The best things to do in Goa’s monsoon season

What is it:  A four-tiered waterfall – one of India’s tallest – on the Mandovi river, against the Goa-Karnataka border, and worthy of a full day trip organised by Goa Tourism.

Why go: The go-to for someone who wants an adventure. Sitting right on the Goa-Karnataka border is a full-day affair of a river, made even more majestic by the onslaught of rain, creating the famous ‘sea of milk’ effect that gives the waterfalls their name. You also get to discover the enchanting beauty of Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary nearby, around Mollem, threading through the woods and crossing small streams. It’s a great option for a messy full-day trek: muddy trails, river crossings, dense greenery and the sounds of the Western Ghats at their liveliest. 

Price: ₹600 per person, including forest entry and a nature guide.

Address: Sanguem, Goa

What is it: A guided monsoon trail through Tambdi Surla, blending ancient heritage, rainforest exploration and authentic Goan flavours.

Why go: It’s a thoughtfully curated, fully guided journey that invites one to explore Goa's lush monsoon landscapes, led by experienced naturalists. You get to visit the only basalt specimen of the Kadamba-Yadava architecture at Tambdi Surla with a stop at a 12th-century Shiva temple. Getting there means hacking through a dense rainforest with misty trails, seasonal streams, and abundant birdlife. Along the way, guides will regale you with stories about the forest, chances to spot endemic plants, and you end the whole thing with some authentic Goan cuisine. 

Time Out tip: Watch out for leeches! They’re abundant in the wetter parts of Goa in the wet season. Wear leech-proof socks; guides will equip you with salt. 

Price: ₹2,599 per person, includes lunch at an eco-resort

Address: Surla, Goa 403406

What is it: A rare experience on the Palácio grounds where you can absorb the magnificence of Indo-Portuguese architecture, read books on Goan history, and enjoy a traditional lunch.  

Why go: This is another experience in the South, not far from Margao, that one can experience – and it’s indoors, so you can dry off after enjoying the rain. Stepping into this 213-year-old mansion feels like entering a beautifully preserved chapter of Goa's Portuguese heritage. Traditional Goan-Portuguese dishes are elegantly presented, while hosts Ruben and Celia Vasco da Gama offer a warm introduction to the mansion's restored interiors, bringing its rich history vividly to life.

Price: ₹1,700 per person, including a tour of the heritage mansion

Address: Church, Opposite Holy Cross, Quepem, Goa 403705

What is it: A five-day retreat in Mandrem to ace pottery making, with an experience that covers wheel throwing and glazing, with an option to ship finished pieces. 

Why go: Mandrem’s a relatively quieter village in North Goa, and the studio itself is a beautiful property, surrounded by cashew trees, and only two kilometres from the beach. The hours slip by at the wheel at the workshop, held over five or six days, depending on what you prefer. Groups are small, and guests get to stay in wooden cottages near the studio, with all meals in-house. In the sessions, they teach you basics like wheel throwing, hand-building, glazing, and firing in a beginner-friendly manner that blends art, community, and coastal living.

Price: ₹50,000–₹70,000 for accommodation, meals, and instructions.

Address: 240/7 Ashvewada, Quarry Road, Mandrem, Goa 403527

What is it: Panoramic sea and city views with inventive sun-and-moon-inspired cocktails, small plates from across the world, and an electric rooftop ambience that comes alive in the monsoon – all experienced in a fancy, high-end property you can boast about going to later.

Why go: Suspended above the city, Verre at Vivanta Miramar is an immersive world where cocktails, music, and city lights set the stage for a fairly spectacular evening. Everything’s much more exciting when the city’s awash with lashing rain – including the cocktail programme, which draws inspiration from the sun and moon and uses oddball flavours to concoct superbly mixed drinks. The menu’s got Mediterranean, Asian and contemporary Indian flavours, from fresh sushi and small plates to largeish sharing plates. 

Price: About ₹750 for a cocktail.

Timings: Mon–Sun. 5pm–2am.

Address: Vivanta Goa, Miramar, D. B. Bandodkar Road, Panaji, Goa 403001

What is it: A houseful of contemporary art, installations, and multimedia storytelling.

Why go: With the rains lashing down, a visit here is a great way to immerse yourself into the rich history and culture of Goa. 

Avoiding the once-mandatory museum business? Don’t skimp out on this one – and besides, there are few better ways to spend a day indoors when it’s pouring outside. The rain transforms the museum into a sort of abode, with the lush greenery somehow turning greener. Take an afternoon to explore the museum’s contemporary art galleries, which showcase works inspired by Goa's history, politics and everyday life. Afterwards, settle into the open-air MOG Art Café. Delicious home-style dishes and you can’t leave without trying their popular jamun drink, made with fresh Java plums. 

Price: ₹300 for adults and ₹200 for children.

Timings: Tues–Sun. 10am–6pm. Mondays closed.

Address: 79, Estate, Pilerne Industrial Estates, Pilern, Goa 403511

What is it: A cocktail-forward traveller’s hotel where digital nomads will, mercifully, find WiFi.

Why go: Blending contemporary design with Goa's easy-going spirit, Passport Hotel in Assagao offers a stylish yet unpretentious base. I found it to be a no-frills but cosy address with a lobby lounge where one can sit for hours and work with homemade cocktails, served in little packaged bottles. Everything about this hotel is about cocktails so you’d better be a connoisseur – expect seasonal mixes crafted with local fruits, herbs, spices, and artisanal spirits, served any time of the day or night. If you're staying over, the rooms are minimalist but warm, with thoughtful details, rain showers and balconies or sit-outs that open onto loads of greenery. It's pretty effortlessly cool. Designed for lingering.

Price: ₹7,000 per night

Address: 37/2, Church Road, near Courtyard 2, Badem, Bardez, Assagao, Mapusa, Goa 403509

What is it: An immersive destination for coffee lovers which elevates the drink from a daily ritual to a multisensory experience. 

Why go: This is where to go if you’re a teetotaller…or trying to diversify beyond booze for the day. Truth be told, it’s also a spot that a lot more caffeine nerds busy in Bengaluru or Mumbai should be paying attention to, because coffee here means business. As in, a boutique hotel with amenities (plural, yes, not just a machine) entirely dedicated to coffee business. Nestled in the leafy surrounds of Assagao, Unseen reimagines the boutique hotel as specialty coffee being, well, the boutique. 

Alongside its thoughtfully designed accommodations, you’ll find a working roastery, café, coffee omakase bar, artisanal bakehouse, and Uncultured, a hidden speakeasy beneath the property. The Omakase Coffee Bar invites you to surrender their morning ritual to expert baristas, who lead them through a thoughtfully choreographed tasting of rare single-origin brews. The rooms at Unseen are beautifully fitted with modern amenities against a backdrop of terracotta-washed walls, each one with a sunken bathtub and coffee-making station. 

Price: ₹7,750 per night

What is it: A special experience by The Local Beat in Bicholim, where Hindu culinary traditions are untouched by colonial influence.

Why go: Far beyond Goa's famed fish thalis and Indo-Portuguese cuisine, this is food that is lovingly prepared by women from the village, known as kakis, with home-style recipes. This is soul-nourishing food with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Distinctive souring agents such as tamarind, kokum, hog plums, bilimbi, raw mango, and pineapple define the cuisine's character. Used only when in season, making it special to the rain, these hyperlocal ingredients are a documentation of generations of inherited knowledge.

The Local Beat hosts these in the style of picnics, pasios, dining and bebde trails. It’s as big of a defiance of Goa’s tourist trap tendencies as it gets, which means this is also where to take the folks who wistfully sigh about the ‘old, lost Goa’.

Price: ₹3,500 per person

Address: Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001

What is it: A laid back, pet-friendly wine bar set in a heritage mansion overlooking the paddy fields of Merces.

Why go: Of course we’re back with the liquor. It’s a lovely way to close a rainy day out. And inside the restored estate of Sadhana Dell'Arte in Merces is Wineyard by acclaimed beverage curator Arijit Bose, a place where you’d want to sit and stare at the sweeping views of Goa's paddy fields and the Mandovi River for hours. The venue champions approachable wine experiences through guided tastings, by-the-glass pours, and relaxed picnic-style seating. 

Its seasonal small plates, including charcuterie boards and cheese boards, are designed to complement the wines, and we were pleasantly surprised to find nearly a hundred wine labels, making it a rare and distinctive destination for oenophiles and the wine-curious alike. You’ll also find chips, salads, sandwiches, custard, and ice cream sandwiches, which may just cut it to amuse any non-wine person who’s tagging along.

Price: ₹650 for a cocktail

Address: 125, Casa Joao Francisco, Merces, Goa 403005