Gateway of India and the Mumbai waterfront after dark
BOM · 19.0760°N 72.8777°E
Mumbai first · free in early access

Your layover is a city you haven't met yet.

Explore with Gaurav and his co-founder, with a personal route planned around your flight and return timing.

See how it works
Free in early access English-speaking buddies Back with a buffer
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Mumbai skyline at dusk, seen between flights 19.0760°N · 72.8777°E · BOM
The idea

A layover is dead time. A detour is a story you didn't expect to bring home.

One of Detour’s founders walks out of arrivals with you — and the city stops being intimidating about four minutes later.

Why Mumbai first

Not one city — seven contradictions on one peninsula.

Every block is a different city. That's why it stays in your head long after the flight.

Sea and skyline
01 · Geography

Sea & skyline

The Marine Drive crescent meeting the glass towers of the Worli Sea Link.

Chaos and calm
02 · Tempo

Chaos & calm

A rush-hour local at CSMT — then Banganga Tank, quiet enough to hear the temple bells.

Old and new
03 · Time

Old & new

Wooden Portuguese cottages in Khotachiwadi, in the shadow of BKC's high-rises.

Street and lounges
04 · Plate

Street & lounges

Midnight street food on Mohammed Ali Road; speakeasy lounges in Bandra.

Gothic and docks
05 · Stone

Gothic & docks

Victorian stone at CSMT, then the salt-crusted Sassoon Docks.

Grit and gold
06 · Spirit

Grit & gold

A mango sold like a business deal at Crawford; Malabar Hill's mansions behind the banyans.

Stars and shrines
07 · Culture

Stars & shrines

Bollywood marquees in Bandra; the causeway to Haji Ali, out in the sea.

Find your own corner of Mumbai.

Explore our place field notes: photographs, local history and small routes through the city.

Places to explore ↗
How it works

Three steps from terminal to the city.

No haggling, no guesswork. Tell us about your layover and we handle the rest.

1
Step 01

Share your layover

Send your arrival and departure times. We work out the real free window you have after immigration and bag-drop.

2
Step 02

Get matched

We plan your founder-hosted route around your hours — and the things you're actually into.

3
Step 03

Explore the city

Meet at arrivals, stash heavy bags in the airport cloakroom, and head out. You're back at BOM with a comfortable buffer.

We watch your flight, not just the clock.

If your inbound runs late, your buddy already knows before you've cleared the aisle. The route reshapes around the hours you actually have — and the buffer before your departure is never negotiable.

Live flight tracking
What a detour looks like

Three moods, hand-built by our founders.

Not fixed packages — boarding passes for a day your buddy might build, shaped to your hours and what you're into. Tap a ticket for the full timeline.

Gateway of India on the South Mumbai waterfrontThe postcardMarine Drive sunset
Detour PassDT · 01

First-time Mumbai classic

Famous, iconic, cinematic — the South Mumbai story everyone shares back home.

GatewayKala GhodaMarine Dr
City time~5h 30m
Buffer90 min
FareFree
View timeline →
Everyday neighbourhood life in MumbaiHyper-localSunday like a local
Detour PassDT · 02

Where Mumbaikars actually go

Local life, vada pav, sea, old-new contrasts — minus the tourist crowd.

DadarWorliBandra Fort
City time~5h
Buffer75 min
FareFree
View timeline →
Victorian Gothic architecture of CSMT station, MumbaiOld BombayIrani cafés & stone
Detour PassDT · 03

Colonial Bombay, stuck in 1932

Gothic stations, Art Deco facades, berry pulao at Britannia, chai at Kyani.

CSMTFortBritannia
City time~5h 30m
Buffer80 min
FareFree
View timeline →
Safety

Built to pass the mum test.

Leaving an airport in a new country with someone you've never met should feel like the safest thing you do all trip. Here's everything that makes that true.

And how we travel
Honest prices — you pay what a local pays, zero markup.
Dignity, not spectacle — never camera-pointing tours.
The city's terms — etiquette handled, so you never guess.

  • Hosted by our founders

    Your hosts are Gaurav and his co-founder. You’ll plan directly with the people building Detour. Student buddies are planned for January 2027.

  • Your route, shared live

    You see your full plan — stops, timings, your buddy's profile — before you land, and you can share your live location with anyone back home for the whole detour.

  • Never out of reach

    A direct line to the Detour team runs through every trip, and we track each live detour from start to airport drop-off. If anything feels off, one message ends it.

  • Tell us what you need

    Tell us any hosting preferences when you request your detour. We’ll confirm what we can accommodate before you commit.

  • Vetted rides only

    Known venues and planned transport. Every evening detour ends in a vetted cab back to the terminal — never a late-night local train.

  • The buffer is sacred

    Routes are built backwards from your departure with live traffic data. Whatever gets squeezed, it's never the time you need to make your flight.

Before you fly

Leaving the airport is easier than it sounds.

Three things to sort before you land — each takes minutes when you know the trick. We wrote the guides so you don't have to dig.

Do this first

The visa

Most nationalities need one to step outside. The e-Tourist visa is about US$25, applied for online — allow 4–7 days before you fly, and it never blocks you again.

Read the visa guide The time math

Your real window

Take your layover, subtract 3–4 hours for immigration, the drives and the buffer. What's left is city time — and from about 6 hours, a detour is worth it.

See the 8-hour plan Solved at BOM

Your bags

The airport cloakroom stores heavy luggage by the hour. Your buddy walks you there first, so you explore the city hands-free.

Luggage storage guide

Or take the lot, on one page.

Leave your email and we'll send the one-page layover cheat sheet — visa steps, luggage storage, and how much time you really need.

You're on the list ✦ Download the cheat sheet →
From the founder

I'm Gaurav. I kept meeting travellers who'd spent twelve hours inside BOM — twenty minutes from one of the most alive cities on earth — because leaving the terminal alone felt too risky.

It isn't, if someone from here walks out with you. That's the whole product. The first detours are free — write to me directly: admin@detourtrips.com

— GauravFounder, Detour · Mumbai
Got questions?

Questions travellers actually ask.

We track your flight in real time, so your buddy simply waits or reshapes the plan. You only ever spend the hours you actually have.
While we're in early access, nothing — there's no service fee at all. You only cover your own cab, food and tickets, paid directly at honest local prices.
Your hosts are Gaurav and his co-founder. We plan your route directly with you before you land. Student buddies are planned for January 2027.
Solo travellers are most of why Detour exists. Every buddy is identity-verified, you see your route before you land, you can share your live location, and evening detours always end in a vetted cab. Solo women can ask to be matched with a female buddy, subject to availability.
Free · early access

Got a few hours in Mumbai? Take a detour — on us.

We're matching our first travellers right now. Explore Mumbai with Detour’s founders — our service is free, you just cover your own food and rides at local prices.

Founder-hosted · Free in early access · Made in Mumbai
App Store Google Play The Detour app is on its way — iOS & Android, coming soon. Until then, everything happens right here.
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DetourMUMBAI / BOM
A LITTLE ROOM TO WANDER

Where next?

HomeHow Detour worksExplore MumbaiPlan your layoverEmail the founders
Mumbai’s skyline illuminated at night, photographed by Vikram SN
BOM · MUMBAI · FOUNDER-HOSTED

A little less
airport. A little
more Mumbai.

Turn your Mumbai layover into a city outing with a local host, planned around your onward flight.

Find my detourWhat is a Detour?Founder-hosted · A personal route · Time to return
Somewhere between flights.19.0760° N / 72.8777° E
YOUR STOPOVER, OPENED UP

Between flights.
Among locals.

Detour turns the time between landing and take-off into time in Mumbai. Step out with a host who knows the city—for a waterfront walk, neighbourhood stories, or chai and local food.

MEET YOUR HOSTS

For our first trips, you’ll explore with Gaurav or his co-founder—the people building Detour, and the people helping you plan.

  1. Tell us about your stopover

    Share your flight times and what you enjoy. Save any places that catch your eye.

  2. Agree on a plan together

    Your hosts check the time available, then discuss the route, meeting point, costs and airport return with you.

  3. Meet your host. Meet Mumbai.

    Explore at an agreed pace, with your return to the airport built into the plan.

Your flight sets the limits.

Airport formalities, entry requirements and traffic all affect what fits. If your window is too tight, we’ll say so.

Sending a request starts a conversation. You review availability, the plan and costs before committing.

See what could fit my layover
A SMALL PLAN. A BIG MEMORY.

Your time.
Your kind of city.

Choose a starting point. Your hosts will check what fits.

My layover is about
I’m in the mood for
YOUR STARTING POINT

A little city, a little sea

A waterfront pause and time to slow down.

A suggestion, not a confirmed itinerary. Traffic, airport formalities and flight times shape the final plan.
LESS CHECKLIST. MORE FEELING.

Bring home
a little Mumbai.

Take a closer look before you choose.

Explore all 7 places

Save places you like. We’ll include them in your request.

FIRST, THE USEFUL STUFF

Less figuring out.
More being here.

Can I leave the airport?Entry requirements & documentsHow much time do I need?Airport formalities & return planningWhat about my bags?Travel a little lighter
BEFORE YOU STEP OUT

A little prep.
A lighter mind.

Keep these three things handy. Tick them off as you go.

0 of 3 preparation steps checked.

GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

A few questions.
Clear answers.

You can ask the founders directly if there’s anything else on your mind.

Ask us about your layover
What will it cost?

We’ll confirm the experience price and any transport, food or entry costs before you commit.

What if my flight changes?

Email your hosts with the new flight details. We’ll reassess the route and return timing before you head out.

Can you adapt the pace or food stops?

Tell us about walking pace, dietary preferences or accessibility needs in your request. We’ll confirm what we can accommodate before you commit.

Is my request a booking?

No. Your hosts first check availability and feasibility, then agree on a plan with you.

A LITTLE COLLECTION OF POSSIBILITIES

Your kind
of Mumbai.

Nothing saved yet. Explore the city and save the places you’d like to see.

Discover more places

A wishlist, not a fixed route. Your hosts will help choose what fits.

Your plan is saved in this browser tab for up to 12 hours.

Start over

This removes your saved places, checklist and unfinished request from this tab.

YOUR DETOUR / STEP 1 OF 2

A few details.
A better detour.

No account or payment needed to enquire.

All flight dates and times are local to Mumbai (IST, UTC+5:30). Your draft is saved in this tab for up to 12 hours. To remove it, open My places, then Start over.

By sending, you share these details with Detour to plan your experience. Privacy details