Northeast India

Northeast India: Meghalaya & Assam

Our Northeast trips are built around Meghalaya – Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki, the root bridges – with Assam woven in properly, not treated as a layover. Guwahati bookends most trips, and Kaziranga's safaris pull enough travellers on their own that we don't call it an "extension" anymore.
Meghalaya has root bridges that take a hundred years to grow, and Mawsynram nearby still holds the record for wettest place on Earth. Cross into Assam and the trip changes register – river islands, one-horned rhinos, tea gardens that explain why Assam tea tastes the way it does. Different landscape, same road trip.

Things to Know

Location

Meghalaya and Assam, Northeast India

Main Hub

Guwahati (Assam) → Shillong (Meghalaya)

Nearest Airport

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (GAU)

Nearest Railhead

Guwahati Railway Station

Best For

Waterfalls, living root bridges, wildlife safaris, river islands, tea estates, tribal culture

Ideal Trip Duration

5-7 days for Meghalaya alone, 7-10 days combined with Assam

Languages Spoken

Khasi, Garo, Assamese, Hindi, English

Best Time to Visit North Bengal

October to April

The dry season, and the sane window to visit both states. Clear skies and workable trekking weather in Meghalaya, and Kaziranga's parks are open through this stretch too - the safari season there actually runs November to April, closing the rest of the year.

May to June

Warming up, occasional pre-monsoon showers begin. Meghalaya's treks get muddier; Kaziranga is usually still closed or about to close for the year.

July to September

Peak monsoon. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram earn their reputation as some of the wettest places on the planet, and the Brahmaputra runs full and fast through Assam. Waterfalls look incredible; Kaziranga is shut, and Meghalaya's treks mostly aren't happening either. Worth it only if you specifically want to see the rain, not tick off sights.

How to Reach North Bengal

By Air: Guwahati Airport (GAU) is the main gateway, with flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore. Shillong's own airport has very limited connections, so most travellers fly into Guwahati.
By Rail: Guwahati Railway Station is the region's main railhead, connected to major Indian cities. Meghalaya has no rail network – travel onward from Guwahati is by road.
By Road: Shillong is about 3 hours from Guwahati; Kaziranga around 4-5 hours. From Shillong, road connections continue to Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong.

Places to Visit In North Bengal

Shillong

Meghalaya's capital and the usual base – hill-station energy, a genuine live- music scene, and the jumping-off point for everywhere else in the state.

Cherrapunji (Sohra)

Fifty-five kilometres from Shillong, and still arguing with Mawsynram over the title of wettest place on Earth. Waterfalls, viewpoints and cave systems, all packed into a small radius.

Dawki

Closer to 82 km out, sitting right on the Bangladesh border. The Umngot River here is startlingly transparent – boats look like they're floating on air.

Mawlynnong

Just past Dawki, about 90 km from Shillong. Famous as Asia's cleanest village, with a living root bridge of its own a short walk away.

Nongriat

Home to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge – a steep trek down, and a worse one back up, thousands of steps either way.

Guwahati

Assam's largest city and the region's real transport hub, sitting right on the Brahmaputra. Worth a day in its own right for Kamakhya Temple and a river cruise, not just a place to land and leave.

Kaziranga

Four to five hours from Guwahati, and Assam's biggest draw – a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best place on Earth to see the one-horned rhino in the wild, alongside wild elephants and, if you're lucky, a tiger.

Majuli

Further out, past Jorhat – the world's largest river island, sitting in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Slower-paced, dotted with satras (Vaishnavite monasteries), and a genuinely different side of Assam. Best added if the trip has room to stretch past a week.

Things to Do

  • Trek to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge in Nongriat - a few hours each way, worth every step
  • Kayak or just float on the impossibly clear waters of the Umngot River at Dawki
  • Walk through Mawlynnong, regularly called Asia's cleanest village, and see why
  • Go on a jeep or elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park, looking for the one-horned rhino
  • Visit Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, one of the most significant Shakti Peeths in India, perched above the city on Nilachal Hill
  • Take an evening cruise on the Brahmaputra out of Guwahati, usually timed for sunset over Umananda Island
  • Walk a working tea garden near Jorhat and see why Assam tea built half the region's economy

Food & Culture

Khasi and Jaintia food runs on rice, pork and fermented flavors that don't show up much elsewhere in India – jadoh (rice cooked in pork blood, less alarming than it sounds) and tungrymbai (fermented soybean) are worth trying rather than avoiding. Meghalaya's Khasi community is also matrilineal – property and family name pass through the mother's line, which shapes daily life in ways visitors notice quickly if they ask.
Cross into Assam and the food shifts again – mustard oil, fish, and rice built around Brahmaputra freshwater catches, with khar (an alkaline dish made from sun-dried banana peel) turning up on menus you won't find replicated anywhere else. Assam's tea gardens aren't just scenery either; the state grows a large share of India's tea, and estate stops here tend to come with genuine explanations of processing, not just a gift shop.

Permits & Rules

  • Indian citizens: No permit required for Meghalaya or Assam - unlike some neighbouring Northeast states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram), both are open without an Inner Line Permit
  • Foreign nationals: Also don't need a permit for Meghalaya or Assam, though ID checks are routine near the Dawki border area given its proximity to Bangladesh
  • ID requirements: Carry original photo ID at all times, especially around Dawki, where BSF checkpoints near the border conduct routine checks
  • Kaziranga safaris: Require advance booking through the forest department or a local operator, particularly in peak season (December- February) when slots run out early

Travel Tips

  • Carry rain gear even in the dry season - Meghalaya's weather shifts fast and doesn't always ask permission
  • Book a local guide for the Nongriat root bridge trek; the steps are steep and easy to underestimate
  • Book Kaziranga safaris ahead of time in peak season, especially the early-morning elephant safari slots
  • Avoid a Meghalaya-only trip during peak monsoon (July-September) unless waterfalls are specifically the goal - treks and cave visits shut down
  • If adding Majuli, build in an extra day; river ferry timings depend on water levels and don't always run to schedule
  • Carry cash outside Shillong and Guwahati; card acceptance thins out fast in smaller towns

Our Northeast Tour Packages

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Mainly Meghalaya - Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki - combined with Assam, usually Guwahati and Kaziranga, and Majuli for longer trips.
No, neither Indian nor foreign nationals need a permit for either state - that requirement only applies to some neighbouring Northeast states.
Yes - it's one of the most common combinations we run. Budget 7-10 days total, with a 4-5 hour drive each way between Shillong and Kaziranga via Guwahati.
Fly into Guwahati's airport or take a train to Guwahati Railway Station. Shillong is about 3 hours by road from there; Kaziranga is 4-5 hours in the other direction.
October to April for both. Meghalaya gets clear skies and workable trekking conditions, and Kaziranga's safari season runs November to April before the park closes for the year.