52 Coolest Things to Do in Mumbai

Looking for the coolest things to do in Mumbai?

I’m here to help.

Once known as Bombay, Mumbai is home to the Bollywood film industry and is the biggest city in India. Basically, it isn’t a place to skip over and ideally, you’ll spend a good few days here, if not weeks, to really get the most out of it. I only got to spend three days but totally could’ve done more. We have to make the most of the time we have, right?

In fact, as the city of dreams, it should be front and centre of any Indian travels you’ve got lined up. But, what do you do once you’re there?

From ancient caves to high rises, watersports and wrestling matches, Mumbai has it all and leaves no room for down time, so knock back strong cup of chai and get working your way through this straight to the point list of the coolest things to do in Mumbai.

The 52 Coolest Things to Do in Mumbai

1. Kick things off by learning more about where you actually are at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum.

2. Do your best to squeeze the entire Gateway of India into a pic.

3. Keep yourself fuelled up with one of the tastiest kebabs around from a Bademiya Seekh stall.

4. Loosen those purse strings and pick up some Indian art and other cool design pieces at the Kulture Shop.

5. Shake off those hostel aches and pains with a free yoga class at The Yoga House. Afterwards, enjoy a Yoga House vegan meal.

6. Take a train from the UNESCO site and historic railway, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

7. Venture inside the dome of the Global Pagoda and watch the meditating below.

8. Time a walk along Marine Drive just as the sun is setting.

9. Visit the lone island mosque of Haji Ali, said to be incredibly sacred.

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READ MORE: 30 Things NOT to Do in India

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10. Fight the temptation to buy a pet at the colonial Crawford Market.

11. Check out vintage Bollywood posters at Indian Hippy and consider having yourself painted into a portrait.

12. Jazz up your wardrobe with a bespoke outfit from the Bombay Shirt Company.

13. Try to guess how much your drink will be at the Bar Stock Exchange where prices fluctuate depending on real-time trading.

14. Support the livelihoods of village women by buying embroidery from the nonprofit Shrujan.

15. Get in your five-a-day by picking up some of the best pav bhaji (veggie curry) at Sardar’s just by Mumbai Central Station.

16. Feel your shoulders shimmy as you watch a Bollywood film at the Eros Cinema.

17. Make like you belong and enjoy a drink in the lobby of the very fancy Taj Mahal Palace overlooking the bay.

18. Prowl the Sanjay Gandhi National Park with a tiger and lion safari.

19. From here, visit the 109 hand-carved Kanheri Caves which date back to 1BC.

20. Get serious house envy with a walk by what’s thought to be the world’s most expensive home, Antilia.

21. Trek up the dangerous Kalavantin Durg for a great vantage point of the Indian landscape.

22. Check out the museums and street art at the Kala Ghoda Art Precinct.

23. Smell the soap as you explore the biggest open air laundry in the world at Dhobi Ghat.

24. Marvel in the magic of Bollywood with a tour of Film City.

25. Spend a day topping up the tan and munching on some of the best street food at Juhu Beach.

26. Get out the head torches for a midnight bike ride of the city.

27. Visit one of the many coastal forts like Bandra Fort for stunning sea views.

28. Time a trip between October and April to see the flamingos at the Sewri Mangrove Park.

29. Drink more than your fair share of chai somewhere like Kyani & Co cafe.

30. Witness a wrestling match, aka a kushti, at the Shree Laxminarayan Vyayam Shala.

31. Catch some live music at Not Just Jazz by the Bay.

32. Carb load with idles (savoury rice cakes) at the Cafe Madras.

33. Resist buying enough bangles to cover your entire arms at the Mangaldas Market.

34. Get the colonial vibes in some of the heritage buildings like Prince of Wales Museum or the Bombay High Court.

34. Party with a good mix of locals and travellers at the jungle-themed Bonobo bar.

35. The next morning wolf down a decent breakfast at Salt Water Cafe.

36. Visit one of the oldest zoos in the country, Byculla.

37. Escape the other tourists and unwind on the quiet Uran Beach.

38. Watch the dabba-walas at the Churchgate Railway Station late morning as they prep thousands of meals for office workers.

39. Hold your nose as you wander around the Bombay Panjrapole city cow shelter.

40. Explore the nearby Worli fishing village.

41. Reckon you can do gymnastics on a single pole? Test your balance with a mallakhamb class.

42. Catch a play at the Prithvi Theatre and make it a priority to stop by the cafe afterwards.

43. Do a tour of the Dharavi slum where guides do their best to bust the stereotypes of the area, and give back too.

44. Embrace Indian pub culture with a cold one at the Doolally Taproom.

45. Explore the cave temples and hindu and buddhist sculptures of Elephant Island. Although, TBH, even though it’s touted as one of the coolest things to do in Mumbai in everything you ever read, I didn’t actually like it that much. See how you get on. 

46. Uncover the only remaining Chinese temple in the city, Kwan Kung Temple.

48. Walk around the Banganga Tank to take in what’s said to be purifying benefits of the sacred water from the Ganges.

49. Lose the filters as you head just outside the city to snap the colourful, Portuguese-style houses of the Khotachiwadi heritage village.

50. Get spooked at the Tower of Silence, which is a place bodies are often left as part of a Zoroastrians excarnation.

51. After that, have a stiff a cocktail at the cool and quirky Colaba Social.

52. And you can’t leave Mumbai without going to Leopold’s – the cafe made famous by Shantaram. And if you haven’t read that book, then you need to before you go!