Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the commercial hub of India and a vibrant, colorful and bustling metropolis. It is also an important centre of theatre, art, music, and dance. Although steeped in tradition and with a rich historical past, Mumbai is a city where traditional and modern business practices flourish simultaneously.
Our sample tours in Mumbai
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Highlights
The British built arch Gateway of India was designed to commemorate George V and Queen’s Mary’s visit to India in 1911. It was completed in 1924! These days, the gateway is a favourite gathering spot for locals with balloon sellers, photographers, and touts rubbing shoulders with Indian and foreign tourists, creating all the hubbub of a bazaar.
Elephanta
Accessible only by motor launch, Elephanta is a small island that rises into two conical hills. About two thirds up are the famous Rock Temples, marked by a large number of beautifully carved sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses, they were hewn out of the hill in the eighth century. The exterior of the main cave consists of a columned verandah 30 feet wide and six feet deep, approached by steps flanked by sculptured elephants.
Prince of Wales Museum
A Mumbai landmark, the Prince of Wales Museum is one of the best museums in India with an excellent and well laid out collection of antiques. The highlights of the museum include Indo-Saracenic architecture of the museum building, artifacts from Indus Valley Civilization, decorative artifacts such as Mughal jades, textiles, and ivories.
Mumbai High Court
The High Court is an elegant 1848 neo-Gothic building inspired by a German castle. You are permitted (and it is highly recommended) to walk around inside the building and check out the pageantry of public cases that are in progress.
Victoria Terminus
The Victoria Terminus is the busiest railway station in Asia. Officially renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in 1998, it’s still better known locally as the Victoria terminus (VT). It was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 2004. An extravagant Gothic building, historian Christopher London said ‘the Victoria Terminus is to the British Raj, what the Taj Mahal is to the Mughal Empire.’ It’s a mix of Victorian, Hindu and Islamic styles with buttresses, domes, turrets, spires and stained-glass windows. Designed by Frederick Stevens, it was completed in 1887, 34 years after the first train in India left this site.
Other
The sprawling and colorful markets of Mumbai – visiting the historic Crawford Market, the steel-pot shops on Lokmanya Tilak Road, the market stalls around Mumbadevi Temple, the Zaveri Bazaar (Jeweler’s Market) and the famous antique market of Chor Bazaar (Thieves Market). Take a tour around the Jewish heritage of Mumbai showcasing their history – including the Kenesethe Eliyahoo Synagogue, Magen David Synagogue, and the Shaar–ha-Rahamim Synagogue.
Our favourite hotels in Mumbai
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