19 Best Amazing Places To Explore in Mumbai
19 Best Amazing Places To Explore in Mumbai
Mumbai is a multicultural city. Probably the most diverse city in India, it has an abundance of elegant eateries, five-star hotels, the lavish residences of Bollywood stars, and top-notch attractions. But keep in mind that this bustling metropolis, home to India’s largest city, which boasts a busy and energetic atmosphere, is also home to an estimated 20 million people.
Mumbai is a great place to discover India in all its authenticity. Views include the swirling colours of the bustling “Thieves Market,” people from all walks of life taking in the sunset from the sugary sand at Marine Drive Chowpatty. “Dabbawalas” are people who carry containers and deliver hundreds of thousands of freshly cooked lunches to the city’s office workers from Churchgate railway station. Mumbai is both intimidating and inspiring in equal measure, and your first trip here will stay with you forever.
There are countless options for things to do in Mumbai for visitors. With this list of Mumbai’s top tourist attractions, you can plan your trip and make the most of this amazing city.
Best Places To Visit in Mumbai:
Below is the list of places to visit:
1. Gateaway of India:
One of Mumbai’s most visited and beloved attractions is the Gateway of India, which towers proudly over the Arabian Sea at the Apollo Bunder waterfront neighborhood. The 26-meter basalt archway was constructed as a welcome for King George V and Queen Mary when they visited British India in 1911. It blends traditional Hindu and Muslim patterns with the architectural traditions of Roman triumphal arches. Ironically, in 1948, following India’s declaration of independence from Great Britain, the last British troops left the nation under this very archway.
These days, Mumbai’s Gateway of India is one of the city’s most well-liked meeting places for both residents and visitors. From the five jetties that flank the arch, watch the ferries and yachts leave for the open sea. Savor some of the well-known bhelpuri from the street food vendors. Bhelpuri is a crispy, flavorful delicacy made of puffed rice and covered with tamarind sauce. Or simply visit this engaging site for an hour or two.
After that, take a ten-minute stroll southwest to the bustling Colaba Causeway Market, which houses a wide variety of goods. It’s among the greatest locations in Mumbai to go bargain shopping.
2. Marine Drive, Mumbai:
A trip along Marine Drive is a must-do when visiting Mumbai. The C-shaped boulevard, spanning 3.6 kilometers, provides breathtaking views of the seaside. But there are even more breathtaking views from the viewing spots across Marine Drive. Beautiful Art Deco structures that border the street have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Walk along the Marine Drive promenade for additional sightseeing after your short drive. Sunset is the ideal time to visit. At that time, visitors and residents of Mumbai congregate on Girgaum Chowpatty’s sandy shores to see the cotton candy skies turn dusk while savoring street food from surrounding vendors that is locally renowned.
Hot tip: Ever wonder why “Queen’s Necklace” is another name for Marine Drive? Just look at the streetlights above—they were placed such that the road appears to be a necklace of pearls from above.
3. Bandra Worli, Mumbai:
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a cable-stayed bridge, one of Mumbai’s most recognisable landmarks. The eight-lane bridge, which opened in 2009 and spans the open sea to connect the western suburbs with the central business district, provides much-needed respite from the traffic on the Mahim Causeway. It is now the Mumbai version of the Opera House in Sydney or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
A historic watchtower constructed by the Portuguese in 1640, Bandra Fort offers the best views of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Additionally, it is worthwhile to drive across the bridge. During the day, the roaring waves are visible from both sides of the bridge. Additionally, observe the bridge’s breathtaking color changes at night.
4. Taj Mahal Palace,Mumbai:
Near the Gateway of India, visitors will also see the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, and Tower. Respected for the majesty of its brownstone façade, India’s first luxury hotel opened more than a century ago. The facade with windows blends Islamic elements such as pointed archways, covered balconies, and onion-domed corner turrets with Renaissance architecture.
Fun fact: One of the most photographed locations in India is the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Take a stroll by yourself and take a street-level photo. Better yet, experience an elegant high tea in the afternoon at Sea Lounge, the hotel’s colonial-style restaurant.
5. Kanheri caves, Mumbai:
Mumbai boasts several historic sites that will astound you, even though at first glance it may appear to be a glossy, modern metropolis. Explore the Kanheri Caves, a collection of structures hewn into the basalt strata around 2,000 years ago, during a day at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. There are prayer rooms, meeting places, and enormous stupas inside the 109 cave entrances, suggesting that this was once a significant site for Buddhists. Search cave 34’s ceiling for the Buddha’s unfinished artwork.
6. Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
One of the best things to do for travelers in Mumbai is to visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum. Once called the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, this is one of the most significant historical and artistic sites in India.
The museum’s 70,000-item permanent collection, which includes jeweled swords, Himalayan art, Indian miniature paintings, and ancient Asian coinage, will take up at least a full day to see. After that, go around the Fort neighborhood’s streets, which are lined with gorgeous Gothic-style structures, which are close to the museum.
7. Vipassana Pagoda:
Visit the Global Vipassana Pagoda to experience the serene, tranquil side of Mumbai. The enormous 96-meter-tall stupa, which draws inspiration from Myanmar’s Shwedagon Pagoda, is clad in real gold that glitters in the sunlight. The hollow pagoda has a large hall that can accommodate 8,000 people for peaceful group meditation.
Uncertain about the proper way to meditate? Attend a free 10-minute Anapana meditation class, which is offered constantly throughout the day at the pagoda. Additionally, there’s a sizable vegetarian food court on the premises, featuring some seriously amazing dosas.
8. Shree Sidhivinayak temple:
Many Hindus have a particular god among the 33 million in the religion. At the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple, devotees who worship Ganesha—the potbellied deity with the elephant head and the “remover of obstacles”—make pilgrimages.
Take off your shoes and enter to witness the goddess’s idol, adorned with marigold garlands and offerings, surrounded by hundreds of other tourists hoping to catch a peek (and maybe have their wish realized). It’s a singular cultural experience. Additionally, the Vazira Naka Ganpati temple and the Garodia Nagar Ganpati temple are noteworthy sites honoring Ganesha.
9. Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum:
The Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum is the best site in Mumbai to learn about one of India’s most beloved people, Gandhi. The history of the structure dates to Gandhi, the anti-colonialist, who used it as his local headquarters for almost twenty years, starting in 1917.
Visitors can honor the Indian hero at the Gandhi statue located inside the museum. They can also view old pictures of Gandhi that line the stairway and even get a peek of two of his well-known spinning wheels. The museum also has a chamber on the second floor with artworks that highlight significant events in Gandhi’s life.
10. Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai:
One of the most well-known and ancient temples in Mumbai is the Mahalakshmi Temple. This temple attracts visitors via its elaborate gate and into the shrine containing the idol, which is dedicated to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. In addition, visitors will see gold-adorned idols of other deities, such as Kali, the goddess of destruction, and Tridevi, the patroness of music and education. Visit the Haji Ali Dargah, a floating Muslim shrine located 15 minutes’ walk from the Mahalakshmi Temple, for another spiritual destination.
11. Street Food,Mumbai:
India’s best street food can be found in Mumbai, so foodies, go crazy. Mumbai’s street food is not only vibrant and hot, but it also provides the most value for the money. A good hawker is never too far away, but it’s worthwhile to look for the finest ones.
Sample chatt, a fiery snack consisting of fried noodles, potato dumplings, onions, chiles, and other ingredients, from the well-liked food stands close to Churchgate Station. Chana jor garam (seasoned chickpeas) are being prepared by street food vendors on Marine Drive and outside the Gateway of India. Alternatively, go to Carter Road for international street cuisine including momos, shawarma, and even lime-juiced corn on the cob.
12. Bollywood Tour,Mumbai:
Mumbai has been the hub of Bollywood, the biggest film business in India, since the 1930s, when the Bombay Talkies movie studio was established there. These days, Bollywood produces over to 1,000 films annually, ranging from courtesan films to historical epics to curry westerns.
A full-day private Bollywood tour gives you a behind-the-scenes peek at this movie studio. Travelers will get to experience Bollywood dancing and pick up some choreography, tour Bollywood film studios, snap pictures with the stars (depending on schedule availability) and take a drive through the affluent neighborhood where the leading Bollywood actors and actresses reside.
13. Chor bazar, Mumbai:
You can probably find everything on your shopping list at the Chor Bazaar, no matter how odd it is. The Chor Bazaar, often known as the “Thieves Market” because to the popular belief that all stolen goods from Mumbai are sold here, is a popular tourist destination and the best spot to find inexpensive things.
You can find everything among the disorganized assortment of merchants, including antique clocks, spiritual idols, secondhand books, pottery, phone cases, handicrafts, shoes, coins, luggage, vintage cameras, and Victorian furniture. Pro tip: Some of Mumbai’s top kebab sellers can be found on the side streets surrounding Chor Bazaar.
14. Elephanta Island:
Elephanta Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai Harbor, is a well-liked day trip destination from the city of Mumbai. The site is home to Hindu deity Shiva’s rock-cut cave temples. The archaeological wonder, which dates to 1,600 years, is composed of a grid-like arrangement of temples that resemble a mandala.
There are carvings throughout that elucidate the narratives of Hindu tales. A statue of Shiva with three faces, standing six meters tall, is the main temple’s crown jewel. Boats to Elephanta Island leave from the Gateway of India approximately every 30 minutes and take one hour.
15. Water Kingdom,Mumbai:
Mumbai experiences year-round intense heat, with typical highs between 86- and 93-degrees Fahrenheit (30 and 34 degrees Celsius). Visit Mumbai’s well-known water park, Water Kingdom, when you need to cool off. With over 70 exhilarating attractions like water coasters, a water cannon combat lagoon. and a rain dance zone, it’s Asia’s largest theme water park. Its wave pool (“Wetlantic”) is the biggest in the world, measuring 100 meters across. A bowling alley and an ice-skating rink are also available to visitors. It makes sense that over 15 million tourists have visited Water Kingdom thus far.
16. Nariman Point:
Nariman Point, also known as the “Manhattan of Mumbai,”. It is a glittering location that offers some of the priciest office space globally. It was, however, not always so affluent, having started off as a relatively modest home on the southern tip of the Mumbai peninsula. After being submerged under the Arabian Sea. this area was recovered in the middle of the 20th century, and skyscraper development soon followed.
Not just for office workers, Nariman Point is a popular tourist destination for those who want to indulge at globally renowned stores. watch sunsets, attend recitals at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and get a stunning view of Marine Drive. (And don’t worry if money is tight—the Colaba Causeway Market, which is only two kilometers away, has reasonably priced goods.)
17. Wankhede Stadium:
Experience cricket at Wankhede Stadium to the fullest. Constructed in 1975, this well-known sports venue is where India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, becoming the first nation in history to do it at home.
This international cricket stadium can hold up to 33,000 fans, and there’s a great energy during games. To learn more about India’s favorite sport, try to get tickets to a game. Anywhere you sit, you’ll be able to see a magnificent view of the pitch. because the stadium’s roof was not supported by beams when it was designed.
18. Dhobi Ghat:
A captivating sight for tourists visiting India is Dhobi Ghat. Known as the “world’s largest outdoor laundry,” dhobis, or laundrymen, from over 200 families transport filthy clothes from visitors and families across the city to hand-wash in outside concrete troughs.
A unique opportunity to take pictures in the early afternoon is when thousands of colorful clothes are drying in the breeze on lines. The clothes then folded and pressed by the dhobis into neat stacks, prepared for delivery to the owners.
Although tourists visit this labor-intensive laundromat daily. Dhobi Ghat is as much an integral part of Mumbai locals’ daily lives as it is for visitors. Therefore, while visiting, please be mindful of the workers’ privacy and seek permission before taking pictures. You’ll undoubtedly have a greater appreciation for the contemporary laundry machines you’re used to using at home as a result.
19. Bandra Fair at Mount Mary Basilica
You’re in luck if you happen to be visiting Mumbai in September, as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount. also known as Mount Mary Basilica, commemorates Mary’s birth on September 8 of each year. Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ. Commencing on this holiday is the Bandra Fair, a week-long festival that attracts tens of thousands of visitors and pilgrims.
Temporary stores pop up in the streets around the church, selling candles shaped like body parts that are unwell or in agony. Devotees set these candles inside the basilica in the hopes of improving their health. Other specialty sweets to try including the kadio bodio (gram flour snack sticks dipped in sugar syrup and dried) and mawa peda (saffron and cardamom-flavored milk fudge) sold by festival food vendors along the road leading from Mount Mary Basilica to the Mount Carmel Church grounds.
Travelers invited to visit the stunning Latin cathedral and its fabled 16th-century. Our Lady of Navigators statue, regardless of when they are visiting Mumbai.
For more information, click here.
Visit our official website Travel India Info, to plan your upcoming trips, or mail us at [email protected]. We are happy to assist you. Happy Travelling!!