One Week in Mumbai: The Perfect Itinerary

By Sharell Cook, TripSavvy

[post_ads]"Maximum City" and "City of Dreams" are two names that have been given to Mumbai in recent years, reflecting the city's extreme contrasts and opportunities it offers. Now India's financial capital and home of the Bollywood movie industry, it's hard to fathom that Mumbai was once a group of seven uninhabitable swampy islands. The indigenous Koli fishing community were the main occupants until the British acquired the land from the Portuguese in 1662, as part of a dowry, and rented it out to the East India Company who developed it.

Bombay really started flourishing in the 1800s, after the swamps had been filled in and the islands joined together. They city's name was changed to Mumbai in 1995, to reflect its Maratha heritage and honor the goddess Mumbadevi, who the Kolis worshiped.

Over the years, many migrants have flocked to Mumbai in search of employment, making it the most culturally diverse and cosmopolitan place in India, and the most over-populated. Not only does the city have one of the largest slums in Asia, one of the country's wealthiest businessmen lives there in a home estimated to cost up to $2 billion. The city's current landscape is made up of a curious mix of age-old infrastructure, Gothic-style British heritage buildings, swanky shopping malls, and skyscrapers.
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This comprehensive itinerary for one week in Mumbai covers both popular and lesser-known attractions, and will give you deep insight into the city and how it functions.

Ideally, stay somewhere in the Colaba or Fort districts of south Mumbai, which are the main downtown tourist areas. For luxury accommodations, look no further than the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. Otherwise, choose from these top cheap hotels and guesthouses or budget hotels.

There's no need to hire a car and driver to get around, as cabs are plentiful and will usually go by the meter, without quoting inflated prices for tourists. If you're using your cell phone in India,Uber is also a convenient and inexpensive option.

Let's go!

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