take the local trains.... all along Mumbai's strech. Mumbai is so dense and intricate that even if anyone were to tell you where to go, they would still be missing out on a lot.

mumbai is an awesome city, but sort of lacks "must see" places, i think because the whole city is such an experience it's difficult to single any one or two things out. the trains are great, but if you are claustrophobic, beware. go to crawford market and the chor bazaar. you will likely stay in colaba which is the tourist district, near the taj hotel. shelley's is a good relatively inexpensive hotel on the harbor. go see a bollywood flick at the regal cinema. ahhhh...i wish i was there right now.

i agree with jafidler on mumbai's lack of 'must see' places. the city is really quite stunning - beautiful boulevards lined with banyan trees, beautifully decrepit victorian architecture, unimaginable colors at every corner, etc. i suggest taking a map with you and walking the hell out of the city.

the gateway of india is currently under restoration. as of three weeks ago, there was a big tarp over the majority of the monument. i also recommend walking around the university of mumbai's fort campus. while i never went on one, many people recommended a slum tour of dharavi.

if you have time, i highly recommend reading 'maximum city: bombay lost and found.' good background on the city.

Leopold Cafe & Cafe Mondegar for some food and/or drinks.

Ditto Leopold Cafe. If you have the time, take the ferry from the Gate of India to Elephanta Island to see some awesome cave temples.

Can't vouch for all of these attractions, but Monocle usually can pick the good spots:

MONOCLE MUMBAI

Are you going by yourself, or with a group? If you're going with a group wheres someone speaks Hindi, I recommend seeing the Dharavi slums. It is perhaps the most intense infrastructural and spatial experience you could have in Mumbai. Do not get too far in...stay at the periphery or you'll get lost. Some say there are safety concerns (picpockets, gangs, etc), though when I went I felt totally safe.

Truth is, if this is your first time in Mumbai you'll probably have enough to see/experience just seeing the areas mentioned above. Mumbai is an extremely dense and vibrant city.

Have fun.

Agree with all of the above posts- and I'm from Mumbai! If you're up for a great seafood meal, go to Trishna seafood restuarant (in the Fort area, near the museum). Have the butter-pepper-garlic crabs, it will be one of your best meals ever.

jafidler- you nailed it. There really is no one "must-see" area. its more the energy and vibe of the city as a whole. I think the NY Times had a 36 hours in Mumbai feature fairly recently, that had some good suggestions.

modes- definitely ride the train, but try to avoid rush hour. You have no idea what crowded is until you get on one of our trains! If you're female, there are "ladies only" cars at the front/ back of the trains. Enjoy!

a few more places to see, head over to marine drive for all the excellent art deco architecture, then up to chowpatty beach. there are also many good restaurants in the area. the oval maidan across from the high court is a great place to bone up on your cricket. there's also some more very good art deco architecture across the maidan from the high court. if you want to splurge a bit go to indigo, it's a classy restaurant in colaba, but don't be afraid to buy from the street vendors as well at a fraction of the price.

thanks everyone, i appreciate your advice!!
can't wait for Mumbai.

Modes-
when are you heading for mumbai, I havent seen the Navi Mumbai area but planning on going there when heading for Mumbai in december.
Apart from that i can only agree witht the others, walking around is great, the Khala ghoda area have some nice museums and also boosts a art festival which i great. take a look at www.timeoutmumbai.net

cheers

Sadly, it looks like Mumbai has been attacked. Recommended sites listed above, Cafe Leopold, Taj Hotel, and Colaba district, have all been listed as targeted sites.

Keep the city in your thoughts the next few weeks as it recovers.

yeah, is any here, there or from there?

this is absolutely horrifying. my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in mumbai tonight.

not the best timing for modes trip. hope you are ok!

I'm from and in Mumbai right now. Thankfully everyone I know is okay.

As for places/things to visit/do, here's something my friend posted to his facebook the other day:

10. Just be there. As in passively watch them busy folks do their busy stuff. Everyone from munna to mullah run after moolah. On the tracks, west side, east side, every side...just watch.

9. Bun Maska and Cutting Chai at a Parsi/Irani Restaurant. Kiyani's, for instance.

8. Irish Coffee at Prithvi Cafe. Hey, why not even catch a play, or two.

7. Early morning walk from Gateway of India, all the way to Marine Drive. (Watch out for them pigeons.)

6. Used and second hand book shopping in South Bombay. Plently in the Fort Area. However, the best one is next to an Udipi Restaurant near Xaviers College. Forget the street's name. Great and rare buys.

5. Night at Gorai Beach. A ferry-ride away from Marve beach (Malad West) or Gorai creek (Borivali West), at about 4 kilometres away, and is located to the north of Mumbai. Take a ferry from the Gorai creek, Borivli West and go to the beach. Go in a group and chill the night out. Just splendid.

4. Crystal Restaurant. Home cooked food in a place stuck in the mid 20th century. Just across the road from Chowpatty. So might as well check out both together.

3. Seafood Trail. Mahesh...the one in town. Martin's...Colaba. Manglorian...anywhere

2. Temple hopping. Synagogues, Ganesh Temple, Sidhi Vinayak, Isckon...

1. Bar Hopping. Leopold, Mondegar, Zenzi...here I come. :)

And Monocle is over-rated, over-priced and very very generic.
It's for people who want no authenticity but the same 'luxe' experience in every city they visit. Don't do anything on the Monocle list, please.

thanks for all advice, anything is appreciated. Decided to stick to my plan and head for mumbai next week.
does anyone know of anything architecture, planning and landscape related to see?
looking forward to spending some three nice weeks in Mumbai, getting time to see navi mumbai.

Modes-
are you in Mumbai right now? is everything ok?

There's a lot to see here.

If you'd like to take a walking tour of old heritage mumbai:
http://www.bombayheritagewalks.com/contactus.php

If you'd like to check out a great live music venue we designed:
http://www.serie.co.uk/HTML%20Files/Project/Blue%20Frog%201.html

I'm in Mumbai right now, and everything is just fine. Just had some friends fly in last night from California...

Urban Spaces:
Marine Drive, of course.
Juhu Beach.
Spend a lazy evening at the Seaview Bar right next to Juhu Beach, and peoplewatch from there... It's in the Seaview Hotel, right next to Citizen Hotel...

There's a ton - the gateway of India, Dhobi Ghat, Khotachi Wadi, Prithvi Theater, NCPA, etc etc...

I guess it all depends what your interests are.
Feel free to email me for any info you might need!