Mumbai Darshan In AC Bus For ₹250 Only | HoHo Bus Mumbai [May 2022]
Planning to visit Mumbai (Bombay) but not sure about the places to visit, the trip cost, where to stay, what to eat, etc etc...
Well, you are at the right place.
Get Mumbai Local train tickets and passes online
I have stayed in Mumbai for more than 20 years now and know the places that tourists should visit and how they can do it on budget.
Keep on reading and save lots of money in this one of the most expensive city of the world!
Alert: Mask is a must at all tourist spots.
BMC Volunteers will record video, click your photo if you are without mask or caught with mask down and then you will end up paying fine.
What is Mumbai?
Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is a costal city, located in the western part of India and is the capital of Maharashtra.
Also known as the Financial capital of India, Its a small island surrounded by the Arabian sea and is well connected with the main land via trains, road and air.
Mumbai is among the costliest cities of the world where richest Indians live.
It also has the extremely popular Hindi Film Industry, also known as Bollywood (to take a cue from Hollywood).
Apart from the financial riches and the glamour of Movie industry, Mumbai has many amazing places as tourist spot.
In this post I will be sharing the whole list of Tourist spots in Mumbai and the cheapest way to cover Mumbai.
Let's get started...
Mumbai Hop On Hop Off Bus(HoHo Bus service)
You can enjoy the full day Air condition Hop On Hop Off (HoHo) bus service that covers some most visited spots in Mumbai.
Ticket cost is Rs.250/- only per person and can be bought at any of the tour point or on Chalo app (that's what the bus advertise but I could not find an option in Chalo bus for this).
The bus timing is 9AM to 8PM.
Mumbai sightseeing at your own pace without getting overwhelmed by the crowd or heat.
On top of all, these are non polluting Electric AC bus!
This service is now on a daily basis and you can board it either from Gateway Of India or any other location mentioned in the image above.
Beauty is, you don't have to wait for this AC bus if its getting late. You can always take any BEST bus in the route between Juhu and Gateway and move on!!
Mumbai Open bus Tour (Nilambari)
Nilambari is also called Mumbai Heritage tour.
This is Open double decker bus, starting from Gateway of India now instead of the Museum.
These bus now operates daily from 330pm till around 9pm and each tour lasts around 2hrs.
It covers very few spots. The journey is between Gateway Of India to Wilson College/Charni Road Chawpati but is a good experience on Open Air bus.
You can walk-in and buy the tickets from MTDC counter near Gateway of India (Monday closed).
The lower deck cost around Rs.75/- and upper deck Rs.150/
Note: These do not operate during Monsoon.
If you understand Mumbai before starting your travel, you will be able to cover it better.
Here are some important points about Mumbai
Mumbai by Geography
Mumbai can be divided in South Mumbai, Central Mumbai and North Mumbai.
South Mumbai is considered to be the most posh area in Mumbai with North being less costly, in terms of stay.
Mumbai by Connectivity
Transportation wise, the whole Mumbai is connected by the suburban railways, also known as its lifeline. These are the cheapest and fastest mode of travelling in Mumbai.
There are three suburban divisions namely
1. Western Railways:
Also called WR for short, operates between Churchgate to Dahanu Road, a distance of around 150km.
2. Central Railways:
Called CR in short and it caters Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus (CST), formerly known as Victoria Terminus (VT)
3. Harbor Railways:
This shares originating station with CR and caters operates between Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus (CST) to Panvel.
The local bus service is called BEST, its the short form of the body that manages these bus services.
BEST provides connectivity across Mumbai and if used in conjunction with local trains, will save a lot of money for you during travel.
Tip: To save money while sightseeing on your own:
1. Better buy a return ticket (cost will vary between your Origin and destination) on local and a day pass for bus.
2. An AC bus day pass will cost you Rs.60/- (Rs.50 for non ac bus)
3. Use local train and bus in conjunction to save time as well!
Mumbai Metro Train is also operational at few places while work is in progress for a much wider coverage by Metro.
Tourist Spots Near Mumbai
Since cheapest and fastest mode of travel in Mumbai is the local trains (suburban trains), I will list the tourist spots as per the suburban train stations.
Essentials during Mumbai sightseeing
Mumbai is hot and humid, most time of the year. So if you are planning for Mumbai darshan/sightseeing, following are must have to enjoy your outing
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack of 2 Cap |
2 Edixo Cap
|
Pack Of 2 Cap |
|
Check On Amazon |
| Sunscreen SPF 50+ |
Neutrogena Sunscreen SPF 50+
|
Sunscreen SPF 50+ |
|
Check On Amazon |
| Dervin Unisex Sun Glasses |
Dervin Unisex Sun Glasses
|
Dervin Unisex Sun Glasses, Pack of 5 |
|
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WR Tourist Spots
| # | Suburban Station | Tourist Spots | How to Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Churchgate | Gateway Of India,Elephanta Caves, Hotel Taj, Colaba, Nariman Point | Take a taxi or AC bus from just out side station as you exit from left(east) |
| 2 | Churchgate | Wankhede Stadium, Sea shore | Exit from right(west), these are within walking distance |
| 3 | Marine Lines | Marine Drive, Fish Aquarium | Exit from west side, walkable distance |
| 4 | Charni Road | Girgaum Chowpatty | Exit from west sie, walkable distance |
| 5 | Grant Road | ISKON Temple | Exit form west, 15-20 min walk, take taxi |
| 6 | Mumbai Central | Mahalakshmi Temple, Haji Ali Dargah, Antilia, Hanging Garden, Malabar Hills, Babulnath Temple | Exit from west, 15-20 min walk or take taxi |
| 7 | MahaLaxmi | Mahalakshmi Race course, Planetorium, Science Center | Exit from west, 10 min walk |
| 8 | Lower Parel | Phoenix Mall, Worli Sea Link | Exit from west, Worli Sea link is via 4 wheeler only |
| 9 | Dadar | SiddhiVinayak Temple, Shivaji Park | Exit from west, 10-15 min walk |
| 10 | Dadar | Swami Narayan Temple | Exit from east, 5 min walk |
| 11 | Bandra | Mount Mary Church, Band Strand, Sharukh, Salman, Tendulakr House, Worli sea link from Bandra side | Exit from west, take a bus, taxi or auto |
| 12 | Bandra | Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) | Exit from east,take a bus or cab or auto |
| 13 | Santacruz | Juhu Chowpatt,Juhu ISKON Temple, Amitabh Bacchachan Bunglow | Exit from west,take a bus or cab or auto |
| 14 | Goregaon | Filmcity | Exit from east,take a cab or auto. General public entry restricted |
| 15 | Borivali | National Park, Kanheri Caves | Exit from east,10 minute walk or take auto |
| 16 | Borivali | Essel World, Water Kingdom, Gorai Beach | Exit from west,take a bus or cab or auto |
| 17 | Virar | Jivdani Temple | Exit from east,walk 10 min to reach base of the mountain |
| 18 | Dahanu Road | Govardhan EcoVillage, ISKON | Exit from west, take a bus or cab or auto |
CR Tourist Spots
| # | Suburban Station | Tourist Spots | How to Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CST | Gateway Of India, Hotel Taj,Elephanta Caves, Colaba, Nariman Point | Take a taxi or AC bus from just out side station as you exit from right(west) |
| 2 | Byculla | Rani Baug (Zoo) | Walkable, exit from east |
| 3 | Neral | Matheran (hill station, 1 day trip) | Exit from east, take a taxi to Matheran |
Harbour Line Tourist Spots
| # | Suburban Station | Tourist Spots | How to Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kharghar | Pandav Kada water falls | Monsoon season only, take a taxi from station |
| 2 | Nerul | DY Patil Stadium, Rock Garden | 10 minute walk |
| 3 | Nerul | Wonder Park | Take a taxi else its a 30min walk |
Mumbai Darshan (Mumbai 1 day sightseeing trip)
If you have heard stories about crowded Mumbai local trains, believe me, they are true stories!
You can always take a Mumbai Darshan bus or a private car from the place you are staying.
This will cover the most famous places in Mumbai and you can save yourself the hustle and bustle of local trains (be prepared to be stuck in the Mumbai traffic though)
Cost of this tour is approx. Rs300-500/- by tourist bus or a cab will charge you Rs.5000-6000/ for full day.
Tip: Its best to take this tour from a private tour operator at the place you are staying as they will pickup and drop you at a spot near to your house/stay.
Believe me you will thank me for this advice as by the end of the day you will not have the energy to find your way back to your home in Mumbai!!
Best time to Visit Mumbai
The best time of year to visit Mumbai is September to January.
June to August is the monsoon season, and the Mumbai rains do not stop once it starts!!
If you like rains, you can visit Marine drive, near by hill stations like Lonavala to enjoy the nature.
March to May are very hot and humid, better avoid if you want to enjoy sightseeing in Mumbai.
Food to eat in Mumbai
You will get all kind of food in Mumbai, a lot of Veg and Non-Veg options are available.
The traditional food is Bhakari (made of jowar or bajara) and any gravy (veg, nonveg) but Mumbai is more famous for its street food like Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji, Misal Pav, Bhel Puri, Pani Puri, Sev Puri!
Where to stay in Mumbai
All International 7 stars hotels are available along with very budget friendly hotels. You can book your stay as per your budget.
For budget friendly stay and good experience I recommend OYO Hotels.
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You can also walk in to many of the guest house near CST and check if its to your liking.
Beware of fraudsters around the place, they dwell on cheating tourists!!
Conclusion:
Mumbai may be among the most expensive cities in the world, but there are still ways you can travel around Mumbai without breaking your bank!
It is a crowded city and people new in this city can get overwhelmed. If you are in Mumbai for few days, I will recommend take the Mumbai Darshan bus or hire a private cab for the city sightseeing.
If you have moved to Mumbai and will be staying for a year or so, you can explore the city by local train.
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