The Best Travel Guide to Mumbai

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Mumbai

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Overview

Mumbai The guide was updated: 2022-12-05

A city with well-known architectural beauties like the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the World One skyscraper set against the natural harbour of the Konkan coast, Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, India. It has now become one of the biggest melting pots in the world, boasting an ever-increasing population that is attracted by both the sights and business opportunities available here. Seeing all it has to offer may seem like a daunting task, but you are sure to find something to your liking in this megalopolis.

Facts

Population:	City: 13 million City including metropolitan area: 20.5 million
Currency:	Indian Rupee (INR) Rs1 = 100 paise
Search Accommodation:	Hotels »
Emergency numbers:	Police: 100 Fire Brigade: 101 Ambulance: 102
Newspapers:	Mumbai Mirror - www.mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com The Times of India - www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com Hindustan Times - www.hindustantimes.com Afternoon Despatch & Courier
Opening hours:	Shops in Mumbai are generally open from 10am to 8.30pm, depending on the area, with some shops staying open for longer. General banking hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday.
Tourist information:	Indiatourism Mumbai 123, Maharshi Karve Road, Mumbai (Opposite Church Gate Station) +91 22 2203 3144

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Section in Mumbai

A complex tangle of cultures and creeds, the financial capital of India is a hub of activity. Get a flavorful sample of the country's food by visiting Crawford Market, experience a journey through the life of one of the most influential men in India at the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum and visit a fortune teller after a pony ride at Chowpatty Beach. Historical sites are located throughout the city, boasting ancient caves and temples while the city itself, with its bustling daily life and luxurious retail shops and restaurants, is an experience in itself.

Gateway of India

Gateway of India

The iconic Gateway of India overlooks the Arabic Sea and dominates the port with its majestic figure. Built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in the 1911, it is now a major draw for tourists thanks to the bustle filled with vendors and street food.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

An historic railway station and UNESCO heritage, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus blends designs of a British architect with the expertise of Indian craftsmen, giving this construction a peculiar Victorian Gothic style. It also comes equipped with seven platforms for suburban trains and eleven for long-distance ones.

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market

Once known as the Crawford Market, it is located opposite the Mumbai Police headquarters, near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. It is more a throwback to a Victorian market than modern day India. The friezes on the exterior walls and the stone fountains in the interior are designed by Lockwood Kipling, father to writer Rudyard Kipling. Gobs of fresh fruit and vegetables are sold here, as well as chocolate and cheese.

Chowpatty Beach

Chowpatty Beach

Being a polluted metropolis, Mumbai is certainly not renowned for crystal-water beaches and white sand, so swimming here should be avoided. Chowpatty Beach is a gathering point that, with its myriad stalls, offers street food and a nice backdrop for a leisure walk. At sunset, people flock down the quaint coastline that transforms itself into an open-air fair with pony rides, fortune tellers and local snacks.

Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk

Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk

Located in the heart of the business district, Flora Fountain is a popular Mumbai landmark built in 1864, and it has become a heritage structure. Made of Portland marble, its namesake is the Roman Goddess of Flowers and the Season of Spring.

Shree Siddhivinayak Temple

Shree Siddhivinayak Temple

Located in the heart of Mumbai, The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple honors Lord Ganesh, the most revered god within the whole of India. Dating back to the 1800s, it features carved wooden doors at the entrance and an inner roof plated with gold, and the idol of Shree Siddhivinayak is carved out of a single black stone.

Kanheri Caves

Kanheri Caves

In the western outskirts of Mumbai, the Kanheri Caves are laid in the middle of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Carved out of rock mountains and with an history that dates back to the first century BC, they are existing proof of the Buddhist influence on India. The surrounding forest features an area full of waterfalls and local flora.

Dhobi Ghat

Dhobi Ghat

An evocative view stretches upon the horizon, workers bent over piles of clothes and a pungent scent of soap mixed with smoke - Dhobi Ghat, the world's largest laundromat with workers bent over piles of clothes and a pungent scent of soap mixed with smoke, is still a reality in Mumbai. Thousand of clothes pass through the 700 stone washing platforms everyday and are hanged on intricate dry lines, in a colourful show that is one of a kind.

Dadar Flower Market

Dadar Flower Market

Right outside the Dadar station, the crowd of people flows into this tiny street filled with vendors and their red, blue and yellow bouquets of flowers. If you're up for it, you can also bargain with them to get a chance at an even lower price.

Global Vipassana Pagoda

Global Vipassana Pagoda

Recently inaugurated, this meditation hall has become a major attraction in Mumbai. Loved for its golden decor and the massive dome, the pagoda is surrounded by nature, and the Dhamma Pattana meditation center offers free 10-day meditation courses.

Juhu Beach

Juhu Beach

Juhu is of the most popular beaches in Mumbai: a perfect place to get a tan and enjoy the marine breeze during the day and a meeting point in the evening. With plentiful food stalls and vendors, it becomes even more lively at sunset.

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Caves

Located on Elephanta Island, the 5th-8th century ancient caves are a nice option for a day trip. The network of rock-carved caves is an important world heritage site, boasting sculptures of Trimurti and Gangadhara, being associated to the cult of Lord Shiva.

Malabar Hill

Malabar Hill

Situated on a small hill in the southern part of the city, Malabar Hill represents one of the highest vantage point in central Mumbai. Surrounded by upmarket residential areas, it is home to the ruins of the world heritage Walkeshwar Temple that, with its almost a thousand years, is one of the most ancient temples in town. The popular Baganga Festival of Music is usually held here in January.

Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum (Gandhi’s House)

Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum (Gandhi’s House)

Architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi was a spiritual and political leader whose influence stirred a nation, if not the world. The Gandhi Museum, once house of the man who defined modern India, now preserves his memory by showing, every now and again, films about Gandhi and his speeches and guarding a library partly dedicated to his importance.

Nehru Centre

Nehru Centre

Inspired by the most revered figure of Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister and leader of the Indian Independence movement, this artistic hub consists of a Planetarium and a permanent exhibition that covers every aspect of India´s development and culture. Committed to promoting emerging artists, it also displays new talents, aiming to inspire new generations of young Indians. Special arrangements are made to watch, study and photograph solar and lunar eclipses, and many similar events.

General Post Office

General Post Office

Located just behind Victoria Terminus, the largest GPO in India was completed in 1913. The imposing building is the template for the Indo-Saracenic architectural style and includes high vaulted ceilings and marble topped tables in the interior.

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