Places to visit in Mumbai in 3 days | Mumbai itinerary

It is a day before my flight to Mumbai and my mum is panicking from all the news around Covid-19. I try to calm her down, buy all the necessities including an N95 face mask, sanitisers, hand gloves and sleep on it to visit the Bollywood city. I reach the airport early morning and realise the chaos around security measures and with people in double masks, I now wonder is this a good decision to travel at this time? I take a risky decision, carry on anyway and board my flight to Mumbai. In the Mumbai airport, the chaos is a bit less, so I calm down, reach my hotel in South Mumbai and start thinking about all the places I want to cover from my Mumbai itinerary. Mumbai is one of the most visited cities in India & it welcomes you with open arms. Keep reading to know more about all the places to visit in Mumbai in 3 days.

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Places to visit in Mumbai in 3 days

3 Days in Mumbai: Day 1

Start your Mumbai itinerary with a filling brunch in either your hotel/Airbnb or any cafe. If you’re staying in South Mumbai, you will find numerous options. Try local cafes like Leopold’s Cafe.

Don’t think too much about what to do in Mumbai in 3 days, there are numerous options if you want to explore the city’s neighbourhoods. You’ll soon realise 3 days are probably less to explore the city that never sleeps.

Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra

Mumbai is filled with historical structures and that also includes beautiful colonial churches. The Mount Mary Basilica in Bandra is one such Roman Catholic Basilica with exquisite architecture. The Basilica is located on a hilltop in Bandra for over a hundred years now. The serene interiors of the church would tempt you to sit and pray in here quietly for a while. Many devotees remove their shoes outside the church, so to pay respects, it is recommended to remove your shoes even if you’re a tourist.

For architecture enthusiasts who would like to photograph the church, like me – they would soon realise the Basilica is so huge to fit in the camera frame, especially if you’re using a mobile phone. Try using the wide-angle lens in newer camera models to capture the beauty of the church.

Just opposite the Mount Mary Basilica is the Mount Mary Grotto – for those who’d like to pray to the Virgin Mary.

Tip: Take a picture of the Mount Mary Basilica from Mount Mary Grotto, it will fit perfectly in the frame.

Bandstand Promenade

Take a cab from Mount Mary Basilica towards the Bandstand Promenade. The seafront of the promenade is a place for foodies to enjoy local snacks while taking in the sea breeze. And if you are Shahrukh Khan’s fan, you can see his home from outside, who knows, he might come out to say Hi to his fans 😉 Bandstand is one of the top places to visit in Mumbai if you’re in the city for 3 days, my recommendation – don’t miss it.

Snacks Break

Take a breather here, enjoy local snacks like I relished ‘Gola’ and sat on the promenade to take in the views. Although one thing I did mind was the trash which was literally everywhere. I have never seen such a trashy promenade ever and that made me furious about why are we humans like this??

Juhu Beach

After spending the day at the bandstand, head to Juhu beach for catching the sunset here and enjoy the delicious local Mumbai cuisine at Chowpatty. The beach is huge with the area near Chowpatty is usually too crowded. I recommended walking to the rear ends for quiet areas where you’d find few people jogging or just enjoying chill time.

By this time, your day 1 in Mumbai is a success, and you would have covered West Mumbai by now. Come day 2, and I’ll take you through South Mumbai, which I focussed most of my trip on.

3 Days in Mumbai: Day 2

On day 2 of this Mumbai Itinerary, it is all about South Bombay which was the highlight of my trip.

Gateway of India

We all have seen the pictures of the gigantic Gateway of India, the arch monument – similar to India Gate – built to recognise King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911. The arch overlooks the Arabian sea and was figuratively built as an entrance to India. Unlike India Gate – a war memorial, the Gateway of India is built in Indo-Saracenic style and represents a ceremonial entrance to India.

Taj Hotel

Taj Hotel is the iconic structure from Mumbai, known not only for its gorgeous architecture but also for the terrible 2008 terrorist attack. Although it is a 5-star hotel, I couldn’t afford to stay, I still enjoyed the architecture & tried not to remember the horrific 2008 terrorist attack.

Marine Drive

Marine drive is the driveway along the Arabian sea and is a perfect place to enjoy the Mumbai sea and skyline. For first-timers, it is not a beach, but more of a promenade to sit back, have a peaceful evening & watch the sunset.

3 Days in Mumbai: Day 3

Art Deco Buildings

Mumbai is one of those few places in the world where Art Deco buildings still exist. Soona Mahal, Eros and Regal Cinemas are some of the finest examples of Art Deco buildings in Mumbai. In fact, Soona Mahal is a UNESCO heritage site and is a must-visit for architecture lovers. If you’re in Mumbai for 3 days or more, visit & appreciate these beautiful buildings.

CST

Chhatrapati Shivaji terminal is an iconic building from Mumbai – a train station that is also a UNESCO heritage site. You don’t have to take a train from here to see the interiors of CST, just take a walk around and be mesmerised by the gigantic but gorgeous architecture. Here you’ll get to experience the life of Mumbai first hand.

University of Mumbai

Not your typical tourist place but the University of Mumbai is one of the places with architecture worth admiring. It is not allowed to go inside unless you’re a student or you work here, so take its beauty in from outside. I think I just roamed around wherever I saw a beautiful building.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Originally named as Prince of Wales Museum of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya is a history museum with artefacts from India’s prehistoric till modern times. The museum has three floors, each with captivating sculptures, paintings, textiles etc. It took me more than 2 hours here and yet I couldn’t see it all, I’d definitely visit it next time I’m in Mumbai. Easily one of the best places to visit in Mumbai in 3 days.

Tips to get the most out of your visit to Mumbai

To make out the best of this Mumbai Itinerary, I’d recommend these tips for a memorable trip. 

Avoid cabs/driving

Mumbai is known for its bad roads and terrible traffic. Don’t drive/cab unless you’re going absolutely near. Autos are great for moving around in South Mumbai. Or best you can try riding Mumbai Local for adventure if you can get the hang of it. I didn’t because crowds scare the crap out of me.

Don’t be scared to experiment with cuisine

Mumbai has a wide variety of restaurants, you can find cheap as well as luxurious restaurants with international cuisines. Bear in mind, any good restaurant in Mumbai has huge waiting hours starting from 1+ hours to 2 hours or more. Try Vada Pao, street food, pao bhaji, fried rice from Juhu Chowpatty for a taste of Mumbai.

HAVE YOU TRAVELED TO MUMBAI? HOW MANY DAYS DID YOU SPEND AND WHAT ALL PLACES YOU VISITED? DID YOU LIKE THIS MUMBAI ITINERARY? TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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