The Gateway of India was completed in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911 — though the arch was not finished in time for their actual visit. It stands on Apollo Bunder facing Mumbai Harbour, and in February 1948 the last British troops left India by ship from this exact point. Today ferries to Elephanta Island depart from the piers adjacent to the Gateway, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel faces it from across the forecourt.

Colaba: the obvious base and genuinely the right choice

Colaba is the southernmost tip of the Mumbai peninsula, and the Gateway of India sits at its waterfront. Hotels here range from the legendary Taj Mahal Palace (facing the Gateway directly, opened 1903) to mid-range and budget options on Colaba Causeway — the main commercial street running south from the Gateway.

Colaba has more interest per square kilometre than almost any neighbourhood in any Indian city. The Causeway has independent bookshops, fabric vendors, street food stalls and the kind of layered commercial activity that defines Mumbai. Leopolds Café — a fixture since 1871, bombed in the 2008 terrorist attacks and reopened four weeks later — is a short walk. Colaba is not calm or quiet, but it is alive in a way that few urban neighbourhoods are.

The ferry to Elephanta Caves — the UNESCO World Heritage cave temples dedicated to Shiva, carved into basalt between the 5th and 8th centuries AD — departs from Gateway of India piers. The crossing takes approximately one hour each way; ferries run roughly every hour from 9am. Allow four hours in total including the climb to the caves. From a Colaba hotel you can walk to the ferry in ten minutes.

Fort: financial and heritage Mumbai, fifteen minutes north

Fort is the area around Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) and the old colonial commercial quarter. Walking here from Colaba takes 15-20 minutes through streets lined with Victorian Gothic architecture — the High Court, the University of Mumbai and several municipal buildings form one of the most coherent Victorian-era streetscapes outside Britain.

Hotels in Fort are more business-focused — this is the financial district. Rates are competitive and transport connections (including the local suburban rail at CSMT) are excellent. For visitors who want to combine tourist Mumbai with business meetings, Fort makes sense. For pure leisure visits, Colaba has more character.

Marine Lines: calmer, quieter, seafront

Marine Lines runs along the western shore of the peninsula, facing the Arabian Sea. The Marine Drive promenade (the "Queen's Necklace" when lit at night) stretches north to Chowpatty Beach. Hotels here are quieter and more residential in character than Colaba. The Gateway of India is 20-25 minutes south by taxi.

For visitors who want sea views and a calmer base — while still being close to central Mumbai — Marine Lines and the Churchgate area offer a reasonable alternative to the intensity of Colaba.

The Elephanta Caves: plan the day properly

The caves on Elephanta Island are open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5:30pm. The main cave (Cave 1) has a 6-metre trimurti (three-headed Shiva) that is one of the finest pieces of rock-cut sculpture in India. Arrive on the first or second ferry to have the caves largely to yourself before tour groups from the cruise ships arrive mid-morning. Wear shoes you can climb in — the path from the landing to the caves involves 120 steps.

Browse hotels near the Gateway of India on TripSage, or see all Mumbai hotels with full pre-arrival briefings.