Mumbai is located on the western coast of India on the Arabian Sea. It is India’s largest city by population and its primary commercial and financial centre. The city’s built identity combines 19th-century British colonial architecture in South Mumbai — concentrated around the Fort area and the waterfront — with the dense residential neighbourhoods of its inner city and the modern business districts further north.
Places
Gateway of India
A stone arch built in 1924 in the Indo-Saracenic style by architect George Wittet, constructed to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. The gateway faces the Arabian Sea at Apollo Bunder in Colaba. It served as the ceremonial point of departure for the last British troops leaving India in 1948.
Timing: Open 24 hours
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Elephanta Caves
A UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Elephanta Island approximately 11 km from the Gateway of India. The caves contain rock-cut Hindu temples dating from the 5th to 8th centuries. The main cave contains the Trimurti — a 6-metre three-headed sculpture of Shiva as creator, preserver, and destroyer. The island is reached by ferry from the Gateway of India jetty.
Timing: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Closed Mondays
Ferry Timing: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (First-to-last departure from Gateway), 5:30 PM (Last departure from Island)
Entry Fee: ₹600 (cash at counter), ₹550 (online pay). Entry is free for children below 15 years
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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and functioning railway station built between 1878 and 1888, designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens in the Victorian Gothic style. The building combines Victorian Gothic forms with Indian decorative elements — pointed arches, turrets, stained glass, and stone carvings.
Timing: Open 24 hours — functioning railway station
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles
A UNESCO World Heritage Site covering two distinct architectural clusters in South Mumbai. The Victorian Gothic cluster — centered on the Oval Maidan — includes the Rajabai Clock Tower and Mumbai University Library, the Bombay High Court, and several public buildings, comprising the largest concentration of Art Deco residential buildings outside Miami.
Timing: Open daily — exterior viewing at any time
Entry Fee: No entry fee for the ensemble as a whole. Individual buildings may restrict interior access.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS)
Mumbai’s principal museum, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum. Designed by George Wittet in the Indo-Saracenic style and opened in 1922, the museum houses over 50,000 artefacts across three sections: art, archaeology, and natural history.
Timing: Open daily, 10.15 AM to 6.00 PM
Entry Fee: ₹700 — Age 15+; ₹200 — Age below 15; ₹500 — Camera without tripod (online pay or cash at counter)
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Marine Drive
A 3.6 km seafront promenade along the Arabian Sea in South Mumbai, running from Nariman Point to Malabar Hill. The road is lined with Art Deco residential buildings built between the 1930s and 1950s — part of the UNESCO-listed Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles. The promenade is open to pedestrians and is most visited in the evening and at night.
Timing: Open 24 hours
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Colaba Causeway
A market street running south from the Gateway of India through the Colaba neighbourhood. The street and its side lanes contain a dense concentration of antique shops, handicraft stalls, clothing vendors, bookshops, and street food stalls.
Timing: Most shops — daily, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Kala Ghoda District
The arts and heritage district of South Mumbai, containing the CSMVS museum, the Jehangir Art Gallery, several commercial art galleries, the David Sassoon Library, and the Rajabai Clock Tower. A walkable district best explored on foot. The annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival takes place here every February — nine days of visual arts, music, dance, theatre, and heritage walks.
Timing: Open daily — individual institutions have their own hours
Entry Fee: No entry fee to walk the district
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Crawford Market
A covered market built in 1869 in the Norman Gothic style, designed by William Emerson. The exterior friezes were designed by Lockwood Kipling — Rudyard Kipling’s father. The market is divided into sections for fresh produce, dry goods, spices, and household goods.
Timing:
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Dharavi
One of Asia’s largest urban settlements in central Mumbai, with a significant manufacturing economy — leather goods, pottery, recycling, garment production, and food processing. Several organized walking tours operate through Dharavi run by community-based operators.
Timing: Varies by tours — book through a community-based operator
Entry Fee: Varies by operator
Kanheri Caves
A complex of over 100 Buddhist caves carved into a basalt rock face inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the northern suburbs of Mumbai, dating from the 1st to the 9th centuries CE. Reaching the caves requires an entry ticket to the national park in addition to the cave entry fee.
Timing: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Closed Mondays
Entry Fee: ₹300 (online pay or cash at counter)
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Juhu Beach
A 6 km stretch of beach in the western suburbs of Mumbai. The beach is not suitable for swimming due to water quality, but it is one of the city’s most significant street food concentrations — found in large numbers along the promenade. Best visited in the evening when the beach is most active.
Timing: Open daily — most active from 5:00 PM onward
Entry Fee: No entry fee
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Getting There
Mumbai is India’s primary international gateway and is well connected by air, rail, and road. Whether arriving or departing, use the station codes, airport, and bus terminal information below.
Mumbai — Stations, Airport & Bus Stands
Rail Stations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) | Bandra Terminus (BDTS)
Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) — approximately 30 km from South Mumbai
Bus Terminals: Mumbai Central Bus Stand
By Train
Search “Mumbai” as your origin (if departing) or destination (if arriving). Mumbai has four major intercity terminals — select the station closest to your destination within the city. Choose a train based on journey duration, departure time, and class availability.
By Flight
Search by city name across IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air for domestic connections. Mumbai (BOM) is India’s busiest international airport with direct connections to major cities across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
By Bus
Buses (AC or non-AC) operate from the bus terminal — head to the counter and ask for your destination. Or, use app-based platforms such as redBus or AbhiBus to search and book buses on your route. Both state-run (MSRTC) and private operators are listed — prefer buses with ratings of 4★ or higher.
India Manual is produced by Intodia. All content follows a continuous review cycle and is free from commercial influence, ads, or any affiliate arrangements. All fees and charges listed on this page are applicable to foreign nationals only.
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