How to Spend One Day in Mumbai
Mumbai was one of the most intense first impressions I have ever had of a city, but I still found that one day in Mumbai was enough to see many of its major sights. Since I only had a short stay, I booked Hotel Antique in Colaba for the night before my arrival so I could check in right away, get some sleep, and still have time to explore South Mumbai before my tour the next morning.
For first-time visitors, Colaba is a convenient base because it puts you close to the Gateway of India and several major sights in South Mumbai. Between my evening walk near the Gateway of India and a full day of sightseeing, I saw a mix of landmarks, local life, waterfront views, and historic architecture.
If you are planning one day in Mumbai, this one day in Mumbai itinerary works well for first-time visitors who want to see the city’s highlights without trying to do too much. It is a practical way to see Mumbai in one day without feeling rushed from one stop to the next.
How to Spend One Day in Mumbai - Table of Contents
- Exploring the Gateway of India Area the Night Before
- One Day in Mumbai Itinerary
- Dinner and Ending the Day
- Mumbai Video Highlights
- Is One Day Enough in Mumbai?
- Tips for Spending One Day in Mumbai
- Final Thoughts
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Exploring the Gateway of India Area the Night Before
That first evening gave me my first real taste of Mumbai. Initially, I found the city a bit intimidating. The streets were crowded, traffic felt relentless, and even crossing the road was an adventure. But, after a little while, I started to adjust. I made my way toward the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India, then spent about 90 minutes walking around the area and taking photos.
One of the most memorable parts of that evening was watching the laser lights and hearing the music around the Gateway of India. The area was incredibly crowded and difficult to move through at times, but that made the experience even more memorable. The sidewalks were packed with people, street vendors made some stretches barely walkable, and there was so much happening at once that simply being there felt like sightseeing.
If you are spending one day in Mumbai, I think it is worth arriving in the Gateway of India area either the evening before or early in the morning. It gave me a chance to get comfortable with the neighborhood and made the next day feel much smoother.
One Day in Mumbai Itinerary
My tour officially began at 10:00 a.m., but I left my hotel around 8:30 a.m. so I could spend more time walking around South Mumbai before meeting my guide. I explored the area near the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Gateway of India in daylight, then walked a little farther to Regal Circle. Also known as Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk, this area has quite a few sights including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum), many statues of important people, the INS Vikrant Replica, and Regal Cinema.
When it was finally time to meet my guide, I realized I was the only guest on the tour that day. What I had expected to be a group tour ended up feeling more like a private tour, which made this Mumbai city tour much easier and more efficient.
If you want an easy way to see many of these sights in a short amount of time, this is the Mumbai city tour I used. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a tour using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Dhobi Ghat
Our first stop was Dhobi Ghat, one of the most unusual places I visited in Mumbai. Dhobi Ghat is a huge open-air laundry center where clothes and linens are washed and dried on a massive scale. My guide introduced me to an 11-year-old boy who showed me around and led me up to the rooftop of his home, where I got a much better view of the operation from above.
From the rooftop, I could see long rows of laundry hanging to dry and workers moving through the wash area below. My young guide even put me to work for a moment by showing me how hotel towels were hung on twisted rope. This ended up being one of the most memorable stops of the day because it felt less like visiting a tourist attraction and more like getting a glimpse into everyday life in Mumbai.
Oval Maidan and Rajabai Clock Tower
From Dhobi Ghat, we continued to Oval Maidan, where a cricket game was already underway. Watching a match take place in such a large open field, surrounded by historic buildings, was a nice contrast to the crowded streets and traffic I had been experiencing elsewhere in the city.
Near the park, I saw Rajabai Clock Tower and walked through part of the University of Mumbai area. I also had a fun interaction here when three college-aged men approached me to practice their English. They asked whether there was snow in Minnesota, and I showed them a photo of the 15-plus inches we had just received back home.
Marine Drive
Next, we drove to Marine Drive, officially Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. I had already seen this famous waterfront boulevard from my airport shuttle the day before, when it was full of people out running and enjoying the morning air. This time, I got to walk along it and photograph the skyline for myself.
It was quite hazy during my visit, which made photography a little difficult, but Marine Drive still stood out as one of the most visually impressive stops of the day. The broad curve of the road, the open waterfront, and the skyline made it easy to see why so many visitors make time for it.
Hanging Gardens
After Marine Drive, we visited the Hanging Gardens, also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, on Malabar Hill. To be honest, I had expected something more dramatic based on the name. There was not actually anything “hanging” about the gardens, and at first glance they felt more like a regular city park. Still, after the noise and traffic of Mumbai below, it was a pleasant stop and gave me a chance to slow down for a bit. My guide also pointed out some of the high-profile residences in the area.
One nearby site he mentioned was the Tower of Silence, associated with traditional Zoroastrian funerary practices. That added another layer of historical and cultural interest to the area, even though the gardens themselves were more about the setting and atmosphere than any one major landmark.
Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya
One of the most interesting stops of the day was the Gandhi museum, officially called Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya. The building was closely associated with Gandhi’s work in Mumbai between 1917 and 1934.
Inside, the first floors contained books, letters, and photographs related to Gandhi’s life and India’s independence movement. One item that especially caught my attention was a letter written to Adolf Hitler
I also spent time photographing the diorama displays on the upper floor, which told the story of Gandhi’s life in a very accessible and engaging way. For me, this was one of the best museum stops in Mumbai because it did a good job of turning Gandhi from a giant historical figure into a real person with a story that unfolded step by step.
Crawford Market
As the tour began to wind down, we stopped at Crawford Market, officially known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai. This was one of the liveliest stops of the day. The market was packed with food, spices, beauty products, and even pets.
My guide needed to buy sunscreen, so we also walked through some of the narrow surrounding streets, which gave me an even better feel for the pace and chaos of shopping in Mumbai. For me, Crawford Market was less about buying something and more about seeing the chaos and variety of the area.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
The final major stop of the day was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, often shortened to CSMT. I did not go inside, but the exterior alone was impressive enough to make it one of my favorite places I saw in Mumbai. I photographed the station from outside, including the decorative details and the nearby Municipal Corporation Building.
The heavy traffic in the area was also unforgettable. Watching vehicles try to move in every direction at once made me very glad I was not the one behind the wheel.
Dinner and Ending the Day
By the time the tour ended, I had already seen the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace on my own, so I told my guide there was no need to return to them. The tour ended back near the original meeting point, and on my guide’s recommendation I went to Leopold Cafe for dinner.
After a fairly small dinner the night before, I made sure to order plenty of food this time. I had tikka masala, Chinese noodles with chicken and vegetables, naan with garlic and cheese, and a strawberry banana smoothie. It was more than I could finish, and one of the peppers in the noodles was so spicy that I had to suck on a lime just to cool my mouth down.
By then, it was around 5:00 p.m., and after two overnight flights and a full day of sightseeing, I was simply too exhausted to do much more. My guide had suggested going back to Marine Drive at sunset, which probably would have been a great idea, but I was too tired to make it happen.
Mumbai Video Highlights
In this video, I spend one day exploring Mumbai, India on a city tour through South Mumbai. Along the way, I visit major sights including Dhobi Ghat, Marine Drive, Crawford Market, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, while also getting a feel for the city’s energy and character.
Is One Day Enough in Mumbai?
I do think one day in Mumbai is enough for first-time visitors, especially if you focus on South Mumbai and are realistic about what you can cover. Overall, this is a practical way to plan one day in Mumbai for first-time visitors who want to see the main highlights.
You are not going to understand a city this large in a single day, and you definitely are not going to see everything. But if your goal is to get a broad introduction to Mumbai, one day can work very well. I was able to see major landmarks, experience a bit of daily life, walk around South Mumbai on my own, and get a feel for the city’s energy.
For me, the key was staying in Colaba and using a guided tour to reduce the stress of traffic and logistics. Without that, I would have spent much more time figuring out transportation and much less time actually sightseeing.
Tips for Spending One Day in Mumbai
- Stay in Colaba if you only have one day in Mumbai. It made it easy for me to walk to the Gateway of India area and start sightseeing right away.
- Book your hotel for the night before if you land early. Since my flight arrived in the morning, being able to check in immediately made a huge difference.
- Use a guide or tour if you want to cover a lot in one day. Mumbai traffic is intense, and having transportation arranged saved a lot of time.
- Spend a little time exploring on your own too. My evening walk near the Gateway of India helped me feel more comfortable before the full day tour.
Do not overpack your schedule. Mumbai can be exhausting, especially after a long flight, so it helps to leave yourself some breathing room.
If you want to take the same tour, this is the exact one I booked in Mumbai. I paid for it myself, and my guide did not know I had a blog, so this is based entirely on my own experience. As mentioned earlier, I am an affiliate of Viator and will receive a small commission if you book this tour using my link
Final Thoughts
I do not think one day in Mumbai is enough to fully understand the city, but it was enough for me to see many of the city’s major highlights and get a real first impression of Mumbai. Between my time around the Gateway of India, the city tour, and a little exploring on my own, I felt like I got a good introduction to Mumbai. If you only have one day in Mumbai, focusing on the Gateway of India area and the main sights of South Mumbai is a practical way to make the most of it.
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