Gokarna vs Goa: Which is better?

Gokarna is a town in North Canara (Uttara Kannada) district of Karnataka and is often pitched as an alternative destination to Goa, one of India’s most favorite tourist destinations. Just like Goa Gokarana also has a series of beaches, hiking trails, boat rides and other attractions. So would it make sense to cancel Goa plans and visit Gokarna instead? What do you get and what do you miss? This post helps you understand and plan better. This post is written with people from Bengaluru in mind, but most points apply to all tourists.

Gokarna is 150 kms south of Pananji, HQ of Goa.

	Goa	Gokarna
Popular Beaches	Baga Anjuna & many more Details	Om beach Gokarna Main Beach Paradise Beach
Forts	Aguada Fort	Mirjan Fort
Casino	Deltin & many more	Not Available
Cheap Alcohol	Yes	Normal Rates
Beach side shacks	Many	Few
Boating/Cruise	To Mumbai, casino ships, small cruises	Available (short rides)
Travel	Airport, Train, By Road	Train & Road Nearest Airport- Goa, Hubballi, Mangalore
Hotels, Resorts	Many	Few
Crowd	High	Low
Temples & Churches	Many	Few
Waterfalls	Doodhsagar Arvalem	1. Apsarakonda 2. Vibhooti
Distance from Blr	600 kms	500 kms
Flea Markets	Anjana Beach	NA
Rental vehicles	Available	Only two wheelers (cars from Blr/Mangalore/Goa)
Adventure/Activities	Many	Few
Nearby Destinations	Amboli Ghat Tambdi Surla Doodhsagar falls Karwar	Karwar Yana Honnavara
Museums & other attractions	Navy Aviation Museum Big Foot	INS Chapal Karwar Rock Garden Karwar

For Bengaluru people, Gokarna is within Karnataka, hence no border crossing and reduced covid rules to comply with. Entering or returning from Goa may need RTPCR report/quarantine depending on prevailing covid rules from time to time.

Gokarna doesn’t have casino, doesn’t have cheap alcohol- if these are your primary objectives then better go to Goa only. But if you need a relaxed beach destination, some hiking opportunities and nature, Gokarna can fairly match Goa.

Another point to note is that Gokarna is less crowded than Goa but also has less options when it comes to resorts, hotels, hostels, rental options and so on. Gokarna is not as focused on tourism as Goa and isn’t geared for a large volume of tourists. Hence a bit of better planning is required if you are planning to visit during popular dates.

I have had multiple trips to Goa (2019 being the last) and two trips to Gokarna. Need to visit both of them again in 2022.

Verdict: Gokarna is NOT a full replacement for Goa. It is not possible to completely ignore Goa or not visit it at all. However, Gokarna has its own charm, many of the things you can try in Goa and hence a very good alternative, particularly if you have already been to Goa or don’t want to comply with various border crossing covid requirements or if alcohol and casinos are not your primary motive. Do explore Gokarna and nearby places, plan a Goa trip separately when it is cheap and when you manage to get affordable accommodations and flight ticket.

Related: Gokarna 2021 revisit *