Two days in Panjim: the plan that leaves nothing important out

Day 1 — The capital on foot

Dawn — Altinho steps and the Patriarchal Palace gate.

08:00 — Fontainhas in low sun; St Sebastian's chapel.

Late morning — Church Square: the stairs, the bell; the Municipal Garden.

Midday — fish thali; the municipal market's fish hall if you're early.

Afternoon — the Adil Shah's Palace and State Museum (weekdays); the Menezes Braganza azulejos.

Evening — the promenade; a Santa Monica sunset cruise if it's running.

Day 2 — Across the water

Morning — the Betim ferry at 06:30, Panjim's skyline from the deck; Reis Magos church on the foreshore.

11:00 — Reis Magos fort opens: ramparts, cannon, the river mouth.

Midday — back by ferry; the library's sixth floor.

Afternoon — Miramar and Dona Paula by bus or scooter; the 1969 sculpture at sunset.

Night — a casino if that's your thing — at the operator's counter, with ID.

Day 3 — The islands

Morning — the Ribandar ferry to Chorão; the Salim Ali mangrove boardwalk before the heat.

Midday — Old Goa's churches, ten kilometres east (its own edition).

Afternoon — the Divar ferry from Old Goa; Piedade's hilltop church and the view.

Evening — back to Fontainhas; Carnival or the feast if your dates allow.

Worth leaving town for

Old Goa. Ten kilometres east by Kadamba bus: the Sé with its Golden Bell, Bom Jesus with Francis Xavier's silver casket, the Augustinian tower whose bell now hangs in Panjim. A full morning; its own 32-page edition.

Chorão and Divar. The free ferries to the two islands: the Salim Ali mangroves on Chorão from Ribandar, then Divar from Old Goa for Piedade's church and the view back over the river — and Bonderam's flag battle on the fourth Saturday of August.

Pilerne and Torda. Out toward the north coast: the Museum of Goa at Pilerne for contemporary art, the Houses of Goa at Torda for how the state has built — and on to Candolim and Aguada if you're heading for the beaches.

Getting there and away

By air: Two airports. Dabolim, thirty kilometres south, is the closer — prepaid taxis at the counter, about ₹1,000–1,200. Mopa, forty-three north, opened in January 2023 and suits the north coast; about ₹1,500, or the Kadamba shuttle. No Uber or Ola in Goa.

By rail: The Konkan Railway since 1998: Karmali at Old Goa, twelve kilometres east, is nearest; Thivim, twenty-five north, serves Mopa and Mapusa; Madgaon Junction, thirty-three south, takes the long trains from Mumbai and Bengaluru.

By road: Kadamba buses from the Patto stand to Old Goa, Mapusa, Margao, Vasco and both airports — pay on board. Scooters are ₹300–600 a day and the real way around; helmets are compulsory and checked.

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