Walking tour in Mumbai about its Gothic & Art Deco buildings

3 hours of time travel

This was an outstanding way of exploring the heritage of Mumbai. Our guide Pankaj was brilliant and brought alive the 200 years of colonial period. We saw great buildings in Gothic and Art Deco style. Nowhere else have I seen such a variety in architecture styles. An excellent way of spending 3 hours in Mumbai.

Great guide and walking tour

We loved our walking tour with Pankaj who was a generous, well informed and interesting guide to Mumbai. We covered all the main sights and gained insights into life in Mumbai. Pankaj happily and generously answered our questions about Mumbai’s history, culture, politics and life in Mumbai, which added to our visit enormously . Thank you so much -a great tour

Great Tour

My spouse and I took the walking tour the morning of January 8. The Brits are acknowledged to have bequeathed to India a working government, a developed educational system, and infrastructure(in particular a well-functioning railway system. To these should be added a legacy of architecture that to this day is capable of inspiring awe. This tour reveals some wonderful examples by focusing on significant, mostly Gothic-style architecture of the Raj originating from the 19th Century, and some samples of Art Deco design that remarkably survive in significant numbers from the early 20th Century. Our excellent and very knowledgeable guide, Pankaj from Five Senses Tours, skillfully steered us through the busy maze of Fort Bombay, where some of the best examples of both of these styles are concentrated in a relatively compact area of the huge megalopolis that is now Mumbai. Our walking tour began at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, one of two railway terminals in South Mumbai. Despite its indigenous-sounding name – a result of the wave of Hindu nationalism that has engulfed India in the last decades -- the terminal is neo-Gothic, albeit with selective doses of Indo-Saracenic ornamentation, and was originally conceived of, wrought as, and named Victoria Terminus. Still known by many Mumbaikars as “V.T.”, this at first viewing, looks to be something that might never have been allowed off the charette except in some faraway land where the locals were powerless to prevent its being built. In fact, though, V.T. and the other examples of Raj architecture that today coexist with South Mumbai’s skyscrapers were built with – and arguably could not have been built without -- the funds, craftsmanship and civic support contributed by many prominent Indian citizens of Bombay (who may or may not have had design approval). V.T is just one of numerous wonderful sites along this tour, and the visit offers the included opportunity to ride a commuter train from the Terminus to the first station up the line (Masjid Bundar, I think). One thing to bear in mind is that Mumbai is in the process of building a new subway system, one length of which Is under construction on and under the section of Dadabhoy Naoroji Road running from V.T. southward, which contains many of most impressive specimens of British Gothic in Mumbai. Because of the construction, the only real way to see these great structures from the ground is to walk the unprotected length of this section of D. N. road sharing what remains of the pavement with southbound automobile traffic. This is a take-your-life-in your-hands proposition that I don’t recommend without first putting in at least a few hours of practice navigating Mumbai’s streets on foot first. Through industry and enterprise, our intrepid guide was also able to get us into the interior courtyard of St. Xavier’s College and a portion of the Bombay High Court, both wonderful British Gothic structures that he told us are normally off-limits for tourists. The complete list of all the sites on this tour, including the Art Deco structures that I haven’t gotten into here, is laid out in the tour company’s website. Note that the Eros Cinema in the Church Gate neighborhood, included on the itinerary, has been closed for a number of years, but the view from the street affords an excellent example of the use of bamboo scaffolding for construction. All in all, it’s a very fine tour conducted by a knowledgeable guide in a fascinating locale.

Mumbai architecture walk

The architecture and heritage walk in Mumbai by Pankaj was an amazing experience. We saw incredible buildings and Pankaj brought them alive with fascinating stories. This walk is a great way to learn about Mumbai and it's heritage. Very highly recommended.

Fascinating day out in Mumbai

It was a very enjoyable walk with pankaj. He told us fascinating stories about the various Gothic and Art deco buildings we visited. The CST station was magnificent and pankaj even took us on a short train ride. It was lovely to ride along like a local. I learnt so much about india today. Highly recommended

Excellent way to tour Mumbai

I had half a day free on Mumbai and signed up for the Art Deco and Gothic story of Mumbai. It sounded interesting and eventually turned out to be an excellent one. Over 3 hours Pankaj brought alive the history and heritage of Mumbai through colonial times to the modern Mumbai. The buildings were incredibly beautiful and the story telling very engaging. After having done this, I feel this is the best way to understand a city better. Would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to tour Mumbai.

Lovely walking tour

Sharan is a very respectful & helpful guide. It is obvious he is knowledgeable & passionate about what he does. We enjoyed our time with in his company.

One of the best Tours in Mumbai

My tour guide was very knowledgeable. He not only showed me the deco/goth buildings, but also explained the historical and political context behind the buildings. I was able to learn so much more than just the architecture but also what makes India such a unique and beautiful country before and after the independence. Panjak was truly the best tour guide !

Great walk

Got a chance to marvel at the wonderful architecture in Mumbai. Pankaj, my guide, was an excellent host, providing context for the historical development of Mumbai, recommendations for shops and restaurants. I was particularly pleased at how flexible the tour was. I unknowingly scheduled it for the day of the Mumbai marathon, whose course intersected at various places with the walking tour. Pankaj adapted on the go, and we managed to get everything done.

Fantastic walk in Mumbai

This is an architecture walk in Mumbai and Sharan was our guide. It was a lovely way to experience the colourful past of the city. Sharan did a brilliant job of telling us fascinating stories behind these great world heritage sites. The walk lasted 3 hours and was one of the most enjoyable days in India for me! The lunch was local Mumbai cuisine and memorable I would strongly recommend this walk if you have a morning free.

Mumbai architecture walk

The story of Mumbai is a interesting walk unlike the usual sight seeing tours. Our guide met us at Victoria terminus and we walked past magnificent gothic and art Deco architecture style buildings. We were told the story of each of these buildings and how Mumbai became such a large city over time. We saw the real beauty of gothic architecture at the Victoria terminus, high court and the big Ben of mumbai. The art deco buildings were a surprise and we loved the cinema halls like eros and regal. We saw some residences also built in art deco. The stories were enthralling and this walk is a fantastic way to learn about the fascinating past of mumbai and how it has reached where it is today.

Outstanding walking tour of Mumbai

The story of Mumbai was easily one of the best walking tour we have ever done anywhere in the world. Madhu was phenomenal in his insights and we had so much fun in just over 3 hours. The perspective we got about gothic and art deco style of architecture, Mumbai history and life in India in general will remain with us for a lifetime. Don't miss this amazing walk.

Mumbai architecture walk

The walk starts at Victoria terminus the grand railway station. I was told it's the grandest gothic structure in India and I agree. The sculptures, gargoyles and stain glass windows are all adding to the magic. Our guide next took us to Eros a theatre built in Art Deco style. He was very knowledgeable and by the end of the tour we feel now we can recognise a gothic and art deco style building! The conversation was great as we also saw high court, Mumbai's Big Ben, and india's last standing cast iron building, the Watson hotel. Highly recommended tour to get a quick experience of Mumbai's history, heritage and culture.

Sparkling walk

The story of Mumbai is an awesome walking tour and one of the best heritage walks I have ever done. Not only did Madhu explain about the architectural details but he also brought out the soul of each building. So much passion and knowledge. You have to do this to experience what I am saying! CST is as beautiful as the Taj. The Art deco residences of erstwhile merchants were equally enthralling. I would say go and do this.

Fantastic heritage and architecture walk

This was one of the best 3 hours of my life! Madhu is an unbelievable guy. He is full of energy and an ocean of knowledge. We saw a clutch of both Gothic and Art Deco building over 3 hours which just whizzed past. I learn so much not just about the buildings but the stories behind and the making of Mumbai. The highlight was the Victoria Terminus, the grandest Gothic building in India. We also saw the hotel to which Jamshetji Tata was denied entry and which spurred him to build the Taj Mahal hotel! This is a magnificent tour for anyone looking to learn more about Mumbai thorough its buidings.

Incredible heritage walk in Mumbai

Madhu is an incredible guide and we thoroughly enjoyed the gothic and art deco tour. He told us fascinating stories about each building and how Mumbai became a mega metropolis. The pace was perfect and the overall experience was the highlight of my stay in Mumbai

Sunday Morning Stroll

We really enjoyed our Sunday morning architectural tour with Madhu. The city was as peaceful as we had seen it, but crossing the streets was just as lively and adventurous as usual. Madhu was an expert guide. He walked us to the sights at our own pace and pointed out minute details in the buildings as well as explaining the history of the city through the context of architecture. It may seem like a small detail, but our meeting point of McDonald’s across the street from Victoria Station gave us the comfort of a known landmark that we were confident a taxi driver would be familiar with. Madhu was right on time and helped us to pick up a fairly priced Uber at the end of the tour. We will definitely consider 5 senses for our next trip to India. Thank you!

Enchanting walk in Mumbai

The architecture walk in Mumbai is a fun way to learn the history and culture of Mumbai. Even though this was our first visit to Mumbai or India, Madhu made the tour so enriching that we left the tour knowing quite a bit about the city and this vast country. He was extremely knowledgeable, affable, passionate and going the extra mile to ensure we had a great walk. The Gothic and art deco both sets of buildings were equally fascinating and it was one of the best guided walks I have ever done anywhere in the world. Go ahead and do this for 3hrs of enchantment.

Mumbai tours

This was a great way to know about Mumbai. We started at Victoria terminus and ended at gateway of India and saw scores of gothic and art deco buildings. We learned the tricks of how to recognise it its a gothic or art deco building. A great way to spend the morning

Lovely architecture walk

Madhu was a fantastic guide for this Gothic and Art Deco architecture walk in Mumbai. We visited magnificent buildings from the previous century and listened to the story behind each or them. What also saw the notorious Watson hotel which practiced apartheid and turned away Tata who responded with the Taj Mahal hotel! Fascinating stories make this walk the best way to explore Mumbai