India's Konkan Coast, Goa and Mumbai: A Complete 2026 Guide
Browse more guides: India travel | Asia destinations India's Konkan Coast, Goa and Mumbai: A Complete 2026 Guide TL;DR I have spent more time on India's western coast than almost any other stretch of the country, and the Konkan ribbon from Mumbai down through Maharashtra into Goa is the trip I recommend most to first-time visitors who want history, beaches, food and a working megacity in one route. Mumbai is India's financial capital with roughly 22 million people, the Gateway of India arch from 1924, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel from 1903 across the road, Marine Drive curving along the Arabian Sea, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004. A short ferry ride away, Elephanta Caves on Gharapuri Island earned UNESCO status in 1987 for their rock-cut Shiva temples. South of Mumbai, Pune holds the Aga Khan Palace where Mahatma Gandhi was interned, plus Shaniwar Wada and Sinhagad Fort. Lonavala-Khandala hill stations sit on the Sahyadri escarp...