Based on my extensive roaming experience in Goa, here is a compact 3-day visit plan to help anyone who wants to visit Goa, mostly during an weekend either followed by a day or 2 off days or a Friday holiday combined with a weekend. (There is some formatting issue here so could not be laid out well)
Goa has two districts, North Goa and South Goa. One needs to decide what their interests are in. Both places have beaches. while South has some good temples, churches, spice plantations along with beaches, North is more famous for hippie life with pubs, discos, flee market and so on. Panjim can be considered as the center point and has its own attractions as well.
I have laid out a plan covering beaches in North, Panjim city and temple/churches in South, one must customize it as per your needs.
Basically, below covers everything that one would like to cover, beaches, water-sports, night life, food, shopping, liquor, temples, churches etc.
Day-1: Arrive either by flight, train/bus (Pune/Mumbai/Bangalore/Hyderabad). Buses from all these places arrive Goa in the morning. Check-in at a hotel in North Goa.
Places to visit/Things to do:1. Fort Aguada / Vagatore Fort 2. Splash down water park Anjuna. 3. Lunch - at Shack anywhere at the beach or any restaurants around. 4. Spend evening at other beaches/water sports activities at any of these: Baga/ Vagatore/ Anjuna/ Calangute/ Sinkeri/ Candolim. 5. Dinner at any beach side restaurant. 6. Nightlife at Clubs, Pubs: Titos, Cubana.
Places to eat: Florentine, Saligao [try Chicken cafreal], Bhojan Porvorim, Brittos, Souza lobo at Calangute, Wagah Border, The Boutique resort Naikwaddo, Calangute, Earthen Oven, Fort Aguada Rd, Candolim, Thalasa
Day-2:
Travel to Panjim. Visit Mapusa Bodgeshwar temple on the way to Panjim from Mapusa.
Head to - Old Goa Church/Museum of christian Art/wax museum
Followed by these temples: Mangeshi Temple, Mardol Temple
Travel back for Lunch at Panjim - go for a Fish-Thali in any of the below: Bhonsle, Ritz Classic, Tato's
Spend Noon/Evening visiting following: Panjim Church, Maruti Temple in Mala, Miramar Beach, Donapaula
Night: Get on to Santa Monica River Cruise
Dinner: Restaurants for dinner in Panjim, could try: Mums Kitchen, Pan asian bowl, Quarterdeck, Rico-de-Rio, Hotel Mandovi, The upper house, Viva Panjim, Terrys Betim, or other chains like: Dominos, BBQ Nation, Mainland China
Opt for Casinos(if that interests you)(Deltin, Panim Carnival, Casino Royal)
Some Accommodation options in Panjim (you would find many of these in google)Ginger Hotel Patto, Miramar Residency, Afonso Guest House, Palacio-de-Goa
Day-3: Day-3 is at leisure, which you can choose whether to spend in Panjim, in North or South and leave Goa by evening/night.
Option-1: Since you are going to be in Panjim on Night-2, on Day-3, either take a city tour for shopping/site seeing etc
Panjim City Tour Fish Market, Ancient Portuguese structures in Mala Fontainhas or like Old Secretariat/Directorate of Accounts, Sai Mandir at Boca-de-vaca, Shopping at busy 18th June Road, Kala Academy/Darya Sangam, Maruti Temple at Mala, Panjim Church, Goa University, Donapaula, Raj Bhavan, Campal Garden/Joggers Park
Try local delicasies like Pao-bhaji at Cafe Tato, Cafe Real.Try street food - Russa OmletteVisit Antique Shops to buy mementos, Cashews and not to forget cheap liquor!Option-2: Opt for other beaches in South/Spice plantation (if time permits as this will be about 40-50 kms travel from Panjim)
Following are some other things (depends on your need/time): Anjuna Wednesday flee market, Caculo Mall/KFC/Children Games, Inox at Panjim, Saturday Night Market, both in the Arpora Baga area, Reis magus Fort, Dudhsagar Waterfall.
