Wherever you arrive in Mumbai, you’ll immediately notice that auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws and motorbikes are non existent. This makes you taxi bound, and forces you to memorise as many bus routes as you can. Or, you simply decide to check out the area by foot, which is our favourite way of getting around. Mumbai has several must visit places, but for first time visitors, there are a few that really shouldn’t be missed.

#1 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: The Gateway Of India.

Of course the Gateway of India is the must visit sight when coming to Mumbai. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure that visitors arriving by boat would have seen. And still today, it’s one of those monuments you’ll never forget.

We first arrived here on a Sunday, which is most probably the worst day of the week to explore the Gateway of India. The waiting line was about two kilometres long! Especially the men’s line was endless, but even the ladies line was too crowded. We gave up immediately and decided to come back the next day. The situation looked a lot different on Monday morning. The access was almost deserted and we could enter without waiting. We hopped on a boat cruise to get a better overview. The cruise takes about one hour and gives you the impression of what it must have felt like to arrive here back in the days.

The Gateway of India was erected to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary when they visited India in 1911. Today, it is one of India’s most iconic structures.

A Mumbai boat cruise at dawn will provide you with perfect photo opportunities.

The Gateway of India is the stepping-off point for cruises around the natural harbour of Mumbai.

The Gateway of India, as well as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel are two of the most iconic buildings in Mumbai, visited by thousands of tourists every day.

#2 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

Formerly known as Victoria Terminus, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an historic railway station. It’s a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture. The station was built in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. You’d expect the inside to be just as extravagant, but its interior is far less impressive. Still, keep in mind that this railway station is the busiest in the world, with three million passengers passing through every single day!

Mumbai’s local trains are called the city’s lifeline for a reason. The number of passengers they carry every day is larger than the population of some countries. Victoria Station is one of the largest train stations (according to daily travellers) in the world.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was built over 10 years, starting in 1878, according to a High Victorian Gothic design.

The Mumbai suburban railway operates 2.342 train services. The local trains are the primary mode of transport for hundreds and thousands of people who travel for as many as five hours every day to and from work.

#3 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: The Sassoon Docks.

Sassoon Docks is the largest wholesale fish market in Mumbai. Arrive in the morning to see hundreds of women pulling shrimps, boats arriving with their catch and men auctioning off the fresh fish right on the spot.

These men at Sassoon Docks are refilling the boats with crushed ice for their next trip out to sea.

At the Sassoon Docks you’ll come across all varieties of sea creatures.

Only women are pulling shrimps while chatting along at the Sassoon Docks.

These men at the Sassoon Docks are filling up trailers with crushed ice, which are then pulled to the boats and packed into the stowage for the next trip out to sea.

This wholesale trader at the Sassoon Docks counts his money after a busy morning.

#4 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Home Of The Jungle Book Author Rudyard Kipling.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English writer, born in Mumbai on December 30, 1865. The bungalow he was born in 151 years ago has since been rebuilt, but the peeling mint green-painted wooden cottage, where trees lean against its roof, occupied only by birds and bats, stands in its place and radiates the kind of atmosphere you’d expect when reading his most famous work The Jungle Book.

The bungalow is located in the corner of the Sir J.J. School of Art compound, not far from one of the busiest boulevards in Mumbai.

It’s actually not allowed to enter the area, we were immediately advised to leave, but it’s said that the Kipling House shall be converted into a tourist attraction.

An ornate metal plaque at the entrance of the cottage is engraved with the words, “Rudyard Kipling, son of Lockwood Kipling, first principal of Sir J. J. School of Art, was born here on 30.12.1865.”

#5 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery.

We came across Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery by accident, but the smell of fresh Chai tea and bread immediately caught our attention. All products in the bakery are handmade and are absolutely delicious! It was a great change to the Indian cuisine we’ve had for the past weeks and we even felt like home for a moment (also thanks to all the German posters on the wall). Definitely one of the best bakeries in town!

Yazdani Restaurant & Baker in Mumbai draws in a lot of visitors, particularly international visitors – especially Germans, thanks to a lot of German signs like here.

A peek into the kitchen and you will see several bakers working: greasing pans, cleaning the raisins and weighing the dough. Yazdani Bakery makes approximately 6.000 pavs (bread buns) each day.

Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery was opened in Mumbai in 1953 by Meherwan Zend. Today, the three brothers, Rashid, Zend, Parvez and his son, Tirandaz run the bakery.

The name Yazdani originates from the town of Yazd, which is the capital of the Yazd Province in Iran, a hub of Iranian culture.

#6 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Dhobi Ghat Laundry District.

There are several Dhobi Ghats in Mumbai, but Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat is the most famous and the largest unmechanized laundry facility and in the world. A dhobi is a laundryman who collects dirty linens from hotels, restaurants and homes and returns them washed and neatly folded from open-air laundromats known as ghats.

Approximately 700 dhobis live and work in the laundry colony Mahalakshmi, washing an average of 1 million pieces of clothing every day.

The area of Mahalakshmi extends across several city blocks and has many winding alleys, workrooms and semi-covered subsections of aluminum siding.

If you want to enter Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat, you will be asked for money, since this place has become such a tourist attraction.

You will find every piece of clothing there is at Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat – from socks to linen.

#7 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: The Real Slumdog Millionaires.

Some might find a visit to the slum areas morbid, but you can’t ignore the fact that approximately 60% of Mumbai’s population lives in slums. If you really want to get a sense of how the Mumbaikers manage their daily routine, then we’d suggest to take a ride with one of the many commuter trains that ply the area. If you get out at Bandra railway station for example, you’ll be right in the middle of on of the biggest slums in Mumbai.

There are many slum areas in Mumbai, with Dharavi as Asia’s largest. It is home to approximately 1 million people.

“Poverty porn” oder social tourism? At the least, a visit to some of Mumbai slum areas will give you an insight on what is feel like living in these conditions.

The slums in Mumbai are a city within a city.

#8 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Oval Maidan.

Oval Maidan is a park located in an upscale area, with all the embassies and large company headquarters around. On Sundays, thousands of people gather here top play a game cricket, or to enjoy a picknick with friends. It’s a great spot to get aways from the busier side of Mumbai for a while.

Oval Maidan is the perfect spot to get away from Mumbai’s busy life.

If you come at the right time and are lucky, you’ll be able to experience Oval Maidan without crowds of people – which is very unusual for one of Indias busiest cities.

#9 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Marine Drive.

We walked along the 3.5 kilometre-long boulevard from the southern tip all the way to Chowpatty Beach, which is located in the area where the Mumbai Opera House is situated. It’s a recreation area and lots of Mumbaikers flock the beach on weekends. The rich and famous of Mumbai show off their newly bought Ferraris, Audis and BMW’s here. It really gives you a sense that on one hand, Mumbai is home to millions of underprivileged people, and on the other hand some of Indias richest and most powerful.

Marine Drive is a 3.6-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. The road was constructed by late philanthropist Bhagojisheth Keer & Pallonji Mistry.

You’ll get an amazing view of Mumbai’s skyline when walking along Marine Drive.

#10 Must Visit Sight In Mumbai: Haji Ali Dargah

Haji Ali Dargah is one of the most popular religious places in Mumbai, visited by people of all religions. It’s also one of India’s most famous and prestigious landmarks situated in the middle of the Arabian Sea off Lala Lajpatrai Marg. Haji Ali Dargah is only accessible via a narrow road that disappears underwater at high tide.

Built in 1431, this Mughal-style architectural marvel serves as a reminder of the city’s rich and multicultural history. The six-hundred-year-old dargah is dedicated to the memory of Sayyed Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Sitting atop a set of large rocks in the sea, the Haji Ali Dargah features stunning white-marble pillars, domes and minarets, which showcase Indo-Islamic architecture at its finest.

The view from the Haji Ali Dargah is spectacular and offers a fairly quite spot in busy Mumbai.

On A Roadtrip To Prague.

Along with the best mum in the world, a bag of yummy picknick goodies and the cute Opel Karl, we were one our way up north.

A few stops in between and just about five hours later, we arrived at the IBIS Praha Old Town Hotel, right in the centre of the city. I can really suggest a hotel near the Old Town, because from here, you’ll reach almost anything by foot.

Prague’s Treasure Chamber, Day 1:

48 hours doesn’t sound like lot of time for a capital city with as many sights as Prague. But if the timing is right and you’re not a lazy bum, then you’ll be able to explore all the famous landmarks of the city.

Prague’s centre is a cultural treasure chamber! Indispensable is the Old Town Square of the city with the gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn and the oldest still operating Astronomical Clock in the world, which is located on the facade of the old Town Hall.

• A short side note: My great great great grandfather Anton Michalitschke was one of the people repairing the astronomical clock between 1787 bis 1791.

Continue walking East and you’ll reach the 621 metre long and nearly 10 metre wide Charles Bridge, which is also one the most frequented sights of the city. Still, there is no way around (or better across) it. And after all, it is a nice stroll through the bridge tower, across the Vltava river that leads the way up to the largest ancient castle in the world: Prague Castle. Just a small place, where two catholic town councils and a secretary were thrown out of a window in 1618, that then started a war that would last 30 years and seized almost all of Europe. We could have spent hours here, but set our focus to the Golden Lane and Saint Vitus Cathedral, which was enough for the day. Close to 20 kilometres of walking made our feet sorer than sore!

Prague’s Treasure Chamber, Day 2:

Our sightseeing tour started again at the old town spare, from were it only took us a couple of minutes until we reached the Old Jewish Cemetery in the district Josefov. It’s the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe and stands out due to it’s many wildly arranged tombstones.

We quickly realised that our legs still hurt and decided it give our feet some rest and went on a two hour boat cruise. It lead all the way from Cech Bridge to Vysehrad fort. The Dancing House was just one of the sights we got to see during our cruise.

It’s not for nothing that up to 50.000 people visit Prague each day during the high season. Prague is one of the most spectacular cities in Europe that is often underrated and only narrowed down to just a few beautiful sights. So at this point, we’d like to thank Opel and Accor for sponsoring this trip – it was a real pleasure!

The second day passed a lot faster and we now either had the choice to spend a few hours more in Prague, or to drive West to a place called Sedlec Ossuary (aka Skull Church) before returning to Vienna. Who wouldn’t want to see 70.000 skeletons in one of the most macabre buildings you could find? Yup, that’s us alright!

• Sightseeing Tip: The view up from the top of the Old Town Hall is absolutely stunning!
• Lunch Tip: Prague has so many lovely restaurants to chose from, no doubt about that. But Mistral Café & Restaurant is a sweet and homey place with food that is to die for!
• Love Tip: Like in many other cities around the world, lover’s locks can be found near the John Lennon Wall in Prague.

The Old Town Square in Prague is home to some of the most iconic and dramatic buildings of the city.

The most notable sights on the square are the Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church and St. Nicholas Church. At the centre (left in this photo) of the Old Town Square is the Jan Hus statue.

Be sure to climb the Old Town Hall Tower in Prague for a stunning view over the square.

To fully appreciate the Astronomical Clock, join the crowd in front of the tower to watch the procession of the Twelve Apostles: on the hour, every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to a defiant statue of a Turk.

The Dancing House (designed by architects Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry) in Prague is set by the Vltava River. Its design is unique, and especially striking in the city centre because it is a modern building surrounded by historic architecture.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world and along with the Old-New Synagogue, it’s the most important site in the Jewish quarter of Prague.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Agrasen Ki Baoli was on our list, yet getting there seemed to be more difficult than expected. Three different tuk-tuk drivers, as well as several passer-by’s, didn’t know what we were talking about. In the end, we ended up at a minor Taj Mahal look-alike, which we then learned was Safdarjung’s Tomb.

Safdarjung’s Tomb was built in 1753 – 54 by Shuja-ud-Daulah as a tribute to his fathers memory, Safdarjung and is a pretty impressive building. After entering through the double storey gateway, you’ll forget all about the noisy street life you just came from. In the centre of the garden, the mausoleum rises gracefully from a high platform.

We spend the afternoon strolling through the gardens and soaked up the energetic atmosphere of this rather unknown Delhi tourist attraction.

Safdarjung’s Tomb Facts:

• Location: Intersection of Safdarjung Road and Aurobindo Marg
• Metro Station: Jorbagh
• Open: Daily from sunrise to sunset
• Entry Fee: 15 Rupees (Indians), 200 Rupees (foreigners)
• Photography Charges: Free (still camera), 25 Rupees (video camera)

Enclosed to the gateway to Safdarjung’s Tomb is the wall surrounding the monument. Channels running above the wall carry water to the different pavilions.

Safdarjung’s Tomb is a double storey mausoleum built with red and buff sandstone. The garden is divided into four squares by side pathways and tanks which are again divided into smaller squares and pathways.

Safdarjung’s Tomb has a central chamber surrounded by eight apartments around it.

The three-domed mosque within the complex is located to the right side of the entrance gate (left side once you’re inside the complex) of Safdarjung’s Tomb.

Safdarjung Tomb is the last monumental tomb garden of the Mughals.

Apart from one or the other Indian couple, Safdarjung’s Tomb is not a major tourist attraction, which makes it the perfect place to spend some time away from noisy and busy central Delhi.