Mumbai travel blog — The fullest Mumbai travel guide for first-timers

Mumbai is the financial capital of India, also known as the ‘city of dreams’. Beyond being a big city, Mumbai is also a glimpse of India’s diversity not only in terms of people and culture but also in terms of other diverse activities. So in this article, we will give you the best Mumbai travel tips. So, is Mumbai worth visiting and what to do in Mumbai? Let’s check out our Mumbai travel blog (Mumbai blog) with the fullest Mumbai travel guide (Mumbai guide, Mumbai tourist guide, Mumbai city guide, Bombay travel blog) on how to how to visit Mumbai, best time to come, what to eat, best places to visit and things to do in Mumbai to find out the answer!

Mumbai is truly the spiritual place of all that belongs to India. Hot, dirty, crazy, beautiful, endless and inspiring! It is the most populous city in the country and there is a big divide between the rich and the poor. But, somehow, with this city’s “extremely wild” energy, it will make you want to keep coming back.

Overview of Mumbai (#mumbai travel blog)

Mumbai (former also known as Bombay), is the capital of the state of Maharashtra – the most populous city in India, with a population of up to 21 million (as of 2022). With a total area of about 603.4 km² and Mumbai metropolitan region is 6,355 square kilometres (2,454 sq mi), Mumbai is considered the leading commercial and entertainment capital in India. Therefore, the city is also home to many important and prominent financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange), and National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)…

Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. Mumbai has attracted immigrants from all over India due to its many business opportunities and high standard of living, making the city a “mixed hot pot” of many communities and cultures. The city is home to the Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood, making Mumbai tourism most popular. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to have a national park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park located within the city limits.

Mumbai is a fusion of iconic charm architectures of the old world and striking, flashy modern high-rises buildings, skyscrapers, modern and traditional culture and more. The city is known as the commercial capital of India, but there is so much more to it. Mumbai is all about art, history, culture, food, theatre, cinema, nightlife and more. Although Mumbai does not have many historical sites like other cities, it attracts a large number of tourists thanks to its excitement, difference and unique man-made beauty.

Not only is it one of the wealthiest cities in India, Mumbai is known as a place where the past and the present intersect. Indeed, when you are admiring the expensive and luxurious buildings, just a glance can immediately touch the long-standing historical sites, even the squalid slums next door.

When is the best time to visit Mumbai? (#mumbai travel blog)

Mumbai has diverse climate, including 3 main seasons: winter, summer and rainy season. Summer is extremely hot and uncomfortable, so if you are not used to the harsh sun, you’d better go to Mumbai in the winter, it will be cool and not too cold.

Mumbai’s winter lasts from December to February next year and the best time to visit Mumbai is from October to March next year. At that time, the weather is quite pleasant, the day is cool and the night is a bit chilly, with little rain, suitable for sightseeing, outdoor and indoor activities as well.

Mumbai also has a few unique and interesting festivals, the biggest is Ganesh Chaturthi (or Vinayaka Chaturthi), a festival dedicated to the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom – Ganesha which takes place in August or September. There are also  . Elephanta Festival in mid-March, Banganga Festival in January and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in February… make it possible to experience the unique culture of this colorful city.

How to get to Mumbai? (#mumbai travel guide)

The simplest way is by air. This is a big city and can also be considered a “brand” of India, so wherever you are, you can catch a flight to get there. Sometimes direct flights to Mumbai are cheaper than flying to Delhi, so you might want to consider starting your journey in Mumbai first.

Domestic flights from Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and others fly to Mumbai daily.

Those flying to Mumbai will arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM). It is the second busiest beautiful airport in India, after Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi. At the airport you will find ticket booths where you can book a prepaid taxi to your hotel. About INR 675 for an air-conditioned taxi ride to the Fort area, but air-conditioned taxis are also available for around INR 810. If you want to pre-book a private transfer, you can do so through Klook.

Or you can also go to Bombay by train or bus, which is a great stop after visit Goa or Kerala before you extend your journey north.

Getting around Mumbai (#mumbai guide)

Getting from the airport to the center of Mumbai you can go by Ola or Uber. After get out of the arrival hall, go up to the parking tunnel P7 to catch an Uber or Ola, pay attention to the signs indicating where to catch Uber or where to catch Ola, Uber will not go to Ola platform to pick you up. Especially Uber drivers, they are quite patient to wait for you when you arrive without prompting… because the longer you wait, the more you will be charged for waiting, it’s true!

In Mumbai, the traffic is quite crazy, besides the traffic jam, the drivers are also quite liar, the loud horn sounds make you tired.

In India they drive on the left so it’s probably not safe to rent a self-drive car. So it’s best to go by public transport or taxi.

Metro: Regarding public transport, there is a metro system which is also quite convenient and SUPER CHEAP but if you go at off-hours, I think you should avoid it because it is very crowded.

Bus: This is also a popular means of transportation in Mumbai, cheaper than the subway but very crowded, especially at rush hours.

Taxi: In my opinion, it is not the first choice in Mumbai, if you have to take it, you also note to tell the driver to turn on the speedometer and follow it, remember to pay attention to google map to avoid being cheated.

The best means of transport in my opinion is Uber but it is a bit more expensive than public transport.

A friend of mine warned that many drivers are very unkind, they once pick you up and then cancel the trip and then ask for money by bargaining, but I travel a lot and haven’t met any case, so you can rest assured.

Rickshaw: Like a tuk-tuk, bargain before you go.

Where to go & what to do in Mumbai? (#mumbai blog)

Gateway of India and Gulf Front (#mumbai travel blog)

Address: Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India

Your journey to the city of Mumbai will not be complete if you miss the opportunity to visit a magnificent structure like the Gateway of India. India Gate was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. It is also a famous spot that attracts many tourists to Mumbai and has become a tourist icon here. The Gateway of India is located near the coast, behind is the pier and opposite is the Taj Mahal hotel – a majestic, luxurious and extremely magnificent 5-star hotel.

This work is designed in the extremely impressive Indo-Saracenic architecture by Scottish architect George Wittet. The foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911 and completed in 1924. The archway of the gate was made of basalt stone, 26 meters high, connected to four turrets and decorated with mesh lattice carved on the stone, atop of the top there is a large circular oil lamp with a diameter of 3.6m. You can go to this Indian gate in the early morning or evening to admire the beautiful scenery and take pictures to capture one-of-a-kind moment at this place.

On big holidays or important occasions, this lamp is lit up again. In addition, on the door of the work is also engraved the names of more than 90,000 soldiers who died. The Gateway of India is most beautiful when the sun rises. Early in the morning is the time when the air is freshest, cool, empty, the sun rising and shining on the gate is extremely beautiful. In addition, in the morning, people feed pigeons, they look very nice, crowded…

You can also experience a boat trip around the harbor. Boats only leave the dock when full of passengers. Ticket price is about 80 INR/hour, with about 10 people sitting on the deck enjoying the atmosphere here.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Address: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Area, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India

As the most famous railway station in India and also an iconic landmark of Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus has seen the city go through many important periods in its history. The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens in the Italian Gothic renaissance style, construction started in 1878 and completed after 10 years.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus features a unique arched structure, intricately carved motifs on small towers and doorways. This work is a harmonious combination of British and Indian cultures, creating a unique and unique architecture in the world. That’s why in 2004, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage and attracts millions of tourists every year.

Mumbai has some of the most dangerous and busiest train journeys in the country. I’ve also watched a few rush hour videos on Youtube. Uhm, although it looks fun, it’s dangerous.

Taj Mahal Palace (#mumbai travel guide)

Address: Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India

The famous hotel right next to Gateway of India: The architecture from the British era, very majestic. A 5-star hotel, very famous as a place to visit or stay in Mumbai, in addition it is also famous for having experienced a terrorist attack, the year of 2019, there was a movie about that terrorist attack.

Haji Ali Dargah Mosque

Address: Dargah Rd, Haji Ali, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Hours: 5:30AM–9:45PM

One of the most famous and revered mosques in Mumbai. Haji Ali is designed in Islamic architectural style and has white domes and beautiful minarets around. So it looks like a white mansion nestled on a small island far from the shores of the bustling city.

This is a temple located in the middle of the sea of Mumbai, connected by a small road, when the tide rises, the way is disappear. The temple is unique in its location, it’s a bit messy inside, not really beautiful, but because of its prime location, it can’t be missed.

Rajabai Clock Tower (#mumbai blog)

Address: WRHJ+W24, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Marg, Mantralaya, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400032, India
Hours: 9AM–10:45PM

The clock tower is not far from the CST station, but the tower is located in the port and is forbidden to enter so it can only be viewed from the outside. So when I come, I come back right away, I didn’t even to take pictures when I look at it.

Colaba Causeway Street

The shopping street of Mumbai. I came in the morning so it was deserted and no store opened. The stores here started to open very late, around 10 am. If you want to experience the bustling atmosphere or shopping you should come here.

Cybertecture Egg

This is one of the interesting stops that you cannot miss when you have the opportunity to set foot in this bustling city of Mumbai. Cyber Tecture Egg is the most special egg-shaped building in the world that attracts many visitors to admire. This building has an area of ​​32,000 m2, is a unique combination of visual architecture and environmentally friendly intelligent energy use and regeneration.

Cyber Tecture Egg is like a jewel of Mumbai. Because when coming here, visitors will not be able to help but admire an architectural work that brings beauty nowhere else. Especially, when the night comes, you will be overwhelmed by the shimmering, fanciful but equally luxurious scene of the lights shining on the glass of the building.

Marine Drive

This is a place chosen by many tourists to rest, relax, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the modern city. Marine Drive is a 4.5km coastal road from the Nariman Point area to the foothills of Malabar. Nicknamed the Queen’s necklace, Marine Drive is attracting more and more tourists to visit because of the shimmering beauty of the street lights that illuminate at night like a pearl necklace.

When coming here, you will admire many impressive landscapes, beautiful beaches, enjoy attractive street food and participate in bustling festivals by the sea. You can go to Marine Drive in the afternoon to enjoy the romantic sunset and enjoy the fresh air after a tiring day of work.

This is one of the most peaceful places in the bustling city of Mumbai. Marine drive is embracing a beautiful stretch of Arabian coast. At night, this stretch of road is lit up to look like a pearl necklace. Therefore, this place is likened to “The Queen Necklace”.

Shree Siddhivinayak Temple

Address: 2R8J+P4J, SK Bole Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400028, India
Hours: 5:30AM–9PM

Siddhivinayak Temple is one of the biggest and most beautiful temples in Mumbai. This temple has existed for more than 2 centuries and has become a very important place of worship in India. This temple was built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil, dedicated to the god Ganesh, an elephant-headed god of Hinduism.

Inside the temple there is a god statue of Shri Ganesha, 2.5m wide and made from a large black rock. When coming here, visitors not only admire the unique beauty of the temple’s architecture but also have the opportunity to admire the majestic natural landscape around the temple.

Bollyhood

What I look forward to, most curious about when coming to Mumbai is do they have their own area to visit? Such as visit the movie set, the boulevard of fame for example… but it will be a bit disappointing because the answer is NO. Although there were tours to visit those film locations, I didn’t find anything very impressive.

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