Mumbai

India's financial and Bollywood capital, with the Gateway of India, Victorian Gothic buildings and Marine Drive. The Elephanta Caves and street food make it India's liveliest metropolis.

Mumbai is India's largest city and financial center and the capital of Maharashtra. It sits on a group of islands on India's west coast that were joined together through land reclamation, has a population of over 20 million, and is home to Bollywood. Formerly called Bombay, it began as seven small islands that the Portuguese gave to the English in 1661 as a dowry, and 19th-century land reclamation and the cotton trade created today's city. The main sights are in the far south, in South Mumbai: Colaba (the Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Colaba Causeway) and the Fort area (the Victorian Gothic High Court and University of Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2018 as the "Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles"), plus Marine Drive and Chowpatty Beach. Farther north are Malabar Hill, the Haji Ali Dargah, the Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar and Dharavi, and farther north still is Bandra, the residential area of Bollywood stars and a bar district. Climate: November to February is cool (25–30°C) and best; March to May is hot and humid; June to September brings heavy southwest monsoon rain and frequent flooding, so avoid it if possible. Getting there: from Shanghai, Guangzhou and elsewhere you can reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport via a connection. Chinese passport holders must arrange an Indian e-visa in advance. The airport to South Mumbai takes about 1–1.5 hours (Uber/Ola). The Mumbai suburban railway (Local Train) is cheap but extremely crowded at peak hours, so ride only off-peak. In South Mumbai, walking plus taxis is enough to get between sights. Recommended stay: 2–3 days. Day 1: an architecture walk through South Mumbai plus sunset on Marine Drive; Day 2: Elephanta Island (depart in the morning) plus shopping in Colaba; Day 3: a Dharavi tour or a Bollywood studio plus Bandra. Tips: Elephanta ferries stop running during monsoon season (June–September); the street snacks vada pav and pav bhaji are worth trying, but choose only busy stalls that cook to order; security is tight around the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel; black-and-yellow taxis run on meters, or you can use Uber; carry rain gear during monsoon season and avoid wading through flooded streets.

Top sights

• Gateway of India – An Indo-Saracenic triumphal arch built in 1924 to welcome King George V; the symbol of Mumbai and the ferry pier for Elephanta Island, with…
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus – A Victorian Gothic railway station completed in 1888 (formerly Victoria Terminus), a World Heritage Site where some 3 million people pass t…
• Marine Drive – A 3.6-km C-shaped seafront boulevard lined with Art Deco apartments and palm trees; at night its streetlights form the 'Queen's Necklace'…
• Elephanta Caves – Shiva cave temples carved between the 5th and 6th centuries on an island in Mumbai harbour; the six-metre three-faced Shiva is considered a…
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya – Mumbai's most important museum, housed in an Indo-Saracenic domed building that holds Indian sculpture, miniature paintings and finds from…
• The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel – A legendary hotel opened in 1903, with its red dome facing the Gateway of India across the road; one of Mumbai's most iconic buildings.
• Dharavi – One of the largest slums in Asia, yet also a handicraft district with annual output worth over US$1 billion. Join a community tour to under…
• Haji Ali Dargah – A 15th-century Sufi saint's tomb and mosque on a small island in the sea, reachable only at low tide via a 500-meter causeway, with its whi…
• Colaba Causeway – A shopping and coffee street in south Mumbai, with roadside stalls selling jewelry and clothing, flanked by century-old institutions such a…
• Siddhivinayak Temple – A Ganesha temple built in 1801, the most popular Hindu temple in Mumbai, and a must-visit for Bollywood stars and businesspeople seeking su…
• Kanheri Caves & Sanjay Gandhi National Park – More than a hundred Buddhist rock-cut caves in the forest of a northern city national park, carved between the 1st century BCE and the 10th…
• Global Vipassana Pagoda – A giant golden Buddhist pagoda modeled on the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, with the world's largest unsupported stone dome, able to hold abo…
• Juhu Beach – The most famous beach on Mumbai's western outskirts, known for family outings in the evening, street snacks and the mansions of Bollywood s…
• Bandra–Worli Sea Link – A cable-stayed sea bridge spanning Mahim Bay, about 5.6 km long, whose night view is a symbol of modern Mumbai.
• Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount – A Neo-Gothic Catholic church on a small hill in Bandra, drawing worshippers of all faiths to pray. Crowds surge during the Bandra Fair in S…
• Bandra Fort & Bandstand Promenade – A coastal watchtower built by the Portuguese in 1640, offering views of the sea bridge and sunsets from the fort, with a seaside promenade…
• Crawford Market (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai) – A Norman-Gothic market completed in 1869, its entrance reliefs designed by Kipling's father, selling fruit, spices and dried goods.
• Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum – Gandhi's Mumbai residence from 1917 to 1934, preserving his bedroom, spinning wheel and letters, and telling the story of the non-violence…
• Banganga Tank – An ancient Hindu sacred tank at the foot of Malabar Hill, surrounded by stone steps, temples and old houses, a rare oasis of calm in the ci…
• Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens) – Terraced garden on the top of Malabar Hill, famous for hedges clipped into animal shapes and for views of the 'Queen's Necklace' along Mari…
• Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat – One of the world's largest open-air laundries, where thousands of washermen hand-wash the city's clothes in over a thousand concrete tubs.
• Girgaon Chowpatty – The city beach at the northern end of Marine Drive, a favourite spot at sunset for bhel puri and other street snacks; packed during Ganesh…
• Kala Ghoda Art District – An art district at the southern end of Fort, lined with galleries, cafés and colonial buildings, hosting Mumbai's largest street arts festi…
• Rajabai Clock Tower & University of Mumbai – An 85-metre Gothic clock tower modelled on London's Big Ben, forming with the Bombay High Court and other buildings a Victorian Gothic Worl…
• Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk) – A Roman flower goddess fountain built in 1864, located where five roads meet in the heart of Fort and surrounded by Victorian commercial bu…
• Film City Mumbai (Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari) – A large film studio complex in Goregaon; Bollywood set tours let you see the sets, watch shoots and enjoy dance performances.
• Mahalaxmi Temple – A seaside Hindu temple dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, with very devoted worshippers, facing Haji Ali Mosque across the water.
• Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum – Mumbai's oldest museum, opened in 1872, with a Palladian exterior and a dazzling gold-and-red Victorian interior.
• Sassoon Docks – One of Mumbai's oldest fishing harbours, where boats unload their catch at dawn and Koli fishwives auction it in a lively, pungent scene.
• Chor Bazaar – An antique and second-hand market with over 150 years of history, where you can dig through old gramophones, Bollywood posters, brassware a…

Where to eat

• Britannia & Co. – A family-run Parsi institution opened in 1923, famous city-wide for its Berry Pulav made with imported Iranian barberri…
• Ashok Vada Pav – A legendary stall next to Kirti College, famous for its Vada Pav stuffed with crispy batter bits, ranked among the worl…
• Masque – Ranked 15th on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 and named the Best Restaurant in India, offering a 10-course tasting men…
• Trishna – A famous seafood destination in Kala Ghoda, renowned for its signature Butter Pepper Garlic Crab which draws crowds yea…
• Swati Snacks (Tardeo) – A Gujarati vegetarian snack joint opened in 1963, famous for its signature Panki steamed in banana leaves.
• Aaswad – A legendary Maharashtrian vegetarian eatery in Dadar, famous for its award-winning Misal Pav and pocket-friendly prices.
• Bademiya – A legendary kebab stall operating behind the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel since 1946, a famous late-night destination in Cola…

Itineraries

• Mumbai to Goa Konkan Coast – Drive south along the Konkan Coast, connecting sea forts, ferries, fishing harbors, and quiet beaches, ending in Goa.
• Mumbai & Ajanta & Ellora Caves – See colonial architecture and Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, then take a train to Aurangabad to explore two world-heritage…