Goa Tour Packages

Choose by where you stay first. Manohar International at Mopa, in the north of the state, is nearer most of the northern beaches; Dabolim, near Vasco da Gama and about 30 km from Panaji, is nearer South Goa. Each takes domestic and international flights, so check which one your ticket uses before planning the first transfer. A tailor-made trip can also fly in at one and out of the other, to save a long drive on your last day.

With four nights or more, yes. The north is the busier coast, with the shacks, markets and nightlife of Calangute, Baga and Anjuna; the south has long, quieter beaches such as Agonda and Varca, and resorts around Majorda. The Goa Beach Escape gives two nights to each and goes inland to Old Goa and Panaji on the day it moves you south. With three nights or fewer, stay on one coast and spend the time on the sand.

Wet and green. The south-west monsoon brings around 90 per cent of Goa's yearly rain, and July, the wettest month, gets close to a metre of it, according to Goa Tourism. Many shacks close, the sea turns rough and most water sports stop, so it is the wrong season for a beach-focused trip like the Goa Beach Escape. Some travellers come anyway, for the green countryside and the celebrations that welcome the rains.

Yes, in a half-day. Old Goa's churches and convents date from the 16th and 17th centuries and include Se Cathedral and the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which holds the remains of St Francis Xavier. They are still places of worship, so dress as for a church service. The Goa Beach Escape includes a guided half-day here with Panaji's Latin Quarter; on the Goa honeymoon it can be an excursion with your private guide. More in our Old Goa guide.

Yes. Carnival usually runs for four days before Lent, so it falls in February or March, depending on the date of Easter. Panaji holds the main parade, and towns such as Margao, Vasco da Gama and Mapusa have their own. It comes in the dry season, so it fits easily into a beach stay. Tell us your dates and we will check that year's programme before we send your quote. Our Panjim guide covers the city.

Yes. Goa Tourism calls December and the New Year the peak, when the state is packed, and advises booking flights well in advance for the busy season. If those dates are fixed, start planning early; if they are flexible, mid-January to March keeps the dry weather with fewer crowds. Nothing is paid to start planning: we send a written quote first, and you decide from there.

By road. Goa Tourism lists buses, white tourist taxis, motorcycle taxis known as pilots, and hired scooters, and advises fixing a taxi fare before you set off. Distances add up: Calangute is about 15 km from Panaji and Palolem more than 70 km, so crossing to the other coast takes real driving time. Our packages put a private car and driver where you need one, so there is no fare to agree on the spot.