Mumbai Guide: Sights, Neighborhoods & Prices

Discover Mumbai

Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is India's financial and film capital and its fastest-growing, wealthiest metropolis — home to the country's most expensive apartments as well as some of Asia's largest slums just a few kilometers away. The historic core on the peninsula's southern tip was built by the British in the nineteenth century in Gothic style: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station looks like a cathedral, the university like Oxford, and Marine Drive is lined with art deco buildings from the 1930s. By the sea stands the Gateway of India, from where boats sail out to the island with Hindu cave temples at Elephanta. The city runs day and night — suburban trains carry seven million people a day, street food is eaten in the evening on Chowpatty beach, and cinema audiences clap along to the songs. For travelers, Mumbai is an easier introduction to India than Delhi: there's the sea, a breeze and less smog, almost everyone speaks English, and the food ranges from Parsi cafés to some of the coast's best seafood restaurants. It's also the country's most expensive city, and between June and September the monsoon floods it.

What to see

The places worth your time in Mumbai, and what to expect at each

Gateway of India

गेटवे ऑफ़ इंडिया

Colaba

A twenty-six-meter basalt arch on the Colaba waterfront, built by the British for King George V's 1911 visit. Ironically, it was through this same gate that the last British troops sailed out of India in 1948. Opposite stands the 1903 Taj Mahal Palace hotel with its red dome, the country's most famous hotel.

Tip: Early morning around seven, the waterfront is nearly empty and the light is best for photos of both the arch and the hotel. Boats to Elephanta leave from here, the first around nine — buy tickets at the booth right on the pier. Anyone in reasonably smart clothing can walk into the Taj hotel lobby; tea at the Sea Lounge café overlooking the harbor is pricier but worth the experience. Photographers by the gate will quote a price upfront — agree on it beforehand.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 30–45 min

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station

छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज टर्मिनस

Fort

Built in 1888 and formerly Victoria Terminus, this station is the high point of Victorian Gothic architecture in Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its facade with domes, turrets, gargoyles and sculptures blends European Gothic with Indian motifs of peacocks and monkeys. It remains a fully working station, used by over three million people a day.

Tip: The best view of the facade is from the opposite pavement by the municipal building, and the whole station is lit up in color at night. Inside is a small railway museum with guided tours on weekdays, sign up at the entrance. To experience Mumbai's rush hour, stand on the footbridge over the platforms around six in the evening — but don't board a train.

Admission:: free, guided tour around 200 INR
Time needed:: 30 min – 1 h

Elephanta Caves

घारापुरी लेणी

Elephanta Island

An island in Mumbai's harbor holds five Hindu cave temples carved from basalt rock between the fifth and seventh centuries. The main cave is dedicated to Shiva, centered on a six-meter three-headed bust, Maheshmurti, one of the masterpieces of Indian sculpture. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tip: The boat from the Gateway of India takes an hour; the first leaves around nine and the last returns between four and half past four. The caves are closed on Mondays, and boats often don't run during the monsoon. From the jetty, one hundred twenty steps lined with stalls lead uphill — bring water and a hat. Macaques steal food and bottles right out of your hands, so keep your bag closed.

Admission:: around 600 INR (foreigners) + boat 260 INR
Time needed:: 4–5 h incl. boat

Marine Drive

मरीन ड्राइव

Churchgate / Nariman Point

A three-and-a-half-kilometer promenade curving around Back Bay, lined with art deco buildings from the 1930s and 40s — the world's second-largest art deco collection after Miami. At night the streetlamps reflect in the bay, earning the promenade the nickname the Queen's Necklace. Chowpatty beach sits at its northern end.

Tip: Come at sunset and sit on the concrete parapet like every other Mumbaikar. Afterward, street food is eaten on Chowpatty beach, mainly pav bhaji and bhel puri, or kebabs at Bade Miyan behind the Taj hotel. At high tide during the monsoon, waves break over the parapet and police close the promenade. Swimming at Chowpatty isn't recommended, since the water is polluted.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 1–2 h

Haji Ali Dargah

हाजी अली दरगाह

Worli / Mahalaxmi

A white mosque and the tomb of a fifteenth-century Sufi saint stand on a small island in the sea, linked to the mainland by a narrow five-hundred-meter causeway. Tens of thousands of visitors of every faith come here daily. At high tide, the causeway floods and the mosque appears to float on the water.

Tip: The causeway is only accessible at low tide, so check Mumbai's tide tables beforehand. Thursday and Friday evenings bring qawwali singing and the biggest crowds. Women can't approach the tomb itself but may enter the courtyard; everyone should cover their head. Right across from it is the famous Haji Ali Juice Centre, known for its mango cream.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 1 h

Dhobi Ghat laundry

धोबी घाट

Mahalaxmi

A giant open-air laundry dating to 1890, where hundreds of washermen hand-wash laundry from hotels, hospitals and homes daily in concrete troughs, then dry it on hundreds of clotheslines. An estimated one hundred thousand-plus items are cleaned here every day, each one returned to its owner thanks to a system of markings.

Tip: The best free view is from the bridge by Mahalaxmi station, between eight and eleven in the morning, when washing is underway and the lines are full. A local guide will take you into the laundry itself for a few hundred rupees; photographing people at work without permission is impolite. Combine it with a visit to Haji Ali Dargah, a five-minute taxi ride away.

Admission:: free from the bridge, tour by donation
Time needed:: 30–45 min

CSMVS Museum

छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज वस्तु संग्रहालय

Kala Ghoda

Mumbai's main museum, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, occupies an Indo-Saracenic domed building set in a garden. Its collection spans sculptures from Elephanta, miniature paintings, weapons, Himalayan bronzes, Chinese porcelain and European paintings. It's the best overview of Indian art in the west of the country.

Tip: The ticket includes an audio guide, without which the collection loses half its meaning. The miniature painting gallery on the first floor is the best section and takes about an hour. The museum is air-conditioned, making it an ideal escape from the midday heat; right next door is the Jehangir gallery with contemporary Indian art, free to enter, and Kala Ghoda street with its cafés.

Admission:: around 700 INR (foreigners)
Time needed:: 2 h

Banganga Tank

बाणगंगा तलाव

Malabar Hill

A sacred twelfth-century water tank surrounded by steps, small temples and priests' houses on Malabar Hill, in the middle of one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. Legend has it a spring burst forth here when Prince Rama shot an arrow into the ground. It's one of Mumbai's oldest and quietest spots.

Tip: Go in the morning, when pilgrims bathe, feed the fish and priests conduct rituals. In December or January the Banganga Festival of classical Indian music is held here, with concerts on the steps. From here it's a ten-minute walk to the Hanging Gardens, with views over the whole of Back Bay.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 45 min

Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Kanheri Caves

संजय गांधी राष्ट्रीय उद्यान

Borivali

A hundred and four square kilometers of forest within the city limits, one of the few national parks anywhere in the world located inside a metropolis, still home to leopards. The main draw is the Buddhist Kanheri Caves, more than a hundred monastic cells and prayer halls carved into the rock between the first century BCE and the tenth century.

Tip: The park lies in the north of the city; by train from Churchgate to Borivali station takes an hour, then a rickshaw to the gate. The caves are seven kilometers from the gate — a park bus runs there, or you can rent a bike. Go in the morning on a weekday, since weekends bring half of Mumbai. The caves are closed on Mondays. Nobody stays in the park after dark, because of leopards.

Admission:: park entry around 100 INR, caves separate
Time needed:: half a day

Photos: Gateway of India — Myers Brothers (Public domain) · Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station — Sailko (CC BY 3.0) · Elephanta Caves — Christian Haugen (CC BY 2.0) · Marine Drive — Dr Vikramjit Kakati (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Haji Ali Dargah — আজিজ at Bangla Wikipedia (CC0) · Dhobi Ghat laundry — Clayton Tang (CC BY-SA 3.0) · CSMVS Museum — Anoop Ravi (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Banganga Tank — Oknitop (talk) (Uploads) (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Kanheri Caves — AKS.9955 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Where to stay

Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking

Colaba

Best for: first-time visitors, sightseeing, nightlife

The southernmost district by the Gateway of India, with hotels of every category, from the legendary Taj Mahal Palace to cheap guesthouses. Colaba Causeway street is packed with stalls, cafés and bars, and everything is within walking distance: the Gateway of India, museums, Kala Ghoda and Marine Drive. The drawback is that reaching the north of the city takes an hour or more.

Fort and Kala Ghoda

Best for: architecture, cafés, museums

The British-era commercial center, with Gothic university, court and CST station buildings. Kala Ghoda is an arts district with galleries, boutiques and South Mumbai's best cafés and restaurants, hosting an arts festival every February. Hotels are pricier here, and it's quiet on weekends since office buildings empty out.

Bandra

Best for: young Mumbai, food, bars

A northern suburb across the Bandra–Worli Sea Link, with Portuguese-era villas, Catholic churches, street art and the city's liveliest bar scene. Bollywood stars and hipsters live here. It's closer to the airport than the south, but reaching the main sights takes over an hour by car in traffic.

Juhu and the airport area

Best for: beach, short stays

A suburb with a long beach where people stroll and eat street food in the evening, and hotels catering to business travelers. It's convenient for a night before a flight, since the airport is twenty minutes away; but it's not for swimming, and reaching the old city center takes an hour and a half in traffic.

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Getting around

From the airport

Flights from Prague to Mumbai require one connection, via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul or Frankfurt; the journey takes eleven to fourteen hours. Air India flies direct from London, Frankfurt and Paris. Czech citizens need a visa; the simplest option is the electronic e-Visa through the official Indian government portal. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport lies in the northern suburbs, twenty-five kilometers from Colaba, and the trip downtown takes one to two hours depending on traffic. A new airport, Navi Mumbai, on the mainland, is opening in stages. Trains run from Mumbai to Goa (eight to eleven hours) and to Pune (three hours).

Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (BOM) · 25 km

Uber or Ola to Colaba· 60–120 min· 700 INR
Prepaid taxi from the arrivals counter· 60–120 min· 900 INR
Metro Line 3 (Aqua) to South Mumbai· 50 min· 70 INR

Around town

Mumbai is a long, narrow peninsula, and its transport runs north–south. Suburban trains are the fastest option, running on three lines from Churchgate and CST northward every three minutes, but at rush hour they're so packed that people hang from the doors outside — travel off-peak and in first class, or in the women's carriage. The new underground Metro Line 3 links the south of the city with the airport and Bandra. Uber and Ola are the most comfortable option; black-and-yellow taxis run on the meter and are cheap. Auto-rickshaws are only allowed in the suburbs north of Bandra — you won't see them in South Mumbai. Colaba, Fort and Marine Drive are all easily walkable.

Suburban trainSecond class for a few rupees, first class ten times pricier but still cheap; travel off-peak. · 10 INR

MetroLine 3 runs from Cuffe Parade through Churchgate and Bandra to the airport; new and air-conditioned. · 10 INR

Uber / Ola and black-and-yellow taxisTaxis run on the meter, check the fare chart; app-booked rides show the price upfront. · 100 INR

Auto-rickshawOnly in the northern suburbs, metered. · 26 INR

Useful apps: Uber, Ola, m-Indicator (trains), Google Maps, Zomato

When to go

The best period is November to February, sunny, around thirty degrees during the day, with pleasant evenings by the sea. March to May are hot and very humid. From June to September the monsoon arrives with over two meters of rainfall — in July it rains nearly every day, streets and railway tracks flood, and boats to Elephanta stop running; but the city turns green and hotels are cheap. October is hot and muggy. The biggest festival is Ganesh Chaturthi in August or September, ten days celebrating the elephant-headed god, ending with giant statues carried into the sea accompanied by millions of people — unforgettable, but traffic grinds to a halt.

Best time

November–February

What to avoid

June–September (heavy monsoon), muggy April and May

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Day	31°	32°	33°	33°	34°	32°	30°	30°	31°	34°	34°	32°
Night	17°	18°	21°	24°	27°	27°	26°	25°	25°	24°	22°	19°
Rainy days	0	0	0	0	1	14	22	21	13	3	1	0

Food & drink

Mumbai is India's street-food capital and the place where cuisines from across the country meet fish from the Arabian Sea. Its symbol is vada pav — a fried potato ball in a soft white bun, eaten by office workers and laborers alike for twenty rupees. In the evening, Chowpatty beach and Khau Galli serve bhel puri and pav bhaji. Along the coast, fish is cooked in coconut curries in the Malvani and Mangalorean styles, and a handful of Parsi cafés from the early twentieth century survive in South Mumbai, with marble-top tables, braised meat and raspberry soda. Mumbai is also India's best city for modern restaurants and bars — though it's also the country's most expensive city, and dinner at a good restaurant can run three thousand rupees and up. For street food, pick stalls with a line, where the cooking happens right in front of you.

What to try

Vada pav

Mumbai's burger: a spiced potato ball in batter, fried golden and tucked into a soft bun with garlic and green chutney. It costs twenty to forty rupees and is sold outside every train station.

Pav bhaji

A mashed vegetable mix cooked with butter and spices on a giant griddle, served with toasted buns, onion and lime. Best in the evening at Chowpatty or Khau Galli.

Bhel puri

Puffed rice tossed with sweet and spicy sauces, onion, tomato and crispy noodles, mixed right in front of you in a paper cone. Eat it immediately, before it goes soft.

Parsi food

The Parsis, descendants of Persian Zoroastrians, brought berry pulao with cranberries, patra ni machhi (fish in a banana leaf) and dhansak made from lentils and meat to Mumbai. At the cafés Britannia and Kyani, the best accompaniments are raspberry soda and tea with a buttered bun maska.

Bombay duck and Konkan fish

Bombay duck isn't duck at all but a small fish, coated in semolina and fried. Coastal Malvani restaurants serve it alongside prawns, pomfret and crab curry in coconut sauce; you choose the fish raw and pay by weight.

Frankie

A flatbread wrapped around spiced meat, egg or paneer with onion and sauce — Mumbai's answer to the wrap. Fast food from street windows for one hundred to two hundred rupees.

Falooda

A thick cold dessert of milk, rose syrup, vermicelli, basil seeds and ice cream, served in a tall glass. Best at the dessert shops around Mohammed Ali Road.

Cutting chai

A half-glass of strong, sweet milky tea, over which the city closes both business deals and friendships. It costs fifteen rupees and is drunk standing at the stall.

What it costs

Vada pav or cutting chai

15–40 INR

Thali or pav bhaji

150–350 INR

Dinner at a good restaurant

2,000–4,000 INR

Suburban train (1st class)

50–150 INR

Uber from Colaba to Bandra

450–700 INR

Boat to Elephanta return

260 INR

Beer at a bar

400–700 INR

Night at a 3-star hotel for two

5,000–9,000 INR

Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.

Practical information

SocketsCEuroplug, two round pinsDthree round pins (India)MSouth African, large pins

Voltage230V / 50Hz

Tap waterDo not drink tap water — Never drink tap water, don't even brush your teeth with it or add it to drinks. Bottled water costs around twenty rupees a liter; check the seal is intact when buying it, since refilled bottles are a common scam in India. Only accept ice in drinks at hotels and established restaurants.

TippingTipping is expected and part of the budget. Ten percent at restaurants if service isn't already charged, fifty rupees per bag for porters, three to five hundred rupees for a driver on a full-day trip. Keep small change handy, since making change is often difficult and you may end up overpaying without it.

Driving on theleft

SafetyViolent crime against tourists is low in India's big cities; the real issues are scams and traffic. Touts around stations and airports will latch onto you claiming your hotel has burned down or the "tourist office" is closed, then take you to an agency that sells an overpriced tour — don't trust anyone approaching you on the street, and use Uber or a prepaid taxi instead. Cross the road alongside locals, since cars don't stop even at crossings. Women shouldn't take a night taxi hailed on the street alone, and should use the women's carriage on the crowded metro. Stomach trouble hits almost everyone; eat where turnover is high and food is cooked in front of you. The emergency number is 112. During the monsoon in Mumbai, don't walk through flooded streets, since open drains become invisible.

Opening hoursCity shops open late, around eleven, and close nine to ten in the evening; malls run eleven to ten every day. Bazaars each have one closing day a week that varies by district. Sites managed by the Archaeological Survey of India are open from sunrise to sunset, and foreigner ticket prices are markedly higher than for Indians — booking online through the ASI website is usually fifty rupees cheaper than at the gate. Banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. During Diwali and Holi, the city grinds to a halt and traffic is unpredictable.

Customs & etiquetteRemove your shoes before entering a temple, mosque or private home, and photography is banned in many temples. The left hand is considered unclean — hand over food, money and gifts with your right. Outside beaches and resorts, modest dress is expected, especially covered shoulders and knees for women; Goa is more relaxed than the rest of the country, but this still applies in churches or villages. Cows are sacred and have right of way everywhere, including on the road. Shaking your head side to side means agreement, not disagreement.

A few local wordsHello — NamasteThank you — DhanyavadHow much does this cost? — Kitne ka hai?Not spicy, please — Mirchi nahiThe bill, please — Bill dijiye

How to plan your days

1 day

Mumbai in one day

1Morning at the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
2Walk through Kala Ghoda and Fort to CST station.
3Lunch at the Parsi café Britannia.
4Afternoon at the CSMVS museum.
5Sunset on Marine Drive and dinner at Chowpatty.

2 days

Two days with Elephanta

1Day 1: morning boat to Elephanta, back after noon.
2Day 1 afternoon: Colaba, the CSMVS museum and Kala Ghoda.
3Day 1 evening: Marine Drive and Chowpatty.
4Day 2: Dhobi Ghat from the bridge and Haji Ali Dargah at low tide.
5Day 2 afternoon: Banganga and the Hanging Gardens, evening bars in Bandra.

3 days

Three days with nature

1Day 1: Gateway of India, Fort, CST, evening on Marine Drive.
2Day 2: Elephanta, and the CSMVS museum in the afternoon.
3Day 3 morning: train to Borivali, Kanheri Caves in the national park.
4Day 3 afternoon: Bandra, the villas of Ranwar and Bandstand promenade.
5Day 3 evening: the Bandra–Worli Sea Link and dinner in Bandra.

Day trips

Lonavala and the Karla Caves

95 km · 2–3 h by train or car

A hill town in the Western Ghats where Mumbaikars escape the heat. In the monsoon the hills turn green and full of waterfalls; in season it's about five degrees cooler than the city. Nearby are the second-century BCE Buddhist Karla and Bhaja caves, home to India's largest rock-cut hall. The train to Pune stops at Lonavala, and the local specialty is peanut chikki brittle.

Matheran

90 km · 2.5–3 h by train and narrow-gauge railway

A hill station at eight hundred meters where cars are banned — you get around on foot, on horseback, or by hand-pulled rickshaw. Viewpoints at the edge of the plateau look out over the Ghats valley. A narrow-gauge railway from 1907 runs up from Neral, though not during the monsoon. It's a long day trip, so it's better to stay overnight.

Alibag

95 km · 1–1.5 h by boat and bus

A coastal town across the bay with beaches where Mumbaikars head for the weekend. A ferry runs from the Gateway of India to Mandwa, followed by a bus to Alibag; the trip takes about an hour and a half and is a nicer outing than the road route. At low tide you can walk out to Kolaba Fort on its little island offshore. Ferries don't run during the monsoon.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mumbai safe?+

Yes, Mumbai is one of India's safest big cities, and even women walk its streets in the evening. The real issues are pickpockets on trains and at markets, and overcrowded rush-hour trains where injuries can happen. Marine Drive and Colaba are fine to walk even after dark.

Should I visit the Dharavi slum?+

Dharavi is a vast district of a million-plus residents and thousands of small workshops that recycle plastic and make leather goods and pottery. Tours run by local organizations are legitimate, profits often go back into the community, and photography isn't allowed. If you'd rather not look into other people's lives, you don't have to go, but it shows how Mumbai really works.

How many days do I need for Mumbai?+

Two to three days for the main sights, Elephanta and the food. Mumbai is often a stopover on the way to Goa or to the Ajanta and Ellora caves, reached by flight or train to Aurangabad.

How do I get from the airport to Colaba?+

The most comfortable option is Uber or a prepaid taxi from the counter in the arrivals hall, which takes an hour or two depending on traffic. The new Metro Line 3 gets you south in fifty minutes with no traffic jams, and for a fraction of the price, if you don't have large suitcases.

Can I swim in the sea in Mumbai?+

Not in the city — Chowpatty and Juhu beaches are for strolling and eating, the water is polluted. For swimming, people go to Alibag across the bay, or to Goa. Hotels have pools.

What's the monsoon like?+

From June to September, most of the year's rainfall arrives, with up to thirty centimeters falling in a single July day. Trains stop running, streets flood and flights are delayed. You can still travel, but expect transport disruptions and Elephanta being closed.

Can you visit Bollywood?+

Film City in the north of the city runs set tours, but you'll rarely see an actual shoot in progress. More fun is catching a new Hindi film at the cinema — at Regal or Maratha Mandir, the audience claps, sings along and whistles.

What should I buy in Mumbai?+

Textiles and clothing on Colaba Causeway and at Fabindia stores, spices and tea at Crawford Market, antiques and curios at Chor Bazaar. There's no bargaining in fixed-price shops, but at the market start at half the asking price.

Visa Requirements

Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.

Check visa requirements

Emergency Numbers

Police100 Ambulance102 Fire101

Language

Hindi / English

Currency

INR

Timezone

GMT+5:30

Dial Code

+91

Population

1.43B

Area

3,287,263 km²

Voltage

230V / 50Hz

Driving Side

Left

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