Private Cultural Tour: Ancestral Goa, Shantadurga Temple and Spice Village Including Lunch

India

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Experience the culture of Goa, sample its aromatic cuisine, and gain an insider’s understanding of Hindu religion on this full-day private tour. Explore Ancestral Goa with your guide and learn about efforts to preserve art, culture, and the environment. Check out two Hindu temples that showcase Portuguese influence and visit a spice village where you unlock the secrets of India’s most prized export. Hotel pickup and drop-off, as well as a traditional Indian lunch, are included.

Private tour in Goa with an English-speaking guide
Visit Ancestral Goa, a center for preserving art, culture and the environment located in a traditional village
Admire Goa’s Portuguese-influenced architecture and learn about Hinduism at Shantadurga Temple and Mangueshi Temple
Tour a spice village and plantation to learn about this important Indian product
Enjoy an authentic Indian lunch and taste how the different spices are used in the region's cuisine

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
English-speaking guide
Transport in private air-conditioned vehicle
Spice plantation tour
Lunch
Water bottle on board the vehicle

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick up and Drop off location for this tour Panaji / Calangute / Candolim / Baga. This tour will not operate from below location. • Ramada Caravela • Club Mahindra Resort • Emerald Palms by Club Mahindra • Zuri Whitesands Resort • Varca Le Palms • Regenta Resort, Varca

Itinerary

Meet your driver at your Goa hotel in the morning and travel south to Ancestral Goa. Commonly referred to by locals as Big Foot Museum, this cultural center in the village of Loutolim is designed to preserve the culture and traditions of the region and pays homage to Portuguese influences.

Tour the village with your expert guide and gain insight into age-old traditions like bringing feni—a local moonshine made from cashews or coconut. Check out the 250-year-old Portuguese mansion called Casa Araujo and explore its lavish rooms, which include a dining hall and chapel. An impressive doorway leads to a towering staircase that makes this historic structure truly stunning.

From there, head to Shantadurga Temple. This impressive complex was built in 1738 AD and is surrounded by brilliant green foliage. Your guide explains more about the Indo-Portuguese architecture when you venture inside. Brilliant stained-glass windows and a golden palanquin known as a palkhi decorate this religious center.

Next, head to the 400-year-old Mangueshi Temple. Built to honor the goddess Shiva, the temple and its iconic pillars play an essential role in the community.

Finally, drive in air-conditioned comfort to a nearby spice village where you are greeted by a biologist who explains the vegetation that lives on the plantation. Learn about medicinal purposes for herbs and sample cuisine that uses these flavorful spices during a full buffet lunch of authentic Indian fare.

At the conclusion of your private cultural tour, head back to your hotel in Goa for the evening.

Ancestral Goa

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Casa Araujo Alvares

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shantadurga Temple

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shree Mangesh temple

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sahakari Spice Farm

1 minute • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Not wheelchair accessible
Please note that lunch will not be served until mid- to late-afternoon. You’re welcome to bring a packed lunch if you’d like to eat prior to the buffet lunch.

A maximum of 9 people per booking
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

4.3

based on 8 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

I would have given it a 2, but the guide was a nice guy

Jill_G, Mar 2024

Our guide tried so hard (with words) to make this a great experience, but it really wasn't. I think a private tour should be exceptional, but this one was a rip-off. Two of us paid $296 to visit two places with a total admission charge of less than $4 per person, two temples that were free, and a spice plantation that rolls tourists through it like an assembly line. Casa Araujo Alvares was interesting with its loud pre-recorded blasts of information and women ushers who hustled us through the building. Big Foot was less of a museum and more like a wanna-be Disney attraction with brightly painted plaster statues and blaring music. The exotic birds on display (real ones) were the best part of Big Foot. We visited two Hindu temples where we were told to enter on our own without a guide. Perhaps because the Hindu priests glower at foreign tourists? We obeyed all the rules for visitors, and a priest chased after us, yelling, as we left. I think he wanted us to come back and make a donation.... The most beautiful sight on the tour was the pontoon bridge leading over the lake on our way to the spice plantation. I learned a lot about spices from the plantation guide, but I didn't buy any spices, since they didn't sell the ground cinnamon I wanted, the reason cited by the salesperson being that it has a short shelf life (?) of only 6 months. (So how old was the stuff they were selling?) The dining area there is a large open shed with a tin roof, dirt floor and wooden picnic tables. The meal was not to our liking since my husband has gastric issues with really hot spices, and I'm allergic to coconut. Everything contained coconut. It was served mess hall style out of a variety of kitchen pots. Luckily we brought some snacks of our own. The car we drove in had air conditioning, but the seat belts didn't work. We asked if there were any bottles of water in the car, and they were in the trunk (boot). If the tour had been a lot less expensive, we wouldn't have minded so much, but it definitely wasn't worth the inflated price we paid. Maybe Viator and Trip Advisor should check into this. Warning: it looks like all tours in Goa end at the spice plantation, even if you've already been there. Bon Appetit!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Dear Jill, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We deeply regret that your tour did not meet your expectations. We take all feedback seriously and will review our offerings to ensure a more enriching and seamless experience for our guests in the future. Your insights are invaluable to us, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during your visit. All the best!!!

Walking inside the...

Antonio_C, Jan 2023

Walking inside the churches, and the temes devoted to shiva and durga, as wellas tge spice temple,were my highlights.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello Antonio, Thank you so much for your valuable feedback and kind words. We appreciate you taking the time out to share your thoughts with us. This in turn helps us to stay motivated. Hope to see you soon again. Thank you once again for choosing us as your travel partner. Best wishes!!!

The guide was good and the tour...

Christine L, Feb 2016

The guide was good and the tour informative. The buildings and museum were interesting. Spice garden was great.

This tour has been very nice. The...

Joaquin A, Mar 2015

This tour has been very nice. The experience in both temples has been wonderful. And the Spice Village is lovely. Very good experience!

Very enjoyable, guide knowledgeable...

Jacqui M, Apr 2014

Very enjoyable, guide knowledgeable, enjoyed viewing speces growing.

The tour was really good. Our guide...

Kishan P, Dec 2013

The tour was really good. Our guide had arrived on time and was very knowledgeable. The spice village and lunch was amazing. Really worth booking.

Goa was an amazing tour. We really...

GILBERT G, Feb 2013

Goa was an amazing tour. We really enjoyed the spice village and luncheon. Also, the method used to show the Portuguese house and the lifestyle of Goa was very unique. We came away with great information and the food was terrific. This tour was the highlight of all our Indian visits.