Luxury hotels in Mumbai

Mumbai guide

Mumbai: the Gateway of India and Elephanta

The waterfront arch, a ferry to cave temples, Victorian Gothic stations and Marine Drive at night.

The Gateway of India, built to welcome King George V in 1911, is Mumbai's most cited landmark, facing the harbour beside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. From here, ferries cross to Elephanta Island, whose cave temples dedicated to Shiva are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, a Victorian Gothic masterpiece, and the art deco buildings of the Oval Maidan are also UNESCO-listed. Walk Marine Drive at sunset, explore Colaba and Kala Ghoda's galleries, and visit from November to February, after the monsoon.

Mumbai's markets and the dabbawalas

A guided walk through Mumbai's markets is one of the city's most cited experiences: the Victorian Crawford Market, the spice stalls around it, and Dhobi Ghat, an open-air laundry where hundreds of washermen work in concrete pens. The best views are from the bridge at Mahalaxmi station.

At lunchtime, the dabbawalas deliver tens of thousands of home-cooked meals to offices across the city by train and bicycle, with remarkable precision. Seeing them at Churchgate station around late morning is a glimpse of how the city works.

Bollywood and the art deco of Marine Drive

Mumbai is the home of Bollywood, the world's most prolific film industry, and a studio tour of Film City or a film at the art deco Regal or Eros cinemas is one of the city's most cited experiences. Seeing a Hindi film with a local audience is an event in itself.

The Victorian Gothic and art deco ensembles of Mumbai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, include the buildings lining the Oval Maidan and Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace, best seen at night from Malabar Hill. A walk along the seafront at sunset is a city ritual.