The city that never sleeps!
Once a cluster of seven islands, Mumbai was presented to King Charles II in 1661 as part of the dowry when he married Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. Over the years, as colonialism gave way to independence, Mumbai has transformed itself into an entity with thriving markets, business houses and many different communities reflecting a cosmopolitan and trendy atmosphere rarely seen elsewhere. On the surface, Mumbai tours represent the ever-changing face of today's India -the old coupled with the dynamic new, and yet at its very core, the heart of the city is steeped in Indian customs and values. It is the capital of Maharashtra state, and its official language is Marathi although English and Hindi are widely spoken and understood.
The fast-paced life has given rise to hordes of "fast-food outlets" on almost every road, offering lip-smacking choices of Mumbai's very own pau bhaji, bhel puri and kababs. There is no dearth, though, of multi-culinary delicacies dished out in posh restaurants by expert chefs. Mumbai is a shopper's delight with bargain buys, exclusive boutiques, ethnic markets and mini bazaars. This busy city is also the hub of a thriving cultural life, with a constant stream of performances in music, dance and drama. The seat of the Hindi film industry, known locally as Bollywood, it produces the largest number of films in the world. Tours to Mumbai cater to the adventurous and the romantic through its sporting activities, nightclubs, pubs, theatres, beaches and restaurants.

General Information

Climate: Tropical wet and dry
Weather: Maximum temperatures range from 29.1° C to 33.3° C and the lowest is 7.4° C
Best Time to Visit: November to February
Suggested Clothing: Cotton

Places to visit

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus):
  Built by the British in 1888, it has exquisite ornamentation on its façade along with beautifully executed panels and friezes.
• Flora Fountain and the Gothic/Victorian buildings of the Fort Area:
  The Flora Fountain stands on the site of the old church gate of the Bombay Fort, now a major crossroad named Hutatma Chowk. Other buildings to see in the Fountain or Fort area are the University of Mumbai buildings including the imposing Rajabhai Tower, the Mumbai High Court, the Old Secretariat, and the Institute of Science on one end.
• Jehangir Art Gallery:
  Close by to the Prince of Wales Museum, this gallery is the showcase for contemporary art. The displays change regularly. Outside is the Artist's Plaza with more paintings on display and sale. Open daily from 11 am to 7 pm.
• Prince of Wales Museum:
  Built to commemorate King George V's visit to Mumbai (while still Prince of Wales), it was completed in 1923. It is undoubtedly one of India's finest museums and houses treasures, artefacts, paintings and sculpture from the many periods covering India's history, including the Indus Valley Civilization. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30 am to 6 pm.
• National Gallery of Modern Art:
  This is the former Cowasji Jehangir Hall, of the Institute of Science. It has been renovated to serve as a four-storey exhibition hall, displaying the best of Indian contemporary art. Open daily except Monday, from 10 am to 5 pm.
• Gateway of India:
  Mumbai's most striking monument, it has an imposing gateway arch in the Indo-Saracenic style with Gujarati and Islamic elements such as wooden carvings. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. This area is also the departing point for ferries plying to Elephanta Island and other beaches across the port. All Mumbai tour packages are incomplete without a visit to Gateway of India.
• Marine Drive:
  This is the stretch now known as Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road with Nariman Point on one end to Babulnath, at the foot of Walkeshwar on the other. For the most part, a pleasant promenade continues along the beach with the Chowpatty area situated somewhat in the middle.
• Chowpatty Beach:
  Chowpatty Beach is a teeming mass of people, vendors, masseurs and roadside restaurants with its specialties being bhelpuri and kulfi. Across the Chowpatty Beach area is the Taraporewala Aquarium.
• Mani Bhavan:
  This simple and charming museum was where Mahatma Gandhi lived on his visits to Mumbai between 1917 and 1934. Gandhi's room and belongings including his books are on display. Open daily from 9.30 am to 6 PM
• Mahalaxmi Temple:
  The Mahalaxmi Temple is a popular holy site as Mahalaxmi is the goddess of wealth. It is situated at one end of Breach Candy -- a trendy residential and shopping area, now known as B. Desai Road.
• Haji Ali Shrine:
  Further on your Mumbai tours along the seashore, at the end of a long pathway surrounded by sea water is the shrine dedicated to Haji Ali, a Muslim saint. Access is only at low tide via the pathway
• Siddhivinayak Temple:
  Located in the Prabha Devi area of Mumbai, this popular temple dedicated to Ganesh was rebuilt on the site of a 200-year old temple. Built of black stone, the idol of Ganesh is two and a half feet in height and two feet in width.
• Juhu Beach:
  This suburban beach is great favourite with Mumbaites, and has plenty to offer everyone. Like Marine Drive's Chowpatty, Juhu 'Chowpatty' is a vendor's delight with innumerable food counters. It is a wonderful place to bring kids, as it doubles up as an amusement park, play ground, and open-air restaurant. An unusual sight at this beach is the camel ride, which is both fun and popular.

Shopping

Chor Bazaar: Chor Bazaar is commonly known as thieves' market, a name coined by the British but perhaps mistakenly. It is also thought that the original name was shor Bazaar (Noisy Market) which aptly described the yelling and shouting of the local traders on Mutton Street while selling their second hand house hold goods. Today, it is a hustling bustling market. You must visit Chor Bazaar on your Mumbai tour. Here are some of our favourite shops but rummage as many as you can as you never know what you may find - a treasure, a bargain or just what you need. Take a taxi or bus to Maulana Shaukat Ali Road and set off down Mutton Street.
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market (Crawford Market): A busy market area, this is best visited early on in the day. The fruits and vegetable section offers the best of produce. Depending on when you visit, the fruit/s of the season are always a good buy.

Fashion Street: Check out the stuff here for easy bargains and decent clothes. Be prepared to hear double of the actual prize for all the items and be good with bargaining skills.

Food & Restaurants in Mumbai

Food is the quintessential element of Indian hospitality. Mumbai treats its visitors first with a pinch of spice especially at the Chowpatti Beach. The street food at Chowpatti is known for its pungent flavour and colourful preparations. Stalls selling bhelpuri, vada pav and other munchies remain crowded with people. Tangy cuisines of India and even the international delicacies can be savoured at Mumbai which is covered with numerous such eating outlets. Kebab rolls, Indian Chinese and South Indian food should not be missed at the famous restaurants of Mumbai.

• Gable's: Coloured in vibrant colours, dim lights, with a mezzanine floor and soothing music playing at the background.
• Picadilly: Producing delectable Lebanese menus at decent prices, it is worth a try.
• Peshwari at Maratha Sheraton, Andheri is recognised as one of the best restaurants for Indian food in the world. Do try Mughlai preparations such as Kebab, tandoori jhinga and more, Copper Chimney in Worli, Kebab Corner at Hotel Intercontinental are others known for delicious Mughlai and other Indian cuisines.
• Swati Snacks at Tardeo is a fabulous restaurant for vegetarians where people don't mind standing in long queues for their turn.
• For Chinese one must visit Great Wall at Renaissance, Spices at JW Marriott, China White at Bandra and Royal China at VT. Various cafes and lounges are also present in the city and serve their guests with delicious snacks and coffee.

Festivals

The lively and ever-energetic city of Mumbai loves to celebrate. Whether it is a home coming of a distant relative or India winning a Cricket match, this Mumbian spirit of celebrating life is what makes the city distinctive and admirable. The festivals give even a grander reason to celebrate and are incredibly loved by the locals. The grandest of them all is the Ganesh Chaturthi when the entire city echoes sounds of "Ganpati Bapa Moriya" with people out on the street carrying idols of God Ganesha to be submerged in the sea. People dancing, drums beating and colours filling the air, the scene is full of excitement and gaiety. Festivals of Janmashtami, Diwali and eve of New Year are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and grandeur. A tour to Mumbai during festival season is sure to be a memorable and energising experience.