Four days in Goa is a short trip, and once you count the connection from Kathmandu it really gives you two full sightseeing days. That is fine, because Goa rewards slowing down. What follows is the practical detail that decides whether the four days work.

Two airports, sixty kilometres apart

This is the single most common way a Goa trip starts badly. Goa has two international airports: Dabolim (GOI) in the south, and Manohar International (GOX) at Mopa in the north, opened at the end of 2022. They are about 35 to 40 kilometres apart and most connecting tickets from Kathmandu now land at GOX rather than Dabolim.

Why it matters: GOX to Calangute is about 35 kilometres and under an hour. GOX to Palolem in the far south is about 95 kilometres and close to three hours. Dabolim is the reverse. Booking a south Goa hotel and landing at Mopa turns a transfer into an expedition.

We confirm which airport your ticket uses and place the hotel accordingly. If you book your own flights, tell us the airport code before we fix the hotel.

Season, and what actually closes

The usual advice is October to March. That is close but loose at both ends.

The southwest monsoon withdraws from this coast in the first half of October, so early October is still the tail of it. The reliable window is mid October to May, with November to February the peak.

What matters more is that Goa''s beach infrastructure is seasonal by law. Under the state shack policy the beach shacks operate roughly September to the end of May and must be dismantled by the tenth of June. In practice they are fully up from late October. And in the monsoon months swimming and water sports are not merely discouraged, they are prohibited: the lifeguard service flies red flags from June to September and the districts issue orders banning bathing in the sea, rivers and waterfalls. Dudhsagar jeep safaris shut too.

So a June to September trip is a Goa without shacks, without water sports and without swimming. Worth knowing before someone sells you a cheap monsoon rate.

Getting around, and the taxi situation

Be prepared for this one, because it surprises everyone. Uber and Ola do not operate in Goa. Not "sometimes", not "in some areas". The state has kept app based cabs out and the Chief Minister said so publicly in 2025.

What works: the state''s own GoaMiles app, the prepaid taxi counter at either airport, or a private cab booked in advance. Local taxi fares are high by Indian standards and negotiated rather than metered. Budget for it; it is the one line item people underestimate in Goa.

On the shared coach sightseeing in this package, one honest note: pickups run from the Calangute, Baga, Candolim and Arpora belt. If your hotel is in the far south or in Panjim, we arrange a private transfer to the pickup point or switch you to a private car, because the shared coach will not come to you.

And do not plan to do north and south Goa in a single day on your own. Calangute to Palolem is 75 to 85 kilometres and two to two and a half hours each way in season.

Scooters, and a word of caution

Everyone rents a scooter in Goa and it does look easy. Two things to weigh.

Foreign nationals drive in India on their home licence together with an international driving permit. For Nepali citizens the position is not clearly documented anywhere official, and rental agencies increasingly ask for one. Carry your Nepali licence and get an IDP before you travel if you intend to ride at all. Riding without valid documents will void your travel insurance in a crash whoever caused it.

Helmets are compulsory for both rider and pillion, and Goa now runs camera based fines that arrive days later and double if unpaid after sixty days, which is a genuine trap for a tourist who has already flown home.

Rules worth taking seriously

Drinking alcohol in public is illegal in Goa. On the beach, on the street, in a public place. It is a common misconception in the other direction. Drinking at a licensed shack, bar or restaurant is entirely fine, and that is where you should do it. The fines were raised sharply in 2025.

On drugs, there is no Goan exception to Indian law. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act carries up to a year for small quantities and ten to twenty years at commercial scale, non bailable. Goa recorded 163 cases in 2025 including 32 foreign nationals. Whatever the beach reputation suggests, the courts do not share it.

Money, water and health

Nepali citizens need no visa for India, but you do need an original document: a Nepalese passport, citizenship certificate or Election Commission voter ID. Photocopies are not accepted at check in.

On rupees: notes of 100 and below without limit, notes above 100 up to 25,000 per person in either direction. Do not accept a 2000 rupee note in change; shops refuse it and ordinary banks no longer exchange it. Cards work widely in Goa; keep cash for shacks, taxis and markets.

Tap water is not drinkable. Sealed bottles only, and be careful with ice and cut fruit at roadside stalls. Travellers'' stomach upsets are common enough that carrying oral rehydration salts from Kathmandu is sensible.

What the two sightseeing days cover

The south day is the heritage one: the Portuguese era churches of Old Goa, Panjim''s Latin quarter with its tiled houses, and the riverside forts. The north day is the beach circuit through Vagator, Anjuna, Baga and Calangute, which is busier and more commercial.

Entry fees at churches and monuments are not included in the package, and neither are water sports or the river cruises, all of which are bought locally on the day.

Who this trip suits

Couples, families and first time visitors who want a short beach break with a little structure rather than a full sightseeing schedule. The two free evenings are the point of it. If you want more beach and less coach, tell us and we will drop a sightseeing day and extend the stay instead.