer-people, at Dhobi Ghat. There are no rules about who can interact with whom, but it’s good to be mindful of the fact that most people you meet will be busy with work and may not have much time to chat.

There are lots of nearby attractions worth checking out after your visit to Dhobi Ghat. One of the closest is the Haji Ali Dargah, a Sufi shrine accessible by a long footpath that juts out into the sea. Just north sits the Nehru Planetarium, a hit among families with kids.