Goa, located on India’s west coast, is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. With its Portuguese cultural influences, Goa is a state that offers a variety of possibilities, from its golden sandy beaches, its spirituality accompanying yoga and meditation, to its hippie markets and vibrant nightlife.
Goa is divided into two districts: North Goa and South Goa. The two districts have unique characteristics and offer completely different types of experiences. In this article, you will find all the best things to do about Goa North. If you are interested in whether South Goa might be more your cup of tea, read our article on the differences between North Goa and South Goa here .
Interactive map
North Goa was considered a haven for hippies in the 1960s and 1970s. Even today, the influence of hippies can be seen in the culture of North Goa, where a bohemian atmosphere persists. The two main areas to visit and where all the activities take place in North Goa are: Vagator & Anjuna and a little further north, Arambol & Morjim. These areas are mainly famous for their beach activities, their flea markets with alternative clothes, jewellery and handicrafts, and its parties until the early hours of the morning.
Vagator and Anjuna, the heart of the festivities
Vagator and Anjuna are the playground of psy trance and electronic music lovers. Not ideal if you are looking for a relaxing holiday, but the perfect place for those who want to stay up and dance the night away! Listed below are all the suggestions for a stay in Vagator or Anjuna.
Where to eat
There is no shortage of places to eat in Vagator and Anjuna. You will find plenty of restaurants with beautiful sea views, but we didn’t find one that stood out in comparison to the others, and the prices tend to be higher than the others. Below is a list of the best restaurants we found:
- Navratna Udupi Pure Veg Family Restaurant: very good vegetarian restaurant in Vagator.
- Jaws Restaurant and Bakery: the best dosa in the area for the lowest price! For breakfast they have many different types of breakfasts, a must try!
- Kanha Pure Veg Restaurant: good place to stop on the way between Anjuna and Vagator.
- 6 Pack Bar & Restaurant: this is a nice little restaurant near Anjuna, where we ate some really good curries.
Where to sleep
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Flea markets
North Goa boasts some of the best markets in all of Goa. In these markets, you can find a wide variety of things: colourful hippie clothes and traditional Indian garments; handmade jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, often made from semi-precious stones, silver and other materials; handicrafts such as wood carvings or fabric paintings; souvenirs such as magnets, mugs, or key rings; home accessories; musical instruments such as flutes or drums; spices, tea, incense, and essential oils.
These markets are unique to visit for their atmosphere, smells and colours, although prices can often be slightly higher than elsewhere.
These are in our opinion the 3 best and unmissable flea markets in North Goa:
This market is an initiative of Hill Top Goa, and is present every Friday evening at Hill Top in Vagator from 5pm to midnight. The entrance fee is 100 Indian rupees (about 1 euro). Inside, however, you will not only find stalls with various items, but also live music, DJ sets, and a refreshment area, so that you can enjoy a truly different evening and experience. The season ends at the end of April.
Originally started as a market for hippie travellers in the 1960s, the Anjuna Flea Market in Goa is one of the most famous and vibrant markets in the region. The market is held every Wednesday from 8am to 6pm from October to the end of April.
Located in the vicinity of Anjuna, the Arpora market, also known as the ‘Saturday Night Market’, offers a wide range of products similar to those found in Anjuna, and is open on Saturday evenings.
When spending money abroad we always use our WISE international debit card. You can withdraw up to 200 euros in cash per month free of charge and won’t pay any conversion fees on transactions. Check out the WISE international debit card here.
Nightlife
If you are in Vagator/Anjuna, you will certainly also be looking for parties. And with good reason, as this place is a haven for psytrance music! Below is a list of all the must-see venues during your stay in North Goa.
- Hill Top Goa: The undisputed queen of parties in Vagator for fans of psytrance music. Hill Top in Goa is a must-see experience for trance music fans, with top quality DJs and unforgettable nights. Hill Top offers a big psytrance music festival in early February, concerts until midnight on Friday nights at the Goa Collective Bazar, and psytrance parties every Sunday.
- Shiva Valley: Tuesday nights are a fixture at Shiva Valley, with a psytrance party that lasts until the early hours of the morning right on the beach in Anjuna. Watching the sunrise rise from this location is simply magical!
- Banana Forest Bar And Restaurant Goa: This place offers psytrance and techno music, especially on Friday nights. Don’t miss it!
- House of Chapora: Slightly smaller than the others, this place offers a great location, right in front of the sea and with a small garden where you can sit and drink while taking a break from dancing. The location really deserves it!
Extras: Tito’s Ln in Baga Beach: this street, famous for partying, is located south of Anjuna. I have not personally been there, but I heard it is a good place to find many pubs & clubs to go to. The style is more of a ‘beer street’, so a bit different from the rest of the venues listed above.
Note: to keep up to date with what’s on every night, download the Party Hunt app, where all the cool events are updated daily!
Arambol, the hippie paradise
Arambol is the hippest place in all of Goa. More laid-back than neighbouring Vagator, it offers a slower and more alternative lifestyle, yet full of things to do. Arambol boasts beautiful beaches to watch the sunset, countless markets selling hippie clothes and local handicrafts, artsy cafés and restaurants and live music nights. Arambol is certainly not a place to get bored! Listed below are all the suggestions for a stay in Arambol.
Where to eat in Arambol
Arambol is the place with the most alternative and beautiful bars and restaurants in all of North Goa. Some European style, others Indian style, you can literally spend all day there, writing in your diary, working on your computer, or chatting with other travellers. Here’s the list:
- Dreamland Cafe: Italian cafe, with fabulous cappuccinos! The atmosphere is simply amazing, you can work on the computer for several hours and relax on the cushions upstairs.
- Dudu Falafel Cafe: we had the best lunches here! Artistic restaurant, with cushions where you can lie down and eat on the floor. Highly recommended!
- Cliff Side Restaurant: there are several restaurants across the cliff from Arambol. We found this one really good and cheap, with a spectacular view of the beach.
- Shaan-A-Punjab: this Indian restaurant has a beautiful design, and the food is really good! Slightly outside the centre, in a quiet location.
- Relax Inn: best place for tiramisu! Believe me, I’m Italian 🙂
Where to sleep in Arambol
In Arambol many hotels are not on the Booking or Hostelworld platforms. We went to Arambol and walked around looking for our hotel (which is not on any platform!). However, here are some recommendations on hostels or hotels that we heard were very good:
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What to do in Arambol
1. Shopping at hippie markets
The markets in Arambol are considered hippie markets, and you’ll quickly see why! Dreamcatchers, colourful clothes, hammocks, musical instruments, jewellery and crystals fill the main street of Arambol, leading down to the beach. If you are a fan of the hippie style, don’t miss the ArambolDrum Circle to experience the musical extravaganza with the hippies of Arambol!
2. Ecstatic dances and cocoa ceremonies
For those who do not know exactly what it is, the ecstatic dance is a dance in which we surrender to the rhythm and move as freely as the music takes us, leading to trance and a feeling of ecstasy. In Arambol you can find leaflets everywhere with places offering ecstatic dances and cocoa ceremonies. We stayed at Secret Paradise, a beautiful location by the sea, and the cost was 300₹ (about 3€) for 2 full hours.
3. Yoga
Although the home of yoga and meditation is in South Goa(read the article here if you want to know more), there are several studios in Arambol where you can practice yoga and meditation. Listed below are some good yoga studios:
4. Sweet Water Lake and Paragliding
A 20-minute walk from the centre of Arambol will take you to Sweet Water Lake, on the other side of the cliff. This sweet lake is surrounded by beautiful vegetation and offers a peace and tranquillity that makes it an ideal place for swimming and relaxing.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for a bit of a thrill, you can book on site and try paragliding by jumping off the cliff.
Other water activities such as kayaking, or try kite-surfing are possible on Arambol beach.
Note: Opposite Sweet Water Lake there are beautiful cottages, Sweet Valley Cottages, where you can stay if you want to enjoy the peace of the Arambol area beyond the cliffs.
Nightlife
Arambol offers a different kind of nightlife than the Vagator and Anjuna areas, with quieter evenings based on live music, open mic nights and DJ sets that end early. Every night in Arambol there are bars that provide a special atmosphere for those who want to enjoy good music without overdoing it. Below are the places we liked best:
- Twice in Nature: a beautiful bar for live concerts and DJ sets. Located in the middle of nature, in this bar you can both dance and relax while sitting. Every night they offer a different kind of night.
- This is it Goa Beach Bar, Grill, Stay & Events: a pleasant and cosy place to sit down with delicious food and drinks. They often have live music that creates a special atmosphere.
- antiSOCIAL Goa: for the more party-loving, located in Morjim, a 20-minute taxi ride from Arambol is this venue that often offers DJ sets from early afternoon until morning, with one of the most spectacular locations to enjoy the sunset with background music.
- Garden of Dreams: this bar is a fantastic paradise surrounded by greenery, in the inner part of Arambol. It does not offer events during the night, but often offers live music concerts from the afternoon until the early evening hours. The food is vegetarian and of excellent quality.
How to get to Goa
Goa is well connected and easily accessible from major cities by night buses and trains.
To book night buses in India, we usually use the 12go.asia website. You avoid the hassle of going to tourist offices in person to book tickets and you can check photos and bus reviews in advance!
- From Mumbai: Check timetables and prices here
- From Kochi: Check timetables and prices here
- From Bangalore: Check timetables and prices here
When booking train and bus tickets abroad, we always use 12go.asia. You can check timetables and prices online and it’s often cheaper than booking in person! Check our 12go.asia here.
Getting around North Goa
There are several options for getting around North Goa. Renting a moped is the most convenient option both for moving within the two different zones and for moving between them. The travel time between Arambol and North Goa is about 45 minutes. In both areas, there are many scooter rental shops that will rent you a moped for 300/400 rupees per day (3 to 5 euro per day).
Renting a car is an equally good option, but the costs are much higher, around 1500 rupees per day (a little over 15 euro per day). You can rent a car before you arrive in Goa by flight and collect it directly from the airport for convenience. Check car rental prices for Goa here.
Note: Remember that an international driving licence is required to rent a car in India. Also, travel insurance is a must for any motorcycle/machine rental abroad, especially in Asia. Although problems rarely occur, it is better to be covered in case they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it to anyone travelling the world.
The most convenient but most expensive option for moving between areas in North Goa is by taxi or tuk tuk. For travel within the areas, each trip will cost from 300 rupees upwards, even for short trips of 10 minutes. To go from Vagator/Anjuna to Arambol, expect a higher cost from 700 rupees upwards (about 7 euro upwards).
You can download the GoaMiles app, where you need to charge 350 rupees to activate the account, but you can then pay the taxi in cash. Personally though, when we tried to use it, it could never find rides and we had to stop local taxis or tuk tuks.
The cheaper but more inconvenient option is the local bus. If you start from Vagator, you have to go to the Mapusa bus station and the cost is only 40 rupees (50 cents) but it takes a couple of hours. If you are leaving from Arambol, the bus stop is located here.
When to go to Goa
✅ The best season to visit Goa is the dry season, which runs from November to March. The climate is drier and sunnier than most of the year, rainfall is low and the weather is predictable, with average daily temperatures ranging between 20°C and 30°C.
❌ Between April and October , however, the weather in Goa is not optimal for visiting. Between April and June comes summer, the hot season. This is not a good time to explore the region, as the heat becomes stifling and humid, with heat peaks and temperatures exceeding 35°C. Between July and October, on the other hand, the rains arrive.
Useful information
- When booking any bus or train in Asia we always use 12go.asia. It is often easier to book online than in person!
- Travel insurance is a must for any holiday abroad, especially in Asia. Although problems rarely occur, it is better to be covered in case they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it to anyone travelling the world.
- When travelling abroad we use the WISE international credit card. You can withdraw up to EUR 200 in cash per month free of charge. After that, you only pay a very low fee on withdrawals.
- India is a popular tourist destination, and hotels and hostels are booked in advance, especially in high season. Better to book before you arrive to avoid problems!
What to do after
After you have explored and enjoyed North Goa, you can dedicate a few relaxing days to your trip and head to South Goa. Read about the differences between North Goa and South Goa here.
Alternatively, you can head even further south to the beautiful region of Kerala. Read about an ideal two-week itinerary in Kerala here.
If you have any suggestions or comments, please do not hesitate to let us know by leaving a comment!
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