Private Tour of Fontainhas & Old Goa's Portuguese Heritage
Description
Discover Portuguese heritage & cultural in Goa, Enjoy a guided walk into the colourful neighbourhood of "Fontainhas", which stands as a testament to the region’s rich colonial history and cultural heritage. Also discover best preserved colonial era churches like: Basilica of Bom Jesus which houses the mummified body of the patron saint of Goa, St. Francis Xavier. Magnificent "Se Cathedral" & finally experience the panoramic view from Dona Paula jetty. NOTE: Tourists arriving by CRUISE ships CANNOT book this tour, because Sea Port authorities have their own transport setup. NOTE: NO shorts and sleeveless are allowed while going inside the religious place like this.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Morning meet our host at your respective hotels. Get briefed about the day's plan, later get driven to Old Goa to discover Churches from Portuguese heritage, visit the famous Basilica of Bom Jesus which houses the mummified body of the patron saint of Goa, St. Francis Xavier. The Se Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and is one of the largest Churches in Asia. It houses a large Golden Bell on account of its rich tone. It is said to be the largest in Goa and One of the best in the world. NOTE: NO shorts and sleeveless are allowed while going inside the religious place like this.
The Se Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and is one of the largest Churches in Asia. It houses a large Golden Bell on account of its rich tone. It is said to be the largest in Goa and One of the best in the world. NOTE: NO shorts and sleeveless are allowed while going inside the religious place like this.
After the Churches, let’s take a walk in one of the Latin quarters located at Fontainhas in Panjim. As you pass through the famous statue of Abade Faria or Jose Custodio de Faria trying to hypnotize a women, next to the Government Secretariat, which was sculpted in 1945 by famous sculptor Ramchandra Pandurang Kamat of Madkai.
Later, we visit Dona Paula Jetty, a brief walk will get you to the main point of view, enjoy the sea breeze and the panaromic view of the Arabian Sea. Later, we drive for OPTIONAL Lunch at Upper House restaurant or Panjim Inn (at your expense if opted). Post lunch, we safely drive you to your respective resort.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Centrally located North Goa hotels typically. The Hotels located in "South Goa " hotels are not a usual pickup area.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dress code is smart casual
- NOTE: NO shorts and sleeveless are allowed while going inside the Church.
Reviews(19)
My friend and I booked this private heritage tour, and it was hands-down our favorite day in Goa. Old Goa’s grand cathedrals felt so peaceful and historic, while the pastel-colored streets of Fontainhas looked stunning under the bright March sun—literally like a vintage postcard come to life! A few honest tips: Beat the March heat: It gets hot quickly this month. Having a private AC car to jump into between stops was an absolute lifesaver. Ask to start early at Fontainhas to get those empty street shots in soft morning light, then hit the thick, cool stone churches of Old Goa around midday to escape the sun. Bakery stop: While wandering the Latin Quarter, definitely pop into one of the historic local bakeries for a fresh wood-fired egg tart and an iced coffee. It’s the perfect recharge. It’s the perfect mix of culture, comfort, and amazing photos. So glad we did a private tour!
Dear Guest Many thanks for the kind review and sharing valuable pieces of information. Your review shall help other travelers looking forward to visit this amazing piece of heritage. Best Regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Amazing guide that knows everything about goa, people, history, monuments, places. Strongly recommended!
Dear Mr Jerem, It was a pleasure to serve you in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Had a great time going to view points, Panjim old town and Old Goa. Guide was knowledgeable and good fun to chat to, particularly about things outside the tour remit e.g. food/ changes in Goa in his lifetime. Learnt a lot.
Dear Mr Stuart, It was a pleasure to serve you in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
This trip was amazing, it could not have gone better, my dad is disabled and this trip would have been impossible without this tour.
Dear Mr Stephen It was a pleasure to serve you and your family in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Our tour guide Dyandeep gave us an interesting and relaxing tour of Panjim and Goa. He would let us know about the sites and culture of the places we visited then give us some time to look around and take pictures as long as we liked. He coordinated with the driver real well to have near and safe pickup/drop-off locations too. We saw multiple churches that were awesome with very detailed architecture. Then we had a walking tour of Fontainhas with pretty-colored houses with lush flowers and plants decorating the neighborhood. We finished with a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea coast and got to see dolphins swimming around in the distance.
Dear Guest It was a pleasure to serve you and your partner in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
A pleasurable walk in the Fontainhas area, it's an attractive suburb in Goa with pretty colours of houses in Portuguese style. Has a few cafes around so you can also stop for a refreshing drink. We really had fun 🤩 beautiful and colourful buildings and Vibe places to hangout. The operator "Discover Activities" adds some spiritual flavour too, by showing the beautiful Portuguese era churches too!
Dear Guest It was an honour to serve you in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again. Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
As a solo traveller I was well taken care of by Dnyandeep. He was very knowledgeable about all locations. The tour turned out to be much better than described in the aviator itinerary. We did so much, it was truely a great time for my first time in Goa.
Dear Ms Sherry, It was an honour to serve you in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again. Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Mr. Shailesh was an amazing tour guide. He was knowledgeable about history and culture. He was accommodating with our plans. He has 20 years experience and is very pleasant and welcoming. I would highly recommend him. On the other hand, The agency communication (Jai Singh ) was a bit short with me and said “ he was spending too much time with our correspondence” when I was having having difficulty trying to figure out how to pay with PayPal for a supplement for a cruise ship pick up location. I didn’t think that was very professional.
Dear Guest Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Regarding the communications before the tour, kindly note we were doing our best to go out of the way and serve you from the port are of Goa. We usually pickup and drop from centrally located hotel only. We were sharing multiple communications yielding NO results, so you were politely told to contact your cruise company for instant resolution and it was not meant to be rude at all. However in the end we provided you the best of our services and you are also very happy with your tour and our services in the end. Hope to see you again. Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Very informed and professional. Highly recommended. Exactly what I was looking for. Lovely to see and learn about historical Goa.
Dear Guest, It was an honour to serve you in Goa. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again. Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
Amazing experience with amazing guide!!! Views and food were breathtaking.. the Guide was very friendly and respectful
Dear Guest, It was an honour to serve you and your wife. Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and time taken to post the review. We feel honoured to know that we were able to match your expectations during your tour. Hope to see you again! Best regards Jai Singh Discover Activities
