The RutzIndia.com Goa tour package for 3 days gives you a private car and chauffeur for two nights from Dabolim or Mopa airport: North Goa's beaches, Old Goa's UNESCO-listed churches, Panaji's Fontainhas quarter and the Chapora and Anjuna headland. The car is billed per km, with a floor of 250 km a day.
Why a private car makes sense in Goa
Goa looks small on a map, and it is: the whole state is barely 100 km from end to end. The difficulty is getting around it. Public buses are slow and do not reach many of the beaches, app cabs are thin on the ground in much of the state, and local taxis are negotiated trip by trip. Renting a scooter is popular, but not with luggage, children or after a long dinner. A car with a chauffeur on call for the whole stay solves all of that. You are met at the airport, driven to the churches before the heat, taken to dinner in the villages inland and brought back safely, and you never haggle.
This three-day package is for couples on a long weekend, friends on a short break and first-time visitors who want the essentials of Goa without trying to see all of it. If you have an extra day, the 4-day Goa package adds South Goa's quieter beaches and a Portuguese mansion at Chandor. With five days, the 5-day version adds Dudhsagar falls and the spice plantations.
Two airports, and why it matters
Goa has two airports. Dabolim, near Vasco da Gama, is south of the Zuari river and closer to South Goa and Panaji. Manohar International Airport at Mopa, which opened in early 2023, is in the far north near the Maharashtra border and is closer to the northern beaches. Many airlines now fly to both, so check which one your ticket uses before booking; the difference in travelling time to your hotel can be half an hour or more each way, and it matters most for the departure.
Give your flight number in the booker and the chauffeur tracks it. Waiting is free for 30 minutes after a domestic landing and 60 minutes after an international one, which covers most delays.
How the car is priced over three days
The package car is billed on whichever is greater: the actual kilometres the trip covers, or 250 km per calendar day. Three days in Goa covers about 180 km, airport runs included, while the minimum for three days is 750 km, so the minimum decides the fare. That total is multiplied by the per-km rate for the car you choose: Rs 72/km for a sedan, Rs 84/km for an Ertiga, Rs 114/km for an Innova Crysta, Rs 168/km for a Fortuner and Rs 156/km for a Tempo Traveller. The table on this page shows the result. The chauffeur's night allowance of Rs 3,000 a night, parking and any tolls at cost, and 5% GST are extra.
The big margin between the minimum and the planned driving is worth using. You could add a day trip to South Goa's Palolem, a drive out to the spice farms near Ponda, or a sunset at Cabo de Rama fort, all without adding to the car fare, as long as the total stays under 750 km. Tell the chauffeur what you would like the evening before.
Beaches of the north, in plain terms
- Candolim and Sinquerim: long, wide and comparatively calm, close to Fort Aguada. A good base for families.
- Calangute and Baga: the busiest stretch, with water sports, shacks and nightlife; lively in the season and crowded at Christmas.
- Anjuna and Vagator: rocky headlands, cliffs and small coves, with the Chapora fort above; the Wednesday flea market in season.
- Morjim and Ashwem: further north, quieter and closer to Mopa; Morjim is known for olive ridley turtle nesting in the winter months.
- Assagao and Siolim: not beaches but inland villages, with some of Goa's best restaurants in old Portuguese homes.
Our North Goa road-trip guide has more on each.
Old Goa and Panaji: timing the heritage day
Old Goa was the capital of Portuguese India until disease and the silting of the Mandovi emptied it in the 18th century. What remains is a cluster of vast churches and convents on open lawns, listed together by UNESCO as the Churches and Convents of Goa. The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the body of St Francis Xavier; the Se Cathedral, the Church of St Cajetan and the ruined tower of St Augustine are all within walking distance. There is little shade, so the plan puts you there in the morning. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
Panaji, the state capital, is ten minutes away. Its old Latin quarter, Fontainhas, is a grid of narrow lanes lined with yellow, blue and ochre houses, tiled roofs and balconies; late afternoon light suits it best. The whitewashed Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, with its zigzag staircase, stands at the edge of the old town. Parking in Panaji is tight, so the chauffeur drops you and waits nearby.
When to go, and what fills the hotels
- November to February: dry, sunny and pleasantly warm, the main season. Christmas and New Year are the absolute peak for prices and crowds, especially in the north.
- February or March: the Goa Carnival brings parades to Panaji and other towns in the days before Lent. Shigmo, the Hindu spring festival, follows with its own processions.
- March to May: hot and humid, with fewer visitors and lower rates.
- June to September: the monsoon. The sea is rough and swimming is banned on most beaches, many shacks are taken down, but the countryside is green and the hotels are cheap. The Feast of St Francis Xavier on 3 December draws large crowds to Old Goa.
The Goa Tourism Development Corporation's official site lists festivals and state-run tours.
Small things that make three days easier
Goa's sun is stronger than it feels with a sea breeze, so plan the outdoor sightseeing for mornings and late afternoons and keep the middle of the day for lunch and the beach shade. Carry some cash: many shacks, church donation boxes and market stalls prefer it, although cards and UPI are widely accepted in hotels and restaurants. Churches expect covered shoulders and knees, and photography rules differ from one to the next, so look for the signs. Beach shacks in the north stay open late in the season, but village restaurants inland often need a reservation on weekends. Finally, keep your valuables in the car's locked boot rather than on the sand; the chauffeur stays with the car or nearby.
Choosing the car
For two people, a sedan is fine and fits easily into narrow village lanes. Four friends with luggage will be more comfortable in an Ertiga or an Innova Crysta. For a special occasion there is luxury car rental in Goa, and groups of eight to twelve travel together in a Tempo Traveller in Goa. All cars are within four model years; see the fleet for the full range.
Booking and cancellation
Book in the online booker, pay by card or UPI, and ask for a GST invoice if needed. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; after that, 10% is charged within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours and 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. The full policy is on the cancellation policy page. If you would like hotels quoted at the same time, send your dates to the travel desk and it will reply in writing with an all-inclusive figure, with rooms booked through BookingWorldwide.net.
