Hi there!
So you are flying to Goa!
Getting a taxi from the Goa airport can be pretty easy.
With a pre-paid taxi counter available at the airport, there’s no need to do any booking online before you arrive in Goa.
This also means that you don’t have to worry about negotiating a fair price with a taxi driver outside of the airport.
Although it’s called a “prepaid” taxi counter, you don’t actually pay at the counter. (I didn’t anyway.)
You can think of it more as a “pre-determined taxi fare” counter.
You’ll pay the taxi driver once you arrive at your destination.
Just make sure that you stop by the prepaid taxi counter before getting in a taxi.
In short…
Here’s what to do to get from the Dabolim Goa airport by taxi:
- Collect all your luggage from baggage claim if you haven’t done carry-on only
- Stop by the ATM before you leave the baggage claim area if you need cash
- Locate the pre-paid taxi counter and head on over
- Tell them where you want to go. Specify whether you want an AC cab or non-AC cab
- They will then write up the taxi fare and hand you a slip. (You will not pay at this time.)
- Exit the airport and find a taxi driver. (Or rather, they will find you if you have your slip visible.)
- Walk over to the taxi with your driver
- Enjoy the ride to your destination in Goa!
- Arrive at your Goa hotel!! (Or go for a Goa beach hut! Or there are also hostels in Goa.)
- Pay the driver the fare listed on the slip. (As noted on the slip, no tip required.)
- Enjoy Goa!!!
The exact process may vary slightly as things change, but this was the basic process when I took a taxi from the airport to another part of Goa in 2018!
In any case, no matter the process, you likely won’t have much trouble!
People may offer to carry your luggage to the taxi for you.
Expect to be requested for a tip at the end of this 1 minute walk.
Where’s the pre-paid taxi counter?
You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the taxi counter.
Once you exit baggage claim, look for the clearly marked taxi counter.
There is another prepaid taxi counter outside the airport as well.
ATM at the airport
When I arrived at the Goa Airport, there was an ATM right BEFORE leaving baggage claim.
Be sure to get some rupees here if you don’t have any!
When I went to the airport in 2019, there WAS also an ATM outside the airport.
BUT…
When I went to use it, it did not work.
So if you need money, be sure to stop at any ATM that you see, as you can’t always count on ATMs to be working!
(Hopefully ATMs inside the airport have a better chance of always being operational, though!)
How about a bus from the Goa airport?!
If you have time and patience…
It IS possible to take the bus around Goa!
And…
It’ll be MUCH cheaper than a taxi!
If you’re headed to Panjim or one of the north Goa beaches, it’ll likely be easiest to catch a bus from the airport to Vasco, and then take another bus for an onward journey to Panjim. Even if you’re headed to a beach town in north Goa, Panjim will likely be a transit city for you. If you’re going to Anjuna or Vagator, you’ll then catch a bus to Mapusa from Panjim, and then finally a bus to take you to your final destination.
There ARE direct buses from the airport to Panjim, but these are limited. Buses to Vasco, a city pretty near the airport, are much more frequent so I feel it could be more convenient.
If you’re headed to the south Goa beaches of Palolem or Patnem, Margao will be the transit city for you.
For an example of taking the bus in Goa, see how I went from Palolem Beach to the Goa airport by bus.
Now…
How much does the taxi from Goa airport cost?!
The cost of your taxi is calculated based on distance.
Have a look at the list below.
Some prices are based on listed prices at the prepaid taxi counter, and some are estimated based on listed prices of nearby locations.
This is meant to give you a general idea, and not an exact cost.
If you don’t see the place you’re staying listed, have a look at a map for nearby locations.
This can give you an idea of how much your taxi will cost to reach your destination.
I was last at the Goa Airport in June 2019.
But a fellow traveler has provided a photo of the Goa airport taxi fare chart that was taken in April 2022! (Thanks, Ivan!)
Prices can change, but this can start to give you an idea of what to expect.
Goa airport taxi fare chart
So…
How much is the taxi fare to North Goa?
A non-AC taxi from Goa airport to North Goa will cost:
- Anjuna 1570 rupees
- Arambol 2050 rupees
- Ashwem 1959 rupees
- Assagao 1640 rupees
- Baga 1390 rupees
- Calangute 1320 rupees
- Candolim 1390 rupees
- Mandrem 1980 rupees
- Mapusa 1320 rupees
- Miramar 1100 rupees
- Morjim 1890 rupees
- Sinquerim 1450 rupees
- Vagator 1640 rupees
And…
How much is the taxi fare to South Goa?
A non-AC taxi from the Goa airport to South Goa will cost:
- Agonda 2240 rupees
- Madgaon/Margao 980 rupees
- Mobor 1260 rupees
- Palolem 2110 rupees
- Patnem 2200 rupees
- Ponda 1100 rupees
How much is the taxi fare to Panjim?
aka Latin Quarter and Old Goa
- Panjim 980 rupees
Night charge
From 11pm to 5am, there is a night charge added on to your taxi fare.
This is a 35% fee on top of the regular price.
If you want to avoid paying the night charge and don’t mind waiting a couple of hours until daytime fares start, there’s a waiting area in the secure area of the airport right in front of the prepaid taxi counter.
If you arrive overnight, it’s also an option to wait until sunrise to start the drive to your hotel so you won’t be struggling to find the place you’re staying in the dark.
Check with your hotel for an airport shuttle
You may consider first checking with your hotel to see if they offer an airport shuttle service.
If the price is similar to the cost at the pre-paid taxi counter, it may be easier to get a taxi on your own at the airport.
Then you won’t have to try to locate anyone specific among a sea of people outside the airport.
On the flip side, it could be nice to have someone waiting for you when you arrive at the airport!
Have the exact location of your hotel on your phone
If you go for the prepaid taxi, to make it easier on yourself and your driver, it could be a good idea to have the location of your hotel or guesthouse on a map loaded into your phone.
If you won’t have data when you touch down at the Goa airport, Google Maps has an “offline maps” feature that you can download the map to your phone before your trip.
You may find that the GPS on your phone will still work so you can more easily locate where to go once you get closer to your destination.
Otherwise, even if the GPS doesn’t work, it may be helpful to show your taxi driver the exact location on a map.
It can also be a good idea to have the phone number of your hotel or guesthouse handy, in case there is trouble locating it.
Your taxi driver most likely has a phone.
He can make the call and speak directly to your hotel to figure out the details.
He doesn’t want to be lost any more than you do, especially since the taxi fare is already set!
HAPPY TAXI RIDE FROM GOA AIRPORT TO THE BEACH!
Where are you going to next after Goa?!
- Ways to get from Goa to Rajasthan
- How to spend 2 weeks in Rajasthan
- Ways to get from Goa to Kerala
- How to spend one week in Kerala
- How to spend one month in South India
For reference, previous North Goa taxi fare chart: 2019
For reference, previous Goa taxi fare chart for South Goa.
For examples of general class train travel, see:
For examples of AC train travel, see:
For examples of local bus travel, see:
For examples of overnight bus travel, see:
- Pondicherry to Madurai
- Madurai to Kerala (South India)
- Mumbai to Udaipur
See more backpacking India travel tips!