Goa | The Unseen (4N/5D)

Day 1: Bye-bye Mumbai

Bid farewell to your city life for a few days as you board the AC bus from Mumbai. Our journey will whisk you away from the hustle and bustle and into the stunning beauty of Goa.

Meals included: None

Travel: 14 hrs bus (Mumbai/Pune- Goa)

Day 2: Eat and Sleep

Today’s agenda is pretty simple. Eat, sleep, repeat. We reach Panjim and check into our hotel for the day. We then take you to our favourite restaurant in Panjim. There’s no better way to get around all the amazing food Goa has to offer than by eating a thali that has a little bit of everything! It doesn’t get better than this. We spend the rest of the day recuperating from a food coma and if you still have it in you, we’d like to show you some of our other favourite culinary spots in Panjim.

We need to call it an early night, cause tomorrow we check out and head to the forests of Goa which is a 2-hour drive away. Sweet dreams.

Meals included: Lunch

Travel: Minimal travel within Panjim

Day 3: Trek and Dine

Here’s something you probably never imagined doing in Goa: wake up before the crack of dawn! 

In exchange for unimaginable natural beauty, we’re leaving the susegad life behind for the next two days. And if these day-wise titles aren’t giving it away, let us spell it out for you; all these adventures are punctuated with loads of more delicious food! We make our way to a spectacular waterfall through a majestic forest trail. Spend the better half of this day at the waterfall, cliff jumping or simply lazing. We end our day at a cosy resort where we’ll all be sharing a dorm just like we did back in school. 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Travel: 2 hrs private transport (Panjim - Valpoi)

Day 4: One more waterfall, please!

Rise and shine to (unfortunately) our last day here. But we’re going to go out with a bang! We chase yet another waterfall which is twice as easy to get to and just as much fun to jump into. We’ll try and make the most of these last few hours and close this adventure with one last epic Goan lunch. Time to say goodbye and thank you to the wonderful locals who helped us curate this for you. Until next time! We head to catch our bus out of Goa and probably pass out with our tummies and memories stuffed nicely till we make it back home.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Travel: 2 hrs private transport (Valpoi - Bus stand/Airport/Train Station)

Day 5: Back to the hustle

The bus will arrive in Mumbai early in the morning and throw you back into your regular lives—back to work with a new feather in your hat, and fully charged batteries to take on the world. 

Meals included: N/A

Travel: 14 hrs bus (Goa - Mumbai)

• AC sleeper bus from Mumbai to Goa and back
• All internal transport in an AC mini bus (as per itinerary)
• Veg and Non-Veg meals (as mentioned in the meals section)
• Two professionally guided hikes to two pristine waterfalls in Valpoi
• Accommodation in twin-sharing hotel rooms at Panjim and a dormitory at Valpoi
• Use of hiking and safety equipment
• All activities and entries to places as per itinerary
• All guide and local expertise charges
• First-aid assistance
• Assistance by Vagabond Experience Managers

• Meals (while travelling to Goa and back)
• Travel Insurance

• Ex-Bombay/Pune: Rs.14,500 Rs.12,500/- (+5% GST)
• Ex-Goa: Rs.12,500 Rs.10,500/- (+5% GST)

-You can block your seat for an advance of just Rs. 7,000/-

-The balance amount will have to be paid 7 days before the trip

• At Panjim, we will be staying in twin-sharing hotel rooms (click for photos)
• Valpoi being a remote village, doesn’t have much amenities. We’ll be living in a co-ed dormitory (click for photos)
  • Yes, this is a co-ed dorm but you will be given an individual bunk bed and we’ll be ensuring individual safety and comfort is taken into account while allotting your respective bunks. (Same gendered people allotted bunks next to each other if requested and similarly for mix-gendered couples as well)

• At Panjim, we will be providing you with a traditional Goan lunch at one of our favourite restaurants
• In Valpoi, all meals will be covered. They will be village-style veg and non-veg meals in a local’s house. Two breakfasts, two lunches, and one dinner over two days.

• Bombay (6 pm-10 pm): Borivali (E), Andheri (E), Santacruz (E), Chunabhatti, Vashi
• Pune (11:30 pm-1:30 am): Wakad, Swargate, Katraj
• Goa (11 am): Panjim
• All commute within Goa will be in our privately booked AC mini-bus

• Clothes to get into the water
• Rainwear/Poncho/Cap
• Toiletries (towel, soap, toothbrush, sunscreen, toothpaste, etc)
• Reusable plastic bags (to waterproof your valuables)
• Insect repellent (spray/cream)
• Reusable water bottle
• Personal medication (for eg. inhaler)
• Slippers
• Sturdy footwear (floaters/hiking shoes for the forest hikes)

• If your intention is to go beach-hopping or clubbing, this is not that kind of trip. This one’s about local food and the wild outdoors. Our motive is to help you experience a side of Goa no one usually does.
• Even though this is a guided backpacking trip with a pre-scheduled itinerary, you are free to opt out of any activity during the weekend and do as you please. The main motive of this trip is to have a chill, fun weekend experiencing Goa in a new light.
• There will be a decent amount of hiking during our time in Valpoi. This experience is not advised for people who have any physical ailments and can't climb slopes or hike long distances.
• Please carry insect repellents to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
• Life jackets will be available during cliff jumping and at the waterfalls.
• This trip has been carefully curated for the office crowd that needs to get back to work on a weekday. While we understand that 3 days may be a short time, feel free to extend your stay in Goa by contacting us.
• A day prior, you will be added to a WhatsApp group with all the other participants and your assigned Experience Manager. Further instructions will be shared on this group and you can coordinate your travel with your co-travellers. If you have any doubts before this, feel free to WhatsApp us at 74000 54929

1) Will there be cellphone reception in Valpoi?

-As we go deeper into the rural area towards Valpoi, your network will become unreliable. While on our hikes, you’ll receive no reception. 

2) Would Jain food be available on the trip?

-Unfortunately not. We would only be able to provide veg and non-veg food.

3) Can I join the trip directly in Goa?

-If you're not from Bombay, feel free to book the 'Ex-Goa’ ticket. We expect you to meet us in Panjim on day 2 by 11am. Feel free to give us a call to discuss the logistics of this.

4) How physically fit do I need to be?

-These trails are barely a couple of hours long and aren’t challenging hikes. However, we’re hiking on 2 consecutive days, so you need to be someone who enjoys hiking and is able to walk long distances.

5) What’s the comfort/luxury level of this trip?

-While our one night in Panjim is in a comfortable hotel, our next two days in Valpoi are far from that. This is a rural area bordering Karnataka. There are very few luxuries here. Our dormitory is basic but spacious.

• There isn’t an age restriction on any of our experiences, everyone is welcome. However, the average Vagabond customer is anywhere between 20 – 35 years old. The experiences involve a good amount of time spent with the group. Depending on what experience you’re opting for, there could be a lot of walking and physical exertion.
• It’s important to understand that most of our experiences include very rustic accommodation and not a luxurious means of transport. These may be basic in their facilities, but the hospitality is homely and comforting. If you’re someone who doesn’t like compromising on your comforts while travelling, this experience may not be very enjoyable.
• Most of our trips have a healthy number of solo travellers. We encourage you to join us solo, especially if you’re tired of waiting on your friends. We promise you’ll return with many more.
• We try our best to be responsible travellers. Everyone is welcome to explore with us, but we pay utmost importance to cleanliness on all our experiences. We encourage you to #LeaveNoTrace behind while you discover the beauty of the outdoors.
• It’s important to understand that in a limited amount of time, only a limited amount of experiences can be had. We like to cover a few places in-depth rather than just ticking off a long list of things-to-do and places-to-go. However, if you are that kind of traveller, on almost all trips you can feel free to wander by yourself to places of your interest.
• At a Vagabond Experience, it’s important to stay open-minded and positive when things don’t go as per plan. The essence of traveling in a group is being able to help each other out when in need. The weather could go bad, and plans could get altered. In such situations, we urge you to have faith in your group leader to make the most informed decision for the group.

Years of experience: We’ve been leading trips around the country since 2014. Our time in this field has helped us learn about places and people. This knowledge about the destination contributes to a safe, wholesome, and enriching group experience.

Footfall: Since our inception, we’ve led more than 4,600 people on treks, backpacking trips, camps, and outdoor experiences. Rest assured, we’ve dealt with all kinds of people.

Safety first: Given the time we’ve spent in the travel field, we know and believe in the importance of safety. All our experience managers are first-aid certified, and carry a well-equipped first-aid kit on every trip.

Solo traveller-friendly: Over the years, we have had a healthy number of solo travellers who have been from diverse backgrounds. Especially those who got tired of waiting on their friends to agree to a plan.

Group size: Taking large groups of people compromises on an intimate interpersonal experience. Thus, we do small groups which makes it easier for people to get to know each other over the course of the trip.

No discrimination: At Vagabond, we believe that your age, social class, caste, gender or sexual orientation doesn’t determine your travel experience. Everyone is welcome to travel with us and explore new places, and new ideas.

Flexible itinerary: On a Vagabond experience, you’re free to stray away from our scheduled itinerary and explore the place on your own. You do you. We’re not your school teachers. We’re here to facilitate a better understanding of the place and help you experience it in your own comfort zone.

Mindfulness to nature: Over the years we’ve seen the places we visit turn filthier by the day. We don’t want to contribute to that any further. At a Vagabond experience, we encourage you to reduce your contribution to waste and follow sustainable tourism practices as much as possible. Check out #LeaveNoTrace

In-depth research: We're not a tour & travel agency. Every experience we offer you has been researched and experienced first hand by our core members. We visit the locations ourselves and curate an experience that we believe to be in sync with our ideologies.

• More than 30 days prior to the date of departure, 20% will be deducted.
• Between 29 to 15 days prior to the date of departure, 50% will be deducted.
• Between 14 to 7 days prior to the date of departure, 75% will be deducted.
• 6 days to the date of departure, no refund shall be admissible
• 3.8% of all booking amounts are payment gateway charges. This amount is not refundable
• Please refer to the further Terms and Conditions mentioned in the footer of the website

• All timings and activities are subject to weather, group size, capabilities of participants, etc.
• Vagabond holds the right to cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances (for eg. unfavorable weather)
• By registering for this trip, you agree to have read through and abide by the Vagabond Terms & Conditions mentioned in the footer.

For further inquiries, feel free to Whatsapp/call: 7400054929

(Please contact these numbers only between 11 am and 7 pm)

DM us on Instagram: @vagabondexperiences