Arriving in Mumbai
The Airport
- Immigration: have your passport, e-Visa printout, and (sometimes) return ticket ready. Queues can take 20–60 min.
- SIM card counters are after customs in arrivals if you need one.
- Getting to the city:
- Uber/Ola: cheapest and easiest. Follow signs to the ride-hailing pickup zone.
- Prepaid taxi counter: the classic option, fixed price, no app needed.
- Public transport: Check google maps
Location
Quick orientation for choosing a neighborhood:
- Colaba / Fort: the “historic peninsula” — walkable, colonial architecture, most sights, tourist-priced and very safe.
- Bandra: leafy, café-dense, boutique-y; the Kreuzberg of Mumbai. Great base if you like neighborhoods more than monuments with actual people living in it.
- Lower Parel / Worli: mill-district-turned-hip, good mid-range hotels, central-ish.
- Matunga / Dadar: few tourists, maximum food. For the adventurous.
Note: Mumbai can be massive and traffic is a pain, don’t stray too far from where you expect to hang out. Plan in a ton of buffer for travel.