One of the most populous cities on this planet is so much more than a gateway to India.
Mumbai is one of themost storied cities in India . A rich cultural photomosaic , a multicultural entrepôt — a city chequer with the step of Muslims , Sindhis , Parsis , Jews , Christians , Punjabis , Maharashtrians , Armenians , and many others . multitude of tourists ribbon through its streets every day , accept in its colourful bazaars that sit face by jowl with magisterial colonial architecture , the home ofBollywood starslike Shah Rukh Khan , and the loom skyscrapers edging out honest-to-goodness material mills .
tourer booklet tout its many architectural charms : its colonial Gothic , Indo - Saracenic , and Art Deco buildings ; its UNESCO - certified monuments ; its vivid temples , mosques and dargahs , church , and synagogue . In Mumbai , you ’ll bump a hidden history that unravel back millennia , as well as a thriving contemporary art and culture scene . But Mumbai alsohas a wilder side , with waterways that cut through the city , create wetland that cast flamingos , ibis , and paint storks . And it contradict belief that within such a frantic cosmopolis , you’re able to still find swathes of forest . Whether you ’re a nature - lover , foodie , or architecture aficionado , Mumbai should be on your must - visit list .
Best places to visit in Mumbai for the first time
Mumbai is cubby - holed with pre - compound cave architecture , admit the 2,400 - year - old BuddhistKanhericaves grave by monks that sit around inside theSanjay Gandhi National Park , in the northern suburbs of the urban center . The massive protect orbit is home to the Indigenous Warli community as well as a throng of wildlife : leopards , cervid , crocodile , pythons , cobras , flying fox , the Rhesus macaque , and many others . The park is a major draw play for locals and tourist likewise , but the 109 caves foreground another side of Mumbai — proof that it was once home to a palmy Buddhist residential area from the 1st century BCE through the 10th C AD .
By the turn of the third century AD , the caves had become bastions of Buddhist congregational survey , a cloistered hub pass student from around the country . Keep an heart out for the 11 - channelize Avalokiteśvara ( Buddhistic spiritual being ) in cave 41 , the oldest of its sort — the Dalai Lama is said to be a contemporary avatar . Today , the caves are possibly the old existing social structure in Mumbai .
Closer to the southern end of the metropolis , bang in the center of bustling Malabar Hill , you ’ll happen the medieval 9th–12th centuryBangangacomplex , a sacred cooler ring by stacks of shrines , monasteries , necropolis , and ancient hostelry that has even been mentioned in the Hindu mythologic text , theRamayana .
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In a battle for control over the land , the hefty Maratha dynasty ( 1646 AD–1818 AD ) , the Lusitanian colonizer , and the British after them , establish a plethora of fort around the metropolis . If you travel slightly further afield to the slide and hills of the Konkan region , you ’ll find around 250 fortress . Once gallant bastion of the city , most have now crumbled into precarious ruin , succumbed to malicious mischief , or are hold in by the military , denying admittance to civilians . Still , the Portuguese - geological era Bandra Fort lives on and is heart-to-heart to all ; amongst the few accessible forts in the master metropolis , it sometimes even host ethnic operation .
Onwards to compound Mumbai , where you ’ll find the magnificentChhatrapati Shivaji train terminus(previously Victoria terminus ) that is a pitstop on any Mumbai stumble deserving its Strategic Arms Limitation Talks . Other than the Gateway of India , this is the metropolis ’s most placeable repository . century of trains puff in and out of here , carry tens of thousands of passenger around the metropolis ( and the res publica , since it works both for local and outpost train ) . construct in the recent nineteenth century to memorialise Queen Victoria , the UNESCO inheritance bodily structure brims with symbols and motif — for example , a rock Leo the Lion ( meant to represent England ) and a stone Panthera tigris ( representing India ) guard the entranceway William Henry Gates to the independent stop of the terminus . Not too many know that a small railway museum exists within the station ; it house all manner of treasure such as antique silver gray cutlery used by first division travellers in the nineteenth century . Khaki Toursas well asINTACH(Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage ) offer walks led by inheritance partizan and architects .
In a metropolis spotted with beautiful churches and cathedrals , theAfghan Church(Church of St. John the Evangelist ) stand up out as a Gothic Revival dirge to all those martyred in the Anglo - Afghan war of 1838 . Made memorable by its finely lard Gothic computer architecture , 42 panel of delicate varnished glass , and a grand altar , it was open to the public in 1858 , and was late reinstate to great plaudits . add up for the striking 150 - year - old - stained shabu windows feature the apostles of the New Testament , stay for the typical spire with its eight bells ( an ecclesiastic infrequency ) .
Deer and other wildlife roam openly inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai.|Satish Bate/Hindustan Times/Getty Images
On any commit day , boats , ferries , and racing yacht trace foamy trails in the water off the Gateway of India . For a Pisces - middle view of the city , you may charter a racing yacht for a couple of hours , and sweep aside on the Arabian Sea at sunrise or sunset — on a uncommon day , you may even tell apart a seedpod of dolphins . Bombay Gypsea Experiencesoffers secret or public sails , sometimes partnering with chefs or historians . A far more low-cost option is a breezy ferry ride from Versova to Madh Island ( a northerly suburb , with a relatively pristine beach , an ancient Lusitanian Christian church , and a fortress ) .
Even in the busybodied , skyscrapered metropolis of Mumbai , nature reject to be fettered by urbanity . Bring out your binoculars and take the air shoes , and take a train to Sewri Mangrove Park , Bhandup Pumping Station , Thane Creek , or Nerul to stress and catch a peek at the flocks of flamingos that vanish to the city and settle in the sloppy mangroves for several weeks at a clock time .
Where to eat and drink like a local in Mumbai
For a right perceptiveness of local Maharashtrian intellectual nourishment , there are a clustering of unostentatious eating place in the fundamental Dadar and Prabhadevi area . Go toPrakash Shakahari Upahar Kendrafor Maharashtrian collation like green pea plant patties and profoundly spice up usal ( coconut - laced sprout ) . For seafood , visitChaitanya Malvaniwith dishes like clam masala in coconut gravy , Bombay duck Pisces hatch in a stack of semolina and fried to a golden crackle , and mandeli fry , which is a plate of midget fish fried until crisp , meant to be eaten whole , bones and all . Nearby is Ashok , purveyor of some of the best vada pao ( deeply - fried potato fritters press into a bun ) in the urban center . It ’s an iconic Mumbai bite that was invented for the area ’s milling machinery workers .
indispensable to the tone of Mumbai are its once plentiful , and now fast dwindle away Irani cafés . A singular style of establishment started by nineteenth century migrants from Iran , the cafés have long catered to a cosmopolitan crowd . The cafés are in a flash recognizable thanks to their bentwood chairs , checkerboard floor , ex cupboards filled with all manner of grocery items , old fans stir the soupy Mumbai air , and sometimes a “ family ” plane section that was once open only to men who came to dine with their families but is now opened to all . TryKyani & Co , Mumbai ’s oldest Irani cafe , serving a bacchanal of meaty comestibles from masala - flecked mince to chicken patties to mutton samosa .
On Chowpatty beach , honeycombed with nutrient shacks , try out thebhel , another iconic Mumbai invention ( potato , onions , puri , puffed Elmer Reizenstein , with a wash of scented - glowering and spicy chutneys ) . Those more stern of stomach can call the nearby restaurantSoam . AndKoberestaurant service yet another Mumbai innovation : the sizzler , a giant heap of gravied Elmer Rice and noodle with the protein of your choice , served on a steaming metal hotplate .
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a UNESCO heritage site.|Adrian Pope/Stone/Getty Images
In bustling Bhendi Bazaar , Valibhai Payawala cooks its meat through the day on coal fires , dum style , until it is soft , delicious , unresisting enough to return off the off-white at the slightest nudge and unfreeze into the gravy . Order the paya ( trotters ) , the pichota ( oxtail ) , the nalli ( second joint or waist ) , or the topa ( neck opening ) ; it really does n’t matter which .
In spitefulness of flinch - inducing prices , I would encourage you towards tea at Taj Mahal hotel’sSea Lounge , a Mumbai image in and of itself . For your money , you ’ll have an unique purview of the Gateway of India , five - maven inspection and repair , and a pageantry of tea treat like demure cucumber sandwich , scone crowned with fix and clot emollient along with an variety of pastries .
Many restaurants today offer dishes and drunkenness that are innovative takes on intimate Indian ingredients while inflecting them with a soupcon of international whimsy . TryO’Pedro , Masque , the ever - popularBombay Canteen , KMCandEkaa(both in the atmospheric Kitab Mahal building in Mumbai ’s colonial precinct , Fort ) , andNoon , where Chef Vanika Choudhary ’s tempestuousness - forward cookery translates into dishes such as smoked murphy with slivered , work dragon yield spooned into a pani puri shell .
Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times/Getty Images
Mumbai neighborhoods you can’t miss
Dadar
When the metropolis was overwhelm by the ferocious Bombay plague in the 19th 100 , the government created Dadar as a mean to decongest the city right , take a leak it Mumbai ’s first decent planned neighborhood . Here , outside the cacophonic railway station on an early good morning , you ’ll find the Dadar flower market — a sea of rose wine , gerberas , lily , marigold , chrysanthemums , clove pink , tulip , and orchids , all available at sweeping rates . Also in Dadar , a big haven of green : the wind - raked Shivaji Park , which is famous for host political rally and manifestation and for spawn some of the country ’s best sportspersons , from Sachin Tendulkar to Sunil Gavaskar , who all played here as youngster . moderately near by is Chaityabhoomi , a Buddhist shrine work up in memory of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar , a Dalit attorney , scholar , and designer of the Amerindic constitution . Every year on December 6 , the day of remembrance of his death , one C of thou of Dalits muckle to the monument to pay their respects . In a city where most inheritance structures finally fall to New development , Dadar Parsi Colony is an anomaly . you’re able to wander through its lane , thread a maze of century - honest-to-goodness houses with colonnaded balconies , ancient Tree , fishy thousand , and somnolent street dogs .
Byculla
Once home to the refined aristocracy of the city , Byculla is one of Mumbai ’s most storied neighborhoods . The area is rich with Judaic , Catholic , Hindu , Muslim , Parsi , and British influences , include stately sign of the zodiac , Art Deco cinema , walled Parsi colonies , a Jewish burial ground , and cheap but superb Muslim eating . However , its easy accessibility to touristy south Mumbai is tight transforming it into a hip , untried mass ’s paradise . Beyond theBhau Daji Lad museum , Byculla is home to the beautiful Rani Bagh : 53 acres of heritage botanical garden , the cerulean Magen David Synagogue with its soaring clock tug and striking stained glass windows , and the neo - GothicGloria Churchthat began animation in the 16th century as a private chapel belonging to a Lusitanian Franciscan fellowship .
There is also the Kwan Tai Shek synagogue build for Chinese merchant and dock prole that once thronged the city , and the 1858 - digest Byculla Market , the urban center ’s first sweeping veggie market , which proudly host the wedding of Dr. Ambedkar ( he was denied a wedding venue elsewhere because he belonged to the oppressed caste of Dalits ) . A short walking away , Richardson & Cruddasonce supplied Fe to the railways , but today , this huge industrial space host performances by musical acts as divers as Alt J and Megadeth . In nearby Mazgaon is Matharpacady , a tiny , shopworn East Indian village , the home painted dazzling red coral and sea blue , their splosh roofs sheathed in sometime Mangalore tile .
Bhuleshwar
Bhuleshwar is a neighbourhood best explore on foot . Turn your foot first towards the Bhuleshwar tabernacle , which lends the area its name , and toShree Mumbadevi Temple(the name Mumbai make out from here ) , then roam around the warren of baugs , or community centers , include Hira , Krishna , and Madhav . These baugs net together a meshwork of ornamental chawls , rest planetary house , temples , Herbert George Wells , and schools for member of a special community . For case , Madhav Baug , which also shelters a resort for cows within its premises , was built for the vegetarian Gujarati Kapole Bania community of interests that made its way to the city in the 20th hundred . Bhangwadi ( bhang meaning cannabis , considered consecrated to Lord Shiva ) , was once home to bhang sellers and afterward a space for Gujarati musical theatre that fizzled out only in the 1970s . search out for the fantabulous grayish elephant on the façade . Bhuleshwar is also home to thePanjrapole , Mumbai ’s oldest animal protection built as a dwelling to street - dwelling dogs , but now almost completely take on over by needy cow . For a small sum , you’re able to buy a fistful of grass and fertilise them .
Museums, art, and culture in Mumbai
A pit ’s throw away away from Mumbai ’s best - known museum ( the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya ) is theMonetary Museumof the Reserve Bank of India , a petite free space documenting the numismatic history of the nation .
TheBhau Daji Lad museum(formerly the Victoria & Albert museum ) in Byculla , is arguably among Mumbai ’s finest . open in 1872 , the museum houses a range of Mumbai - specific exhibits , like lithographs and uncommon maps . AtMani Bhavan , in the Gamdevi precinct , visitant can get a look into the spirit of Gandhiji , the anti - compound attorney who was instrumental in steering India towards come up the yoke of colonialism .
Just across the road from CSMVS stands theNational Gallery of Modern Art , which is a shrine to art , both Native American and international . In fact , the metropolis is bespeckle with art gallery , most of which are deserving at least a gander , like theGalerie Mirchandani + Steinreuecke , Akara Art , and theNMACC , founded by Nita Ambani , wife of billionaire oligarch Mukesh Ambani .
Vada pav, one of Mumbai’s most popular snacks|subodhsathe/iStock/Getty Images Plus
For the musical and theater - apt , both the fantastically - restoredRoyal Opera Houseas well as theNational Centre of Performing Arts(NCPA , a multi - venue ethnical center ) are worth a visit . The NCPA is now also seen as a bastion of westerly authoritative music ; if you ’re there in the outflow or winter , render a performance by the Symphony Orchestra of India .
For penetration into a Mumbai commonly veiled to fooling visitors , HalluHallu , or “ softly piano ” in Marathi , hosts excellent walks promoting the metropolis ’s Indigenous inheritance . A few case ? The Waarli ( some of the city ’s sometime indweller ) walk through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park ; Jazz with Joe , where 72 - year - former trumpeter Joe Vessoaker walks through the streets of old Bandra playing East Indian , Goan , English , and Koli songs ( another Indigenous community of Mumbai ) ; and an East Indian village and food walk .
Mumbai hotels & other great places to stay
Mumbai has a host of five - star hotel such as the Hilton , the Four Seasons , the Marriott , and the Oberoi hotel chain , but for those with rich pouch , the most iconic is theTaj Mahal Palace , flank the seafront that abuts the Gateway of India . The Tajis a cultural touchstone and , built in 1903 , it is the noble-minded dame of Mumbai , its development twined inextricably with that of the birth of self-governing India . For more than a century , it has host everyone from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru , autonomous India ’s first Prime Minister to President Obama , sitting as it does smack in the center of the touristy Colaba territory .
The exclusiveSoho Houseright by Juhu beach , with membership unfold only to a rarefied few , does condescend to put up its 38 rooms to non - member . Each room feature designs pep up by the urban center , such as article of furniture made from local sari fabric .
Bentley ’s Hotelin Colaba is a downcast - budget , frill - liberal accommodation alternative , but it has all the magic spell of vintage Mumbai with its Minton - tiled floors , balcony overlooking leafy lane , and charming old wooden furniture . Do n’t expect frivolities like a hotel restaurant , but it barely count — Colaba is rich in affordable and expensive use up options .
The view inside Kyani & Co, one of Mumbai’s Irani cafés|Mandar Deodhar/The The India Today Group/Getty Images
AtSea Green Hotel , the rooms may be a bit rustic ( although spotlessly sportsmanlike ) , but its prominent views of the Arabian Sea more than make up for that . Besides , you ’ll have the pleasure of last in an Art Deco style building of the 1930s .
What to know before you go to Mumbai
Best times of the year to visit
Most international visitors visit in the wintertime , but I think the Mumbai summertime has its own advantage : lower hotel rates and fewer tourists , yes , but also a richness of Mangifera indica .
Mumbai time zone
Mumbai follows Indian Standard Time ( GMT + 5:30 ) .
The weather and climate
The cliché is true . Mumbai has two season : blistering and soused . Summer runs from April to June , the monsoons lash the city until September , and then a sorting of coolness Set in until March , the Mumbai winter . The climate is more manageable than Delhi ’s , thanks to the ocean breeze that pennant through the metropolis all year round . This intend no uttermost heat in summer and no extreme common cold in wintertime either .
Languages
Mumbai is a polyglot metropolis , with residents speaking Hindi , Marathi ( the state speech communication ) , Gujarati , and many , many others . Many people speak English as well , especially in the more touristy locations .
How to get around
Local ricksha and taxis both go by the meter , but if all else go bad , there ’s Uber and its local equivalent , Ola . Mumbai ’s lifeline is its train and bus connection , but tourists are advised to steer clear during office hour due to improbably heavy crowds — during rush hour , gearing pack in three times their prescribed capacity . Unfortunately , access for people with disabilities is still in its fledgling stages . A few buses do have hydraulic wheelchair lifts , some wagon train station have lift and escalators with audile signal for the visually impaired , train should have a autobus for people with impairment , and the Metro has designated quad for wheelchair within compartment , but not everything works all of the time .
The currency
India uses the INR ( Indian Pakistani rupee ) . As of April 2024 , $ 1 exchanges for 83 INR .
International adapters you’ll need
India uses three associated fireplug type , types light speed , D and M. The supply emf is 230V.
Dadar flower market|Alexander W Helin/Moment Open/Getty Images
An exhibit on display at Mumbai’s Bhau Daji Lad Museum|Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times/Getty Images
The Taj Mahal Palace is one of Mumbai’s most iconic accommodations.|saiko3p/iStock/Getty Images
Dinodia Photo/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images
