The Most Amazing Things to Do in Arambol, Goa (2025)

From workshops to beach parties, there’s never a dull day in the hippie beachside town of Arambol in Goa, India. I spent a month travelling solo in Goa, and Arambol was my favourite place of all. Here is my list of the top places to visit in Arambol and the best things to do in Arambol.

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The most awesome places to stay in Arambol

There are a lot of affordable accommodation options, from hostels to guest houses, beach shacks and hotels in Arambol.

If you’re solo backpacking in Arambol, check out the popular and highly-rated Happy Panda hostel. This relaxed hostel has an on-site bar, kitchen and library, and its rooms have a shared bathroom including a bath.

If you prefer a private room, try one of the many affordable hotels near Arambol Beach, Goa. Try the wonderful beach cottages of the GoYm Resort at the south end of the town.

To check availability and prices of accommodation in Arambol click here.

These are the most amazing things to do in Arambol

There are many amazing things to do in Arambol, from yoga and mediation workshops to lively markets and the Arambol beach sunset party.

Get blissful with yoga and meditation classes

Famously, India is the home of yoga. In Arambol things to do include a wide array of yoga classes and meditation.

If you’re interested in yoga, there are plenty of places to go in Arambol. The highly rated Universal Yoga Center is located on Arambol beach. It’s run by Vijay Amar, who has been teaching yoga for over 25 years. The school offers teacher training courses and drop-in classes for ashtanga and hatha yoga.

When researching my solo trip to Goa, I found a ten-day course in Arambol offering ‘soul realisation through movement’. It was hosted by Panda Chi, a Vancouver-born man of Chinese descent. He has been a tai chi practitioner and learning from a range of spiritual teachers for over 40 years. 

Panda blends the philosophy, practice and principles and tai chi, chi kung and chakra healing. His classes allow you to clear away any emotional baggage and be truly present in the moment. It really helped me.

He teaches his system around the world and often returns to Arambol during the main tourist season. The serene space, named Panda’s Garden, is a marquee-type construction set in gardens behind Arambol’s main road. It is so tranquil it feels like a million miles away.

To find out more, read about my experience at Panda’s workshop in Goa.

Go shopping at the famous Saturday Night Market

Arambol has a fantastic local street market where you can browse for clothes and local souvenirs. However, visiting the epic Saturday Night Market is one of the must do things in Goa.

Around 20 minutes by motorbike taxi from Arambol is Arpora. Here, there is a weekly Saturday Night Market, known as the Arpora Bazaar. It takes place every Saturday evening from 6pm until the early hours of the morning.

This vibrant and entertaining experience has live music, delicious food and a broad range of quirky and eclectic hippie stalls. It even has its own bar and nightclub.

A visit to Arpora’s Saturday Night Market is definitely worth the trip. If you decide to buy something, remember to negotiate to get the price down. Often the original price vendors will give you is up to five times its actual value. Otherwise, you can just grab something to eat or drink, wander around the fascinating market stalls and enjoy the entertainment.

Read all about Arpora night market in my dedicated post.

Try one of the workshops teaching everything under the sun

A popular hippie beach destination since the 1960s, Arambol is still a laid-back place to be and full of surprises. Here you will find plenty of offbeat things to do in Goa. On a walk around the village, you will see flyers and posters for countless courses, workshops and hippie festivals. In Arambol, you’re certainly not limited to lazing on the beach or hanging out in a bar.

Many of these workshops take place at yoga centres and cafés near Arambol beach. Just follow the posters, signs and flyers to see what catches your eye, and give it a try.

It could be learning Ayurveda, ecstatic dance or belly dancing. Or even one that I saw advertised called ‘laugh power: the funniest interactive workshop on planet earth.’

Meet a great mix of people from around the world

Arambol welcomes friendly, open people from around the world. As well as plenty of solo travellers, there are parents with toddlers, young sun-seekers, elderly retirees, hippies, punks and yogis. All here to enjoy the warm climate and coastal living.

During my stay here, a young British couple invited me to an open-air movie screening at their Arambol home. It was a lovely, relaxed evening. Though we had to be careful of bats hanging from the trees above us, in case of unexpected bowel movements!

Another afternoon, I mentioned to a fellow traveller that I fancied doing some painting. He introduced me to Maria, who was starting an art class at her home. Kindly, she invited me to join the group. It couldn’t have been better timed. The people here are warm and generous, and everything just seems to flow.

Enjoy the music – it’s everywhere you go

Arambol is full of music. Every day and night there are tunes emanating from across the village. People jamming on guitars in chilled cafés, live performances and open mic nights, and beachfront bars with heavy trance beats.

If you haven’t heard of the hang, it’s a beautifully melancholy-sounding instrument. It looks a bit like a miniature spacecraft or an inverted steel drum. You are sure to find one being played somewhere in the village.

While I was there, the town was abuzz about a visit by world fusion musician Prem Joshua and his band. He performed at a specially constructed concert venue in the coconut grove behind the beach.

Experience the amazing Arambol beach party every sunset

Arambol beach is famous for its daily sunset parties, which are an incredible experience.

Every evening as the sun goes down, people from around the world gather on Arambol beach. A small drum circle steadily turns into a party. Strangers join in to play instruments and dance freestyle to the tribal beats. Everyone is welcome. It’s a special way to mark the end of another remarkable day in Arambol.

Check out this article on how to find Arambol’s sunset beach parties.

There are plenty more things to do in Arambol

If you’re interested to explore other places to visit near Arambol Beach, why not check out the Arambol sweet water lake. This freshwater lake next to Kalacha Beach, one of the beaches near Arambol, is a popular local attraction and a peaceful place to hang out.

Nearby, in a secluded spot in the forest, is the Arambol banyan tree, which is well known by locals. People come here to sit under this spectacular tree to meditate, play music or simply relax. The ‘banyan tree’ marked on Google maps in the centre of Arambol is not the original, so don’t get them mixed up.

The tastiest places to eat in Arambol (for vegetarians, too)

If you are looking for restaurants in Arambol, you will be happy to know there are plenty of options. There is so much good, fresh food here and it’s affordable too. It’s also very vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Here you can find a freshly prepared thali platter of curry, dahl, veggies and rice. Washed down with refreshing juice from a coconut, sliced right in front of you, this costs less than a fiver.

The Twice in Nature vegetarian cafe in Arambol is one of my favourites. With chilled vibes, live music and tasty food, it’s a good place to meet open-minded people.

Another laid-back place I liked to hang out in is The Bees Knees Cafe. This serves tasty vegetarian-friendly international food and specialises in Mexican dishes.

The most convenient ways to get to Arambol

It’s best to get a taxi from Goa airport to Arambol, as the journey takes up to two hours. You can usually order a private transfer via your accommodation so you don’t have to queue for a taxi at the airport.

From the Goan beach resort of Calangute to Arambol the distance is about 19 miles (31 km). The journey takes an hour by car or by public bus it’s closer to 2.5 hours. 

The best places to visit after your stay in Arambol

If you don’t mind travelling overnight, you can take a trip by local bus to the ancient city of Hampi in Karnataka. Even if you only have a day or two, it is a fascinating place to visit, as there are so many ornate temples and quirky statues to discover.

Travelling from Arambol to Palolem in South Goa can take up to three hours, so an air-conditioned taxi will be the most convenient and comfortable.

South of Goa is Kerala, known as God’s Own Country, because it is so lush and green. In Kerala, you can visit the rolling tea plantations of Munnar, sail along the backwaters of Alleppey and relax on the hippie beaches of Varkala.

You can read more about Hampi and its ancient attractions here.

Final thoughts on things to do in Arambol, Goa

Arambol is an infectious place. Once you have caught the bug, you are likely to return. Many people come back to this special North Goa town, year after year, to be welcomed back by the guest house owners who remember you by name. I am yet another happy victim.

For much more information on what to do in Arambol and the rest of Goa, download the 170-page The Insider’s Guide to Goa eBook by Rachel Jones, an American who lived in Goa for five years.

Click here to check out The Insider’s Guide to Goa now for all the details you need before you visit

Next up, read my comprehensive guide to solo travel in Goa.