When I planned a trip to Goa with my family, everyone advised me against it. Cause everyone believes that Goa is synonymous with beaches, seafood, and cheap booze. But for me Goa is also about fun, rejuvenation, sunsets, forts, greenery, elephants, dolphins, cashews, and churches. Goa is one of the best destinations that has something for everyone.

We went to Goa in June. Although the ideal time to visit Goa is from October to February, I had a ton of fun in the monsoon. There was less crowd in June and we didn’t have to face the scorching heat of the sun.

Here is the itinerary for my 3-day trip to Goa covering both North Goa and South Goa.

Day 1

We disembarked at Thivim railway station from the Konkan Kanya Express and took a taxi to our hotel in Vagator. Mostly people look for hotels in Baga or Calangute; but I wanted to be a little away from the city.

After some rest and lunch at the hotel, we started off to explore the place. The best way to explore Goa is on a two-wheeler. But since none of us know how to ride a bike, we had to hire a car.

We went to some of the popular beaches in North Goa – Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, and Vagator. We had tea and snacks at Britto’s, which is near Baga Beach. Calangute and Baga are great beaches to spend your time. But I felt they were very dirty and over-crowded. Anjuna and Vagator are more peaceful and less crowded than them. After exploring these amazing beaches, we returned to our hotel for dinner and a good-night sleep.

Day 2

We set off early in the morning towards Fort Aguada. It gives you awesome views of the sea. The fort covers a large area so you have to walk a little. There is also a light house and an ancient jail to explore.

Next on our list was Ponda. But while we were driving off, we purchased tickets for the Sunset Cruise of the Mandovi River. In Ponda, we visited the beautiful Mangeshi Temple in Ponda. Who knew Goa has such a well-maintained and huge temple!

The place I was eager to visit was Sahakari Spice Farm. With an entry fee of Rs 400, they take you to a tour of the entire farm, which has exotic and medicinal plants like nutmeg, cashew, lemongrass, etc. You can also see many insects and birds. We luckily came across an elephant on tour too! The entry fee includes a welcome drink and an all-you-can-eat lunch. The food is made from spices in the farm and tastes yum! There is an elephant farm right next to the spice farm. With an entry fee of Rs 700, you can play with the elephants, ride them, bathe them, click pictures with them, and have fun with them.

After elephant rides and a scrumptious meal, we headed off towards Panjim. First stop was the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which holds the tomb of St Francis. It is believed that his corpse is still intact. With an entry fee of Rs 5, you can visit the art gallery, which illustrates the life of St Francis. Right opposite the Basilica is Se Cathedral and Chitra Museum. Then, we drove towards the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

Since there was still an hour left for our Sunset Cruise, we decided to go to Miramar Beach. This is a beautiful beach with a lot a greenery. We reached on time for our Sunset Cruise. Cruising along the Mandovi River was one of the best experiences in Goa. They also have great music and dance in the boat. After the cruise, we went to Earthen Oven in Candolim for dinner.

Day 3

We were going to explore South Goa on the third day. I booked a hotel in South Goa and we set off towards it after breakfast. En route to South Goa, we went to Chapora Fort, famously called as ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ Fort. We reached our new hotel by lunchtime. After an amazing lunch, we went exploring the beaches of South Goa – Colva, Benaulim and Majorda. For dinner, we went to Martin’s Corner. It is very famous for its seafood and was once recommended by Sachin Tendulkar.

This brought us to the end of our spectacular trip. Next day, we took the Mandovi Express back home. I want to visit Goa in winter next time so that I can see dolphins, shacks, water sports, night markets, and whatever I have missed. Hope you have a great day! Thank you. 😀