Mumbai doesn’t ease you in. It doesn’t do slow introductions or gentle beginnings. It throws you straight into the deep end, with noise, movement, food smells, taxi horns, and rain that appears out of nowhere, and you either keep up or get swallowed. I had exactly 24 hours in the city, flying in from Delhi, and for some reason, I decided I wanted all of it. The postcard moments, the local chaos, the iconic food stops, the Marine Drive drama – everything that makes Mumbai feel like Mumbai. So yes, this was ambitious, and yes, it worked. Here’s the full Mumbai itinerary.
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Landing In Mumbai At Night
We reached Mumbai at night, and before anything else, the airport itself took time. It’s massive, the kind of place where landing is only step one, and getting out feels like its own mini-journey. There’s walking, waiting, figuring out exits, finding your cab, and trying not to look confused while doing all of it.
We had someone pick us up, which honestly made life ten times easier. If you’re alone, I’d genuinely recommend studying the map beforehand because Mumbai does not pause to let you orient yourself. Once we finally got moving, the city felt wide awake, even past midnight.
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Si Nonna’s And The Beauty Of Sourdough Pizza
Our first proper stop was in the east, it was a restaurant called Si Nonna’s, known for its sourdough pizzas. Now, sourdough pizza isn’t your average late-night slice. The base is what makes it special. Sourdough is naturally fermented, which gives the crust this slightly tangy flavour, a delicate chew, and a lightness that normal pizza dough just doesn’t have.
It feels more thoughtful. Less greasy. Almost… elegant, in a very Mumbai way. We loved it and heartily enjoyed our first night in the city of dreams.
McDonald’s Softies Because We Felt Like It
After that, we did something completely unserious and perfect and went to McDonald’s for dessert. We all got matching colourful softies, and it turned into this unexpectedly fun little moment, standing there with bright ice creams in hand, laughing like teenagers, fully committed to the aesthetic. Mumbai had barely started, and we were already acting like it was a movie.
By the time we got back, we were exhausted in that very specific way travel exhausts you, physically tired but mentally buzzing. We ended the night with a huge gossip session (as one does), and then we slept like we’d been running around the city for days.
The next morning, we started around 10-11 AM. The first stop was the Dadar streets. Dadar has these enormous coconut trees, the kind that don’t just provide shade, they change the entire mood of the street. The area feels older, greener and calmer. And the day we went, it was rainy, it was not heavy monsoon rain, just that soft drizzle that makes everything smell like wet earth and slows people down by half a second.
Walking there felt oddly serene, like Mumbai was letting us breathe before throwing us back into the rush.
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Taking The Mumbai Local For The Thrill
Then came something we did purely for the experience; it was boarding the Mumbai local. I’ve lived in Delhi for a long time, so I’m used to metros, they are more organised, structured, and predictable. Mumbai locals are none of those things! Hah!
They’re faster, louder, more chaotic, and honestly, slightly terrifying in the most fascinating way. People were literally hanging sideways near the doors, and while, of course, safety matters and precautions should be taken, witnessing it was surreal. Inside the train, life was happening at full volume.
Someone was knitting a sweater like this was their personal workspace. Others were on the phone, gossiping intensely. People were eating, laughing and staring out, and we…we were just watching them in AWE! We took so many photos because how do you explain this otherwise?
Kiyani & Co. And The Keema Pav That Tastes Like Mumbai
From the local, we reached one of the most hyped food stops: Kiyani & Co., in Kalbadevi. We ordered their special Keema Pav, and the keema was unreal, it was deeply spiced, rich, and carried this very specific Mumbaiya flavour that you can’t recreate elsewhere. The pav was interesting too. In North India, pav is usually heated or toasted. Here, it was served raw and soft, which somehow made it feel even more authentic, like this is how the city has always eaten it.
Nearby, we saw Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). It’s one of Mumbai’s most iconic landmarks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and honestly, it doesn’t feel real when you’re standing in front of it. With the Victorian Gothic architecture, the domes, and the details, it looks like something built for a different world.
We posed endlessly because you can’t not!
Marine Drive, Rustam Ice Cream, And Rain Drama
We tried doing a little walk around Kalbadevi, but the traffic was insane, so we gave up and grabbed a taxi toward Marine Drive. And right near Marine Drive is Rustam’s, the famous ice cream joint. They serve these iconic ice cream bars tucked between two wafer biscuits, like an ice cream sandwich, but sharper, colder, and cutely nostalgic. The wafer kept slipping out of my hand (this is apparently a personal talent), but it was still worth it. Then it started raining.
And because it was a weekend, Marine Drive was packed with people everywhere, police trying to manage the crowd, and the whole place buzzing. It was chaos and romance at once. We ran toward the other side to escape the rain, but eventually we just sat down anyway, letting it happen. Marine Drive in the rain feels like a tourist, almost as much as you.
The sea doesn’t care about your schedule, Mumbai doesn’t either. For a moment, it was just water, wind, damp air, and that strange quiet you feel in a loud city.
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Fort At Dusk: Kebabs And Long Walks
Next, we booked a Kaali Peeli taxi and headed to Fort.
Fort is one of Mumbai’s most historic districts, it has colonial buildings, buzzing streets, cafés tucked into corners, and the kind of place that feels alive even when it’s getting dark.
We stopped at a hyped kebab spot and ordered boti kebabs and malai kebabs, topped with Thumbs Up and Coca-Cola. It was mouth-watering and delicious, and honestly, exactly what the evening needed. We walked through Fort as the sun disappeared. Everything was damp from the rain, the streets glistening under lights.
Mumbai looked cinematic without even making so much as a move.
On the way, we grabbed something from a roadside café called Capsic, this pizza-garlic bread hybrid that felt like the best of both worlds. It was cheesy, baked, warm and iconic. Moreover, it felt like the perfect street food energy.
Palladium Mall And A Nykaa Break
Before dinner, we made one last stop at the Palladium Mall in Lower Parel East.
We went into Nykaa, did some shopping, and it felt like stepping into a completely different Mumbai; this version was luxe, modern, and calm.
That’s the thing about this city, it contains multitudes.
Dinner At Banana Leaf To End The Day Right
Finally, we ended the day at Banana Leaf. We had garlic dosa, uttapam, and their special mango shake; it was comforting, filling, and exactly what you want after a day like this. Then we booked a taxi back home.
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And just like that, 24 hours in Mumbai were over. It was rainy, crowded, delicious, exhausting, funny, slightly chaotic, and oh yes, completely worth it.
Mumbai doesn’t let you do just one thing, it makes you do everything, leaving you exhausted and out of breath, and trust me, you’ll love it!
Cover Image Courtesy: Mahi Adlakha
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