# Getting from Mumbai airport into the city

Metro Line 3, the Aqua Line, is the way into south Mumbai: about 45 minutes from Terminal 2 to Churchgate, underground and clear of the traffic. For Juhu Beach and Bandra a taxi or app cab is quicker, and after the last train it's the only way back.

- Web page: https://mumbailayover.com/getting-to-the-city/
- Guide: [Mumbai Layover](https://mumbailayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), part of City Layover
- Updated 10 November 2026; facts checked 8 November 2026

## What's the best way from Mumbai airport into the city?

For Marine Drive, the Gateway of India and the museum, take Metro Line 3 from Terminal 2: about 45 minutes to Churchgate for about ₹40 to ₹50, with trains about every 4.5 minutes at weekday rush hours. For Juhu Beach or Bandra, take a taxi or app cab, about 40 to 45 minutes by our estimate. Allow 90 minutes from landing to the train, and leave Churchgate 2 hours 45 minutes before your flight.

## At a glance

- **Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line)**: About 45 min to Churchgate, about ₹40 to ₹50; about every 4.5 min at weekday peaks
- **Taxi or app cab**: About 40 min to Juhu, 75 to south Mumbai (our estimates); metered or in-app
- **Last Metro back**: About 10:34pm from Churchgate (our reckoning); check it at weekends
- **Left luggage**: Terminal 2, Level 1 east (P4), after customs; prices not published
- **Be back**: 90 minutes before departure; leave Churchgate 2 hours 45 minutes before

## Getting through the border

Before any train, you pass Indian immigration and customs. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) publishes no arrival queue times, so plan on 90 minutes from landing to sitting on the Metro: our allowance for the immigration desks, the baggage hall if your bags stop in Mumbai, customs, and the walk and security check at the station.

- **Before you land.** Have your e-Visa approved and the free e-Arrival card done online: [visa and transit rules](https://mumbailayover.com/visa-and-transit/).
- **The desks.** No paid fast-track lane is advertised for foreign passports, so queue at the immigration desks with your passport, visa and e-Arrival card ready.
- **Bags.** If your bags are checked through to your final destination, you leave with only your hand luggage. On separate tickets, or if your airline can't keep them checked through while you're out, collect them at the belt and leave them at [left luggage](https://mumbailayover.com/getting-to-the-city/#bags-and-terminals) before heading into town.
- **A slow queue** costs you time in town, not your flight: the time you must head back doesn't change.

## The options at a glance

| | Metro Line 3 | Taxi | Uber, Ola or Rapido |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| To | Churchgate, CSMT and Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai, and stations on the way | Anywhere | Anywhere |
| Time | About 45 minutes to Churchgate | About 40 minutes to Juhu, 45 to Bandra, 75 to south Mumbai in daytime traffic (our estimates) | As a taxi |
| Single fare | ₹10 to ₹70 by distance; about ₹40 to ₹50 to south Mumbai | On the meter | Shown in the app |
| Pay with | QR ticket from a counter or machine, or an NCMC card | The driver, by the meter | The app |

## Metro Line 3: the way into south Mumbai

- **Finding it.** After customs, follow the signs for the Metro. A covered footbridge of about 100 metres runs from the terminal to the lifts of the station, CSMI Airport T2, beside the P5 entrance, and you can push an airport trolley along it.
- **The route.** Take a train from platform 1, towards Cuffe Parade. It runs under the city by way of Bandra-Kurla Complex, Dadar and Worli to CSMT, Churchgate and Cuffe Parade. Churchgate, about 45 minutes from the airport, is a 5-minute walk from Marine Drive and about 15 minutes by taxi from the Gateway of India. MMRCL doesn't publish journey times between stations: ours come from its 54 minutes end to end.
- **How often.** At the weekday rush hours a train comes about every 4.5 minutes. At quieter times, and at weekends, when the line runs a separate timetable, the gaps aren't published: allow about 10 minutes on the platform, as the times on this page do.
- **Tickets.** Buy a paper QR ticket at the counter or a ticket machine in the station; NCMC cards also work at the gates. Fares go by distance, from ₹10 to ₹70: about ₹40 to ₹50 into south Mumbai, by our reckoning from the distance bands, and the machine shows the exact fare. Whether the machines take foreign cards isn't published, so carry some rupees.
- **Bags.** Bags up to 25 kg and 80 by 50 by 30 cm ride free. A heavier bag, up to 32 kg, costs the price of an extra ticket.
- **First and last trains.** The published hours are the same all week:

| | Time |
| --- | --- |
| First train from the airport into town | About 6:03am (the first leaves Aarey JVLR, four stops before the airport, at 5:55am) |
| Last train back from Cuffe Parade | 10:30pm |
| Last train back from Churchgate | About 10:34pm |
| Last train back from CSMT | About 10:38pm |

The times at Terminal 2, Churchgate and CSMT are our reckoning from the two ends of the line, so be on the platform a few minutes early. Weekends and public holidays can run to a different timetable: if you're counting on the last train on one of those days, ask at the ticket counter when you arrive in town.

Few layovers need the last train. You leave Churchgate 2 hours 45 minutes before your flight, so it matters only for a flight after about 1:20am. Missed it? Take a taxi or app cab: allow 75 minutes from south Mumbai, less on empty roads at night.

## Taxis and ride-hailing

- **Where.** On the arrivals side of Terminal 2: metered black-and-yellow taxis and Cool Cabs at P4, Ola and Rapido at P5, and Uber at P6. Auto-rickshaws wait too, but they only work the suburbs, no further south than Bandra and Sion, so they can't take you to south Mumbai. Book at the official pickup or in the app, not with drivers who approach you in the hall.
- **Time.** Allow about 40 minutes to Juhu Beach, 45 to Bandra Bandstand, and 75 to the Gateway of India or Colaba in daytime traffic. These are our estimates: nobody publishes Mumbai's road times, and on clear early-morning roads the Gateway is nearer 45 minutes.
- **Fare.** No official fare list is published. Taxis charge by the meter, and Uber, Ola and Rapido show the price before you book.

**When a taxi is worth it.** For Juhu Beach and Bandra, which the Metro doesn't reach; with children, a group or heavy bags; and after the last train. For south Mumbai by day, the Metro avoids the traffic, which matters most on the way back.

## Private transfers

A pre-booked car, with a driver waiting in arrivals at a price fixed in advance, costs more than a metered taxi but saves the search for one. It's worth it with heavy bags or a group, or for a late return from south Mumbai when you'd rather not find a cab on the street.

## Bags and terminals

- **Left luggage.** One counter, in Terminal 2 on Level 1, east side, at the P4 ground transport area. It's after customs, so it's for travellers with a visa, and it keeps bags for up to three months. Its prices and hours aren't published: call +91 96190 20490 to check before you rely on it.
- **Terminal 1.** Some domestic flights leave from Terminal 1. A free airport coach links the terminals, from Level 1 (P4) at Terminal 2, and the Metro stops at Terminal 1 too, two stops on from Terminal 2.

## Flying from Navi Mumbai (NMI) instead

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) took its first passengers on 25 December 2025, and some airlines are moving flights there from Mumbai (BOM). Air India Express begins with four domestic flights a day in December 2026 and moves its Gulf routes in stages through 2027; IndiGo moves its flights to the Gulf, Dhaka and Jakarta from February 2027, with domestic flights to connect with them. Not every date is fixed yet, so check again close to travel. If either of your flights uses NMI, this guide's timings don't apply: changing between the two airports isn't a transit, so you pass immigration and need a visa, and nobody publishes a transfer time between them. Check the airport code of both flights.

## Timing your return

Aim to walk into Terminal 2 90 minutes before departure, carrying your passport and onward boarding pass. If you already have the boarding pass and only hand luggage, those 90 minutes cover departure immigration and the security check. On separate tickets or with a bag to drop, come back sooner: Air India's international counters close 60 minutes before departure. The airport's advice to arrive 4 hours early is for check-in.

**The terminal door.** Guards at the entrance check your ticket or boarding pass and your ID, so keep both on you, not in a bag. Mumbai doesn't publish how early you can go in, so don't plan on resting inside the terminal long before your flight; the left-luggage counter and Niranta's landside rooms are on the arrivals side.

In practice, leave Churchgate station 2 hours 45 minutes before your flight, or Juhu Beach by taxi 2 hours 10 minutes before.

| Layover | Time in Mumbai |
| --- | --- |
| 5.5 hours | About 1 hour, at Juhu Beach by taxi |
| 6 hours | About 1.5 hours, by taxi |
| 7 hours | About 2 hours, by Metro |
| 8 hours | About 3 hours |
| 10 hours | About 5 hours |
| 12 hours | About 7 hours |

Each row allows 90 minutes from the plane to the train or taxi and 90 minutes at the airport at the end, as in [the itineraries](https://mumbailayover.com/itineraries/). At 5.5 and 6 hours it assumes a taxi to Juhu Beach, 40 minutes each way; from 7 hours, the Metro to Churchgate, 55 minutes in with the wait for a train and 75 back to the terminal.

## Questions people ask

### Which is better into Mumbai, the Metro or a taxi?

The Metro for south Mumbai: about 45 minutes from Terminal 2 to Churchgate for about ₹40 to ₹50, under the traffic, and the dependable way back. For Juhu Beach or Bandra, which the Metro doesn't reach, a taxi or app cab is better: about 40 to 45 minutes by our estimate. After the last train, about 10:34pm from Churchgate, a taxi is the only way back.

### How long does it take to get out of Mumbai airport after landing?

Plan on 90 minutes from landing to sitting on the Metro. Mumbai publishes no arrival queue times, so that's our allowance for immigration, customs and the walk to the station. Have your e-Visa approved and the free e-Arrival card done before you land. If it takes longer, you'll have less time in town, but the time you must head back doesn't change.

### How do I pay for the Metro in Mumbai?

Buy a QR ticket at the counter or a ticket machine in the station at Terminal 2: fares go by distance, from ₹10 to ₹70, about ₹40 to ₹50 into south Mumbai. NCMC cards also work at the gates. Whether the machines take foreign cards isn't published, so carry some rupees.

### How much is a taxi from Mumbai airport to the Gateway of India?

No official fare is published. Metered taxis from P4 at Terminal 2 charge by the meter, and Uber, Ola and Rapido show the price in the app before you book. Allow about 75 minutes each way in daytime traffic, our estimate; by day, the Metro to Churchgate and a 15-minute taxi is more predictable.

### How early should I be back at Mumbai airport?

90 minutes before departure, with your boarding pass and passport. Leave Churchgate station 2 hours 45 minutes before your flight, or Juhu Beach by taxi 2 hours 10 minutes before. The airport's advice to arrive 4 hours early is for check-in, and guards check your ticket and ID at the terminal door.

## Sources (checked 8 November 2026)

- [MMRCL: Mumbai Metro Line 3, first and last trains (last trains for November 2026, checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/)
- [MMRCL: Line 3 stations (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/line-details)
- [MMRCL: CSMI Airport T2 station (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/station/CSIA)
- [MMRCL: FAQs, train hours (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/passenger/pages/faqs-about-trains)
- [MMRCL: FAQs, luggage (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/passenger/pages/faqs-about-rules)
- [MMRC on X: 337 weekday trips and the peak-hour gap from 2 November 2026 (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://x.com/MumbaiMetro3/status/2117548277835137135)
- [MMRCL: FAQs, tickets (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/passenger/pages/faqs-about-product)
- [MMRCL: NCMC card on Line 3 (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://mmrcl.com/ncmc-on-mumbai-metro-line-3)
- [Mint, reporting MMRC: Line 3 opening, fares, timings and journey time (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/mumbai-metro-line-3-inaugurated-check-stations-fares-timings-and-other-details-11759924342142.html)
- [MMRC: the footbridge from Terminal 2 to the Metro, trolleys allowed (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/mmrcmumbai/posts/%EF%B8%8F-even-more-convenience-for-flyerstrolley-movement-is-now-allowed-along-the-dire/1162612052567453/)
- [The Times of India, quoting MMRCL: the footbridge from T2 to the Metro (16 Aug 2025)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/now-100-metre-fob-connects-mumbai-metro-3-with-chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-international-airport-terminal-2/articleshow/123335414.cms)
- [Mumbai airport: transport, taxis, buses and Metro (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://csmia-mumbai.adaniairports.com/en/airport-facilities/transport)
- [Mumbai airport: departure guide (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://csmia-mumbai.adaniairports.com/en/passenger-guide/departure-guide)
- [Mumbai airport: frequently asked questions (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://csmia-mumbai.adaniairports.com/en/frequently-asked-questions)
- [Mumbai airport: left luggage (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://csmia-mumbai.adaniairports.com/en/airport-services/left-luggage-facility)
- [Government of India: e-Arrival card (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/)
- [Air India: international check-in (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.airindia.com/in/en/experience/airport/international-checkin.html)
- [Adani Airports: Navi Mumbai's first passengers, 25 December 2025 (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.adani.com/newsroom/media-releases/chairman-gautam-adani-welcomes-first-passengers-as-navi-mumbai-international-airport-takes-flight)
- [Adani Airports: IndiGo's move of international departures to Navi Mumbai (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.adani.com/newsroom/media-releases/indigo-and-adani-airports-announce-phased-expansion-of-international-flight-operations)
- [Air India Group: Air India Express transition to Navi Mumbai (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.airindia.com/in/en/newsroom/press-release/air-india-group-adani-airports-navi-mumbai-transition.html)