Business or leisure travel? The capital of Maharashtra and economic and financial center of India has something for everyone. I am going to propose you a complete visit of Bombay in two days that you can do on foot or by car so that you do not leave anything behind. Get ready to discover the most advanced city in India.
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Things to see in Mumbai in one day
If you are only in Bombay for a day, you should stay in Colaba and visit the neighborhoods of Kala Ghoda, Fort and Malabar Hills. There you will find the main historical attractions and a good representation of the best stores, cafés and restaurants in the city.
That is what the mumbaikars call SoBo (for South Bombay), one of the areas where the richest people of the city live. There is a guided tour that you can book at this link. If you go on your own, you cannot miss these destinations.
- Gateway of India: This impressive monument was built in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India. It is a popular place to take pictures and enjoy the views of the sea. Next door is the famous Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel.
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Station: This impressive train station, built in the 19th century, is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of British Bombay, which also includes the University of Bombay, the Rajabai clock tower or the High Court building around the Oval Maidan.
- Colaba neighborhood: This neighborhood, full of art galleries, fashionable stores and restaurants, is the cultural center of Bombay. It is a perfect place to stroll around and enjoy the lively life of the city. In addition, you can walk along the coastline and appreciate the changing scenery as the tide rises and falls.
- Kala Ghoda: This neighborhood gets its name from the sculpture of a black horse at its entrance. It is another place to get lost among chic cafés and restaurants, designer stores and also special places such as the Bombay Synagogue or the beautiful Kitab Khana bookstore.
- Marine Drive and Chowpatty beach: If you like to walk you can not miss this great promenade that leads to the foot of Malabar Hills. Many locals come here to watch the sunset and get together with friends. The atmosphere is especially lively in the evenings. Malabar Hills is a small hill at the end of the bay where the richest families of the city live and where the mysterious Towers of Silence of the Parsees are located, the place where they expose the bodies of their dead. Don’t get excited, because these gardens are closed to the public.
All these visits can be done on foot. Other places that are usually included in a day visit to Bombay are Gandhi’s house and the Mahalaxmi public wash houses, but I recommend that, if you can, leave them for a second day in the city.
Mumbabi in two days
If you are going to spend two days in Bombay, this day can be arranged according to your interests. Some of these attractions are a bit far from each other and you will have to take cabs or trains to cover as much as possible. For me the must-sees are:
- Mani Bhawan: Gandhi owned no property, but this was his landmark in Bombay until 1934. Here he met with Congress politicians and humble people from all castes and walks of life. It is a beautiful historic house for those who want to know more about this symbol of Indian independence.
- Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi: These open-air laundries surrounded by large buildings concentrate the city’s laundry business. The dimension of this place is overwhelming. You can see it from a lookout point or you can hire a tour or pay a laundry guide to tell you how it works and take you inside the alleys.
In addition to the first two, you can finish designing your day by including some of these places:
- Bandra neighborhood: Here you will be surprised by the large number of houses with Portuguese surnames. In Bandra you will find the great old mansions of Bombay. Today it is a trendy neighborhood with many cafés and restaurants for the more cosmopolitan upper middle class. Besides that, you can walk along Chapel Road where the people of Start India Foundation have made a series of cool Bollywood themed murals. At the end of the neighborhood, a promenade to the ruins of Bandra Fort and the luxury hotel Taj Lands End.
- Siddhivinayak Temple: This temple in Dadar, dedicated to the god Ganesha, is one of the most revered temples in India. Mumbai is famed for its festivals to the elephant-headed god that last more than a week. This temple is a popular place of pilgrimage for Hindus from all over the world.
- Dargah of Haji Ali: The tomb and Sufi shrine has the particularity of being located on a small island linked to Bombay by a bridge whose path is flooded with the rising tide. The path is flanked by many pedestrians and is not always a good experience. However, it is a very iconic stamp of Bombay and introduces us to another of the great communities of the city: the Muslims.
- Bollywood cinema: Bombay is the capital of Indian cinema, so it never hurts to spend an afternoon watching a movie. Bollywood movies are very entertaining and, even if you don’t understand Hindi, you will see that there is a non-verbal language that makes it effortless to follow the plots. If you are motivated, I recommend you to go to the Maratha Mandir Theatre where for almost 30 years they have been showing the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge by SRK and Kajol non-stop. You can also join a Bollywood Tour with dance show.
- Parsi neighborhoods: On the first day in Bombay, I have already commented something about the Parsis and their Towers of Silence. The Parsi community in India consists of about 50,000 people living, mainly in Bombay. There are some neighborhoods with a strong Parsi presence and where you will find numerous residential buildings in art deco style with Parsi symbolism. One of these neighborhoods is the Parsi Colony in Dadar East.
Excursions around Mumbai
If you have more time in Bombay, you can check the Mumbai tour in two days. You also have the option to make excursions around Bombay. Some ideas are:
- Excursion to the Elephanta caves, an island with temples carved into the rock.
- Bicycle tour of the main monuments of Bombay.
- Excursion to Kanheri caves in Borivali neighbourhood.
- Bollywood Tour and live show, the iconic cinema industry of India.
In this article, I have summarized all the must-see places in Mumbai and things to do in the economic capital of India.
Where to stay in Mumbai
I have a whole article about the best neighborhoods to stay in Bombay and the hotels I like the most, however, to shorten it I leave you three options that can work for your visit to Bombay.
The three hotels are in Colaba-Fort because it seems to me that staying in this peninsula you will be able to visit the city in one day in a more comfortable way. By the way, accommodation in Bombay is more expensive than in other places in India, especially if you want to stay in SoBo.
- Hotel Suba Palace is located very close to the Gateway of India, in the heart of Colaba. It is a typical Indian 3-star hotel, correct, with good service, but without much charm. A practical option for location and comfort. It is around $150 per night.
- Residency Hotel in Fort is a viable option with good service near the CST station. The price for a double room is around $100.
- For about $60 a night for two people, you have the Elphinstone Hotel, with small but adequate rooms 500 meters from Crawford Market.
Normally in all Indian cities I always recommend Bloom hotels for budget travelers. In Bombay you have the Bloom Boutique Bandra, in one of the liveliest neighborhoods of the city, but it is further away from the area of interest.
Map of the tour to Mumbai in two days
Here is the route I propose for the two days and some other places of interest.
Do you want to plan a trip to Mumbai on your own?
These are some tools to help you prepare for your travel to India from home. It’s just about time to start planning your next holidays.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS. This post contains some affiliate links.
These links allow you to follow my recommendations and book them, and provide a little commission. Thus, you help keep this travel blog ad-free at no extra cost to you.
Travel safe!
Leave your questions about Mumbai in the comment section below, and I will get back to you. If you already have your trip planned, I hope it will be an incredible experience. Have a safe trip.
