One day in Goa

Day by day

1. Day 1: Basilica of Bom Jesus and Sé Cathedral

   Basilica of Bom Jesus, Sé Cathedral, Church of St Francis of Assisi and Archaeological Museum and Divar Island, then Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Basilica of Bom Jesus

      Visit early in the morning before tour buses arrive, and dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered. Allow 45 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      Sé Cathedral

      Walk between the Sé, Bom Jesus and the Church of St Francis of Assisi; the main Old Goa sights are within a few minutes of each other. Allow 30 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Goan fish curry rice

      Local 'fish thali' restaurants in Panaji, Margao and Mapusa at lunchtime; beach shacks serve versions too.

   4. Afternoon

      Church of St Francis of Assisi and Archaeological Museum

      Allow time for the portrait gallery upstairs, which shows four centuries of Portuguese governors. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Divar Island

      Take the ferry from the Old Goa jetty and ride up to the church on the hill for views over the river. Allow Half a day.

   6. Evening

      Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

      Photograph the staircase from the square at dusk when the church is illuminated.

If it rains

• Swap in Goa Chitra Museum (Colva and Benaulim): Take the guided tour; the guides explain how each tool was used in paddy farming and toddy tapping.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.2 hours in December to 13 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Taxi. Tourist taxis wait at hotels and stands and charge set or negotiated fares; GoaMiles is the government-backed app-based taxi service.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Goa
• 3 days in Goa
• 5 days in Goa

Questions travellers ask