2 Day Itinerary For Mumbai

Deciding on an itinerary for Mumbai was challenging as we only had 2 days in the city prior to embarking a cruise.

When we looked into the things we might want to see and do, we realised 2 days was barely enough to scratch the surface. As such, we have outlined below our very busy 2 day itinerary for Mumbai which covered most, but certainly not all of the city highlights.

We found the city chaotic and overwhelming, but fascinating with its impressive colonial buildings, and vibrant atmosphere. Mumbai is definitely something you should see with your own eyes.

“There are three trips you take to India: the one you think you’re going to have – that you plan for; the one you actually have; and the one you live through once you go back home.”
– Erin Reese –

^{Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on our affiliates / advertisers links and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but at no extra cost to you. AND, many times, you will receive an offer. Win/win! The products and services we write about and mention are the ones we love. We only recommend items that we feel are of good quality and would be helpful to our readers. While we pay for our travels out of our own pockets, these small commissions do assist in keeping us on the road. Thank you!}

Introduction to Mumbai

Where is Mumbai?

Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of Maharashtra state in the south-west of India. It is the country’s financial and commercial centre, and its principal port on the Arabian Sea.

Located on Maharashtra’s coast, Mumbai is India’s most-populous city, and it is one of the largest and most densely populated urban areas in the world. It was built on a site of ancient settlement, and it took its name from the local goddess Mumba (a form of Parvati, the consort of Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism), whose temple once stood in what is now the southeastern section of the city.

Map of Mumbai

Why Visit Mumbai?

1. Mumbai’s Delicious Food

Mumbai is the city of stalls and vendors, where delicacies are available at each corner. You don’t have to dress up or pay a ridiculous price to experience its rich gastronomy. Of course, if fine dining is what you’re looking for, you’re in for a treat as Mumbai boasts some of the best and most exclusive restaurants in India.

Among the most popular regional dishes here are Akuri on toast (scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, red chilli powder, and fresh coriander, usually served for breakfast), the famous Bombay sandwich (buttered bread with beetroot, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and mint), Bhel puri, Kebab, and Kanda poha.

2. Shopping

Mumbai is filled with fascinating bazaars where shopping is both an adventure and a memorable cultural experience, not to mention a great way to discover the city. There’s no better way to soak up the local vibe and somehow capture the magic of India than by rambling through the bazaars’ charming stalls bursting with beautiful embroideries and colourful silks.

Some of the most popular shopping spots in Mumbai include Heera Panna Shopping Center, Crawford Market, Fashion Street, Bombay Electric (Indian design at its best), Colaba Causeway (cheap street shopping), Chor Bazaar (antiques), Mutton Street, and Zaveri Bazaar.

3. History and Culture

An abundance of historical and cultural sites makes Mumbai one of the country’s most fascinating destinations. In addition to the Gateway of India, the city’s most iconic landmark, the state capital of Maharashtra boasts interesting museums, eye-catching architecture, as well as some amazing Buddhist and Hindu caves.

Moreover, the old city of Bombay prides itself with a rich cultural heritage, a short yet flamboyant history, an impressive collection of temples, as well as significant monuments such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Gandhi House, Haji Ali Mosque, or the Bhau Daji Lad Museum.

4. Bollywood

Mumbai is home to the second-largest movie industry in the world, Bollywood. Catch a movie, take a tour of Film City’s studios in Goregaon, or visit the hip neighborhood of Bandra, where lots of elegant homes of Bollywood stars are located. For those eager to dive even deeper into this vibrant scene, there will always be the opportunity to take part in a casting.

download 3 — A Scene from a Bollywood Movie

When Should I Visit Mumbai?

March to May (Summer Season): A coastal city, Mumbai during summer is muggy and sticky. It’s best to avoid the city during these three months.

June to September (Monsoon Season): Mumbai is inundated during the monsoon. The city gets refreshed, undoubtedly, but when it is being lashed by heavy rain, it could get impossible to head out for sightseeing. If you like trekking, this could be a good time to visit. The gushing waterfalls and green hills make for a beautiful break from urban cityscapes.

October to March (Winter Season): Mumbai is a coastal town and the best time to escape the high humidity is in the winter months. The temperature rarely goes below 10°C and the weather is perfect to walk around the city, exploring its many secrets. Winter is also when the city hosts several cultural events drawing the crowds with it.

Ideal Time to Visit Mumbai

Winter is when Mumbai is at her best. The weather is pleasant and the air is clear to be able to view the beautiful city in its entire glory. Winter in Mumbai does not mean coats and boots. You can wear cotton clothes and carry a thin jacket or shawl for the evening when it could get slightly cooler.

However, winter is a popular season with tourists and you will need to book your tickets in advance to get a good deal.

Mumbai Festivals / Events Calendar

JANUARY	JULY
Banganga Festival Sankranti – Harvest Festival Mumbai International Film Festival
FEBRUARY	AUGUST
Elephanta Festival Kala Ghoda Festival	Ganesh Chaturthi – The Major Festival of Mumbai Coconut Festival (Narali Poornima) Krishna JanmashtamiEid
MARCH	SEPTEMBER
Maha Shivaratri Holi Festival Gudi Padwa Festival	Ganesh Chaturthi – The Major Festival of Mumbai Coconut Festival (Narali Poornima) Eid Bandra Feast
APRIL	OCTOBER
Gudi Padwa Festival	Diwali Navratri
MAY	NOVEMBER
	Diwali Prithvi Theatre Festival
JUNE	DECEMBER
	Christmas

Mumbai Festival / Events Calendar

Where to Stay / Location in the City of Mumbai?

With such a short itinerary, we recommend staying in South Mumbai i.e. Colaba, Fort or Marine Drive area, because here you will be close to most of the major tourist destinations.

We personally found hotels in Mumbai to be very expensive compared to what you would get in South East Asia. In saying that, we spent little to no time in our room except for sleeping and showering.

In this area, here are the hotels we recommend:

Luxury (US$100 and Up)

Mid-Range (US$30 to US$100)

Budget (Up to $US30)

Chiang Mai Heritage House
Carlton Hotel
The Fountain Inn – Fort (We stayed here and the location was fantastic. The room was very small but clean, and the staff were wonderful.)

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS IN MUMBAI AND MAKE A RESERVATION!

Transport / How to Get Around Mumbai

Due to our trip being so short, we primarily walked everywhere or caught a taxi when needed. However, we found it very easy to get around in Mumbai, especially in the touristy areas.

The commuter railway primarily known as the ‘Mumbai Local’ is the lifeline of the city. Other transportation options include the metro rails, the popular BEST public buses, auto rickshaws, black and yellow cabs known as taxis, as well as rideshare services including Uber.

One point of confusion we found was that most places in Mumbai have 2 names; an old British era name and new official Indian heritage name. This can confuse drivers so if traveling during rush hours, we recommend taking a taxi cab or calling Uber.

Transport To / From Airport

There are two ways to get to the city centre of Mumbai after you land at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, which is located 22km north of downtown Mumbai.

Taxi

There are several 24/7 taxi options at Mumbai Airport. You can choose to pre-book your taxi before flying or get a taxi on arrival. If you choose to board a taxi on arrival at Mumbai Airport, you have two options: black-and-yellow taxis (no air-conditioning but are cheaper) and cool taxis (air-conditioned).

We chose a cool taxi which offer a prefixed fare. We paid approx. US$10 (700INR) for a city centre transport. This price can increase at times of heavy traffic or depending on the number of luggage items you carry. Mumbai is notoriously heavy on traffic. Your trip can last from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Train

Although trains are cheap in Mumbai, the level of convenience in getting to the station is low and the extra transport costs add up to almost the same as a taxi fare into the city. In addition, trains are dangerously overcrowded in Mumbai and if you don’t travel lightly, you run the risk of not being able to board.

As we mentioned above, 2 days is barely enough to scratch the surface of this gigantic city. As such, our itinerary is primarily concentrated on the downtown area, Old Mumbai or South Mumbai, and mainly the neighbourhoods of Colaba, Fort, Churchgate, and Marine Drive. This was the historic city center and where most cultural and heritage attractions are located.

Day 1 – Explore Fort District, Colaba District and Marine Drive

Morning

Flora Fountain

Hutatma Square (Martyr’s Square) in the Fort business district in the heart of South Mumbai is known as the Piccadilly Circus of Mumbai. This area has a few heritage structures and one of them is the Flora Fountain (dates back to 1864), named after the famous Roman goddess of plenty.

Back in the day, fountains were built to provide drinking water for men and horses and it was considered a philanthropic act. With the introduction of piped water supplies such fountains dotting Mumbai’s landscape fell into disrepair and Flora Fountain was one of them. Thankfully, it is now restored and has a small garden surrounding it.

Visit Duration: 10 minutes
Where: Veer Nariman Road, Mahatama Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Hours: Anytime
Cost: Free
How to get from Flora Fountain to Bombay High Court: 3 minute walk

Top Tip: If you are staying in this area, there is a fountain light show in the evening.

Bombay High Court

Mumbai is full of fine remnants of colonial legacy such as the Prince of Wales Museum and the Victoria Terminus. The Bombay High Court, overlooking the Oval Maidan, not far from Fort area, is another well-known landmark. This impressive landmark dates back to 1878.

Visit Duration: 30 – 60 minutes
Where: Mantralaya, Fort
Hours: 10:30am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday (view from outside anytime)
Cost: Free
How to get from Bombay High Court to Rajabai Clock Tower: 3 minute walk

Top Tip: After your visit, take a breather in the shade at the Oval Maidan or Greens. This is a large recreational park where cricket games abound everywhere you look.

Rajabai Clock Tower

The Rajabai Clock Tower is 84 metres high and built entirely along European Gothic and Venetian architectural styles. The tower was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott to resemble London’s Big Ben. Today, the chimes engulf the surrounding Mumbai University Campus.

Visit Duration: 10 minutes
Where: Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Marg, Mantralaya, Fort
Hours: 9:30am – 10:45pm, Monday to Sunday
Cost: Free
How to get from Rajabai Clock Tower to Kulture Shop: 4 minute walk

Top Tip: Make sure you wait to hear the clock strike – every 15 minutes and every hour.

Kulture Shop

According to Lonely Planet, the Kulture Shop is “Mumbai’s coolest store”. The store has lost of wonderful and unique artstic treasures showcasing Indian (and global) design.

Visit Duration: 15 minutes
Where: 9 Examiner Press, 115 Nagindas Master Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Hours: 11:00am – 7:00pm, Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday)
How to get from Kulture Shop to Sancha Tea Boutique: 1 minute walk

Top Tip: The perfect place to find unique gifts.

Sancha Tea Boutique

Sancha Tea Boutique offers an unparalleled selection of white, oolong, green, black, botanical blend, and other types of teas (over 75 varieties). As you browse for that perfect drinkable souvenir or gift, you’ll be able to enjoy a complimentary tea tasting.

Visit Duration: 20-30 minutes
Where: Opposite Trishna Restaurant, Shop 2A Machinery House, Saibaba Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Hours: 12:00pm – 9:00pm, Monday to Sunday
How to get from Sancha Tea Boutique to Jehangir Art Gallery: 2 minute walk

Jehangir Art Gallery

Mumbai’s most famous art gallery, Jehangir Art Gallery, hosts exhibitions by contemporary Indian artists. There are seven exhibition galleries to explore comprising of the Auditorium Hall, 4 galleries and the Hirji Jehangir Gallery. You will also find a gallery dedicated to photography and visual art. If it’s not raining, you will also find artists selling artwork outside the gallery.

Visit Duration: 30-45 minutes
Where: 161B Mahatama Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Hours: 11:00am – 7:00pm, Monday to Sunday
Cost: Free
How to get from Jehangir Art Gallery to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya: 3 minute walk

Top Tip: Check out the turquoise blue Jewish synagogue just across the street.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, is a museum that has a vast, well-curated history, archaeology, and art collection, and is considered India’s best museum.

The building itself is one of Mumbai’s finest, designed by the same architect who designed the Gateway of India, and is a heritage structure.

The museum collection includes artefacts from the subcontinent, the Far East, as well as Europe. The museum is the best place to view the extremely rare Indus civilization artefacts including pots, bricks etc.

Visit Duration: 1-2 hours
Where: 159-161 Mahatama Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Hours: 10:15am – 6:00pm, Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday)
Cost: INR 500 (approx. US$7 or AUD$9)
How to get from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya to Gateway of India: 13 minute walk

Afternoon

Gateway of India

The up-market area of Colaba in South Mumbai boasts of a wonderful seafront that is home to a tall and imposing arch-monument, the Gateway of India at the tip of Apollo Bunder. This may seem a strange place for a monument but there is a story behind it.

This Indo-Saracenic Revival architectural masterpiece was built back in 1924 to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to India. The then Governor of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) Sir George Sydenham Clarke laid the foundation stone and George Wittet was entrusted with construction.

The design and location of the Gateway was carefully approved by the water’s edge on a piece of land that jutted out – the idea being that visitors arriving by sea to India would first lay their eyes on the majestic gate. The monument was a symbol of the British colonial empire. Viceroys and important British personnel would arrive in India at the Gateway. The Gateway was the site of elaborate ceremonies under the British rule. After independence, the last regiment of the British also marched out under the gate adding to its historic significance.

Visit Duration: 30-45 minutes
Where: Apollo Bandar, Colaba
Hours: Anytime
Cost: Free
How to get from Gateway of India to Leopold Cafe: 5 minute walk

Top Tip: The Gateway of India also happens to be a transit point for expeditions to the nearby Elephanta Caves, a 50 minute boat ride away. The ferry is best taken in the morning hours.

Gateway of India - Mumbai, India — Gateway of India – Mumbai, India

Leopold Café

A celebrated Mumbai institution, Leopold Café is conveniently located a few blocks away from the Gateway of India. Leopold Café and Bar first opened its doors in 1871. The most unique thing about Leopold Café is its feature in the book ‘Shantaram’ as the cafe which Linbaba frequents.

The restaurant is located downstairs while upstairs is the bar area. We enjoyed hanging out in the bar and drinking a nice cold beer. The restaurant serves typical Western and Mughlai fare including pastas, sandwiches, and Indo-Chinese dishes.

Leopold Café has again become known in recent years as it was one of the sites targeted in the Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008 because of its large number of foreign visitors. You can still see bullet holes in the wall of the restaurant when you visit.

Visit Duration: 40-60 minutes
Where: Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba Causeway
Hours: 7:30am – 12:00am, Monday to Sunday
Cost: Free
How to get from Leopold Cafe to Taj Mahal Palace: 5 minute walk

Taj Mahal Palace

The five star hotel is part of the Taj Hotels and Resorts Group but it is unlike any other. The hotel actually consists of two buildings with around 560 designer rooms. The older building dates back to December 1903 and had the finest amenities considered advanced for that time. Celebrities and political personalities have graced this hotel ever since its inception. If you do stay here you may be glad to know that you are occupying a room that hosted a famous personality at some time.

To say that the Taj exudes luxury would be an understatement. Its ambience is a mix of past glory and contemporary modernism.

Visit Duration: 30 minutes
Where: Apollo Bandar, Colaba
Hours: Anytime
Cost: Free
How to get from Taj Mahal Palace to Colaba Causeway Market: 10 minute walk

Top Tip: Sit and enjoy the majestic nature of the foyer while people watching. You never know, you may just spot a celebrity!

Taj Mahal Palace - Mumbai, India — Taj Mahal Palace – Mumbai, India

Colaba Causeway Market

Colaba Causeway Market starts after the Regal theatre, and is usually teeming with foreign tourists looking to take back souvenirs, or college students looking to get a good deal on earrings or harem pants. The market sells everything from clothes, key chains, jewellery, shoes, miniature hookahs and smoking pipes, to people offering to sew exquisite designs on a piece of cloth, and others offering to write visitors’ names on a grain of rice.

Visit Duration: 1-2 hours
Where: Bakery Ln, Army Area, Noffra, Navy Nagar, Colaba
Hours: 10:00am – 9:00pm, Monday to Sunday
Cost: Free
How to get from Colaba Causeway Market to Marine Drive: approx. 15 minutes in a Taxi

Top Tip: Bargaining is expected! Whatever price a vendor says, do not buy it until you have negotiated and reduced it to half the original quoted price.

Evening

Marine Drive – Watch the Sunset at Nariman Point

Nariman Point, the starting point of the Boulevard, is the ideal place to view the sun dipping down into the Arabian Sea. It’s a wonderful place to sit and watch people, the sunset and enjoy the cool sea breeze. Darkness falls, street lights come on and the semi-circular boulevard turns into a sort of jewelled necklace. It is the other, more beautiful face of Mumbai.

Visit Duration: 1-2 hours
Where: Marine Drive
Hours: Anytime
Cost: Free
How to get from Nariman Point – Marine Drive to Girgaum Chowpatty: 19 minute walk

Girgaum Chowpatty

A walk along Marine Drive towards Malabar Hill and Chowpatty Beach allows you to soak in many sights and sounds. The drive was built by Bhagojisheth Keer and Pallonji Mistry, both belonging to the wealthy Parsi community. Most of the road is lined with old Parsi mansions and buildings dating back over a hundred years, sitting cheek by jowl next to tall, modern structures. You will find posh hotels and up-market restaurants to satisfy your thirst and hunger but Chowpatty is where the food fun is.

Visit Duration: 1-2 hours
Where: Marine Drive
Hours: Anytime
Cost: Free

Top Tip: Make sure to sample the tangy, hot, spicy, sweet and sour concoction known as Bhelpuri.

download 1 1 — Sunset on Marine Drive – Mumbai, India