The city of dreams or better known as the city that never sleeps, Mumbai is a home to one and all. Being the economic central of the country, Mumbai is one such globally acclaimed city that is known for its rewarding nature. Over the years, Mumbai has seen a sharp rise in the migration of people from different places in and out of India thus, also making it one of the major tourist hotspots.
When on a 5 days short vacation, one should definitely do these things to make their vacation a memorable one.
It being one's first day in Mumbai, it is a crowded city. There's traffic on the roads, cows and buffaloes roaming on the streets and there are roads under construction everywhere. Ironically, that's how most of the tourists do their Mumbai Darshan.
One can book a cab for the entire day, or rent a car/bike, get their own vehicle, consider travelling by the Mumbai local trains (safest option) or book the Mumbai Darshan special buses that have a tour guide to tell the tourists about the most intricate details of the city. Once the mode of transport is finalized, one needs to plan out their Mumbai darshan on their own as there are a lot of lovely places in mumbai that should be visited but all of them can't be covered in a day.
Instead, one can divide their schedule over 5 days in order to properly see Mumbai. On Day 1, one can aim to cover the different places of worship here, which are really famous and quite close by. These include the Siddhivinayak temple, Mahalaxmi temple, Haji Ali dargah, Mount Mary church and the Mumbadevi temple. These are some of the most visited tourist places in Mumbai and are very nearby, so it wont waste a lot of time in travelling.
Continuing the Mumbai darshan, some other places that are true tourist hotspots in mumbai include the Juhu beach, Gateway of India, Bandstand, Marine drive, Bandra Worli sea link along with Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Jehangir Art Gallery and some others. For beach lovers, Juhu beach is a bliss. Spread over a huge area, it has been named differently in different places, like the Silver beach, Versova beach, etc.
For some of the most amazing street food and snacks, Juhu beach is a go-to place for many. Some delicacies to definitely try out here pav bhaji, ice golas, panipuri and chaat. For art lovers, Jehangir Art Gallery must definitely be visited.
The Gateway of India is a very common tourist point that is usually very crowded. One can simply move towards the Elephanta caves by the ferry. The Elephanta Caves and the Mahakali Caves are also very frequently visited and good tourist places. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park located in Borivali is a must visit for people who love to explore the nature.
To have a little change, one can opt for water parks like Essel world, Water Kingdom, Shangrila resorts, Royal Garden resorts or Suraj Water park. These are some of the oldest water parks in Mumbai. They have always been a tourist attraction. Tickets need to be booked before going to these places.
While visiting a new place, shopping or buying something from there is one of the most common things to do. On day 4, instead of going round the city, one can simply choose to visit one of these places and experience the Mumbai vibe. With the heart of Indian entertainment industry, Bollywood, the Indian television industry and so many ad agencies and other places of entertainment being located in the city, Mumbai's fashion game is always on point.
The street markets in the city are places to look for the latest trends or to shop on a budget. The Bandra Linking road market, Fashion street, Irla market, Malad market, Colaba Causeway are some of the shopper's paradise. Not just latest fashion trends, traditional Indian wear is also a part of these markets. Crawford market is known for its great quality fruits and vegetables and almost anything you need can be found here. For antique lovers, Chor bazar is the place to go.
Mumbai is known because of its streets. Everyone who has known to exist in Mumbai has some way or the other begun his journey from the streets. With so much to explore, the streets of Mumbai never disappoint. Wherever you are staying, you can simply get out of there, try some amazing food junctions, go for street shopping, the strangers here are very helpful too. Famous Mumbai street food includes panipuri, dahipuri, vadapao, misalpao, chaat, keema pav etc. In case you get lost, there will always be someone to help you out.
Be rest assured, these 5 days spent in Mumbai would be the best 5 days of your life. This is Mumbai in nutshell,never sleeps and roars high. Mumbai to every Mumbaikar, is a vibe that can never go away and to non-Mumbaikars, is a place so warm you won’t want to leave. This is what they say, Mumbai is a city, Bombay is an emotion.