Overview
Get to know one of India's most special places!
Goa is one of India's most popular travel destinations and for good reason! Notorious for idyllic weather, fabulous beaches, grandiose temples, delightful people, good food, white washed churches and a unique cultural legacy, it's safe to say Goa is one of India's most special places.
Our first stop will reveal what all the talk is about - Dona Paula overlook, revealing a stunning seascape that will leave you speechless!
Goa is a former Portuguese colony with 450 years of influence leading up to the Annexation of Goa by India in 1961. Today, you'll visit the current capital, Panaji, to admire the streets lined with typical Portuguese architecture. Notable among the classic houses and villas are the Panjim Church and the Palacio Patriachal (Bishop's Palace). A stop at the fruit and vegetable market will divulge the sights and smells of Goa. From here, you will head to Old Goa, the former capital.
Visit the Basílica of Bom Jesus where the remains of St Francis Xavier are entombed in a silver casket and kept in a mausoleum carved by the Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista. Later, you will visit Palacio de Deão, a 213-year-old mansion built by a Portuguese nobleman. Notice the unusual style, blending elements of Hindu and Portuguese architecture. The house faces a church he also built, and your guide will describe how the Goan craftsmen worked their mischievous artistry to sneak their own primal cult figures into the Christian idolatry. They playfully molded the Madonnas as bosomy as their primal Laxmi and their Christ as angular as a Himalayan Sadhu.
Returning to the port, we'll make a stop at the Menezes Braganza house, the largest Portuguese mansion of its kind in Goa. Built in the 17th century, the mansion is the best example of what Goa's scores of once-grand and glorious mansion have become today. It's well maintained and more like a museum than a home, filled with gorgeous Belgian glass chandeliers, Italian marble floors, and antique treasures from Macau Portugal, China, and Europe.
- Bottled water is included.
- Lunch is included in the tour cost. Water and soft drinks are included. Alcoholic beverages are not included.
- Entrance fees are included.
- Gratuity for the driver and guide are not included.
- There is no entrance fee for the Menezes Braganza house, though there is a box for donations.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 08:00 AM, duration: 8 hours
- 09:00 AM, duration: 8 hours
