Northeast 7 Days Itinerary: Shillong, Sohra, Kaziranga

Seven days in the Northeast goes wrong in one predictable way: people try to see three states and spend the week in a car. The plan below does the opposite. It covers Meghalaya's best week-long circuit and one proper morning in Kaziranga, with no drive over seven hours and a fixed night stop every day.

We have run this route in every season. The version here is for November to April, when both the parks and the river are at their best. Further down you will find swaps for the monsoon, for families, and for travellers who would rather trade Dawki for a second safari.

The week at a glance

That is six nights and seven days. If you can add one night, put it in Kaziranga; day six is the heaviest and an extra night there lets you split it.

Day 1: Guwahati to Shillong

Land at Guwahati by midday if you can. The road climbs from the plains to Shillong at about 1,525 m, and the one stop worth making is Umiam Lake, 15 km before the city, for tea and a view over the water. You should check in by late afternoon.

Spend the evening on foot around Police Bazar or in a Laitumkhrah cafe with live music. Most restaurants are busiest by 7:30 pm and quiet by 10. Our Guwahati to Shillong guide covers taxis and shared cabs if you prefer to arrange the transfer yourself.

Day 2: Shillong

Start early. Shillong Peak is best before 10 am, when the view is clear; Indian visitors need original photo ID at the Air Force gate, and foreign nationals have generally not been allowed in, so check current status before you travel. Drop down to Elephant Falls, 12 km from the centre, then return to the city for the Don Bosco Museum after lunch and Ward's Lake at 4 pm.

If you have foreign nationals in the group, swap Shillong Peak for Laitlum Canyons, 22 km out, at sunrise. It is the better viewpoint anyway.

Day 3: Shillong to Sohra

The road to Sohra is slow in the best way. Stop at the Mawkdok Dympep valley viewpoint, then at Wei Sawdong Falls for its three-step pools if everyone is happy with steep steps and bamboo ladders. Arrive in Sohra for lunch.

In the afternoon, visit the Seven Sisters Falls viewpoint and the Arwah Cave above town. Sohra sits at about 1,480 m and is noticeably cooler and wetter than Shillong, even in winter, so keep a jacket in the car.

Day 4: Sohra, falls or root bridges

This is your choice day.

Option A, the trek. Walk down from Tyrna to the Nongriat double decker root bridge: roughly 3,500 steps each way and 5–7 hours in all. Start by 8 am, carry two litres of water per person and eat in Nongriat village. It is hard on the knees and not for young children or anyone with joint trouble.

Option B, the easy day. See Nohkalikai Falls at 9 am, before the cloud, then Mawsmai Cave, which takes about 40 minutes and has lighting throughout. After lunch, drive to the Eco Park and the Thangkharang viewpoint for the Bangladesh plains below.

Day 5: Sohra to Mawlynnong

Leave Sohra by 8 am for Mawlynnong, about three hours east. Walk the village lanes, climb the bamboo sky-view tower and take the short trail to the Riwai living root bridge, 3 km away. Weekday mornings are much quieter than weekends.

Sleep in Mawlynnong's homestays or push on 30 km to a riverside camp near Dawki or Shnongpdeng. Staying close to the river is what makes day six work.

Day 6: Dawki at dawn, then Kaziranga

Be on the Umngot River by 7 am. The water is clearest and calmest before the day boats arrive, and in winter the boats look as if they float on glass. An hour is enough.

Then comes the long leg: back to Shillong (about 85 km, 3 hours) and on to Kaziranga (about 270 km, 6.5–7 hours). That is a 9–10 hour day with a lunch stop. We keep it only because day seven is a short safari and a straight drive to the airport. If that sounds like too much, skip the Dawki morning and leave Mawlynnong at 7 am, or add a night (see below).

Day 7: Kaziranga and fly home

Take the first jeep safari of the day in the Central or Western Range, when rhinos, buffalo and swamp deer are closest to the tracks. Our Kaziranga safari guide explains ranges, timings and booking. Be back at the resort by 10 am for breakfast and leave by 11 for Guwahati airport, about 215 km and 5 hours away. Book a flight that leaves after 5:30 pm.

When the plan has to bend

Something usually shifts in a Northeast week, and the route has enough slack to absorb it. If cloud hides Nohkalikai on day four, go back at 8 am on day five before leaving Sohra; the viewpoint is only 5–7 km from town. If rain makes the Nongriat steps unsafe, switch to the easy day and keep the trek for another trip. If a strike or bandh closes roads in Shillong, which can happen without much warning, hold your hotel and use the day for Laitlum or Mawphlang on quieter village roads. And if Kaziranga's range is closed after rain, ask your hotel or driver whether a slot is free in another open range that morning.

Season swaps

A monsoon week in Meghalaya is a different trip, not a worse one. The falls around Sohra are at full force, the hills are deep green and hotels are quieter. Just plan for cloud on the viewpoints and slippery steps.

Three ways to adjust the week

For wildlife lovers. Drop Mawlynnong and Dawki. Go Shillong (2 nights), Sohra (2 nights) and Kaziranga (2 nights), which gives you three safaris across two ranges. The long day six disappears.

For families with young children or seniors. Keep the plan but use Option B on day four, and add a night in Kaziranga so day six ends at Shillong instead. The drive to Kaziranga then happens on a fresh morning.

For travellers who want mountains. Seven days is right for Tawang on its own, not alongside Meghalaya. Use our Tawang itinerary instead, and save Meghalaya for another trip.

Where to sleep each night

• Nights 1 and 2, Shillong: Police Bazar for walkable evenings, Laitumkhrah for cafes, or a resort at Umiam Lake if you prefer quiet over dinner options.
• Nights 3 and 4, Sohra: stay on the plateau near the Nohkalikai road or the town centre so the Tyrna trailhead is 20–30 minutes away. Resorts here are simpler than in Shillong, but the views from the better ones are the best of the trip.
• Night 5, Mawlynnong or the river: a village homestay in Mawlynnong, or a riverside camp or guesthouse near Dawki and Shnongpdeng. Both are basic; the river option makes the dawn boat ride easy.
• Night 6, Kaziranga: a resort near Kohora for the Central Range or Bagori for the Western Range. Pick the one closest to the range where your morning safari starts.

Costs to budget beyond the package

Package prices usually cover hotels, the car and breakfast, but several things are paid on the spot. Plan for these, per person unless noted:

• Kaziranga entry: INR 100 for Indian adults, INR 650 for foreign adults, plus camera fees for anything beyond a phone.
• Kaziranga jeep: from about INR 3,500 per jeep for up to six people, per safari, including the driver and guide; foreign nationals pay more.
• Elephant ride: runs only at Kohora and Bagori in the early morning, with limited seats; book well ahead if you want one.
• Meghalaya sights: small village and council fees at falls, caves and viewpoints, typically under INR 100 each, plus parking.
• Dawki boat: priced per boat, not per person; agree the fare at the ghat before you step in.
• Nongriat trek: small village fees in cash, and optional guides at Tyrna.

Meghalaya does not allow tourists to rent private vehicles for self-drive, so every stop on this route is reached with a hired car and driver. For a fuller breakdown of the whole trip, see Northeast trip cost.

Getting in and out

Guwahati's airport opened a new terminal in December 2025 and has the most flights in the region, which is why this plan starts and ends there. Shillong's own airport at Umroi, about 30 km from the city, handles small aircraft on a few regional routes; it can save the drive on day one if a flight suits, but most visitors still fly into Guwahati. If you want to end further east, Jorhat airport is about two hours from Kaziranga, which lets you swap the five-hour drive back to Guwahati for a shorter transfer. Check which routes are flying for your dates before you fix the plan.

What to book first

1. Flights into and out of Guwahati. Prices rise sharply in October, December and around long weekends.
2. Kaziranga stay. Resorts near Kohora and Bagori fill first in December and January.
3. Sohra hotel. Sohra has far fewer good rooms than Shillong, so two nights there need booking early.
4. Vehicle. One car and driver for the whole week, ideally an Innova or similar for four or more adults. Ask for the model in writing.
5. Safari slot. Arrange it for the right range and time, usually through your hotel or operator, a few weeks out in peak season.

Packing notes for this route

The week spans sea-level heat in Kaziranga and cold, wet mornings in Sohra. Bring layers rather than one heavy coat, a proper rain jacket even in winter, and shoes with grip for wet steps. For the safari, neutral colours and a scarf for the dust help; for the Nongriat trek, a light daypack and quick-dry clothes. Carry INR 1,000–1,500 in small notes per person per day for entry fees, parking and boat rides, since many village-run sites take cash only.

How we'd plan it

We build this week around two fixed points: a flight that lands in Guwahati before 1 pm on day one, and a Kaziranga safari on the morning of the last day. Everything in between flexes to your pace. For most couples and families, we recommend the seven-night version, which adds a second Kaziranga night and turns day six into two gentle days.

That is close to our Northeast in a Week trip and to Assam and Meghalaya Highlights, which starts from INR 30,000 per person on twin sharing. With five nights, Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga keeps the best of both from INR 23,000. With more time, the Northeast in 10 days plan adds Majuli.

Tell us your dates on our contact page and we will fit this week around your flights.