What is the best time to plan a Goa vacation? Well, Goa is one of those few vacation destinations that can be visited throughout the year. Depending on your budget, your needs, and your vacation motives, virtually any time of year can be a fun vacation on this beach paradise.

Let’s take a look at what Goa has to offer on a monthly basis:

January

January is the time of the Feast of the Magi. This is a festival that is celebrated every year on January 6, which is considered as the Epiphany or Day of the Magi according to Christian culture. Although it takes place in the old church of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of the Cures), people enthusiastically participate in this festival, regardless of their religious orientation, many places in Goa also celebrate the festival. This 10-day festival is full of joy, dance, music, and revelry. Devotees come to offer their reverence and seek Our Lady’s blessings.

Weather wise, too, January is a great time to be in Goa. There is a slight pinch in the air, and one can spend hours on the beaches, without fear for a tan. However, a holiday in January will be a bit heavy on your pocket, especially the first half of January, as it is still the ‘peak’ holiday season.

February

Carnival time! One of the most popular and long-lasting attractions in Goa is the Goa Carnival. Experience carnival as it is in South America, but with a distinctly Indian flair. Like all other Latin American carnivals, the Goa carnival culminates with the coronation of the undoubted King Momo, who is selected from among the participants.

It’s still cool and windy in February, and most hotels lower their high-season prices after carnival too, so you can get some good deals.

March

Goodbye winter, hello spring! March is the time when all of India celebrates the end of winter and welcomes spring through various festivals and rituals. In Goa, the 14-day Shigmotsav Festival marks the end of winter. Holi and Rang Panchami often fall right in the middle of this festival, and the Goans celebrate it with an abundant use of Gulaal and other colors. Every day of the festival there is an impressive parade of floats in different places.

Although it starts to get hotter in March, if you are one of those who like secluded beaches and solitude, March is a good time. With most schools preparing for the exams, you will find few domestic tourists. While there will be a handful of international tourists, these too will have started to drift away as the weather gets hotter by the day. You will get good deals on hotels, water sports, etc.

April May

In midsummer, Goa will be hot, muggy and humid. However, you can still enjoy breezy beaches, as long as you stay out of the direct glare of the sun, apply generous amounts of sunscreen, and stay hydrated with cold drinks. This is the period when most natives flock to Goa, those urbanites who call Goa their hometown. The biggest draw to visiting Goa in the summer is gorging on mouth-watering mangoes, jackfruit and cashew nuts, which abound in the summer. The Konkan Fruit Festival, which takes place in Goa between April and May, is an unparalleled experience for foodies.

June – September

It is in the monsoon months when you can enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Goa in addition to its beaches. If you are a lover of rains, the monsoon is the best time to visit Goa. It is transformed into a lush green landscape and even the beaches take on a mysterious and stormy look. Of course, all the beach huts, shacks and water sports are closed during the monsoons, so it will be a quiet and introspective vacation if you choose to go in the rainy season.

The Sao-Joao festival is one of the main attractions of the monsoon, which usually takes place at the end of June. It is a wild water carnival, where the natives participate in revelry and boisterous fun.

October November

October marks the beginning of the ‘peak’ season in Goa. Watersports are back, shacks are up and prices are going up! The temperature begins to drop only in late October or early November, and partygoers and revelers begin to congregate. Normally one or another major festival also takes place in Goa around November, be it a jazz festival, a film festival or a book festival.

December

Aah, Goa in December is every party lover’s ultimate dream. New Years Eve in Goa is highly publicized and is an experience worth having. The whole week from Christmas to New Years is one bonhomie after another. However, it is also the most expensive time to travel to Goa, and the prices will be sky high! But the fun and New Years experience in Goa is something you will cherish for a lifetime.