The atmospheric southern tip — Colaba and Fort, home to the Gateway of India, the grand Taj hotel, the museums, the stunning Victorian and Art Deco buildings, cafés, bazaars and the buzzing Colaba Causeway. Central, walkable and packed with sights and character; the classic base for a first visit who wants history, architecture and the main landmarks on the doorstep. The most rewarding, atmospheric area to stay. Mumbai at its grandest.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€130–300
typical per night in India
You pay for the postcode
One of the pricier addresses in Mumbai.
Where it sits
The circle is Colaba & Fort and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Marine Drive8 min taxi2.7 km
- Crawford Market & bazaars9 min taxi2.8 km
- Mumbai street food13 min taxi4.2 km
- Chowpatty Beach13 min taxi4.2 km
- Dhobi Ghat21 min taxi7.1 km
- Temples & the Haji Ali shrine22 min taxi7.2 km
- Bandra & its street art41 min taxi13.7 km
- A taste of Bollywood46 min taxi15.3 km
- Juhu (beach)58 min taxi19.5 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.Gateway of India — Mumbai's defining monument — the majestic Gateway of India, a grand basalt arch built to welcome a British king, standing proudly on the waterfront where the Arabian Sea laps the city, opposite the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Thronged with visitors, vendors, photographers and boats to Elephanta, it's the buzzing symbolic heart of the city; come at sunrise for calm or evening for the crowds and lights. The essential first stop and photo in Mumbai. Grand, historic and unmissable.
- 3.Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus — One of the most spectacular railway stations on earth — Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT), a UNESCO-listed masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, all soaring turrets, stained glass, gargoyles and domes, through which millions of commuters surge daily. Admire the extraordinary façade (floodlit at night), and step inside to feel the astonishing pulse of Mumbai's local trains. A jaw-dropping fusion of Victorian and Indian styles and a living monument; a photographic and architectural highlight. Simply stunning.
- 7.Colaba Causeway — The buzzing shopping heart of tourist Mumbai — Colaba Causeway, a lively street market lined with stalls and shops selling clothes, jewellery, handicrafts, books and souvenirs, threaded with cafés (including the legendary Leopold Café) and colonial buildings. Haggle for trinkets and textiles, browse the pavement stalls, and soak up the atmosphere; it's chaotic, colourful and great fun. A classic Mumbai shopping-and-strolling experience in the heart of Colaba. Bargain hard and enjoy the bustle.
- 8.CSMVS Museum — Mumbai's grand museum — the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (the former Prince of Wales Museum), a beautiful Indo-Saracenic domed building housing a superb collection of Indian art, sculpture, miniature paintings, artefacts and natural history, set in lovely gardens. A cool, cultured escape from the heat and bustle, and a rich introduction to India's art and history; admire the architecture as much as the exhibits. A rewarding cultural stop in the heart of the colonial quarter. Excellent and atmospheric.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Colaba & Fort; flights via Google Flights.