Mumbai by Luxury Train

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is India's financial and entertainment capital, a city where Victorian Gothic railway stations stand beside Art Deco apartment blocks and glass-towered skyscrapers, and where the scent of the sea mingles with spice markets and street-food stalls. As the country's principal port and the historic hub of the British Raj in western India, Mumbai layers Portuguese, British and Maratha history beneath the frantic energy of modern Bollywood cinema and global commerce.

For luxury rail travellers, Mumbai is the classic starting point for exploring India's palaces, forts and wildlife by train. Both the Deccan Odyssey and the Maharajas' Express depart from and return to Mumbai, making the city the natural bookend to a journey through Maharashtra, Rajasthan and beyond — a chance to spend a day or two amid its landmarks before or after stepping aboard.

Few cities reward a short stay so richly: a morning at the Gateway of India, an afternoon among the Elephanta Caves across the harbour, and an evening watching the sun set over Marine Drive's curving promenade, all before boarding one of India's most celebrated luxury trains.

Gateway of India

This monumental basalt archway on the Mumbai waterfront was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary, and later became the ceremonial exit point for departing British troops in 1948. It remains the city's most photographed landmark and the departure point for ferries to Elephanta Island.

Elephanta Caves

A UNESCO World Heritage Site an hour by boat from the Gateway of India, these rock-cut cave temples date to the 5th–8th centuries and house an extraordinary trio-faced sculpture of Shiva, the Sadashiva, along with other intricately carved shrines dedicated to the god.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST)

Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this exuberant Victorian Gothic railway station, completed in 1888 and formerly known as Victoria Terminus, is Mumbai's architectural showpiece and remains one of India's busiest working stations.

Marine Drive

Known as the "Queen's Necklace" for the sweep of streetlights along its curve at night, this 3-kilometre Art Deco boulevard hugs the Arabian Sea and is the city's favourite spot for an evening stroll, ending at the sands of Chowpatty Beach.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, this domed Indo-Saracenic building houses outstanding collections of Indian miniature paintings, sculpture, decorative arts and natural history in the heart of the Fort district.

Dhobi Ghat

The world's largest open-air laundry, where thousands of dhobis (washermen) scrub, beat and dry the city's linens in a maze of concrete wash-pens — a raw and fascinating glimpse of Mumbai's working life, best viewed from the Mahalaxmi bridge.

Haji Ali Dargah

A gleaming white mosque and mausoleum built on an islet in the Arabian Sea, connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway that floods at high tide, honouring the Muslim saint Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.

Crawford Market and Colaba Causeway

Crawford Market (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai) is a Norman-Gothic covered bazaar for fruit, spices and household goods, while nearby Colaba Causeway is Mumbai's liveliest strip for street shopping, cafes and people-watching.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link and Bandra Fort

This cable-stayed bridge is a symbol of modern Mumbai's skyline, while the adjacent 17th-century Bandra Fort offers sweeping views over the sea link and the coastline of the fashionable Bandra district.

Mumbai's food scene is a fast-moving fusion of Maharashtrian home cooking, Gujarati and Parsi influences, and the street food that fuels a city on the go. Few culinary experiences are as iconic as a plate eaten standing at a roadside stall as local trains rattle past overhead.

• Vada Pav — Mumbai's favourite snack: a spiced, deep-fried potato fritter (vada) tucked into a soft bread roll (pav) with chutneys, often called the city's answer to the burger.
• Pav Bhaji — a buttery, spiced vegetable mash served with soft dinner rolls, born in the mill-worker canteens of 19th-century Bombay.
• Bhel Puri and Sev Puri — crunchy puffed-rice and crisp-wafer chaats tossed with tangy tamarind and mint chutneys, a Chowpatty Beach classic.
• Bombay Duck (Bombil) — a local fish, usually battered and fried, that gives its name to a distinctly Mumbai dish found across Konkani and Maharashtrian menus.
• Koliwada-style seafood — spicy fried prawns and fish from the Koli fishing community, Mumbai's original inhabitants, served fiery and crisp.
• Parsi specialties — dhansak (a lentil-and-meat stew) and berry pulao, best sampled at the city's historic Irani cafes such as those serving bun maska and sweet, milky chai.
• Kombdi Vade and other Maharashtrian thalis — home-style spicy chicken curry with fried puris, showcasing the region's robust, chilli-forward flavours.

Onboard, both the Deccan Odyssey and the Maharajas' Express serve refined multi-course menus blending Indian regional cuisine with international dishes, but a stop in Mumbai is the place to taste the city's street food culture firsthand before or after your journey.