Next weekend I will be going away with my friends to Goa for a short holiday. I will be taking my car there, as we want to stop at places on our way and get some good views. The only problem is getting lost. The only way out is by getting a Mumbai to Goa road map and a brief written version of the route. There are two routes for Mumbai to Goa, so please give the map and written route for the best route option. We are leaving at 5am and hope to be reaching there by late evening.
Hi, welcome to the forum! Overview The distance between Mumbai and Goa is about 600 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 10 t0 12 hours, depending on the time of the day you leave, the stopovers you take and of course, the route you decide to utilise. Basically, there are two routes that once can take to reach Goa from Mumbai. The usual route taken is via the National Highway 4 while the lesser taken route is via the National Highway 17. The National Highway 4 route has wider roads as compared to the National Highway 17 route. In addition, the National Highway 4 route can further be subdivided into different routes, depending on which part of Goa you want to reach. Below, we would discuss these routes, their advantages and disadvantages, plus the driving time from any of them to reach Goa. The National Highway 4 Route - Mumbai to Goa If you want to utilise the conventional and easiest route, then you can opt for the National Highway 4 route. This route passes through the Mumbai Pune Expressway. It can be further subdivided into three routes, namely: NH 4 via Chorla Ghat, NH 4 via Amboli Ghat and NH 4 via Anmod Ghat. 1. NH 4 via Chorla Ghat - Mumbai > Panvel > Satara > Kolhapur > Belagavi > Chorla Ghat > Goa (616 Kilometres) Road Map of NH 4 via Chorla Ghat This is the first route that one can utilise to reach Goa from Mumbai. This route is 616 kilometres in distance and can take you around 11 hours to cover by driving. If you're planning to reach Madgaon, or the beaches of Colva, Betalbatim or Varca, you can opt for this route. Basically, the areas just past the capital Panjim, on its southern side. Chorla Ghat is merely 70 kilometres away from Madgaon proper. From Mumbai, drive until you reach the Vashi Toll Booth in the Sion Panvel Expressway. Continue driving until you reach the Mumbai Pune Expressway, into the Khalapur Toll Booth. From here until Satara, then into Kolhapur, roads are four lane ones, with median dividers. Roads are well maintained, smoothly laid and easy to drive in. Make sure that you reach the expressway early though as this can be plagued by rush hour traffic. Prepare at least Rs. 500 for the toll booths in this route though since these are mostly expressways. After reaching Yelur, exit at the Kini Toll Booth to reach Kolhapur proper. Continue driving until Hattargi, from which you'd exit to reach Belagavi proper. Once you exit Kolhapur, roads are mostly two lane ones without dividers so drive carefully. Prior to reaching Belagavi, you'd also encounter quite a few potholes and patchy roads. Once you reach the Chorla Ghat, roads become smoother and better. The roads are still two lane ones without median dividers, plus the presence of the hairpin bends can be quite tricky to drive in. Aside from these, Chorla Ghat provides one with a scenic drive amidst the forests prior to reaching Goa. 2. NH 4 via Amboli Ghat - Mumbai > Panvel > Satara > Kolhapur > Ajara > Amboli Ghat > Sawantwadi > Goa (628 Kilometres) Road Map of NH 4 via Amboli Ghat This is the second route that you can take to reach Goa from Mumbai. It is about 628 kilometres long and can take around 11 to 12 hours to cover by driving. In contrast to the previous route, this route is best utilised by travellers who want to reach the northern parts of Goa. Say you want to reach Panjim, or maybe any other beach above it, like Candolim, Calangute, Anjuna, Baga or Vagator. Even the northernmost beaches of Goa like Querim, Ashvem and Arambol can be reached using this route. If you're purely reaching North Goa, this route can cut short your journey duration as the distance would come out to be around 599 kilometres. You have the same instructions and road conditions as above until you reach Kolhapur. Exit at the Goa Ways Toll Booth near Nipani to enter Ajara proper. Roads are two lane ones here, without median dividers. The roads in the Amboli Ghat are average, with some bad patches. It is also ravaged by heavy rainfall so it's not advisable to use this route when there are bad weather conditions. Post monsoon though, the area around the ghat section is very scenic with lots of greenery all around. Sawantwadi also has average road conditions and can also be plagued by traffic during peak hours. You can continue on to your destination in Goa thereafter. 3. NH 4 via Anmod Ghat - Mumbai > Panvel > Satara > Khanapur > Ramnagar > Anmod Ghat > Ponda Bypass > Goa (735 Kilometres) Road Map of NH 4 via Amboli Ghat This is the last route for the NH 4 route from Mumbai to Goa. It is about 735 kilometres long, with a driving time of around 15 hours, more or less. This route is best utilised if you want to reach the southern areas of Goa like Palolem, Agonda and Cavelossim. Don't let the distance discourage you as it is not specifically that long, it just depends on which part of South Goa you want to reach. For example, if you're reaching Cavelossim Beach with this route, the distance is about 700 kilometres. You have the same instructions and road conditions as above until Satara. Instead of exiting at Kolhapur though, take the exit unto Khanapur, until you reach the town of Belagavi again. From Belagavi, reach Ramnagar, into the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary to reach the Anmod Ghat section. Roads here are very narrow, that even two small cars might find it hard to cross the path at the same time. Drive carefully in this section though the scenic views of the forests can be very enjoyable. Avoid the traffic around Ponda town by taking the Ponda Bypass Road, and finally into your destination in South Goa. Roads here are all two lanes without median dividers. As mentioned, roads around the ghat section are very narrow. Further, the roads in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary are closed after 6:00 pm until 6:00 am. If you reach these areas well within these timings, it's best to take the Ramnagar road that leads into Anmod Ghat section too. The route would be a bit on the longer side though. This route should only be taken by drivers with good experience as the ghat section can have tricky and narrow roads. The National Highway 17 Route - Mumbai to Goa So we have discussed the different routes under the National Highway 4 above, now we go to the National Highway 17 route. The National Highway 17 route is also known as the National Highway 66 route. The entire highway stretches until Kanyakumari but passes through Goa, Kerala and other states along the way. In contrast to the previous routes, this highway has entirely two way lanes only so driving time can be slower. 1. NH 17 Route - Mumbai > Panvel > Kolan > Chiplun > Ratnagiri > Sawantwadi > Goa (760 Kilometres) Road Map of NH 17 This is the road map from Mumbai to Goa via National Highway 17, also known as the National Highway 66. The route is about 760 kilometres long, which can take around 15 hours of driving, more or less. If you want to avoid the tolls in the previous routes, then you can opt for this one. It is very scenic because as you can see, it passes by the sea side roads. However, roads are mainly two lane ones so driving can definitely be slower. From Mumbai, reach Panvel and into the old Mumbai Pune Highway. Pass by hill stations such as Lonavala, Lavale and Khandala along the way. Reach into Chiplun and then Ratnagiri, where your sea side journey begins. Around the section of Chiplun, there are survey and hilly sections that you need to pass through. Continue driving until Talere, then into Sawantwadi, until you reach Goa proper. Roads are mostly in good conditions here but driving can be very painfully slow because of the narrower roads. You also need to drive cautiously as this route has many oncoming traffic in the form of other cars and trucks. Two wheelers are also present in many stretches of this route. While this route is very scenic, it also passes through smaller towns and villages. This can also attribute to the slow driving. Accidents are also quite high in this route as compared to the previous routes so if you must take this one, always exercise defensive driving at all times. Conclusion In a nutshell, we can categorise the two routes to Goa from Mumbai into the NH 4 and the NH 17. If you are a beginner driver, it's better to choose the conventional NH 4 route. Don't worry as it's very scenic especially around the ghat areas. The drive is smoother though as it passes through national highways and expressways prior to entering Goa. On the other hand, if you enjoy scenic driving and want some adventure, the NH 17 route is a good option. It is longer but it has many stopover possibilities along the way. However, it can take around 15 hours, more or less, to cover especially considering the slow-moving traffic around different stretches in the route. I hope this helps you!
