Key Points:
Mumbai is not one of the best travel destinations, but is an important part of travelling around the world.
WikiVoyage has the original version of travelling in Mumbai. But we have rewritten and integrated several articles together to create a better version.
According to Wikipedia, "Mumbai is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the de facto financial centre of India." "Mumbai is the financial, commercial, and the entertainment capital of India."
Here we quote the best way to travel in Mumbai provided by wikiVoyage, a multilingual, web-based project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. Wikivoyage is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other project such as Wikipedia. Please edit the articles and find author credits at the original wikiVoyage articles on Mumbai, South Mumbai. Content on wikiVoyage can be shared under a Creative Commons License.
Part 1: Understand. Mumbai is a bustling, diverse metropolis with a flair of its own. The entrepreneurial spirit and pulsing pace of life provides a sharp contrast to much of the rest of India.
Part 2: Get Around. Most of Mumbai's inhabitants rely on public transport to and from their workplace due to the lack of parking spaces, traffic bottlenecks, and generally poor road conditions, especially in the monsoon. However, do ride in a taxi and auto at least once in the city. Feel real adventure in a vehicle that feels like it might fall apart at a speed over 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) with a driver who thinks he's Schumacher.
For travelling using public transport, you can download the m-Indicator app for Android and iPhone. It contains useful information about bus and train routes, which can help you plan your commute.
Part 3: Itinerary
There is a lot to see in Mumbai, but the typical "tourist" sights are concentrated in South Mumbai.
Day 1:
Gateway of India, Shivaji Marg. 24/7. Gateway of India was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure that visitors arriving by boat in Mumbai would have seen. Ferries to Elephanta are available from Gateway of India. Free.
Taj Mahal Hotel, Shivaji Rd, Apollo Bandar (from Churchgate station 1.6 km south). The landmark hotel close to the Gateway of India, along with the Oberoi is one of the oldest five-star hotels in India. The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel's original building was commissioned in the Indo-Saracenic style by Tata and first opened its doors to guests on 16 December 1903. The hotel imported American fans, German elevators, Turkish baths and English butlers, for the first time in India. In 2008, four gunmen attacked the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.
Elephanta Caves, Gharapuri Village, Shet Bandar, Elephanta Island. Check out these fine examples of rock sculptures dedicated to Shiva. Even though many of them have been vandalized by Portuguese invaders, their grandeur has hardly been diminished. The island has two groups of caves in the rock cut architectural style. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock.
Chowpatty Beach. This is the city's most famous beach, located at one end of Mumbai's most famous promenade. This is not a place to sunbathe, however. Go here to watch the crowds enjoying themselves and have Bhel puri, as a moderately famous Hindi song asks you to. Chowpatty in Marathi means "beach", so you may hear people referring to other beaches suffixed with Chowpatty (for example, "Juhu Chowpatty"). But if they say "Chowpatty" without qualification, they are referring to this place. The beach is famous for its Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations when hundreds of people from all over Mumbai come to immerse the idols of Lord Ganapati in the Arabian Sea.
Day 2:
Marine Drive. Marine Drive is a 3.6-km-long C-shaped Promenade along the coast of a natural bay. The six-lane road connects the Nariman Point on the south to the Chowpatty Beach on the north. it is popularly known as the Queen's Necklace, because when viewed during the night, preferably from an elevated spot, the lights on the road resembles the string of pearls in a necklace. There are walkways and benches along the bay and is a favorite hunt for both tourists and locals. During weekend evenings the place gets very crowded. The road is officially known as the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. It is also the venue for several well known events includingthe Mumbai Marathon and Indian Air Force (IAF) air show.
Nariman Point (Manhattan of Mumbai) (at the southern end of Marine Drive). The area is on land reclaimed from the sea. Nariman Point is the business hub of Mumbai. However, with the change in economic conditions, many companies have shifted to other areas of Mumbai like Parel, Worli, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Andheri-Kurla Road, and Powai. There are many airlines offices and luxury hotels here. Don't miss out the Air India building. It is widely regarded as the 'Manhattan' of Mumbai and it boasts of a spectacular skyline and pricey residential condos. It is also the main financial district of Mumbai and houses most of the financial services and brokerage companies—both Indian and international. It is also the location for the Vidhan Bhavan which is the political headquarters of the state of Maharashtra.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus, VT), Dadabhai Naoroji Rd, Azad Maidan, Fort. This is one of World Heritage List.
Municipal Corporation Building, 5, Mahapalika Marg, Dhobi Talao (South west corner of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus). The V shaped building built in Victorian Gothic style houses the office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body that governs the city of Mumbai.
Rajabai Clock Tower Fort precinct, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Marg (in Mumbai University, close to Flora Fountain; from : Churchgate Station 0.6 km south). Similar to the Big Ben of London. The tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles. It is built out of the locally available buff-coloured Kurla stone. The tower has one of the best stained glass windows in the city. The Rajabai Clock Tower is best view and photographed from the Oval Maidan.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, 159-161, M.G. Road, Fort precinct (next to Jehangir Art Gallery, near Regal cinema), ☏+91 22 2284-4484, +91 22-2284-4519, fax: +91 22-2204-5430, crescent@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in. Tu-Su 10:15AM-5:45PM. Housed in a wonderful example of Indo-Saracenic architecture the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya was established in 1904.