The major Indian city named the best in Asia for green space and access to nature

Talk about a city of contrasts. Mumbai is the richest city in India but also home to the country's biggest slum. And while it's packed with soaring skyscrapers, malls, and residential blocks, you'll find that the city is more beautiful and green than you'd expect. 

Take it from the locals: 79 percent of them rated Mumbai's green spaces and access to nature as 'good' or 'amazing' as part of a Time Out survey of 18,500 city-dwellers worldwide. That put the Indian city 16th on a ranked list of 20 cities in the world for the best and most accessible green spaces. 

Objectively speaking, Mumbai is far from the greenest city in India – urban centres like Chandigarh and Mysore easily surpass it if we're strictly talking about green cover. Nevertheless, it holds it own – it was named a 'Tree City of the World' by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Arbor Day Foundation in 2021 for its efforts in preserving urban forests.

The city is also dotted with over 200 lovely parks and gardens and has undertaken efforts to transform its wastelands into palm gardens. If you're keen to see where locals are taking a breather, check out spots like the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It's three times the size of New York City's Central Park and home to more than 35 species of mammals, 274 species of birds, and 170 species of butterflies – a great spot for wildlife lovers. If immaculately manicured gardens are your thing, then you'll love the Hanging Gardens with its colourful flowers and animal-shaped hedges. Here's our pick of the 12 best parks in Mumbai. 

Mumbai is also blessed with gorgeous beaches, the most iconic being Juhu Beach, where you can snack on street food and enjoy a spectacular sunset. The city bustle getting too much? Escape to quieter stretches like Versova Beach or Aksa Beach. 

The only other Asian city to rank on the Time Out list is China's capital Beijing at No. 17. 78 percent of locals gave its green spaces and access to nature a positive rating – a good sign that the 'Beijing Garden City Plan' is going well. Announced in 2024, it outlines the city's plan to add more leisure parks, urban forest, pocket parks, and small nature spots where residents can relax and unwind. 

Here's how Mumbai and Beijing stacked up against other cities worldwide.

Top 20 cities in the world for green space and access to nature: 

1. Medellín, Colombia, 92 percent
2. Boston, US, 88 percent
3. Sydney, Australia, 87 percent
= London, UK, 87 percent
5. Austin, US, 86 percent
= Edinburgh, UK, 86 percent
= Melbourne, Australia, 86 percent
8. Denver, US, 84 percent
9. Abu Dhabi, UAE, 83 percent
= Cape Town, South Africa, 83 percent
= Chicago, US, 83 percent
12. San Francisco, US, 82 percent
= Stockholm, Sweden, 82 percent
14. Montreal, Canada, 81 percent
= Munich, Germany, 81 percent
16. Mumbai, India, 79 percent
17. Beijing, China, 78 percent
18. Zurich, Switzerland, 77 percent
= Ottawa, Canada, 77 percent
20. Brisbane, Australia, 76 percent

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