Highlights
Elephanta Caves
Take a short boat ride across Mumbai Harbour to Elephanta Island, home to a labyrinth of fascinating rock-cut cave temples. Created between AD 450 and 750, these truly impressive carvings are now a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring a range of courtyards, halls, pillars, shrines and holy statues. A small museum explains the origins of the caves.
The Gateway of India and The Taj Mahal Palace
Built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to India in 1911, The Gateway of India overlooks the harbour, placed to symbolise the entrance point of India if reached by sea. Just next to the arch, the famed Taj Mahal Palace hotel is the second-most photographed sight in India. As well as the impressive architecture, the hotel symbolises the growth of the city as a whole – it was the first in the country to employ women, the first with electricity, and it housed freedom fighters for no charge during the struggle for independence.
Bollywood
Mumbai is the home of Bollywood, an industry that creates over 900 films every year – twice that of Hollywood! Some of the major studios open their doors for visitor tours, allowing you to learn more about all things Bollywood – from hair and makeup, to special effects, to famous dance routines. The Mumbai International Film Festival (held in October each year) shows Bollywood blockbusters with English subtitles, making it an easy way to watch these world-renowned movies.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
This iconic train station showcases the unique architecture of colonial-era India – merging Islamic, Hindu and Victorian Gothic styles to create an extravagant building quite unlike any other. Explore this bustling terminus, characterised by magnificent domes, spires, turrets, gargoyles and stained glass.
Marine Drive
Showcasing the city’s wealth and financial power, Marine Drive is a curved seafront promenade, home to sleek offices, luxury hotels and swanky apartment blocks, many inspired by the art deco-style architecture of Miami. Dubbed the Queen’s Necklace, the curved road lights up at night, resembling a string of pearls in a necklace from above. Stroll along the 3.6km-long promenade overlooking the Arabian Sea, particularly spectacular during sunset.