Cabs
Mumbai sightseeing by cab

Places to visit in Mumbai in 1 day, in order

Reach the Gateway of India at about 09:20, the CSMVS museum at its 10:15 opening and CSMT station at about 11:50, then lunch. After lunch, Mani Bhavan, the Hanging Gardens, Haji Ali at about 15:15, Siddhivinayak at about 16:30 and Bandra Fort at about 17:30. About 53 km by cab, back by about 18:45. Every stop is open every day.

8 places53 km by cabtimed against opening hours
How long do you have?
Day 1

Gateway, the museum, Haji Ali and Bandra

The Gateway of India at about 09:20, then the CSMVS museum from its 10:15 opening, and CSMT station at about 11:50. Lunch in the Fort area. After lunch, Mani Bhavan at about 13:35, the Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park at about 14:30, Haji Ali Dargah at about 15:15, Siddhivinayak Temple at about 16:30 and Bandra Fort at about 17:30, before it closes at 18:30. About 53 km by cab, back by about 18:45 on the map, later in evening traffic. Works on any day, but Tuesdays bring very long queues at Siddhivinayak.

09:15 to 18:428 places53 km by cab
  1. 1Gateway of India
  2. 2CSMVS Museum (Prince of Wales Museum)
  3. 3CSMT Station (Victoria Terminus)
  4. Lunch
  5. 4Mani Bhavan
  6. 5Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park
  7. 6Haji Ali Dargah
  8. 7Siddhivinayak Temple
  9. 8Bandra Fort and Bandstand
  10. Back
  1. Leave Marine Drive
  2. 1

    Gateway of India

    40 min here
    Gateway of India
    Photo: A.Savin, FAL

    A yellow basalt arch on the harbour front, built for the visit of King George V and finished in 1924. The last British troops left India through it in 1948. The old Taj Mahal Palace hotel stands across the road, and the Elephanta ferries leave from the jetties beside it.

    LandmarksOpen all day; the fenced plaza has a security check. Free. Police can close it at short notice for events?

    Tip: The square is busy with photographers and boat touts by mid-morning, so come early. Look at the Taj Mahal Palace from the sea wall, then walk a few minutes into Colaba if you want tea.

  3. 2

    CSMVS Museum (Prince of Wales Museum)

    1 h 30 min here
    CSMVS Museum (Prince of Wales Museum)
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai's main museum, opened in 1922 as the Prince of Wales Museum, in a domed building in the Indo-Saracenic style. It has sculpture from Elephanta and the Gupta period, Indian miniature paintings, Chinese and Japanese art, arms and armour, and a natural history gallery.

    MuseumsOpen 10:15 to 18:00 every day (tickets to 17:45); shut on 26 January, 1 May and 15 August. Indians ₹200, foreigners ₹700

    Tip: The Jehangir Art Gallery is next door, free, with changing shows by Indian artists. Kala Ghoda's cafes and the David Sassoon Library are a few minutes away on foot.

  4. 3

    CSMT Station (Victoria Terminus)

    30 min here
    CSMT Station (Victoria Terminus)
    Photo: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, opened in 1888 as Victoria Terminus: a railway station in Victorian Gothic with Indian touches, a big central dome, stone gargoyles, carved animals and stained glass. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and still one of the busiest stations in India.

    LandmarksThe station is open all day; you see it from outside. The Heritage Gallery inside runs on weekdays, about 15:00 to 16:00 for sure (listings give 11:00 to 17:00), ₹200?

    Tip: See the front from the Mahapalika Marg side, across the road. The Municipal Corporation building opposite is in the same style. The Flora Fountain and the Fort's old office streets are a short drive south.

  5. Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
  6. 4

    Mani Bhavan

    45 min here
    Mani Bhavan
    Photo: Jorge Láscar, CC BY-SA 2.0

    The house on Laburnum Road where Gandhi stayed on his Mumbai visits from 1917 to 1934, now a small museum. You see his room with his spinning wheel and mattress, letters, photographs and a set of small dioramas of his life.

    MuseumsOpen 09:30 to 17:30 or 18:00 every day. ₹20, students ₹10

    Tip: The house is small and the stairs narrow, so it gets slow with groups. The library downstairs has books by and about Gandhi.

  7. 5

    Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park

    40 min here
    Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park
    Photo: A.Savin, FAL

    Two parks on top of Malabar Hill. The Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens) sit on a reservoir and have hedges cut into animal shapes. Kamala Nehru Park across the road has the Old Woman's Shoe and a view down over Marine Drive and Chowpatty.

    GardensHanging Gardens about 06:00 to 20:00, Kamala Nehru Park 05:00 to 21:00. Free

    Tip: The view of Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace, is best from Kamala Nehru Park, and best of all after dark. The reservoir under the Hanging Gardens is due for repairs, so parts of the garden may be fenced off.

  8. 6

    Haji Ali Dargah

    1 h here
    Haji Ali Dargah
    Photo: A.Savin, FAL

    The tomb of the saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, built in 1431 on an islet in the sea off Worli. A white mosque and dome reached by a causeway about 500 m long, which goes under water at high tide.

    Temples, dargah & churchesOpen 05:30 to 22:00 every day. The causeway floods at very high tides, and the dargah posts tide closures

    Tip: Check the tide before you go: at high tide the waves wash over the causeway. Cover your head and shoulders. Shops at the start sell flowers and chadars.

  9. 7

    Siddhivinayak Temple

    45 min here
    Siddhivinayak Temple
    Photo: Darwininan, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Mumbai's most visited Ganesh temple, in Prabhadevi, first built in 1801 and rebuilt in 1990s marble with a gilded dome. The small black stone Ganesh has his trunk turned to the right.

    Temples, dargah & churchesOpen 05:30 to 21:50, with a pause from about 12:05 to 12:30 and short ones for the aartis. Tuesdays 03:15 to 23:30, with queues of 2 to 4 hours

    Tip: Bags and phones may need to be left at the counters, and there is a security check. Tuesday is Ganesh's day and the lines run for hours.

  10. 8

    Bandra Fort and Bandstand

    45 min here
    Bandra Fort and Bandstand
    Photo: Pratikmoon2, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A small Portuguese watchtower fort of 1640, Castella de Aguada, on the rocks at Land's End in Bandra. From its garden you see the Bandra–Worli Sea Link across the bay. Bandstand promenade runs north from here past the film stars' sea-facing houses.

    Sea views & fortsAbout 06:00 to 18:30 (one listing says 19:30). Free

    Tip: Walk along Bandstand to Mount Mary if you have time.

  11. Back at Marine Drive

Drive times come from road routing without traffic. Mumbai traffic is heavy most of the day, worst from about 09:00 to 11:00 and 17:30 to 21:00 on weekdays, so allow extra time, mostly on the evening drive back. The Bandra–Worli Sea Link has a toll of about ₹100 one way for a car; the Coastal Road is free. Cabs cannot stop in the Gateway square or on the bridge over Dhobi Ghat, so the driver drops you nearby. From June to September heavy rain can flood roads and close beaches for the day. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.

Book a cab for this day

Call or message a local Mumbai operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.

1 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator

Opening times for this plan

The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.

PlaceOpenBest timeVisit
Gateway of IndiaOpen all day; the fenced plaza has a security check. Free. Police can close it at short notice for events?Early morning, before the crowds and the heat.40 min
CSMVS Museum (Prince of Wales Museum)10:15 to 18:00 every day (tickets to 17:45); shut on 26 January, 1 May and 15 August. Indians ₹200, foreigners ₹700At opening, before the school groups.1 h 30 min
CSMT Station (Victoria Terminus)The station is open all day; you see it from outside. The Heritage Gallery inside runs on weekdays, about 15:00 to 16:00 for sure (listings give 11:00 to 17:00), ₹200?Any time. It is lit up after dark.30 min
Mani Bhavan09:30 to 17:30 or 18:00 every day. ₹20, students ₹10Late morning or after lunch.45 min
Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru ParkHanging Gardens about 06:00 to 20:00, Kamala Nehru Park 05:00 to 21:00. FreeLate afternoon, when it is cooler.40 min
Haji Ali Dargah05:30 to 22:00 every day. The causeway floods at very high tides, and the dargah posts tide closuresAt low tide, when the causeway is dry.1 h
Siddhivinayak Temple05:30 to 21:50, with a pause from about 12:05 to 12:30 and short ones for the aartis. Tuesdays 03:15 to 23:30, with queues of 2 to 4 hoursA weekday morning or afternoon. Tuesdays are very busy.45 min
Bandra Fort and BandstandAbout 06:00 to 18:30 (one listing says 19:30). FreeLate afternoon to sunset.45 min

More or less time in Mumbai?

123456712345678© OpenStreetMap contributors

Mumbai in 2 days

Gateway, the Fort and Malabar Hill · Haji Ali, Siddhivinayak, Bandra and Juhu

See the 2-day plan →
12345671234567812© OpenStreetMap contributors

Mumbai in 3 days

Gateway, the Fort and Malabar Hill · Haji Ali, Siddhivinayak, Bandra and Juhu · Elephanta Caves and Byculla

See the 3-day plan →

All 23 places in Mumbai

Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.

See all places →

Questions people ask

Can you see Mumbai in one day?

Yes, the main sights. South Mumbai's landmarks are close together, so the morning covers the Gateway, the museum and the station. The afternoon runs up the coast to Haji Ali, Siddhivinayak and Bandra. It is a long day, about 9.5 hours. The Elephanta Caves need half a day of their own, so they are on the third day of the 3-day plan.

Can I make the day shorter?

Yes. Skip Bandra Fort and go back from Siddhivinayak: you are back on Marine Drive by about 17:35 on the map. Or skip the museum and spend the time at the Gateway and in Colaba.

Why start at the Gateway of India?

It is quiet and cool early in the morning, and by late morning it fills with crowds and boat touts. The CSMVS museum, a few minutes away, opens at 10:15, so the Gateway fits just before it.

Can I see Marine Drive at night?

Yes. The plans start and end on Marine Drive, so walk along it after the cab day. The street lights make the Queen's Necklace after dark, and the view of it from Kamala Nehru Park on Malabar Hill is the best in the city.