Goa Tour Package 4 Nights 5 Days

Fort Aguada: A Portuguese fort from 1612 above the mouth of the Mandovi, built to guard against the Dutch and Marathas. Its lighthouse, added in 1864, is among the oldest of its kind in Asia.

Anjuna and Chapora: Anjuna for the beach and, on Wednesdays, the flea market. Chapora headland above it gives the long view down the coast and is instantly familiar to anyone who has seen Dil Chahta Hai.

Sunset on the Mandovi: An evening cruise on the river with Konkani music and dance on board.

• Top Places to Cover: Fort Aguada, Sinquerim, Anjuna Beach, Anjuna flea market, Chapora Fort, Mandovi cruise.
• Importance of Each Place: Fort Aguada held a freshwater spring that resupplied Portuguese ships, which is where the name comes from. Chapora was built by the Portuguese over an older Muslim fortification.
• Things to Know: The Anjuna flea market runs Wednesdays; the Arpora night market on Saturdays is the better one if your dates allow. Chapora is a short uphill walk with no shade.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: North Goa

Basilica of Bom Jesus: Completed in 1605 and holding the remains of St Francis Xavier in a silver casket. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most visited church in India.

Se Cathedral: Across the road, the largest church in Asia, with the Golden Bell whose sound carries across Old Goa.

Fontainhas: Panjim Latin Quarter - a grid of narrow streets in ochre, blue and green, with Portuguese-era houses still lived in. Best walked rather than driven.

Move South: Continue to Colva or Benaulim and check in.

• Top Places to Cover: Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Church of St Cajetan, Fontainhas, Panjim riverfront.
• Importance of Each Place: Old Goa was the capital of Portuguese India and at its height was larger than Lisbon, before repeated epidemics forced the capital to move to Panjim in the 1840s.
• Things to Know: Shoulders and knees must be covered in the churches. The Basilica is closed to visitors during Sunday mass. Fontainhas has almost no parking - go on foot from the Panjim side.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: South Goa

Palolem: A shallow crescent bay backed by palm, with calmer water and a fraction of the crowds of the north. Kayaks and boats run from the sand.

Butterfly Beach: A short boat ride further along and reachable only by water, which is why it stays empty. Dolphins are commonly sighted on the crossing.

Cabo de Rama: A crumbling fort on the way back with the best clifftop view in South Goa and almost nobody there. It changed hands between Hindu rulers and the Portuguese repeatedly before being used as a prison.

• Top Places to Cover: Palolem Beach, Butterfly Beach, Cabo de Rama fort, Colva Beach, Agonda.
• Importance of Each Place: South Goa was under Portuguese rule longer and developed later than the north, which is why the beaches here remain quieter and the villages more intact.
• Things to Know: Boat operators at Palolem quote per boat, not per person - gather a group and split it. Cabo de Rama has no railings at the cliff edge and no facilities.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: South Goa

Last Morning: Free on the beach, then transfer to the airport.

Timing: Allow two hours to Mopa from South Goa, rather less to Dabolim - check which airport your flight uses before setting off.

• Top Places to Cover: Colva or Benaulim beach, GOI or GOX airport.
• Things to Know: Confirm your departure airport carefully; Mopa and Dabolim are around 90 minutes apart and travellers get this wrong regularly.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Journey ends