How do you get to Old Goa by car and what does it cost?
Old Goa lies about 10 km east of Panaji along the Mandovi, a 20-minute drive, and about 25 km from Dabolim airport. A RutzIndia.com sedan transfer from Panaji (up to 40 km) is Rs 4,350 Pay Now to Reserve, but most visitors take the Goa half-day package (4 hr / 40 km) at Rs 4,740 Pay Now to Reserve in a sedan or Rs 8,320 Pay Now to Reserve in an Innova Crysta, before 5% GST and parking.
Four and a half centuries ago this riverside town was the capital of Portuguese India, a city of convents, hospitals and palaces that travellers compared with Lisbon. Epidemics and a silting river emptied it by the eighteenth century and the capital moved downstream to Panaji. What survived are the churches, and they are extraordinary: a cluster of Renaissance and Baroque buildings set on lawns, together listed by UNESCO as the Churches and Convents of Goa.
Old Goa is small enough to see in a morning, which is exactly why it is so often rushed. A car that waits for you, and a driver who knows to go early and park on the right side of the highway, turns it into a calm and thoughtful visit rather than a dash between tour buses. This guide covers the sights in walking order, the roads in from the beaches and the airports, the feast season, and what we charge.
Old Goa's churches in walking order
Basilica of Bom Jesus. The best known church in India, completed in the first years of the seventeenth century, with an unplastered red-laterite facade and a gilded interior. The mortal remains of St Francis Xavier lie in a silver casket above a marble tomb gifted by a Medici grand duke. The Basilica of Bom Jesus remains an active place of worship, so masses may be in progress.
Sé Cathedral. Directly across the road, the cathedral dedicated to St Catherine is one of the largest churches in Asia, with a whitewashed Tuscan exterior, a vast nave and a famous bell in its surviving tower. Only one of its two original towers stands.
Church and Convent of St Francis of Assisi. Next to the cathedral, with a richly painted interior. The convent building houses the Archaeological Museum run by the Archaeological Survey of India, with portraits of Portuguese governors and sculpture from Goa's pre-Portuguese past. Check the ASI site for current timings, closing day and ticket prices.
Chapel of St Catherine. A small chapel marking the spot where the Portuguese entered the city in 1510.
Church of St Cajetan. A short walk towards the river, built by Italian Theatine friars and modelled on St Peter's in Rome, with a dome that is rare in Goa.
Viceroy's Arch. The ceremonial gateway through which new viceroys once entered the city from the river landing.
Holy Hill. Up the slope to the west, the ruined tower of the Church of St Augustine rises alone above the lawns, the remnant of what was once a huge church. Nearby are the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, one of the oldest in Goa, and the Convent of St Monica, which houses the Museum of Christian Art.
Allow two and a half to three hours to do it all on foot, with the car moving between the lower cluster and Holy Hill to save the climb in the heat.
The drive to Old Goa from Panaji, the beaches and the airports
From Panaji (about 10 km). The road east runs along the Mandovi through Ribandar, past the old causeway and salt pans, and arrives at the lower church cluster. It is a pleasant, flat drive; in morning traffic allow 20 to 25 minutes.
From Calangute, Candolim or Baga (about 25 km). Your driver crosses the Mandovi on one of the Panaji bridges and follows the river road. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Combining Old Goa with Panaji's Fontainhas and a Mandovi cruise makes a good day from the northern beaches; our North Goa guide sets it within a longer plan.
From Colva, Benaulim or Cavelossim (about 35 to 45 km). The route runs north through Verna and over the Zuari bridge, then turns east via Agassaim towards Old Goa. Allow an hour. The South Goa guide suggests pairing it with the Ponda temples.
From Dabolim airport (about 25 km) or Mopa (about 45 km). A useful first stop on arrival if your hotel check-in is later in the afternoon; the driver keeps your bags locked in the car.
From Mumbai (about 580 km). Travellers driving down on NH 66 reach Panaji first; Old Goa is the natural morning outing the day after arrival. Our Mumbai to Goa taxi page has the route fare.
Parking is on the roadside and in small lots opposite the Basilica. The main road through Old Goa is a busy highway, so cross carefully with children.
When to visit: season, feast and exposition
November to February is the most comfortable time, with blue skies and mornings cool enough to walk between churches. Arrive by 9 am to have the Basilica almost to yourself before tour groups roll in around 10.30.
The highlight of the year is the Feast of St Francis Xavier on 3 December, preceded by nine days of novena prayers. Pilgrims arrive from across India, a fair spreads over the grounds, and roads around Old Goa are closed or diverted on the feast day itself. If you plan to attend the morning mass, tell us: we drop you as early as the police allow and fix a pickup point outside the restricted zone.
Roughly once every ten years the saint's relics are brought down for a public Exposition lasting several weeks, drawing very large crowds; the most recent ran from late 2024 into early 2025, so the next is not expected for some years.
March to May is hot and humid by late morning, so start early and keep the afternoon for the beach. In the monsoon the lawns turn emerald and the laterite glows after rain, and it can be an atmospheric time to visit, with good umbrellas and patience for downpours. The Goa Tourism site lists heritage walks and festival dates.
Car hire with driver for Old Goa, with fares
RutzIndia.com runs short drops, half-day and full-day hire at Goa rates, airport pickups that stop at Old Goa on the way, and group vehicles for church tours and parish pilgrimages. For a family reunion or wedding party touring the churches, a Tempo Traveller in Goa keeps everyone together.
| Option | Distance or package | Sedan | Ertiga | Innova Crysta | Tempo Traveller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panaji to Old Goa transfer | up to 40 km, Goa minimum fare | Rs 4,350 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 5,460 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 7,620 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 11,820 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Half day: Panaji, Old Goa and Divar (4 hr / 40 km) | Goa rate | Rs 4,740 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 5,940 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 8,320 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 12,870 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Full day: Old Goa, Ponda temples and spice farm (8 hr / 80 km) | Goa rate | Rs 7,920 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 9,900 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 13,860 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 21,450 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Dabolim airport to Old Goa (up to 40 km) | Goa minimum fare | Rs 4,350 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 5,460 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 7,620 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 11,820 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Mumbai to Old Goa, one way | about 580 km | Rs 20,880 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 24,360 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 33,060 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 45,240 Pay Now to Reserve |
Local and airport fares include the 1.10 Goa city factor; one-way distance fares use the standard per-km rates (Rs 36 sedan, Rs 42 Ertiga, Rs 57.6 Innova Crysta, Rs 78 Tempo Traveller). Everything shown is before 5% GST. Parking and any tolls are billed at actual cost, and on multi-day hire the driver's night allowance is Rs 1,500. Every car is four model years old or newer.
We track your flight for airport pickups and wait free for 30 minutes after a domestic arrival or 60 minutes after an international one, holding a name board in the arrivals hall. You can book online and pay by card or UPI. Cancel free until 72 hours before pickup; after that the charge is 10% (within 72 hours), 50% (within 48 hours) or the full fare (within 24 hours or no-show). See the cancellation policy for the full terms.
A half-day and a full-day plan
Half day from Panaji (about 35 km). 8.30 am pickup, Basilica of Bom Jesus and Sé Cathedral by 9, St Francis of Assisi and the ASI museum, St Cajetan, then up to Holy Hill for St Augustine's tower. Drive to the Old Goa jetty for the short ferry across to Divar island, walk the village and its hilltop church, and return to Panaji for lunch.
Full day from the beaches (about 80 km). Old Goa in the morning as above, lunch at a spice plantation near Ponda, the Shri Mangueshi and Shanta Durga temples in the afternoon, and back to the coast by sunset. If birds interest you, the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on Chorao island, reached by ferry from Ribandar, is best at dawn and can replace the temples.
For a wider Goa holiday with a car, see car rental with driver in Goa, and if you have a day free, the rafting and forest town of Dandeli is about three hours east across the ghats.
Visitor etiquette and practical tips
- Dress. These are working churches. Cover shoulders and knees; carry a scarf or light shirt if you are coming straight from the beach.
- Silence and photography. Photography rules differ between churches and inside the Basilica near the relics; follow the signs and do not use flash.
- Mass times. Sunday mornings and feast days mean services in progress. Visit during a mass only if you intend to attend it.
- Heat. Carry water; there is little shade between the lower cluster and Holy Hill, which is why we suggest using the car for that stretch.
- Guides. Licensed guides are available near the Basilica. Agree the fee before you begin.
- Children. Traffic on the main road is fast. Keep young children close when crossing between the Basilica and the Cathedral.
Old Goa is part of every good Goa itinerary. Browse our local rates on the taxi service in Goa page or read about Goa airport taxi meet-and-greet before you land.
