Northeast Tour Package from Delhi: Flights, Trains, Plans

Delhi to Guwahati is a shorter flight than Delhi to Chennai. Most people we speak to in Delhi are surprised by that, and it changes how they think about a Northeast trip: it is not a two-week expedition, it is a comfortable week.

Here is how Delhi travellers can get there, how many leave days each route really needs, and which itineraries give the most for the time.

Getting from Delhi to Guwahati

Guwahati is the gateway for Meghalaya, Assam and western Arunachal. Unless you are heading to Upper Assam or eastern Arunachal, start your plan there.

Timetables and flight schedules change, so check current status before you travel.

Flights

Several airlines fly Delhi to Guwahati non-stop through the day, into the new terminal that opened in December 2025. The first departures leave Delhi around dawn, which is what makes short trips work: land in Guwahati by about 9 am and you can be in Shillong for lunch or at a Kaziranga resort for an afternoon at leisure.

Booked three to five weeks ahead, we typically see one-way economy fares on the route of about ₹5,000 to ₹9,000. Fares jump around Puja, Diwali and the Christmas to New Year week. These are indicative only.

Trains

The Dibrugarh Rajdhani leaves New Delhi in the afternoon and reaches Guwahati in the evening of the next day, roughly 27 hours later. The North East Express from Anand Vihar to Kamakhya is a daily service that takes about 33 hours. Both are comfortable in AC classes and the stretch along the Brahmaputra plains is pleasant, but a return by train adds about three days to a trip. Rail makes sense if the journey is part of the holiday, not if you are short on leave.

How many leave days you really need

Here is how a trip from Delhi maps to leave, assuming you fly in early on day one and out late on the last day.

A common mistake is trying to fit Tawang into a five-night trip that also includes Shillong. The drive from Guwahati to Tawang is two long days each way. Pick one direction unless you have ten nights.

Four Delhi-friendly itineraries

Five nights: hills and rhinos

The most-booked short trip from Delhi. Fly into Guwahati, drive to Shillong via Umiam lake, spend a night in Sohra for the waterfalls and Mawsmai cave, then cross the plains to Kaziranga for jeep safaris in two ranges before flying home. Our five-night Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga trip, from ₹23,000 per person, follows this route. The one long day is Shillong to Kaziranga, about 270 km and 6.5 to 7 hours.

If wildlife is not a priority, swap Kaziranga for Dawki and Mawlynnong with the four-night Meghalaya classic, from ₹16,500 per person. It is a shorter trip with less driving.

Seven nights: the full first-timer loop

Seven nights gives Meghalaya room to breathe. Shillong, two nights in the Sohra area, a day for Dawki's clear river and Mawlynnong, then Kaziranga. This is the route in our Northeast in a week itinerary, and our Northeast 7-day itinerary guide lays out each day with drive times.

Six nights: Tawang and Sela Pass

For Delhi travellers who have done the Himalaya in Himachal or Uttarakhand and want something different. The road climbs from the Assam plains through Bhalukpong and Bomdila to Dirang, then through the Sela Tunnel, opened in March 2024, to Tawang at about 2,700 m. In fair weather the old road over Sela Pass, at about 4,200 m, is still worth the detour for its lake and views. Our six-night Tawang via Dirang and Sela trip, from ₹29,000 per person, spreads the climb over three days with nights in Bomdila and Dirang to help with acclimatisation. You need an Arunachal Inner Line Permit; our Arunachal ILP guide explains how to apply.

Ten nights: two regions

Ten nights lets you pair Meghalaya with a second region. The Meghalaya, Kaziranga and Majuli trip adds the river island of Majuli and its satras for culture. The Meghalaya and Tawang itinerary pairs waterfalls with high passes, a good fit for photographers. See our Northeast 10-day itinerary guide for the day-by-day structure.

What Delhi travellers often underestimate

We have planned enough trips for Delhi groups to see the same surprises come up. None of them are problems if you know in advance.

The sun sets early. The Northeast runs on Indian Standard Time but sits far to the east of Delhi. In December the sun sets in Guwahati and Shillong around 4.30 pm, and it is dark soon after. In June it is light by about 4.30 am. Plan early starts and do not schedule a long drive to end after dark, especially on the Sohra plateau, where fog can cut visibility sharply.

Distances are short, drives are not. Shillong to Kaziranga is about 270 km but takes 6.5 to 7 hours. Guwahati to Tawang is about 450 to 550 km over two days. Speeds on hill roads are often 25 to 35 km per hour, and our itineraries are built around hours, not kilometres.

Cash still matters. Cards and UPI work in Shillong, Guwahati and most hotels, but village entry points, boat rides at Dawki, parking lots and small eateries often want cash, and mobile signal drops in valleys. Carry a few thousand rupees in small notes.

Sunday is different in Meghalaya. Many shops in Shillong close on Sunday and churches fill in the morning. Sightseeing is fine; shopping is better on other days.

Food is not all momos. Shillong has Khasi dishes like jadoh and dohneiiong, Assam has fish curries and pitha, and North Indian vegetarian food is easy to find in Guwahati and Shillong. Smaller villages have simpler menus, so we suggest carrying snacks on long drives.

Travelling with parents or grandparents

Delhi families often travel three generations together. The Northeast works well for them if you plan around energy, not just sights.

• Keep Meghalaya and Kaziranga as the core; both are under 2,000 m, so altitude is not a concern.
• Tawang is at about 2,700 m and the old Sela Pass road above 4,000 m. We suggest a doctor's opinion for anyone over 70 or with heart or lung conditions before booking it.
• Choose hotels with lifts in Shillong, and ground-floor cottages at Kaziranga.
• Skip the Nongriat root bridge trek; the easy Riwai bridge near Mawlynnong gives the idea with a short walk.
• Build a rest afternoon after the Guwahati to Shillong drive.

Best months for Delhi travellers

Delhi's own seasons shape when people travel east.

Kaziranga opens in phases from October and usually runs to about April or May, with dates set by the park each year. Check current status before you travel. Our Kaziranga safari guide covers ranges, timings and booking.

Using a spare half-day in Guwahati

Many Delhi flights home leave Guwahati in the afternoon or evening. If your last night is in Shillong, you will reach the city by early afternoon with time to spare. Rather than sit at the airport, use it.

Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal hill is the obvious stop. Queues for darshan can run from under an hour to most of a day depending on the date, so we suggest a visit to the outer complex and hilltop views unless you have booked a special entry ticket or have plenty of time. The ghats along the Brahmaputra near Uzan Bazaar are good for a sunset walk, and short river cruises run from the city waterfront in the dry months. For shopping, Fancy Bazaar and Pan Bazaar sell Assam tea, muga and eri silk, and gamosas, the red and white Assamese cloth that makes a light, useful gift.

Allow at least 90 minutes from the city centre to the airport in evening traffic.

What it costs for two from Delhi

Indicative ranges for two adults on a seven-night trip covering Meghalaya and Kaziranga, excluding shopping and tips. Use these for budgeting, not as a quote.

Ground costs are highest from mid-October to early January. Our Northeast trip cost guide breaks down hotels, cabs, entry fees and safaris line by line.

Small things that save time

• Take the first flight in. Landing by 9 am means you arrive in Shillong or Kaziranga with daylight to spare.
• Fly home from Guwahati in the afternoon or evening. From Kaziranga, the airport is about 215 km, roughly 5 hours; leave by 9 am.
• Keep one flexible day on longer trips. Monsoon slides or fog at Sela can close a road for a few hours or a day.
• Carry ID for every traveller. Hotels and permit checks ask for it, including for children in some places.
• Do not plan Tawang as a side trip. It is a trip in itself.
• No self-drive in Meghalaya. Renting private cars to tourists for self-drive is not allowed, so book a car with a driver. Hotels will also register you on the state's guest app, so carry photo ID.

For how roads, cabs and shared taxis work across the region, see our getting around the Northeast guide.

How we'd plan it

For a Delhi couple or family on their first Northeast trip with a week of leave, we would book the earliest Delhi to Guwahati flight on a Saturday and go straight to Shillong. Two nights there with a Laitlum or Shillong Peak morning, two nights in Sohra with one day for Dawki and Mawlynnong, a night back in Shillong to break the journey, then Kaziranga for two nights with a morning jeep safari in the Central range and an afternoon drive in the Western range. Fly home on the following Saturday evening. That is seven nights, five leave days, and no day with more than about seven hours in the car.

If the group includes seniors, we would drop Dawki, add a second slow day in Shillong and keep every drive under four hours except the Kaziranga transfer. If the group is fit and has seen waterfalls before, we would replace Kaziranga with Tawang and give it the full six nights it deserves.

The rule we follow: choose regions by drive time, not by the map.

Tell us your leave dates and group on our contact page and we will send a Delhi-timed plan.