WhatsAppPlan My Trip
HomePackages by DestinationPackages by ThemeAbout UsContact Us
Plan My Trip
Home/Tour Packages/Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and Ponda Temples
Goa

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and Ponda Temples

Wildlife & NatureHeritage & Temples
Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and Ponda Temples
Duration3 Days / 2 Nights
Trip TypePrivate & customisable
Best Time to VisitOct – Mar
PaceRelaxed
ThemesWildlife & Nature, Heritage & Temples
Starting From$295

Route Covered

Overnight stops in day order
1Bondla Wildlife SanctuaryDay 1 · 1 night
2PondaDay 2 · 1 night

Overview

This Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and Ponda temples tour is a private three-day trip in Goa, with one night at Bondla and one in Ponda. A forest morning with a zoo, deer park and trails is followed by the Mangueshi and Shanta Durga temples and a spice plantation. Families and curious travellers will like this Goa tour most between October and March.

Who it suits

Families and relaxed travellers who want one forest morning and a day of temples and spice gardens, and can live without beaches

Highlights

Bondla ZooDeer safari parkBotanical gardenNature trails and watchtowersNature Education CentreForest birdsMangueshi Temple, PriolShanta Durga Temple, KavalePonda spice plantation

Good to know

Weekly closure

The sanctuary shuts one day a week, so the dates are matched to an open day when the tour is booked

Wildlife

The zoo and deer park are the dependable part; animals in the wild forest cannot be promised

Temple dress

Shoulders and knees are covered at the temples, and shoes come off at the entrance

Spice plantation

The visit is a half-day outing with a guided walk, so it is booked ahead

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Dabolim airport to the Bondla forest edge
Highlights
  • Road inland to the Ghats foothills
DAY 1 · OVERNIGHT · Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary

Dabolim airport to the Bondla forest edge

  1. 1Meet your driver at Goa International Airport, Dabolim
  2. 2Drive inland, about 50 km, to Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats foothills
  3. 3Check in near the forest
  4. 4Rest, or take a first look around the grounds if you arrive early and the sanctuary is open
Goa International Airport, Dabolim to Bondla, ~50 km, ~1.5 hrs
Bondla zoo, deer park and trails, then a Ponda spice plantation
Highlights
  • Bondla Zoo
  • Deer safari park
  • Forest trail and watchtower
  • Botanical garden
  • Spice plantation walk
Ponda: 2 annual events
DAY 2 · OVERNIGHT · Ponda

Bondla zoo, deer park and trails, then a Ponda spice plantation

  1. 1Morning in the sanctuary: the small zoo and the deer safari park
  2. 2Walk a forest trail with a guide and climb a watchtower for the canopy view
  3. 3Look in at the botanical garden and the Nature Education Centre
  4. 4Drive about 24 km to Ponda
  5. 5Afternoon guided walk at a spice plantation, ending with a meal
Bondla to Ponda, with local sightseeing, ~24 km, about 45 mins
Mangueshi and Shanta Durga temples, then the airport
Highlights
  • Mangueshi Temple
  • Shanta Durga Temple
DAY 3 · TRIP ENDS

Mangueshi and Shanta Durga temples, then the airport

  1. 1Start at Priol with the Mangueshi Temple, known for its lamp tower and a shrine that was relocated in 1560
  2. 2Next comes the Shanta Durga Temple at Kavale, completed in 1738
  3. 3Check that the stop is the Kavale temple in Ponda taluka and not a different Shantadurga shrine in Quepem
  4. 4About 30 km of driving then takes you to Goa International Airport, Dabolim, for your flight
Ponda to Goa International Airport, Dabolim, with temple stops, ~30 km, about 45 mins
Starting from$295Twin sharing, 3-star hotels, private car with driver, excludes flights.

Indicative — varies with season and hotel category.

Want a different budget?

Pick a range and we'll tailor the days, stays or extras to fit. Leave this blank to book as shown above.

Travel Date *
An approximate date is fine.
We'll get back to you within 24 hours — same trip or tailored, your call.

Trip Facts

Activity LevelEasy. Short forest walks on trails and steps up to a watchtower, then gentle temple and plantation walks, with no long drives.
What to PackBring light cotton clothing that keeps shoulders and knees covered at the temples, plus easy slip-off walking shoes. For the forest, add a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent, and carry a thin layer for the evenings.
Local CustomsDress modestly and remove footwear at the temple entrances. Ask your guide about photography rules at each temple and inside the sanctuary, as they differ by site.

Local Activities & Events

Updated Oct 4, 2026

Ponda — Days 2-3 of this trip

Coming up, dates to be confirmed
Coming Up

Jatra at the Mangueshi Temple, Priol

festival

Usually late January or February, in the month of Magha. In 2025 it ran from 4 to 12 February. No 2027 schedule found.

A nine-day temple festival at Priol with palanquin processions, a boat procession and a closing chariot procession, run from Ratha Saptami to Magh Purnima.

Reach out to us for the confirmed dates
Coming Up

Jatra at the Shanta Durga Temple, Kavale

festival

Usually February. The 2021 festival ran from 12 to 20 February, with the main procession on 16 February. No 2027 schedule found.

An annual temple festival at Kavale with a palanquin and chariot procession of the goddess, held around Magha Shuddha Panchami.

Reach out to us for the confirmed dates

Events are reviewed by our team before publishing and drop off after they end. Please confirm timings and availability with us before your trip — local schedules can change without notice.

What's Included & Excluded

Included
2 nights' accommodation in 3-star hotels or lodges, twin sharingDaily breakfastPrivate air-conditioned car with driver for all transfers and sightseeingAirport pick-up and drop-off at Goa International Airport, DabolimEnglish-speaking guide on Days 2 and 3Entrance fees for the sanctuary and the spice plantation
Not included
FlightsMeals other than breakfastCamera and video fees at some sitesTips and personal expensesOptional activities

Quick Answers

Similar Packages

Other private trips that visit the same places.
View all packages →
Kumarakom and Alleppey Backwater Weekend3D / 2N
Kerala

Kumarakom and Alleppey Backwater Weekend

A Kumarakom Alleppey weekend trip in Kerala: Vembanad Lake birds, a night on a houseboat and short drives, with Kochi airport transfers both ways.

Kumarakom → Alleppey (Alappuzha)Backwaters & Houseboats
From $295View package →
Great Chola Temples Trail5D / 4N
Tamil Nadu

Great Chola Temples Trail

A five-day private tour of the UNESCO Great Living Chola Temples, from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam and Tiruchirappalli, with airport transfers.

Thanjavur → Kumbakonam and Darasuram → Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)Heritage & Temples
From $480View package →
Periyar and Madurai: Spice Forests to Temple City5D / 4N
Multi-state · Kerala, Tamil Nadu

Periyar and Madurai: Spice Forests to Temple City

A five-day Periyar and Madurai tour package: Thekkady's lake and spice hills in Kerala, then Madurai's Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu.

Thekkady (Periyar) → MaduraiWildlife & Nature
From $465View package →

Want this itinerary tailored to you?

Talk to a Travel Expert
From$295
Enquire Now