Tips for Traveling Through Goa Airports

Goa is touted as a popular coastal destination of India having a footfall of innumerable tourists every year. It’s famous for its beautiful, exotic, and mesmerizing beaches, nightlife, cosmopolitan culture, and nuances embedded in every nook and corner as well as delectable coastal cuisine.

Therefore, it’s natural that Goa attracts plenty of domestic and international travelers landing or traveling through Goa Airports. The easiest and most convenient way to visit Goa is by availing the air transport route.

Goa had one airport before but due to being a popular destination now government has opened one more airport north of Goa.

Goa International Airport (GOI)or the Dabolim airport 

This is Goa’s main airport where most international flights arrive which is located about 4km from Vasco Da Gama city and 31km from Panjim, Goa’s capital. Going by passenger traffic records, Dabolim Goa Airport managed to position itself in 10th rank amongst other airports in India, with Dabolim airport handling over 7.6 million passengers according to 2017 consensus. 

If you are travelling to south Goa Beaches GOI is the best airport to arrive. 

Manohar International Airport

To everyone’s delight, Goa revels in having the newly-constructed Manohar International Airport built at Mopa in North Goa, the second international airport, the foundation stone of which was laid and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2016 and 11th December 2022 respectively-a remarkable and noteworthy extension of the chains of Goa Airports, constructed mainly to reduce the increased load of air traffic on existing Dabolim airport.

The new Manohar International Airport, operated by GMR Goa International Airport Limited, is being built in an area of 2,133 acres at a cost of approximately Rs.2,650 crores and is named after late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Flight operations commenced on 5th January 2023, with the first flight operated by IndiGo.

 If you are traveling to the North of Goa it is good to fly at MOPA airport. 

Passenger Services at Both Airports

The long terminal building at the Dabolim airport-counted as one of the commutable Goa Airports of today, is accountable for regulating passenger traffic related to the arrival and departures of both domestic and international travelers eager to visit and explore varied well-known places of Goa-Yoga Schools in Goa being one of several counted amongst the bucket list. 

The terminal has exceeded way beyond its capacity and is undergoing expansion and refurbishment.

The bulk of flights arriving at Dabolim airport include domestic, mostly from the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. 

Qatar Airways, Air India, and Air Arabia operate some regular flights from the UK including Europe as well thereby constituting the bulk of international flights landing at Goa Airports.

Goa International Airport is a government-run airport functioning on the military airbase. Hence, the airport has limited amenities and infrastructure, specifically about passenger services.

Range of Passenger Services Offered at Goa International Airport

Currency Exchange 

Currency exchange counters & ATMs (State Bank of India) make room for installation in the terminal building/premise of Goa International Airport.

Information/Help Desk

Any information or help about baggage handling, flight schedules, or queries related to miscellaneous travel needs, choices, and preferences are availed and well taken care of at this counter.

Baggage

Baggage trolleys for multiple and heavy baggage are available at the Integrated Building Terminal of Goa International Airport facility provided to the domestic terminal of Goa Airports.

Child-Care Amenities

Child-care rooms are available for passengers traveling with infants and toddlers, harboring the ardent desire to explore the mesmerizing, exotic beaches of Goa, forts, including Yoga Schools in Goa endowed with all-encompassing, holistic, beneficial aspects, nuances and intricacies of yoga.

Shopping

There are duty-free shops at Goa International Airport, mostly comprising souvenirs and craft items.

Food

Varied food outlets in the form of restaurants and cafes are available, catering to both arriving and departing passengers at the airport.

Medical services/emergencies

First aid provision/ service as well as emergency station are available at Goa International Airport in case of any exigencies.

Wi-fi facility

Free Wi-Fi connectivity is available to all passengers at the airport. However, the wi-fi facility in the international terminal is free for the first 30 minutes, and you’ve to register your phone number to receive a code for employing the facility.

Lounges

Goa Airports, as such, do not have a dedicated lounge area. There’s an outlet known as ‘Good Times Bar’ that has its inception in 2019 in the domestic departure segment, serving as lounge purpose attributed to specific card holders.

Other services

Other services such as mobile charging posts, spas, smoking zones, and other peripheral arrangements/provisions are also available at Goa Airports.

Transportation Facility at Goa International Airport

Pre-paid can be easily booked at international airport upon arrival. One’ll find a taxi booking counter in front of the terminal building as he/she exits from the arrival area. 

Apart from taxis, one can also avail of interstate bus service operating to Vasco Da Gama and Chicalim as a cheaper transport option. 

Moreover, shuttle services are quite popular amongst tourists, with many renowned hotels in Goa providing shuttle services from the airport to Panjim City.

Must-To-Do Things & Places to Visit in Goa

Revel in beach fun

The Goan landscape is engulfed with breathtaking sandy beaches ideal for sunbathing, water sports, and sun-down parties. 

Both north and south Goa are dotted with mesmerizing and enigmatic beaches like Baga Beach, Anjuna Beach, Colva Beach, Calangute Beach, and others.

Make mandatory visits to Goa’s majestic forts

Goa’s glorious past is reminiscent of its magnificent, majestic, spectacular forts exuding historical charm and aura as well as the architectural brilliance of bygone eras. 

Make way for your engaging itineraries in the famous Fort Aguada, Chapora Fort, Corjuem Fort, Mormugao Fort, and many such testaments of historic splendor.

Visit the remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Goa bears the testimony of a colonial legacy endowed with a rich heritage and milieu. Get a taste of Goa’s architectural marvel juxtaposed with unwavering spirituality by visiting these famed heritage sites like the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Saint Catherine’s Chapel, Se Catedral de Santa Catarina, Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Church of Saint Augustine and other landmarks that stood the test of time.

Visit wondrous historical temples

The majestic temples of Goa are worth a visit, known for their spiritual and religious significance including architectural brilliance and artistry combined with serene surroundings. 

Amongst the Goa temples exuding these aforementioned essences are the Mangeshi temple, Mahadev temple, Shanta Durga temple, and Brahma temple.

To visit these historical splendors of Goa, one has to pack his/her bags and make way for Goa Airports to fulfill and unravel the enigmatic and enticing historical backgrounds and landscapes that Goa is endowed and enriched with.

Go for a food & shopping spree

Goa is a haven for exploring delectable seafood cuisines, Goan delicacies, and other gastronomic delights. 

So, if you’re a connoisseur of good, experimental, novel, unique food, do satiate your taste buds at Fisherman’s Wharf, Spice Goa, Tuscany Gardens, and many such food ‘paradises’ that serve lip-smacking delicacies.

For a delightful shopping experience, head to the Anjuna Flea market where you can purchase souvenirs, knick-knacks, garments, jewelry, and handicraft items from stalls selling myriad stuff. 

Furthermore, you can enjoy live music, and eating out your heart’s content at various food stalls of this weekly market.

Get yourself enrolled in Yoga Schools

Goa’s remarkable sun-and-sand ambiance finely blended with cosmopolitan culture and milieu is a sure-shot way of striking a chord with travelers especially foreigners landing at Goa Airports to satiate the wanderlust within. 

These travelers from foreign shores always make it a point to get themselves enrolled in Yoga Schools in Goa to gain knowledge about yoga and spirituality imparting an overall, holistic well-being to their body, mind, and soul thereby enriching them in the process. 

Moreover, Goa stands for relaxation and rejuvenation of tired mind, body, and soul and one may find varied holistic and wellness centers much like the Yoga Schools in Goa, offering both contemporary luxury spa massages and conventional oil massage therapy.

Get your Yoga Certification 2023 done at Diya Yoga – one of the prominent Yoga Schools in Goa, a Yoga Alliance RYS200 school located in Mandrem small town in North Goa, India. 

Our best yoga teacher training programs blend ancient Vedic knowledge with modern asanas taught by skilled Indian and International yoga teachers. 

We deliver a comprehensive theoretical and practical training program during our 24-day structured course. 

Upon completion of our yoga teacher training course in Goa, you’ll emerge as a confident teacher imparting yoga knowledge and skills to others. 

Join us in our noble and humble effort to spread the all-encompassing benefits of yoga far across the world!