Mumbai is possibly the most famous city in India. Whether it is the glamour of Bollywood or the string of sporting legends that have been born here, the city formerly known as Bombay is sometimes synonymous with the country.

I visited the city for the first time on a day trip with my dad in 1998 when I was seven. I have vague memories of that visit. We just went to the main attractions and ended the day by the beach watching the sun set over the sea. I also remember my dad having shaved ice (गोला, pron. gola) that he refused to share with me probably because I was yet to be at a drinking age.

My next visit was nearly twenty years later in 2017. I had changed a lot in these years, and so seemed the city. It was a weekend and yet the streets were bustling with people.

My tour of the city began as soon as I arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station by train. Headquarters of the Central Railways in India, I spent quite some time admiring the 19th-century architecture and how well it had been maintained after so many years.
Time to spend: 20-30 minutes

After being almost knocked over by people running to catch their trains, I decided to move to my next stop, the Gateway of India. This early 20th-century monument was made for a grand entry when people sailed in to Mumbai in the past. The triumphal arch, the elaborate latticework, and four distinct turrets define the structure that many would argue is the first image that comes to their mind when they think about the city. Even now, in the days of phones with cameras, it is worth getting yourself captured by one of the many photographers there and taking a polaroid memorabilia home.
Time to spend: 30-40 minutes

The next spot on my list was the Elephanta Island Caves. When you are at the Gateway of India, it is easy to spot people selling tickets for boat rides, to and from Elephanta Island. I grabbed a ticket from one of them and going down the stairs behind the monument, I boarded a motorboat to the island. It took around forty minutes for the boat to reach the island. Whilst on it, you can see massive cargo ships which makes you wonder what the ports in the city might have looked like when ships were the main mode of transporting goods around the globe.
The Elephanta is famous for its cave temples on top of a hill. Once on the island, a short-distance train ride transfers tourists from the jetty to the foot of the hill (you may even walk the route). The climb to the top involves scaling 120 steps that get steeper as you go up. There are palanquins (पालकी, pron. paalakee) available for anyone who is not confident of making the climb on their own.
Atop the hill, there are multiple caves with a myriad of carvings and designs. The first cave following the climb, is the largest, and more prominent than the rest and houses a carving of Lord Shiva within it. A walk around the caves and the view over the sea is a pleasant one and on a clear day, you can spot the cityscape of Mumbai from afar. The downward climb is easier, and there are plenty of shops at the bottom of the hill where you can replenish your tired self.
Time to spend: 3-4 hours

Back on the mainland, I found myself tiring due to the excursions on the island. So I headed to my next stop, the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. It is located right across the street from the Gateway of India, and although being the subject of a relatively recent tragedy, is a symbol of grandeur and luxury. Staying at the hotel was way beyond what I could afford, but a stroll through the lobbies was free, so I went in.
Once security checks were done, I walked into the common area which was divided into sections to separate the residents from the other visitors. The decor of the place is true to the palace in its name, and it felt grand just to get into a bathroom and change my absurdly sweaty clothes. The walls are decorated with pictures of landmark moments, and there are architectural models placed at random corners along the lobby.
Having done a bit of research on prices, I ended up ordering a coffee spread at one of the in-house restaurants. The coffee itself was not that great, but sitting on the most comfortable chair, enjoying a view of the sea, it was overall worth the pinch on my pocket.
Time to spend (unless staying at the hotel): 1-2 hours

Having relaxed for a while, I started walking away from the seaside for now. Although I did not make any long stops until my next planned destination, some landmarks came along the way.

Walking along the Chhatrapati Shivaji^[1] Marg, first up was the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India). Another building with early 20th-century architecture exhibits relics and artefacts from different eras in Indian and Western history.
Further down the road are the Jehangir Art Gallery, the Oval Maidan, the Bombay High Court and the Rajabai Clock Tower. The maidan is home to many sports academies in Mumbai especially cricket academies that churn out promising young players regularly. The high court and the clock tower are a throwback to 19th-century architecture with the latter being built as a replica of the Big Ben in London.

After a long walk and a short Uber ride, I arrived at the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai, also famous as the Crawford Market. It is one of the busiest wholesale markets in the country, and the 19th-century market building remains crammed with vendors and consumers. From groceries to fresh produce to imported garments and perfumes, the market offers enough to appeal to a wide range of customers. While strolling around the market, I also grabbed a bite and a drink at one of the famous outlets in the area.
Time to spend: 30-45 minutes

A short ride from there took me to the famous Marine Drive. The road runs along Chowpatty Beach and together they make for an iconic image of the city. The beach is not very clean, but that hardly stops people from dipping their ankles in the water or just sitting on the boundary wall awaiting the sunset. The city transforms into a mesmerising sight as the lights come on along the two-mile-long promenade. A sight that earned the Marine Drive its nickname – The Queen’s Necklace.
Time to spend: 1-2 hours

I moved on towards Andheri next, after a quick stop at the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar. The temple, over two centuries old, is a famous spot for people of all walks of life and enshrined within is a distinctive reddish idol of Lord Ganesha adorned with gold ornaments.

First up in Andheri was the Mahakali Caves (also Kondivite Caves) which are home to centuries-old carvings many of which have since been mutilated. It remains more as a place to hang out with friends or to take a stroll overlooking a large part of the town.
Time to spend: 15-20 minutes

I quickly moved on to my next destination, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The park leads to two places of interest, the ancient Kanheri Caves and a reserved forest area that preserves several species of endangered flora and fauna.
There are frequent bus rides from the gates of the park to the caves. The path uphill is lined with different trees like mahogany, teak, mango, banyan, etc. Spread over a massive area, the caves are home to numerous Buddhist sculptures and ancient inscriptions. There are bridges and steps carved out of the rock to help people navigate around the caves. The highest point of the place has a picture-perfect view of lush green trees spread across the hill.
The forest reserve is worth a visit during the cooler months of the year as the animals rarely come out of their hiding in the scorching heat.
Time to spend: 2-3 hours

Finishing off a bottle and a half of water under the scorching sun, I headed towards Worli to visit the Shree Mahalakshmi Temple and the Haji Ali Dargah.
The temple comes second in the list of prominent religious landmarks in the city and people flock in from all over to offer prayers and pretty hefty donations. Long queues snake around a narrow lane leading up to the courtyard where one can spend enough time to catch a breath and mumble their wishes and promises.
The dargah (pron. daragaah) is around half a mile away from the temple and is both a mosque and a tomb of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Located on an islet off the mainland, the place is nearly half a millennium old. The path leading to the dargah is often lashed by the sea on both sides as elderly people sit around it and narrate tales of legend and doom to passersby.
Time to spend (unless spending time for worship): 1-2 hours

The next bit of my travel is where I was more excited about the journey than the destination. As my Uber headed towards the Bandra Fort (also Castella de Aguada), it sped across the Bandra Worli Link for a stretch of over three miles. Even while in the car, the sight of waves lashing on both sides of the bridge was enthralling. While I did not make a stop at the fort, it is a perfect spot to enjoy the warm afternoon sun and click some amazing pictures of the link and the mainland looking over the sea.

My ride dropped me at my next destination, The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount (also Mount Mary Church). The Roman Catholic church is one of the largest and oldest churches in India and has a statue of the Virgin Mary enshrined in its sanctuary. Destroyed and rebuilt quite a few times in the past, the church stands in its current form since the late 19th century, looking over the Arabian Sea.
Time to spend (unless spending time for worship): 20-30 minutes

A short walk from the church, along a narrow lane, leads to the Bandstand Promenade. Every year, this stretch of rock beach oversees a massive outpour of people to immerse idols after Ganesh Chaturthi. People of all ages flock around the beach, chatting and munching on snacks while enjoying the cool sea breeze at dusk.

I decided to have an ice cream from one of the vendors before catching a ride from Bandra to my final destination, Juhu Beach. The ride along the coastline of Mumbai passed through crowded roads and it was a nightmare trying to park the car long enough for me to pay the driver.
The beach was rather unclean to my surprise, but the sunset on the sea was worth getting my feet entangled in random garbage floating around. Once the sun was down the memories of my visit with my dad flashed back, and almost instantly I knew what I wanted – shaved ice topped with whatever was on offer.
I walked over to another side of the beach and got myself some food first. From Vada Pav to Pav Bhaji to Dabeli, I tried all the local specials, and then charged for the gola stalls. They had around twenty different flavours available, but I kept myself to just five. As it turned out, none of them had alcohol so now I hold a permanent grudge against my dad.
Time to spend: 1-2 hours

Once I had fed myself to the brink, I took one final ride to the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and boarded my train back home.

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From the author

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[1] – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a renowned king from the 17th century and is considered a symbol of courage, valour and honour by the people of the state of Maharashtra, or Marathis. Therefore, several landmarks and roads across the state are named after him.