Flights from Melbourne to Mumbai

Mumbai is well served by the big Asian and Middle Eastern airlines, so you generally have a good spread of options. Depending on season, these typically include:

• Via Singapore with Singapore Airlines or Scoot, a popular choice because the connection is fairly direct geographically.
• Via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines or Batik Air.
• Via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific.
• Via Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi with Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad. These routes go further west before coming back to Mumbai, but the timings sometimes work well.
• Via Delhi on Air India, when a nonstop Melbourne to Delhi flight is scheduled, with an onward domestic sector.

The fastest option is not always the cheapest, and the cheapest can involve a long overnight wait. We lay those trade-offs out so you can decide.

Our Melbourne customers heading to Mumbai are mostly Marathi and Gujarati families, people with relatives across Maharashtra, and travellers on business in India's financial capital. We also book a fair number of trips where Mumbai is the landing point for a wider holiday, with Goa or Pune as the next stop.

Students returning home for semester breaks are another steady group. Their trips often line up with the end of the Victorian university semesters in June and November.

Mumbai is also a common first stop for customers with family in several states. Because the city has so many domestic connections, it is often the simplest place to change onto a flight to smaller airports in Maharashtra, Karnataka or Madhya Pradesh.

Two things shape a Mumbai trip more than most: the monsoon and the festival calendar.

The monsoon usually runs from June to September. Flights still operate, but heavy rain can slow road travel from the airport and occasionally causes delays. Many travellers from Melbourne actually like going in July because it lines up with the Victorian winter school holidays, so fares in that window can still be firm.

Ganesh Chaturthi, usually in August or September, is the city's biggest festival. If you want to be home for it, book early. Diwali and the December to January holidays are the other peak periods, when prices on nearly every routing rise.

International flights use Terminal 2, a large modern terminal in Sahar, Andheri East. The drive to South Mumbai can take well over an hour in traffic, while suburbs such as Bandra, Andheri or Powai are closer.

Prepaid taxis and app-based rides are available outside arrivals. If a relative is collecting you, agree a meeting point in advance because the pickup area is busy at all hours.

Going further

• Pune is a road trip of a few hours on the expressway, and there are also domestic flights.
• Goa, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik are short domestic hops on IndiGo or Air India.

Mumbai is a natural starting point for a trip down the west coast. From Melbourne, a lot of our customers spend a few days with family in the city and then continue to Goa, where the beach season runs from roughly November to February. Domestic flights to Goa take about an hour.

Others head inland. The Ajanta and Ellora caves are reached through Aurangabad (now officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), and Lonavala and Khandala are popular hill stops on the road to Pune, particularly green during the monsoon. The Konkan coast south of Mumbai is quieter and suits a slower road trip.

If you want help putting the pieces together, our consultants can combine your international flights with domestic sectors and one of our India tour packages. Having it all on one plan also makes changes easier if your dates move.

Check your passport has at least six months' validity and that your Indian visa or OCI is sorted before you head to Terminal 2. If you hold an Australian passport and do not have OCI, you will need a visa, and the e-Visa is usually the simplest route. We can help with applying for an Indian visa online or with Indian passport applications if a renewal is due.

Where your stopover is in a country that may need a transit visa for your passport, we flag it when we quote. Rules can change, so it is always sensible to check the official source as well.

For Mumbai, we often suggest looking closely at the arrival time. Many one-stop itineraries land late at night or in the early hours, which is fine if family are waiting but less ideal if you are heading to a hotel. A slightly different connection can sometimes get you in at a more comfortable hour for a small difference in fare.

Baggage allowances differ a lot between airlines on this route. If you are bringing presents or returning with shopping, confirm the allowance on the specific fare, not just the airline. We can also request wheelchair assistance for elderly travellers and arrange travel insurance.

Heading somewhere else as well? See Melbourne to Ahmedabad for Gujarat, or Melbourne to Bangalore. The flights to India from Melbourne page covers every city we book. Our Melbourne number is 03 9012 8407.

Is there a nonstop flight from Melbourne to Mumbai?

Not on a regular basis. Most people fly with one stop through an Asian or Gulf hub, or connect in Delhi.

How long does it take to get from Melbourne to Mumbai?

Usually 15 to 22 hours with one stop, and longer if you choose a cheaper fare with an extended layover.

Is it a good idea to fly to Mumbai during the monsoon?

Plenty of people do, especially during the July school holidays. Flights run as normal most days, but allow extra time for road travel and possible delays.

Can I stop over in Singapore on the way?

Yes, a stopover can often be built into the booking. Tell us how many nights you would like and we will check the fare difference.

Do you book Mumbai to Goa as well?

Yes, we can add domestic flights from Mumbai to Goa and other cities to the same trip.