Goa Tour Packages From Chandigarh

As you may know, Goa once used to be a Portuguese colony, before being liberated on December 19, 1961. So, all throughout Goa, there are various structures and areas that are echoes from that era, due to their architecture and history. Beyond the beaches and the buildings, Goa still maintains buzzing wildlife, preserved in one of its numerous sanctuaries. The dense vegetation and abundant wildlife will be especially pleasing for nature lovers looking to snap some amazing photographs. If all of this has you hyped about the possibilities that spring from this state, and you want to experience it all for yourself, then the Goa packages from Chandigarh might be exactly what you’re looking for.

When the Goa State Museum was originally established back in 1977, it wasn’t even truly a museum. Initially, back in 1973, it was simply an off-shoot of Goa’s Department of Archives, referred to as its Archaeology Museum unit. Eventually, on June 18, 1996, the President of India formally inaugurated it, after the displays got their own museum complex. Today, the Museum is housed at Adil Shah’s Palace, also known as the Old Secretariat in the capital city of Panaji. The older premises are set to be demolished for the construction of a newer compound. As of 2008, the Goa State Museum has approximately 8,000 relics on display, each showcasing a variety of aspects from Goan history and culture. Sculptures, rare coins, manuscripts, and many such objects are comprised in this massive collection. These items have been systematically arranged across fourteen separate galleries, with each gallery representing a different theme.

Sculptures important to the Hindu and Jain faiths, some even made of bronze, have been placed in the aptly named Sculpture Gallery which can be explored through Goa tour packages from Chandigarh. These idols depict a number of figures from these mythologies, such as Kubera, the Hindu Lord of Wealth, as well as the Yakshinis, who are his attendants. There are busts of famous Portuguese poets and noblemen, such as Luis Vaz de Camoes and Joao de Castro in the Christian Art Gallery, with some wooden furniture from the Portuguese colonial era also being present here. Artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilisation, fossil bones more than 10,000 years old, even paintings and other works from renowned Indian artists such as M.F. Hussain may be found throughout the walls of this museum. The Goa State Museum is open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday.

William Dalrymple, a Scottish historian and art connoisseur, once described Fontainhas as “a small chunk of Portugal washed up on the shores of the Indian Ocean”. Considering the architecture, the culture, and the lifestyle of the people living here, you couldn’t put it any better than he did. It is called the “Latin Quarter” in the capital city of Panaji. The narrow, cobblestone streets, the houses painted in bright, primary colors and the old villas do a great job of fooling you, but this is all still in Goa. Goa packages from Chandigarh has so much more to offer. Founded by Antonia Joao de Siqueira, Fontainhas was originally just a spice plantation but was eventually transformed into a residential area, after the Portuguese government moved to Panaji in the wake of a deadly epidemic. The Altinho Hills to the west and Ourem Creek bound this quaint little place. At the top of the Altinho Hills is the Maruti temple, which makes for a popular trek for visitors and locals alike, especially thanks to the gorgeous scenery of the Mandovi River trickling along below. The houses here are repainted every year after the monsoon passes. It was a rule that was put in place by the Portuguese to ensure that the town’s beauty would be maintained, and it is still followed as a tradition, to this day. Every year, for one week the people of Fontainhas celebrate an art festival, as a way to celebrate their unique heritage and history.

Places to Visit Through Chandigarh to Goa Tour Package

Ideal Duration

The long trip down from Chandigarh itself justifies a lengthy, deliberately paced vacation in Goa. To ensure that you get the full experience in one go, staying at least for a week may be helpful. So look up the Goa packages from Chandigarh that best suit your needs, and step out the door for an adventure.

Best Time to Visit

Go through the following segregation to learn more about the best time to book Goa packages from Chandigarh.

Summer

Summer in Goa (March to June) makes for a middling season for tourists. While yes, having the sun out when you’re at the beach is among the main attractions for a place like this, you don’t want to be left with dehydration and rashes all over your skin. The temperatures do jump up towards the higher end of the 30-40 °C range past noon, so you’ll want to be indoors by then. On the other hand, however, the heat does keep the crowds away, meaning hotel bookings will come much cheaper than in peak season, and most of the prime spots will have fewer people than usual. A traveler looking for a bargain Chandigarh to Goa package might still end up getting a good deal during summers.

Monsoon

The monsoon in Goa (July to September) is heavy and cloudy enough to make going to the beaches, the thing it is most famous for, an activity that won’t bring much joy to your vacation. After all, no one wants to go to the beach when it isn’t sunny. That being said, the temperature is pleasant, not crossing the 30 °C barrier, and since the people aren’t going to be flocking into the state due to the rains, you’ll get some great deals on accommodations. Additionally, Goa’s forest cover gets a fresh coat of paint due to the rain, so visiting one of its many national parks and waterfalls may give you a look at some stunning landscapes.

Post-Monsoon

This in-between, transitional period is a bit of a strange one to deal with. A lot of states within this region go through the “October heat” period, where on some days, it could be drizzling without a cloud visible in the sky. Still, the weather has mostly calmed down around this time, and it is still a great time of the year to visit Goa and book a Chandigarh to Goa tour package.

Winter

The floodgates of Goa finally open to let the tsunami of tourists wash over it from November to February. Water sports are also a key feature of this time of year, with many beaches hosting a wide range of activities. You could swim with the fishes as you scuba dive, zip along the surface of the sea while windsurfing or paddle along on a kayak as the sea breeze soothes you. The temperature may drop below 20 °C at times, but the chill is still comfortable in that range. Festivals, musical concerts, and year-end celebrations and parties are common around this time, so you’ll have your selection to choose from if that is your intention.

How to Reach?

By Air

There are no direct flights available from Chandigarh Airport to Dabolim Airport in Goa. Any flights with Goa as their destination that depart from Chandigarh require at least one stop somewhere, be it in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, New Delhi or Hyderabad. Flight duration varies due to the requirement of this stop, fluctuating between 4 and a half to 9 hours on a one-stop flight. On a two-stop flight, it may even stretch to over 12 hours, with some extreme routes even taking over a day of flying from place to place, although these are few and far between, and are avoided easily. A long list of Goa tour packages from Chandigarh by air is also available.

By Train

Train routes between Goa and Chandigarh are equally tricky, with only three direct train routes available all throughout the week. Each of these train routes takes up well over a day’s travel ranging around 35 to 37 hours in total by the end of it. Indirect trains are more plentiful in terms of frequency, with 36 options available for travel. Some of these routes are actually faster than the direct route, taking around 30 to 32 hours of travel including the transfer, but most of them are between 35 to 45-hour range. Extreme journeys between the two destinations taking upwards of 60, even 80 hours.

By Road

A road trip from Chandigarh to Goa is one of the real journeymen. It is a massive 2100 km journey at least, that will take about 40 hours to complete if driving continuously from beginning to end. The route will take you across about half the length of the country, through parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, before finally reaching Goa.