With kids · Mumbai · India
Mumbai with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Mumbai is busy and hot, but children enjoy beach evenings at Juhu and Chowpatty, ferry rides from the Gateway, the penguins at Byculla zoo and a Bollywood studio tour. Plan days around one area to limit time in traffic. Top picks: Gateway of India, Juhu Beach and Girgaon Chowpatty. Families usually base themselves in Juhu.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Juhu
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- December
Best things to do with kids
Landmark · Colaba
1.Gateway of India
This 26-metre basalt arch on the Apollo Bunder waterfront was completed in 1924 to commemorate the 1911 landing of King George V and Queen Mary. It faces the harbour beside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and ferries to Elephanta and Alibaug leave from the jetties below.
Come early in the morning for photographs without crowds, or at dusk when the arch and the Taj are lit up.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- After dark
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Beach · Juhu
2.Juhu Beach
Mumbai's best-known beach is a long stretch of sand in the western suburbs, busiest in the evenings when families come for sunsets, kite flying and street food such as pav bhaji, bhel puri and kulfi from the stalls at its northern end.
Come for sunset and street food rather than swimming; the sea is polluted and currents can be strong.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Food
- After dark
Beach · Churchgate and Marine Drive
3.Girgaon Chowpatty
The sandy beach at the northern end of Marine Drive is famous for its bhel puri and pav bhaji stalls, and for the huge crowds that immerse Ganesh idols in the sea at the end of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Visit in the evening after a sunset walk on Marine Drive and eat at a busy stall.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Museum · Byculla
4.Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Byculla Zoo
Mumbai's oldest museum, founded in 1855 and restored to its ornate Victorian interiors, tells the city's history through models, dioramas and decorative arts. It stands in the Jijamata Udyan botanical garden, home to the city zoo and its Humboldt penguin enclosure.
Visit the museum first, then let children see the penguins in the air-conditioned enclosure in the zoo.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Experience · Goregaon
5.Bollywood studio tour
Guided tours of Film City (Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari) in Goregaon show sets, studios and, with luck, a shoot in progress, with explanations of how Hindi-language cinema is made.
Book through the official Film City tour or an established operator, and set aside half a day for the travel to Goregaon.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Churchgate and Marine Drive
6.Marine Drive
A curving 3.6-km seafront boulevard around Back Bay, lined with Art Deco apartment buildings, from Nariman Point to Girgaon Chowpatty. At night its street lights form the 'Queen's Necklace', and the sea wall fills with walkers, joggers and couples at sunset.
Walk from Nariman Point to Chowpatty around sunset and finish with bhel puri on the beach; view the necklace from Malabar Hill after dark.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Views
Rainy-day ideas
- Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Byculla Zoo — Visit the museum first, then let children see the penguins in the air-conditioned enclosure in the zoo.
- Bollywood studio tour — Book through the official Film City tour or an established operator, and set aside half a day for the travel to Goregaon.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for families, beach and luxury
Juhu
Juhu has a long beach where families gather in the evenings for pav bhaji and bhel puri, upscale beach hotels, the ISKCON temple and Prithvi Theatre. It is about 20–30 minutes from the airport and a good base for families and business travellers in the western suburbs.
- Good
- Close to the airport; Beach for evening walks; Good hotels
- Watch out
- Sea not suitable for swimming; An hour or more from South Mumbai sights
- Nearby
- Juhu Beach, Prithvi Theatre, ISKCON Juhu
Family travel tips
- Avoid local trains at rush hour with children; use taxis or ride-hailing instead.
- Plan outdoor sightseeing for early morning and evening, and use museums in the afternoon heat.
- City beaches are for walking and snacks, not swimming; take children to Alibaug for cleaner sand.
- Carry bottled water, hand sanitiser and snacks, and stick to freshly cooked food for young children.
- Elephanta involves a ferry and about 120 steps; a palanquin service operates for those who need it.
Day trips for families
- Lonavala and Karla Caves (About 2–2.5 hours by road or train) — A hill station in the Western Ghats known for monsoon waterfalls, viewpoints such as Tiger Point and chikki, a nut brittle sold in every shop.
- Alibaug (About 1.5 hours by ferry and bus) — A coastal town across the harbour with beaches such as Kihim and Varsoli, weekend villas and Kolaba Fort, reachable on foot across the sand at low tide.
- Matheran (About 2.5–3 hours by road and toy train) — A car-free hill station on a Western Ghats plateau, reached by a narrow-gauge toy train from Neral that opened in 1907.
When to go with children
The best months overall are November–February. December is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Mumbai good for kids?
Mumbai is busy and hot, but children enjoy beach evenings at Juhu and Chowpatty, ferry rides from the Gateway, the penguins at Byculla zoo and a Bollywood studio tour. Plan days around one area to limit time in traffic.
+What can kids do in Mumbai?
Gateway of India, Juhu Beach, Girgaon Chowpatty, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Byculla Zoo and Bollywood studio tour.
+Where should families stay in Mumbai?
Juhu: Beachfront suburb of hotels, film-star bungalows and evening snack stalls.