Walk this way: Themed tours in Mumbai and beyond
Editor’s note: We’ve all done the odd heritage walk in a historic city, often meant for tourists only. Let’s admit it: after a point, they can get boring and repetitive. These upgraded walking tours, curated by the splainer team, are less generic and far more entertaining, centred on specific themes. The best part: even locals will have plenty to discover!
Mumbai Overstory by Sananda Mukhopadhyaya: The walks take their name from Richard Powers' 2018 book—‘The Overstory’—about life experiences with trees. A performer and dancer by trade, Sananda grew up around Trombay’s trees and closely watched them wax and wane with the seasons. As a result, the avenue trees that line Mumbai’s footpaths feature as vibrant characters in her story. She refers to them in the first person, animating their attributes like that of a childhood friend.
From the rosy trumpets or the common Raintree to the yellow flowering copper pods and the mystical Cannonball tree, Sananda shares nuggets of information and stories. Then there’s the chhatim or Devil’s tree, which signals the arrival of winter with its spicy, heavy scent. This tree is a clear favourite for Sananda, as she introduces it via an endearing personal tale that originates in Shantiniketan.
The walks are for everyone, young and old, and will make you want to stop and look up at the trees for long after. She conducts them in Bandra, Mahim, Fort, and any neighbourhood with a walking path and an interesting cross-section of trees.
Postcards from Colaba by Vikram Phukan: Part walking tour, part performance, part treasure hunt—‘Postcards from Colaba’ is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Directed by theatremaker and critic Vikram Phukan, it traces Mumbai’s queer history—with the neighbourhood of Colaba as the focal point. It’s a fascinating piece written in verse and tells you stories of film personalities, theatremakers, and stuntwomen.
You are urged to bring a set of earphones, because every stop on the walk is a mix of live storytelling and archival audio recordings—shared with you on a WhatsApp group. Actors double up as guides, and the characters from the historical tales come alive right in front of you.
A staging of ‘Salome’ at the NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art), the screening of the first ever queer film at the Regal Theatre, the tales of Fearless Nadia, Colaba’s iconic dive bars, and the troubling history of Bandstand Cooperage—all form a part of this walking performance.
Unlike other themed walks, ‘Postcards from Colaba’ doesn’t merely educate or inform but immerses you in a bygone era. By the time the 90 minutes are up, you’re left with unforgettable imagery, punctuated with music, with the Gateway of India as the perfect backdrop.
Film walks by Eshan Sharma: Beyond places of interest in the city, some walking tours let you view the sights through a different lens, in this case, Karwaan Heritage’s film walks, led by historian and film enthusiast Eshan Sharma, fall in the second category.
Prachi attended one titled ‘Basu Da’s Bombay,’ a three-and-a-half-hour walking tour of the Fort area that is a throwback to the life and times of filmmaker Basu Chatterjee. From rainy day anthem ‘Rimjhim Gire Saawan’ to middle-class romance ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, not only does Sharma keenly pinpoint the filming locations but he also provides helpful context into the socio-political angle of the parallel cinema movement.
After this initial experiment, Sharma has expanded his offerings to include other film walks. A recent one called ‘All We Imagine as Bombay’ had filmmaker Payal Kapadia lead fans through Lower Parel’s mills and chawls, which feature extensively in her Grand Prix-winning film ‘All We Imagine As Light’.
Next up: a walk with filmmaker Ritesh Batra who promises to take you through the Bombay of his film ‘The Lunchbox’.
Type Walks by Tanya George: There are few who understand our assignment better than type designer Tanya George. Her social media is a veritable treasure trove of Mumbai’s typeface history. From the Art Deco accents on the housing complexes along Marine Drive to the creative titles of business establishments in the Fort area.
Fortunately, she doesn’t just restrict her wealth of knowledge and minute observations to Instagram—her Type Walks take place across different neighborhoods and can sometimes be confined to a single building. Prachi loved the ‘Dead Letters Walk’— a cool deep dive on gravestone and plaque lettering, set at Fort’s St Thomas Church.
But if that’s too intensely nerdy, George’s other walks are out on the streets and sometimes end with a hearty breakfast—in collaboration with Mahim-based Maska Bakery.
As for the rest…
- Lodi Art District by Unfold Delhi: Heritage walks are a dime a dozen in New Delhi. Unfortunately, the standard of most is about as shoddy as the ASI’s restoration works—save for this outfit run by Moby Sara Zachariah and Jibin George. The duo originally hail from Kerala but know Delhi better than most locals—their passion seeps through each walk infectiously and at Rs 600, offer far better value for money than others in the city. While their walks often cater to Delhi Sultanate architecture nerds or Sufism enthusiasts, this sojourn through the ever-evolving modern murals of the Lodi Art District is an easily accessible winner.
- Djinns of Delhi by Darwesh: Located right next to Delhi’s main cricket venue, the Feroz Shah Kotla ruins are nearly 700 years old, but that Sultanate history is a mere footnote in this horror-themed tour. A mainstay of the city’s Mandi House theatre scene, Nitika Arora brings a unique flair for storytelling as she brings to light the perspective of marginalised djinn devotees—who still turn up to these ruins every Thursday to carry out their rituals.
- Death and Rebirth by VaranasiWalks: The night is young and ripe for cultural enrichment, according to this org’s Amreeki founder Jeremy. That’s why there are several cool nighttime walks on offer here as you traverse across Varanasi through the lens of cremation. Keep an eye out for the tour’s aarti ceremony finale too.
- Thindi Walk by Ajit Bhaskar: Food, glorious food, we’re anxious to try it! This culinary tour takes place in one of Bengaluru’s oldest neighbourhoods, best known for the sixteenth century-era Bull Temple. Thindi (read: ‘food street’) expert Bhaskar is the gold standard in curation (and even maintains a crowd-sourced list), but the way to book is a little indirect—message him on X to join his community WhatsApp group!
- Food walks with Rakesh Raghunathan: Chef Rakesh Raghunathan takes you through the streets of Mylapore—one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Chennai—quaint with iconic temples. The food trail begins with a tour of the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and filter coffee—and ends with a newfound appreciation for age-old eateries.
- Make It Happen: Join this entourage of people who explore different parts of Goa—from food and heritage walks in Panjim to the tea-producing estates. They even organise ‘Amazon Race’ for office team-building!
- The Kochi Heritage Project: Our former colleagues Sara and Vagda give a shoutout to these guys—who masterfully weave in anecdotes and stories of the city in their curated heritage walks. The focus is on raising awareness and kickstarting a dialogue around the city’s cultural preservation. You can read our excellent guide to Kochi—written by Sara—here.
