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Five nights timed to Goa's Carnival, the four-day street festival before Lent. Three nights at Cidade de Goa near Panjim for the opening parade from a reserved spot, Fontainhas and Old Goa, then two at Taj Fort Aguada to rest by the sea and see a second parade in Mapusa. Dates move each year with Easter.
Carnival is the most Latin of Goa's festivals. It opens with the arrival of King Momo, who decrees four days of eating, drinking and merriment, and continues with float parades through Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa, brass bands, street dances and private balls. It falls on the four days before Ash Wednesday, usually in February and sometimes in early March.
We plan this journey around the Panjim parade, usually on the first day, and secure a reserved spot or terrace where possible, so you see the floats without standing in the crowd. The quiet mornings after the parades are for Fontainhas and Old Goa, and the last two nights are at Taj Fort Aguada on the beach.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Dabolim and drives to Cidade de Goa at Vainguinim, 15 minutes from Panjim. The city is already dressed for Carnival, with decorations along the riverfront and music in the evenings. After a swim in the resort's cove, drive into Panjim at dusk to see the lights along the Mandovi and have dinner at a Goan restaurant in the old quarter.
A quiet morning by the pool. In the afternoon, your guide takes you to a reserved spot or terrace along the riverside route in Panjim, where the Carnival parade begins with King Momo's float and decree. For two to three hours, floats built by villages and clubs roll past, with brass bands, dancers and costumed figures. After the parade, the streets fill with music; your driver collects you when you are ready.
Panjim is quiet the morning after. At 8.30 am, walk Fontainhas with a local historian, from the Ourem creek through the painted lanes to the Chapel of St Sebastian and up to Altinho, then visit the Immaculate Conception Church and the municipal market. Lunch at a family-run restaurant. In the evening, a private boat on the Mandovi gives you the city's Carnival lights from the water.
Be at the Basilica of Bom Jesus when it opens, with a church historian to guide you through it, the Se Cathedral and the Church of St Francis of Assisi. Then cross the Mandovi to Taj Fort Aguada on Sinquerim beach, arriving for lunch and a free afternoon. At 5 pm, walk up to the fort and lighthouse for sunset.
A slow beach morning. If Mapusa holds its Carnival parade today, as it often does on one of the later days, drive 20 minutes to see a smaller, more local procession of floats and bands in the market town. Otherwise, spend the afternoon at the pool and the spa. Your farewell dinner is at a restaurant in Candolim or Assagao.
A final swim and breakfast, then your driver takes you to Manohar International Airport at Mopa, about an hour away, or to Dabolim if your flight leaves from there. On Ash Wednesday, the day after Carnival ends, churches hold services and the mood in Goa turns quiet again.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A beach resort on Vainguinim cove near Dona Paula, designed by the architect Charles Correa as a stylised Goan village of lanes, courtyards and painted walls. …
A long-established Taj resort on the slopes below the 17th-century Fort Aguada, with sea-view rooms and cottages above Sinquerim beach. It suits families and first-time visitors …
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Questions travellers ask
Carnival runs for the four days before Ash Wednesday, from Saturday to Shrove Tuesday, usually in February and sometimes early March. The dates follow Easter. The state announces each town's parade schedule a few weeks before; check current status before you travel.
We try to secure a reserved spot, a stand seat or a first-floor terrace along the Panjim route. Availability varies each year. Your guide stays with you, and your driver collects you as close as traffic allows.
The afternoon parades are colourful and fun for children, with floats, music and costumes. Crowds are dense near the start and end of the route, so a reserved spot and leaving before dark work best for families.
Clubs in Panjim have held formal balls during Carnival, including the long-running Red and Black Dance. Tickets are sold locally each year; we can try to obtain them on request.
It is the closest luxury resort to Panjim, about 15 minutes away, so you can reach the parade easily and retreat to a quiet cove afterwards. Hotels in the city centre are fewer and noisier during the festival.
Yes, in Panjim and north Goa, though less than at Christmas. Some hotels set minimum stays over the Carnival weekend. Booking three to four months ahead secures the best rooms.
Yes. Panjim usually holds the first and largest parade, and Margao, Vasco and Mapusa follow on later days. We plan the journey so you can see Panjim and one smaller town parade.
Easily. Add three nights at Taj Exotica or The Leela Goa after Carnival ends, when the beaches are quieter and rates fall slightly. Margao's own parade is a short drive from both.
Light, comfortable clothes and closed shoes for the crowds. Many people wear colourful outfits or masks. Carry water and a small amount of cash, and keep phones and valuables secure.
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