Top things to do in Mumbai solo #Mumbai #India #solotravel

Awesome unique things to do in Mumbai solo

What are the top unique things to do in Mumbai solo? What are the best experiences to take back home if you are in Mumbai alone? Want to find out? Read on.

The abode of close to 20 million people and a melting pot of all state cultures, there’s obviously always plenty to do in Mumbai. No two days are the same, each experience intense. If you’ve been here even for a day, you’ll know immediately what I mean.

So, if you’re looking for some cool and unique experiences to take back home with you, or have been here for long already and want to try something new, here’s a list of twelve things I’ve tried solo and enjoyed.

Note: Things change at a lightning speed in this city. So no brickbats if a suggestion no longer exists or the details have changed.

So, what are the unique things to do in Mumbai solo?

Take a themed tour

For years I rued over the lack of good walking and Sandeman-like tours in Mumbai, but no more. Several good themed tours have cropped up in the city over the past few years. Priced between $15-40, these tours last from 1 to 3 hours and take you through the narrow and crowded by-lanes of Mumbai where you are otherwise likely to get lost (Not to mention be trampled upon or be suffocated by the crowds). Take a tour through the biggest slum in India at Dharavi. Or walk in the footsteps of Gregory David Roberts—once a wanted man in Australia, who later came to Mumbai and wrote a book, Shantaram.

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I think this was the defining picture of our walk through the slums of Dharavi today. It was a lesson in privilege and a reminder to be grateful. Migrants come to Dharavi in droves. They work 12-14 hours each day to send a few thousands home every month. Thus, the industrial area of Dharavi is a sea of testosterone. Add to that poor living and working conditions… …but most seemed oblivious to their state, almost resigned, as if having large families and hungry mouths to feed back home and working nonstop in hazardous conditions for years and years was altogether normal. As if mandated in a religious book. The trio here is separating pieces of plastic for recycling. Separation is by colour of the part and the three do this for 12 hours each day. And they expect to continue doing this for the next foreseable future. So, think again when you complain that your life was not fulfilling enough. #lifelessons #dharavi #slumlife #lifeislikethat #migrants #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #instatravel #authorlife #blog #travelblogger #traveling #traveler #travels #photooftheday #travelblog #bloggerstyle #blog #indianblogger #travelblogger #travelstories #blogger #storyteller #indiantravelblogger #photostories #instagood #womenwhotravel

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I went on a few tours with Raconteur  – one to see the insides of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and one to see the important places in Mumbai from an independence struggle perspective. Both walks were wonderful and worth the time. I unearthed hidden stories behind places I’ve visited a million times but never gave a second thought to. The whole experience was like a curtain lift, giving me fresh insight into a city I have stayed in for nearly two decades. Both were group tours booked through Book My Show. Look out for Raconteur‘s schedule and definitely go with them. It is time well spent and an educational walk is good for the mind, body, and soul.

Visit a village within the city

Mumbai has several small villages or wadis within it.  My favourites are Ranwar and Kotachiwadi. While both are gradually being eaten up by the flurry of construction around—thanks to the burgeoning population and general disregard to old things—residents are still attempting to keep what they’ve been handed down, fiercely guarding their legacy and their homes. Occasionally, tours run to take you through them such as this and this.

things to do in Mumbai
A Bandra street

Want to explore more of the villages in Bandra? Read this.

Go graffiti-spotting

Like all major cities in the world, the hipster culture leaves its mark as colourful graffiti across Mumbai’s streets. They don’t last long and frequently need to be touched upon—blame the relentless dust and the equally relentless Mumbai monsoons—but they make for very interesting photo ops. The best ones are in the streets at Bandra, especially along the narrow lanes of Chapel road. As you walk along, also smile and wave at the old men and women fanning themselves in the verandahs.

Chapel Road connects Mount Carmel Church to Hill Road. A walk from end to end takes about ten minutes along the winding road and you may narrowly miss being run over by honking autos many times. As you walk along, you’ll also see the following in no particular order: tailors, pizza shops, sweet shops, chaat places, groceries, snack shops, second-hand book stores, boys playing gulli cricket, roosters crossing the road, men arguing loudly about a match. More graffiti. Never a dull moment. Many of the graffiti on Chapel Road is by the Bombay Art Project, an urban art project started in 2012 to celebrate Bollywood.

Want to know more about the graffiti in Bandra, read this.

things to do in Mumbai
Bandra graffiti

Eat at a local’s home

What started as home ventures by elderly matrons, have now turned into full-fledged thriving enterprises. I’m talking about a ‘home meal experience’. The Bohri Kitchen and Authenticook are two examples. Choose from a range of cuisine options: Bohri, Mangalorean, Maharashtrian, and Koli cuisines, among others. Partake in a cooking class, if you fancy. Be regaled by stories of the dish and its history, by those who’ve nurtured the recipe in their families for generations. A day well spent, with the heart and stomach bursting.

things to do in Mumbai

Take a rural or nature detour

Increasingly, more and more Mumbaikars are opting to go away to a neighbouring village to see how the other half lives and also to reset their own priorities. Grassroutes offers some such rural experience tours such as village stays, farm work, and indigenous art workshops, making for a very interesting weekend indeed. These are not impoverished and underprivileged folks you will meet, but proud, hardworking, self-sufficient farmers and artists. You might return a whole different person and forsake city life altogether. Who knows?

Alternately, if you want to connect with nature, you could visit Borivali National Park. Established in 1974, Borivali National Park (also called Sanjay Gandhi National Park) is one of the oldest national parks in India. Covering an area of approximately 103 square kilometres (40 square miles), the park is nestled within the city’s urban landscape, making it one of the largest national parks located within a metropolitan area. SGNP runs frequent nature walks you can partake in. Alternatively, the park has cycles for rent and you can rent one to spend a few hours in utterly peaceful and stunning greenery. Inside the park is also Kanheri Caves, an ancient Buddhist rock-cut cave complex. The caves date back to the 1st century BCE and were used as a Buddhist monastery complex for several centuries. You can either walk to the caves or reach by taking a toy train ride. Here are some insider tips to visit the park and make the most of it.

Watch a movie or a play the local way

Mumbai is the land of Bollywood i.e. Indian Cinema. While walking through the roads of Bandra or Versova, it’ll be unusual if you don’t see a wannabe actor strutting his six-pack abs or an aspiring enchantress twirling her always-done-curls. Thus, entertainment options in Mumbai are aplenty and revolve largely around movie screenings and star-studded shows.

A favourite multi-screen movie theatre of mine is Gaiety Galaxy and watching a movie here is an experience unto itself. Ooh, what can I tell you about Gaiety? It is the last bastion of the original cinema-watching experience. Large posters, rickety fans (both the overhead rotating types and the ones jumping on their seats), big bags of salty popcorn and oily samosa, watery-sugary chai, balcony and stall seating, wolf whistles, and impromptu dances, tickets in black. Gaiety, I hope you never change. These days called G7 Multiplex, watching a movie here, especially a Salman Khan movie—first-day-first-show—is a life-changing experience. Kidding, I am not.

Also, enjoy the theatre scene in Mumbai. Plays are staged at the popular Prithvi, NCPA and St Andrews (Bandra) regularly. Tickets cost INR 300 or $5 upward.

Have dinner differently

On a cruise ship

Or a diner which runs on sign language

AB Celestial: A floating restaurant on the sea, AB Celestial is a ‘luxury yacht’ with 4 levels and a sky deck open rooftop. Imagine the views of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the Mumbai skyline, and the sunset on the sea.  The time slots to enter the yacht are 6-9:30 p.m. and 9:30-1 a.m. There’s a cover charge of INR 2300 or $33 per person to enter which is non-refundable even if you don’t use all the money.  Call to book. Reservations are required.

things to do in Mumbai

Mirchi and Mime: This popular restaurant in Powai employs the hearing and speech impaired. Diners are requested to place their orders by mimicking hand gestures associated with a particular food item. The food is pretty amazing too and the service is heartwarming. Costs about INR 700 or $10 per person per meal.

Bombay to Barcelona Cafe is another one run by street kids that boast great service and good food. The place is also perfect for bibliophiles as their shelves are stocked with a great selection of books. Another one for the bibliophile is Leaping Windows stocked with over 2000 comic books. They also host open mic comedy shows.

I don’t mind eating alone, but if you do, fret not, there’s plenty more on the list.

Sample organic fair trade coffee

I am totally digging into the recent trend of locally sourced, organic, fair-trade coffee in India. It is simultaneously, delicious and soul-lifting

First on my list is Koinonia at Chuim Village in Bandra. The café is tiny, able to seat only around 6 to 8 people at one time. But take-away their freshly roasted coffee and cold brew bottles to savour at home. The cafe also sells some delicious croissants and brownies. And when the jazz comes wafting from the stereo overhead, you’ll definitely be transported from Chuim to Paris . The website.

things to do in Mumbai

Blue Tokai is another locally sourced, organic, fair-trade coffee maker, one of the first to arrive on the local coffee scene. I’ve been a big fan of their coffee and coffee making philosophy from when they started, devouring their website, sampling all of their single estate coffees. Even their vision statement will make you salivate.

Our mission since we started has stayed simple: introduce our customers to the estates we directly buy our great tasting coffee from, roast the beans with care, and make high-quality coffee more accessible through our cafes and our website. The coffee we roast is the coffee we like to drink, and we hope you like it too. 

Be warned though, all their cafes are almost always spilling over with people, no matter when you go. Open from 8:00 AM – 11 PM every day. Located at Perry Road.

Taste the local craft beer

Local brews and wine cost $3-$7 a glass, depending on the place and the quality, and yes, it’s far more expensive than in the drinking world abroad. There are some local microbreweries doing interesting artisanal craft beers, and I’ll encourage you to try them. Doolally (In Khar), Drifters, and Brewdog are Mumbai’s very own. They also hold brewing and tasting sessions in their pubs and other fun events. Chug a drink while you knife-paint or fight it out in a trivia contest. A great place to meet other people too.

Attend a drop-in fitness class

The suburbs of Bandra, Versova, and Juhu are littered with fitness and yoga studios and you can avail a class for as low as INR 500. The classes range from yoga, Zumba, Bollywood dance, and if you are the fitness-before-fun kinds, choose from functional training, Pilates, and MMA. Use an app like Fitternity or cure.fit to book your classes. Plenty of solos attend, so you wouldn’t stick out (although your other parts are going to be sore) Yoga House in Bandra offers a variety of drop in yoga classes and detox programs suitable to all levels. It also has a delightful health-conscious cafe where you can spend a delightful few hours in.

Watch the sun rise or set over the sea

I’ve lived in Mumbai for over a decade and even so, often overlook the grand spectacle of the sea right beside me. But whenever I do spend some time by the sea, it always lifts my spirits up.

Watching the sun rise and set over the sea is a humbling experience. Also, a good time to take some stunning photographs. Popular spots to do some sea watching are: Bandra Reclamation, Bandstand, Carter Road, Haji Ali, and Marine Drive. Plenty of solos loiter around, walking, running, or simply stealing a moment from the city’s mayhem.

The Bandra Worli Sea Link is another not-to-miss sight in Mumbai. Two good places to photograph the sea link for an impressive photo are: Bandstand and Bandra Fort.

Top unique things to do in Mumbai solo
Sun rise at Bandra Reclamation
Top unique things to do in Mumbai solo
A view of the Bandra Worli Sea Link from Bandstand

Visit an astrologer for a ‘Nadi’ reading

Now, this is a bizarre one, but try it out for the experience.

Nādi Astrology is a form of Dharma astrology practised in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is based on the belief that the past, present and the future lives of all humans have been foreseen by Dharma sages in ancient time and inscribed on palm leaves. Thus, a person’s future can be located amongst these leaves based on the thumb impressions—right for men, left for women. The basic logic in this way of thinking is that all our lives can be boxed into 150 or 200 different types. While it’s disturbing to imagine that human lives follow a recurring and replicable pattern, I’ve also heard of people whose ‘future leaves’ have not been found in the pack. So, you may be one of those lucky ones whose life is unique (a new soul). In such a case, you will also not need to pay the astrologer anything.

I’d visited a nādi astrologer a couple of years ago and was quite blown by some of the things he said. A few can be attributed to intelligently guessing—they ask you some basic questions to start with and tell you it’s to find the right patra—but some he conjectured quite correctly (like telling me my mum’s quite unique first name). The reading itself cost me INR 1000 or $15 (in 2014, it may have increased considerably now) after which the astrologer asked me to invest in a holy ceremony to ward off all the evil things in my life (which were extensive). Ignore that but go for the experience, albeit at your own risk. Website.


Mumbai Hotel Recommendations

Near the Airport (Central but longer time to go to Town)

High end: ITC Maratha | Budget: Ibis or Lemon Tree

In Bandra West (Central. A colourful though crowded part of the city)

High end: Taj Lands’ End | Budget: Bloom Boutique or Le Sutra

In Bandra East (A convenient, quieter though more commercial section of the city)

High end: Sofitel or Trident

In Town (Colonial Mumbai)

Fancy: Taj Palace | High end: Taj Wellington Mews or Trident | Budget: Hotel Residency Fort


My Recommended Travel Sites
This is how I plan all my trips quickly, efficiently, and economically. Below are my go-to recommended travel planning sites.
  • First, I go to TripAdvisor and check out top things to do, top places, and experiences. I use this to make a rough itinerary.
  • From TripAdvisor I often go to Viator to book day tours. I love their user friendly platform and flexible cancellation policies. Compare their offers with GetYourGuide, which is great too.
  • I book my accommodations in Booking because of their flexibility and that the bookings are easily cancellable. The mobile app is great and the genius discounts are on point.
  • I recommend getting the Priority Pass. It gives you access to airport lounges and has helped me through many long waits. It’s definitely well worth the money.
  • And I am literally always on Skyscanner. I get to see the best airfares, and the airline / third party providers offering them. Try the “From: origin city” to “To: Everywhere” option to ignite your imagination on where to travel to next.

4 thoughts on “A list of unique things to do in Mumbai solo”

  1.  
  2. So cool!!! I would love to go and see the graffiti and take a tour of the slums of Darhavari. This is a great list because all of these things are very unique and not normally found on your typical “listicles”

  3. I used to spend a lot of summers in Mumbai as a child and I’m now ashamed to say I have done none of these things! Saved your post for the next time I visit!

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