A lot of people imagine Mumbai to be a proper metropolitan with a work culture that does not give the people living there any breathing space to go out and have fun. The number of skyscrapers dotting the skyline also do not help in breaking that illusion. However, the city’s charm does not lie in its 24×7 professional lifestyle, but in its inherent energy. You feed off through it and it is infectious, and eventually you find yourself falling in love with the pace and the aura of Mumbai. This is why it should be one of your preferred vacation spots this year.

Planning a trip to the ‘Maximum City’ is not a big task as flights and hotel booking in Mumbai can be arranged very smoothly. Even though a weekend getaway is not as lengthy as a proper vacation, but it might be just enough for you to have a taste of the ‘Mumbaikar’ life!

Saturday

When you book a flight, try to book one on a Friday night to utilise your whole weekend properly. With a lot of hotels near the Mumbai airport like The LaLiT taking care of your accommodation needs, you do not have to worry about your stay at all!

Wake up early, take the infamous Mumbai local or the ‘kaali–peeli’ taxi on a Saturday and go for a walk on the beautiful 3.6-kilometre-long Marine Drive, taking in the sights of the sea. This is the only time you will not see the dreadful Mumbai traffic. The area is also home to a variety of good breakfast places, with the old Iranian cafes of Kyani and Sasannian offering bun-maska and omelet in their humble, quaint establishments.

After you have had your share, travel down to Colaba for the quintessential selfies with the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Apart from being historical monuments that literally are symbols of the city, the area also offers boat rides around the jetty with frequent ferries going to adjacent tourist spots like Elephanta Caves and Alibaug.

Settle down for a nice lunch in the Colaba Causeway area with the Leopold Café, Café Mondegar and Piccadilly doing a nice job of filling your belly up. You can even head on back to the Colaba pier and just sit while the gentle breeze reminds you that you need to visit some more places. End your evening with some shopping around the Causeway area and round up at one of the many bars situated in the Kala Ghoda area. Just a few minutes away from Colaba, Kala Ghoda has a host of places that have elevated the Mumbai nightlife experience.

Sunday

Sunday can be a day where you just chill and have some quiet fun after the shenanigans of your previous day! Head on to Juhu and Versova, with the former hosting one of the most popular beaches in the city while the latter providing you with small cafes that can be your ideal brunch area. Utilise your last few hours by enjoying a vada pav or a mirchi bhaji at any of the road stalls along the way and complete your Mumbai trip by visiting Prithvi Café for a nice tete-a-tete with upcoming theatre and film personalities.