Maharashtra, west coast · India
India's biggest, fastest and most cosmopolitan city: Victorian Gothic railway stations, Art Deco seafront blocks, Bollywood dreams and the country's best street food.
Photo: SriSriChinmaya · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is India's largest city and the engine of its economy, with more than 12 million people in the city itself and about 20 million in the wider metropolitan area. It grew from seven islands, ceded by the Portuguese to the British in 1661 as part of a royal dowry, into one of the great ports of the British Empire, and it kept growing after independence as a centre of finance, industry and film.
The colonial legacy is unusually visible. South Mumbai has the largest collection of Victorian Gothic buildings in the world outside Britain, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and along Marine Drive and Oval Maidan a large group of 1930s Art Deco apartments and cinemas. UNESCO listed the Victorian and Art Deco ensemble in 2018.
Beyond the architecture, Mumbai is a city of contrasts, of gleaming towers and huge slums, of Bollywood studios and street-side tea stalls, of daily commuters packed into local trains and of a food culture that ranges from vada pav at street corners to fine dining. It is a good place to see modern India, and its energy is infectious.
Why visit
Mumbai is a different India from the north, faster, more modern and more mixed.
Two UNESCO listings cover the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings of the south.
Vada pav, pav bhaji, bhel puri, kebabs and Irani café chai, among the best snacks in India.
Film studios, theatres, art galleries and the country's biggest music scene.
A short ferry ride to rock-cut temples dedicated to Shiva.
Marine Drive, Chowpatty and the promenades along the Arabian Sea.
Main attractions
Most sights are in South Mumbai, and can be visited on foot and by short taxi rides.
A basalt arch on the waterfront, built in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, and the point from which the last British troops left India in 1948. Ferries to Elephanta leave from here.
Tip Go early or late, to avoid the crowds and heat.
The great railway station, completed in 1887 as Victoria Terminus, is a fantasy of domes, turrets and carved stone in Victorian Gothic and Indian styles. It is still a working station used by millions.
Tip Look at the exterior from the road, and walk in to see the concourse.
A curving promenade of about 3.5 km along Back Bay, lined with Art Deco buildings, and known as the Queen's Necklace for its lights at night. A favourite evening walk.
Tip Go at sunset.
A UNESCO-listed cave temple complex on an island in the harbour, carved in the 5th to 8th centuries, with a huge sculpture of the three-faced Shiva. A ferry from the Gateway of India takes about an hour.
Tip Closed on Mondays, and take the earliest ferry.
The area around the Gateway has a mix of cafés, bookshops, art galleries and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya museum, in an Indo-Saracenic building.
Tip Walk the Kala Ghoda art district.
An open-air laundry where clothes are washed by hand, seen from a bridge, and the Haji Ali Dargah, a mosque and tomb on a causeway in the sea.
Tip Visit Haji Ali at low tide when the causeway is open.
Things to do
Mumbai rewards a mix of walking, eating and riding its transport.
The suburban rail system carries about 7 million passengers a day, and a short ride is an experience in itself.
Tip Avoid rush hours, and use the first-class or women's carriage if you prefer.
Sample vada pav, pav bhaji, bhel puri and kulfi at Chowpatty, Juhu and around the stations.
Tip Choose busy stalls.
Old Parsi-Irani cafés serve bun maska, chai and keema pav in period interiors.
Tip Try Kyani & Co. or other established cafés.
Galleries in Kala Ghoda and the museum of modern art give a taste of India's contemporary art.
Tip Visit during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
The suburb has street art, cafés and shops, and is popular for evenings.
Tip Go by taxi.
Cricket games take place on open grounds across the city on weekends.
Tip Join in if invited.
Local food
Mumbai's food is defined by its street snacks, its seafood and its mixed communities.
A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutneys, and the city's iconic snack.
Where to try it Street stalls near stations.
A buttery vegetable mash with toasted rolls.
Where to try it Chowpatty and Juhu beaches.
Puffed rice tossed with chutneys, onion and crisp noodles.
Where to try it Chowpatty Beach.
Fresh fish and prawns cooked in Koli and Goan styles. Bombay duck is a dried fish, not a bird.
Where to try it Seafood restaurants in Colaba and Bandra.
Bun maska, keema pav and Irani chai in old cafés.
Where to try it Irani cafés in the south.
Rich frozen dessert and rose-flavoured milk drinks.
Where to try it Ice-cream parlours near the sea.
Accommodation
South Mumbai is convenient for sightseeing, and Bandra and Juhu are better for nightlife.
Transport
Mumbai is the busiest air hub in western India.
Distances are long and traffic is heavy, so plan by area.
When to go
Mumbai is hot and humid for most of the year, with a heavy monsoon from June to September.
Warm, dry and comfortable.
Hot and humid.
Heavy rain, flooding at times, and green landscapes. Ganesh Chaturthi in August or September is a big festival.
Warm and humid, with clearing skies.
Worth planning around: Peak monsoon weeks in July and August, when flooding can disrupt travel.
Itinerary
Colonial Mumbai first, then Elephanta and the neighbourhoods.
Architecture and the sea.
A day on the water.
Markets and suburbs.
Travel tips
Mumbai is fast, and a few tips help.
FAQ
Two or three days. One day covers the Gateway of India and the colonial core.
Generally, yes, with the usual big-city precautions. Watch for pickpockets in crowds.
November to February.
Yes, particularly for food, architecture and a modern side of India.
Studio tours are available, though filming is often closed to the public.
By ferry from the Gateway of India, about an hour each way. The caves are closed on Mondays.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Mumbai, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Goa, west coast, India
A former Portuguese colony with 100 km of beaches, the UNESCO-listed churches of Old Goa, the Latin Quarter of Panjim, forts, markets and a food culture found nowhere else in India.
Don't miss Fresh fish and a cold drink at a beach shack, watching the sun drop into the Arabian Sea.
Explore Destination — GoaKerala, south-western India, India
Kerala's slow, watery landscapes: houseboats and canoes on the Alleppey backwaters, the historic port of Fort Kochi, the tea hills of Munnar and a rich food and dance heritage.
Don't miss A dawn canoe ride on a quiet backwater canal, with kingfishers on the palms and village life waking up.
Explore Destination — Kerala: Backwaters and KochiRajasthan, southern Mewar, India
The most romantic city in Rajasthan: the City Palace on Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple, the old bazaars and the surrounding Aravalli hills, with day trips to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh.
Don't miss A boat on Lake Pichola at sunset, with the City Palace glowing above the water.
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