Mumbai is India’s financial capital and one of the country’s largest and busiest cities. Located on the Arabian Sea, it is famous for its skyline, local trains, Marine Drive, Bollywood film industry, and historic landmarks like the Gateway of India, Elephanta and Kanheri caves.
We spent three nights in Mumbai on our way back from Egypt. It was my first time visiting the city.
I had a brief plan to explore this amazing metropolitan area.
On Day 1, I focused on the Gateway of India in the morning and caught a local tour bus at 10 AM from the Gateway of India.
Day 2 was all about the Elephanta Caves and a stroll through the local market at Colaba Causeway to feel the vibrant energy of the people here.
Day 3 involved visiting the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, and the Siddi Vinayaka temple and spending the evening at Marine Drive.
I definitely missed out on a few attractions like checking out old film star homes, the Hanging Gardens, and maybe even the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Kanheri and Mahakali caves.
Today marks our Day 1! After enjoying the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to the Gateway of India, which is only about 5 km away from our hotel, Marine Plaza on Marine Drive.
It was around 10 AM when we arrived, and right away, we noticed local buses inviting tourists for a Mumbai sightseeing tour.
The tour costs Rs. 250 per person for a non-AC bus and Rs. 600 for an AC bus. Plus, there’s an extra Rs. 40 per person for the mandatory tour guide.
We chose a non-AC bus because it lets us see out the windows better. Since it was December, the weather was perfect for a non-AC ride. The blue ink marks indicate where we got off the bus, while the red marks show where the spots will be shown sitting in the bus (no stop).Overall, I totally recommend the bus tour! We can hit more spots, and with a guide on board, we get to learn about each place in detail while also soaking in the vibe of the local Maharashtrians. Honestly, I’d say the local bus tour is a must-do.
We checked out all the blue-marked spots, and we had plenty of time to visit the Jahangir Art Gallery, Prince of Wales Museum, Mahalakshmi Temple, Nehru Science Centre, puja at Siddivinayaka Temple, and the 11D show. Just a heads up, the ticket for the 11D show was separate.
The traffic was high, and the bus passed through high-traffic roads too to show Ambani House and film star houses like Shahrukh’s, Rekha’s, Salman’s, Kishore Kumar’s, and Lata Mangeshkar’s from outside without stopping. More importantly, we could get a feel and idea of different localities of Mumbai, like Bandra, Worli, Colaba, Nariman Point, etc., etc. It is not possible by taxi, at least.
A second day is certainly needed, so we have to devote one day by taxi or local subways to visit Goregaon Film City, golden-period film stars’ houses, the Hanging Gardens, and maybe even the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Kanheri and Mahakali caves.
And the third day is needed for Colaba Causeway market and a leisure evening at Marine Drive.
Epilogue
Going to Mumbai was a dream I had for a long time, and I finally made it happen when I flew in from Egypt. The one-day non-AC bus tour was especially charming and fun. For the next two days, we used Uber for our taxi rides, and the drivers were really friendly. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, and we can also book an Airbnb if we want.
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