Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
Seven nights built for families. Three at Taj Fort Aguada on Sinquerim beach, then four at The Leela Goa in the south, with an outing on most days: dolphins at the river mouth, two Portuguese forts, a jeep to Dudhsagar Falls, a spice farm lunch and the Sal river by boat. Drives are short, and afternoons are for the pool.
Goa is one of the easiest places in India to travel with children. Flights are short, the resorts have pools, gardens and calm beaches, and the outings, from forts and boats to waterfalls and spice farms, are the kind children remember. The trick is to keep drives short and the middle of the day free.
This journey starts in the north at Taj Fort Aguada, below a 17th-century fort and above a calm, lifeguarded beach, then moves south to The Leela Goa, with its lagoons, lawns and long, quiet sand. One longer day takes you to Dudhsagar Falls and a spice farm; every other outing is under 45 minutes from the hotel.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Dabolim with child seats fitted as needed and drives to Sinquerim, where Taj Fort Aguada steps down the slope below the old fort walls to the beach. Rooms with sea views are reserved for you. The afternoon is for the pool and the sand, which is calm and lifeguarded in season. Dinner is at the resort.
At 7.30 am, a private boat leaves Sinquerim for the mouth of the Mandovi, where humpback dolphins often feed in the calm morning water. The boatman keeps a respectful distance. Back by 9.30 for breakfast and a free day. At 4.30 pm, walk up to Fort Aguada with a storyteller guide, who brings the fort's ships, cannons and great water cistern to life, and see the old lighthouse.
A morning at Reis Magos fort, ten minutes away, where children can walk the restored ramparts and see the cannons above the river. Continue to the Museum of Goa at Pilerne, whose large contemporary installations hold children's attention, and which sometimes runs art workshops. Lunch is at a relaxed café in Saligao or Assagao, and the afternoon is for the beach.
The one long day. Leave at 7 am for Collem, where our team has queued for a forest jeep. Ride 45 minutes through the sanctuary, fording streams, to the foot of Dudhsagar Falls, where children can swim in the pool in life jackets while trains cross the viaduct above. Lunch on banana leaves at a spice farm near Ponda, with a walk among pepper vines and nutmeg trees, then drive south to The Leela Goa.
A free day after yesterday's adventure. The Leela's grounds have pools, lagoons crossed by bridges, lawns for games and a long, gentle beach. The resort runs activities for children in season, and parents can take a spa treatment or nine holes of golf. In the evening, walk to the end of the beach to watch the sun set over the Sal river mouth.
Early risers can drive 20 minutes to Benaulim to watch the fishing boats come in and nets hauled up the beach, with a guide from a fishing family. Return for breakfast and a lazy day. At 4.30 pm, a private boat leaves the Mobor jetty for an hour among the mangroves of the Sal river, looking for kingfishers, mudskippers and crabs, then heads to the river mouth for sunset.
A morning by the pool, then in the mid-afternoon drive 40 minutes south across the Sal to Cabo de Rama, a large headland fort with old cannons, a small church and views over an empty coast. Children enjoy running along the walls, with a parent close by at the edges. Back at the resort, a farewell family dinner is set by the lagoon.
A last swim and breakfast, then your driver takes you to Dabolim, about an hour away, for your onward flight. We pack a snack box for the journey for the children, and for late flights we arrange a late check-out or a family lunch on the way.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A long-established Taj resort on the slopes below the 17th-century Fort Aguada, with sea-view rooms and cottages above Sinquerim beach. It suits families and first-time visitors …
A spacious resort at Mobor, at the southern tip of the Salcete coast, set between the Sal river and the sea with lagoons winding through the …
Shape your own journey Tell us your dates and what you hope to feel. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the land to your month, your pace and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an indicative price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginGood to know
Questions travellers ask
Very. Flights are short from most Indian cities, the resorts have pools, gardens and calm beaches, and the outings, from forts and boats to waterfalls and spice farms, suit children well. Drives are rarely longer than 45 minutes.
It suits children from about four upward. For toddlers we skip the Dudhsagar jeep, which is bumpy, and replace it with a shorter spice farm day. Teenagers can add kayaking at Nerul or a cycle ride on Divar.
From November to April, Sinquerim and the beach at The Leela Goa are calm and lifeguarded in front of the resorts. Children should always swim with an adult and between the flags. The sea is unsafe in the monsoon.
About 10 hours, including 4.5 hours of driving, the jeep ride, an hour at the falls and a spice farm lunch. It is the only long day of the trip, and the next day is kept completely free.
Both Taj Fort Aguada and The Leela Goa have offered children's activities and clubs in season. Programmes and charges change, so we confirm details when you book.
Usually, yes, at both resorts, and family suites are available at some. We request them when you confirm and reconfirm before you travel. Christmas and New Year book out early.
The resorts have extensive children's menus, and Goan food includes mild dishes such as chicken cafreal, fried fish in rava, prawn rissóis, pao and sweets like bebinca. Restaurants are used to adjusting spice for children.
Late October to February is best: dry, warm and calm, with the Dudhsagar track open. The Diwali, Christmas and New Year school holidays are the busiest weeks and need early booking.
Yes. Many families add three or four nights in a private Assagao villa with a pool and a cook, which works well for larger groups or grandparents travelling with the family.
More in Goa
Begin a journey
Dates, who is travelling and what you hope to feel. A planner replies within one working day with a first route and an indicative price.