Is Mumbai walkable? Where to enjoy a walk in the city
Are you planning a trip and wondering if Mumbai is a walkable city? Let me break it down for you.
Only 22% of the city’s roads are pedestrian-friendly (according to a Mumbai Climate Action Plan report in 2022). This means, unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of footpaths/sidewalks throughout the city, but there are some neighborhoods, parks, and seafront promenades where you can enjoy a nice stroll.
While a lot of locals walk to work every day, it’s not necessarily a pleasant commute. The roads are crowded with rush hour traffic and there aren’t usually designated areas for pedestrians. They are left to their own devices to cross busy streets and dodge vehicles.
If you are visiting, you may be intimidated crossing the street. My best advice for when you need to cross is to wait for small gap in traffic and hold out your hand to indicate you are crossing (watch how the locals do it). Then move quickly to make your way across in as direct a path as possible.
That said, let’s focus on where you can walk and other ways to get around the city when you are visiting.
Where can I walk around in Mumbai?
The good news is that there are some places that are walker friendly. Below are neighborhoods, parks, and sea promenades where you can enjoy a walk.
Walkable neighborhoods in Mumbai
Here are just a few of the centrally located neighborhoods that are good for a walk. If you branch further out of the city you can discover even more walkable neighborhoods. If you are feeling adventurous there’s also hiking trails in and around Mumbai that are worth exploring.
Bandra West
A popular coastal neighborhood in Mumbai with lots of shopping and restaurants. It’s also home to many Bollywood celebrities. You can take a leisurely stroll starting from Ranwar Village through to Pali Village and the crisscrossing lanes of Khar. Be sure to see Chapel Road with Bollywood Murals and to climb the steps at Mount Mary.
Ballard Estate
Ballard Estate captures the essence of old time, colonial Bombay with beautiful British time buildings. Wide open streets with little traffic make this an easily walkable neighborhood. Recommended time to visit is Sunday evenings when the streets are filled with cricket and football games. Stop by at the iconic Britannia Cafe for a Parsi meal or the Bombay Coffee House for a sip.
If you’re feeling adventurous a nice walk I’ve taken visitors on in South Mumbai starts at Flora Fountain. Then you walk through Ballard Estate, and continue onto the main train station, Mumbai CST. From there go towards Crawford Market and loop back to the BMC headquarters behind the train station.
Colaba
Specifically walk along the Colaba Causeway and the lanes behind the Taj Palace hotel. You can see a lot of heritage buildings and then loop around to see the Gateway of India.
You can also walk down Colaba Causeway until you reach Sassoon Dock, which is one of the oldest harbors in the city and one of the few open to the public. At dawn this dock is at its busiest; you can see tons of freshly caught fish being unloaded from the boats and prepped to sell at the fish market.
If you work up an appetite during your walk around Colaba, be sure to grab a delicious meal at one of the many great restaurants in South Mumbai.
Best parks for walking in Mumbai
If you’re seeking a walk away from the hustle and bustle, you’re better off heading to a park.
Hanging Gardens
This park, which was first built in 1881 as a means to protect Bombay’s main water reservoir, is a cherished green space in Mumbai. It has well maintained walking tracks that are good for a wander around the gardens.
Bandra Reclamation
Bandra Reclamation is a section of reclaimed land with a picturesque view of the Mahim Bay and the Mumbai skyline. The park has a walkway that runs along the shore, but be wary because it gets crowded at sunset.
Joggers Park
This park has a jogging track on the seaside in Bandra West, making it a good place to get some steps in while you watch the sunset over the sea in the evening. It doesn’t get too crowded and is tucked away in its own corner away from the busy street traffic.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
This National Park is located on the outskirts of the city, so if you want to visit plan for a good chunk of time to spend at the park. Spanning over 100 square kilometers, there’s a diverse range of landscapes, from dense forests to tranquil lakes.
One of the park’s main highlights is the Kanheri Caves, ancient Buddhist caves cut into the rock dating back to the 1st century BC. You can take a public bus from the park entrance to the area with the caves and then walk on your own to explore the maze of caves built into the hillside. It’s a great way to spend a day trip escaping the hustle of Mumbai.
If you want to challenge yourself to some of the parks more difficult hikes, you’ll need to sign up for the park’s official guided treks.
Sea promenades for walking in Mumbai
Given Mumbai is located on the ocean, there are some nice seaside promenades for a stroll.
Carter Road Promenade
You can take this seaside walkway to Joggers Park to get some extra steps in. Located in Bandra, this is my personal go-to because I could walk to it from my apartment in Pali Hill.
Bandstand Promenade
Start your walk at Bandra Fort with views of the Sea Link and continue onto the promenade running along the water. Here you can see the crowds waiting outside Bollywood celebrity, Shah Rukh Khan’s house, hoping for the chance to catch a glimpse of him.
Marine Drive
Much of Marine Drive’s sea views are currently blocked by construction of the coastal road. But Nariman Point is still a good spot for a walk with a nice sea breeze to help keep you cool.
Worli Sea Face
Another sea front walk that is hampered by coastal road work as of 2023, but a new and improved walkway is coming soon as a result of the construction.
How to get around Mumbai
If you are looking for how to get from one destination to another while sightseeing in areas that are not walkable, here are some alternate ways to get around.
Uber and Ola
Both ride-hailing apps are popular in Mumbai. I find Ola generally has better rates. You can also use the apps to call for autos.
Auto Rickshaw
Auto rickshaws are also called ‘autos’ or ‘ricks’ or ‘rickshaws.’ In Mumbai, and most other Indian cities, auto rickshaws are metered. If the driver refuses to use the meter, I’d get out and flag down another. A good option is to use the Uber app to call autos. There’s an option for rides that will call a rickshaw instead of a car.
Local train
Mumbai has 3 suburban train lines that generally run north to south. There are also 3 metro lines currently running, better for east-west travel. Check details here. A word of warning: do not attempt to take a suburban train during rush hour!
Where to stay in Mumbai
Being unable to walk around in some areas of the city makes where you stay a very important factor in planning a trip to Mumbai. Here are three excellent hotels that will make your stay in Mumbai comfortable.
📍 Oberoi Trident
This five star hotel is located at Nariman Point in South Mumbai. You can walk around the area to Cuffe Parade, Colaba and even to the Gateway of India if you wanted.
📍 Taj Mahal Palace
This famous hotel built in 1903 is a sight worth visiting regardless if you stay here or not. It’s located in Colaba next to the Gateway of India, where crowds tend to gather, but venture the other direction behind the hotel to the south and you’ll find smaller lanes to explore on a walk.
📍 Taj Land’s End, Bandra
Another nice Taj hotel with lower nightly rates than the Palace in Bandra West. You can easily walk to Bandra Fort and up the Bandstand promenade, and over to Mount Mary from this hotel.
TL;DR: is Mumbai walkable?
While Mumbai is not the most walker friendly city, there are still areas where you can experience the city through a walk by finding the calmer streets in certain neighborhoods and visiting parks and sea front promenades. I highly recommend staying in Bandra West or South Mumbai to easily access walkable parts of the city.