A full day Mumbai Darshan tour takes about 8 to 10 hours and covers the main sights across south Mumbai and the western suburbs. A half day runs about 4 to 5 hours and covers the south Mumbai stretch only.
The vehicle stays with you all day. That is the difference between a darshan tour and doing it yourself. You are not finding transport between stops, and bags stay in the vehicle rather than coming with you.
The drive itself
01
45 m1 h
The obvious starting point. Elephanta ferries leave from here if you are adding that.
02
30 m2 h
The sea front drive. Better in the late afternoon than the middle of the day.
03
1 h 30 m4 h
Queue times vary a great deal. Tuesdays at Siddhivinayak are extremely busy.
04
1 h5 h 30 m
Haji Ali is tide dependent, so the causeway is not always walkable.
05
45 m6 h 30 m
The view over Marine Drive from Malabar Hill.
06
1 h8 h
Usually the return leg, timed for the light.
Google Maps assumes a car on an empty road. Our vehicles are speed limited to 80 km per hour as RTO rules require, they carry a full load, and they halt on the way. Plan for roughly 10 to 15 per cent more distance than the map says, an hour more on trips up to five hours, and two hours more beyond that.
Some venues and rural roads on this route cannot take a large vehicle. Send us the exact pickup and drop addresses, including any unpaved or monsoon affected stretches, and we will confirm access before you book rather than on the day.
Matching the fleet to your group
How many are travelling?
13people
Group size
Comfortable in city traffic, easy to board
| Group size | We suggest | Why on this route | Trip shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Sedan | Easiest parking at the crowded stops | Half or full day |
| 4 to 6 | Kia Carens or Ertiga | Family city tour | Half or full day |
| 7 to 13 | 14 seater Tempo Traveller | The usual choice for a group tour | Full day |
| 9 to 16 | 16 seater Force UrbaniaPopular pick | Comfortable in city traffic, easy to board | Full day |
| 14 to 26 | Tempo Traveller | Society and office groups | Full day |
| 19 to 33 | Mini Bus | Larger groups, where parking allows | Full day |
The bigger the vehicle, the less each person pays. A 13 seater on a Lonavala day trip works out around ₹615 a head. A 49 seater on the same trip works out around ₹367. If your group sits close to the next size up, going up usually costs less per person.
Travelling with elderly passengers or small children? Book one size above your headcount. The spare row means somebody can put their feet up and lie down, or the children have somewhere to play.
City parking is the constraint on this tour, not the roads. Parking near the Gateway, Siddhivinayak and Haji Ali is genuinely difficult for larger vehicles, and a coach will often drop you further away than a tempo traveller would. For a group above 33 we would suggest two smaller vehicles instead of one large one.
Planning the day
Our recommendation Full day is the sensible choice if this is your only day in Mumbai. Half day works if you are fitting it around a flight or a meeting, and it covers the south Mumbai stretch which is the part most people come for.
Recommended
The other way
Before you go
The year on this road
October to February.
Monsoon makes the outdoor stops difficult and Marine Drive is the only one that improves in rain.
The real constraint.
Larger vehicles drop further from the entrances, so a smaller vehicle genuinely gives you a better day.
Extremely busy.
If your tour falls on a Tuesday, we start there early or leave it to the end.
The causeway is only walkable at low tide.
Worth checking before the day, because it changes the running order.
A ferry from the Gateway and a half day in itself.
It does not fit inside a normal darshan tour, so it needs its own booking.
South Mumbai between 5 and 8 in the evening is slow.
We plan the return leg around it rather than through it.
Before you ask about price
A full day runs about 8 to 10 hours and covers 8 to 10 stops across south Mumbai and the western suburbs. A half day is 4 to 5 hours and covers the south Mumbai stretch only.
Yes, that is the point of booking one. The driver waits at each stop and your bags stay in the vehicle. Note that a vehicle does not idle in standby for more than ten minutes at a stretch, so if you want the air conditioning kept running while it waits, tell us and we will quote it.
Yes. The route above is what most groups pick, but it is not fixed. Tell us what you want to see and we will build the order around traffic and opening times rather than just driving the list.
No. Entry fees at any stop are paid separately at the gate. The quote covers the vehicle, fuel, driver and the package kilometres and hours.
It needs its own half day and a ferry from the Gateway, so it does not fit inside a normal darshan tour. We can build a two day plan if you want both.
Something smaller than you might expect. Parking near the Gateway, Siddhivinayak and Haji Ali is difficult, and a large vehicle will drop you further from the entrance. For a group above 33 we would suggest two vehicles rather than one.
From Mumbai Darshan