Visit Marine Drive(Sonapur) in Mumbai: Tourist Experience, Places to Visit Nearby, How to Reach Marine Drive (2024)
Marine Drive is one of the most popular destinations in Mumbai. It is the go-to place for anyone looking for a respite from the speed of the city. Popularly known as the Marine Drive Promenade, it is almost a three-kilometer stretch that one can stroll. If you plan to take this iconic stroll, read on to know what to expect.
The Marine Drive Name
The Marine Drive Promenade is at Marine Drive, Mumbai. The destination is popular, and you will see people from all walks of life at the Promenade. You can go there at any time of the day.
While the name Marine Drive is popular in Mumbai today, the name of the area is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Lane, and the name of the region is Sonapur.
Some also call it the Queen’s Necklace. Back in the day, this was the only road in Mumbai that had heavy traffic. So, if one sees this place from an elevated point, it looks like a valuable necklace, as the promenade is C shaped.
The Marine Drive Experience
Marine Drive is a must-visit destination in Mumbai and finds itself in several Bollywood movies as well. It is one of the few public places in Mumbai that inspire directors to set a scene of their movies. Some movie directors also do cheat-shoots to add the place to their screenplay, but they cannot shoot there because they either didn’t get the permission, or they didn’t have resources to handle the crowd.
At Marine Drive, you will see joggers completing their morning routine of jogging. You will see students and professionals taking a brief respite before going to their humdrum life, or even after a hard day’s work. Sometimes, you will see entire families come out here for a small picnic. The entry to the Promenade is free, so it makes for a budget outing for families as well.
People come here not just for the walking experience that it offers. Marine drive in Mumbai is one of the few places that gives you a fantastic sunset view as well.
Marine Drive or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Lane is one of the few spots in Mumbai that allow you to go to the sea. You will see many people sitting on the tetrapods, triangle-shaped objects that are meant to save the construction from the lashes of the sea. You will need to be a bit careful if you wish to go the tetrapods, as the area is not maintained very well, and you might end up slipping on the rocks.
The Marine Drive is a slice of Urban India, and you cannot stay away from the lip-smacking food outlets that line the area. The outlets sell famous Mumbai dishes and finger-food, making it a great outing for the entire family and groups, as well as couples looking to find out more about the city.
Nowadays, you will also see young and amateur photographers visit Marine Drive for photo-sessions with their friends.
The most interesting part about Marine Drive is that it is a completely different picture in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, it is a place full of zest that is home to the morning joggers. In the evening, Marine Drive is a happening destination for an entire population that is looking for some thrill and urban crawling. In the early mornings, do not be surprised if you see some celebrity going along their morning walks.
Marine Drive area is one of the most expensive places to live in the world, so only the rich and the famous reside here – and Marine Drive is a local attraction for them as well.
Towards the north end of the Marine Drive is the Chowpatty Beach, which is a haven for anyone looking for the beach experience in Mumbai.
Places to Visit Near Marine Drive
You can spend around an hour or two at Marine Drive, but you will not be able to spend the whole day unless you plan to gorge on all the delicious food that is available there. But you do not need to lose your cheerfulness, as there is a lot to do in and around Marine Drive.
Around an 11-minute drive will bring you to the Gateway of India, another must-visit urban tourism spot in Mumbai. You get an excellent view of Churchgate, allowing you to spend some time taking in the calmness and serenity.
If you take a jetty ride, you get an unmissable view of leaving the Mumbai city, only to return to it within a matter of hours. Like Marine Drive, Gateway of India also has several food stalls that you can dig in to. You will also see several photographers that give you a quick memory of your visit in the form of photographs.
Marine Drive is an 8-minute drive to the Churchgate Station as well, one of the most well-kept stations in Mumbai. Even if you do not want to travel anywhere, the five rupees ticket allows you entry on the platform, and to view the magnificent architecture of the walls. Standing at a distance and taking in the busy view of this platform is a surreal experience as well.
Another 10 minutes, and you will reach Hanging Gardens, another old and iconic destination in Mumbai. Though the official name of this place is Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, a visit to his place will tell you why people call it the Hanging Gardens.
How to Reach Marine Drive?
Marine Drive is in Churchgate, a station in Mumbai that is connected well. From the Churchgate station, you can take a cab that will drive you to Marine Drive. Several buses ply to Marine Drive from all over Mumbai as well. There might be some connecting routes, you might need to change buses at bus-stops. So, the easiest and cheapest way to reach Marine Drive is to take a train to Churchgate station and then hire a cab.
