Places to visit inMumbai

Looking for the best places to visit in Mumbai? This guide covers Mumbai's main attractions, from the Gateway of India and Marine Drive to the Elephanta and Kanheri caves, with timings and entry fees checked against official sources where possible.

Mumbai, known as Bombay until 1995, is the capital of Maharashtra and the country's financial capital. It sits on the Konkan coast around a deep natural harbour. The city began as an archipelago of seven islands inhabited by Koli fishing communities, whose goddess Mumba is thought to have given it its name. The islands passed to the Portuguese in 1535 and to the British Crown in 1661.

Land reclamation completed in 1845 joined them into one landmass, and the 19th-century cotton boom turned the city into a major port. That history is visible in South Mumbai. The Victorian Gothic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Art Deco blocks along Marine Drive and the Gateway of India lie within a few kilometres of each other, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya holds the region's main museum collection.

Much older sites lie at the edges of the city. The Elephanta Caves are a ferry ride across the harbour, and the Buddhist Kanheri Caves sit inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the northern suburbs. Religious landmarks such as Haji Ali Dargah and Siddhivinayak Temple draw visitors of every background, and Juhu Beach and Colaba Causeway show everyday city life. Mumbai is almost rainless from October to May, with the cooler months from December to February.

The southwest monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain and occasional flooding. Suburban trains, the metro and taxis connect the main areas.