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Places to visit in Northeast India

Waterfalls, root bridges, national parks, monasteries and hill towns across Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal and beyond, with altitude, permits and the best months for each.

56 places

Meghalaya

State guide
Colourful houses of Shillong spread over green hills under a clear blue sky, seen from Mawlai Meghalaya1,525 m Shillong Meghalaya's pine-cooled capital and the base for most trips Big white clouds over the sprawl of Shillong city, seen from the viewpoint on Shillong Peak Meghalaya1,965 m Shillong Peak The highest point near the city, with Shillong spread out below Water cascading over stepped dark rock at Elephant Falls near Shillong, framed by ferns and moss Meghalaya1,600 m Elephant Falls A three-step waterfall 12 km from Shillong, down a fern-lined stair Blue waters of Umiam Lake wrapping around forested islands and ridges under white clouds Meghalaya980 m Umiam Lake A pine-ringed reservoir 15 km north of Shillong on the Guwahati road Deep green gorges of Laitlum Canyon falling away from a grassy ridge edge, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya1,750 m Laitlum Canyons Grassy ridge above deep valleys, an hour from Shillong A tall waterfall dropping off a green plateau edge into a sea of cloud near Sohra (Cherrapunji) Meghalaya1,480 m Sohra (Cherrapunji) Rain-record town on a plateau edge, ringed by falls and root bridges Nohkalikai Falls plunging 340 m down a sheer red-brown cliff into a green pool, Sohra Meghalaya1,240 m Nohkalikai Falls India's tallest plunge waterfall, dropping about 340 m near Sohra Pale limestone formations framing the dark entrance passage of Mawsmai Cave near Sohra Meghalaya1,280 m Mawsmai Cave A lit limestone cave south of Sohra with a 150 m squeeze-through walk The two-tier Double Decker Living Root Bridge at Nongriat spanning a clear stream in dense forest Meghalaya600 m Nongriat Double Decker Root Bridge About 3,500 steps down to a two-tier bridge grown from living roots Wei Sawdong's stepped falls spilling into a round turquoise pool in a sandstone gorge near Sohra Meghalaya1,380 m Wei Sawdong Falls Three-tier falls over turquoise pools, down a steep path near Sohra The Riwai living root bridge near Mawlynnong, a mat of roots spanning a rocky stream bed Meghalaya500 m Mawlynnong Khasi village known for swept lanes, near the Bangladesh border Green hills mirrored in the glassy Umngot River at Dawki, with a lone wooden boat mid-stream Meghalaya50 m Dawki and the Umngot River Boats that seem to float on clear water at the Bangladesh border Umngot River flowing still and green between steep forested hills, the stretch that runs past Shnongpdeng Meghalaya60 m Shnongpdeng Riverside camps and clear-water swims upstream of Dawki Krang Suri Falls pouring off a sandstone overhang into a deep blue-green pool, West Jaintia Hills Meghalaya900 m Krang Suri Falls A blue-pool waterfall in the Jaintia Hills where you can swim A clear stream running over rocks through the dense, mossy Mawphlang sacred forest Meghalaya1,800 m Mawphlang Sacred Forest A Khasi sacred grove where nothing, not even a leaf, leaves the forest Dozens of upright menhirs and flat table stones under large trees at Nartiang, West Jaintia Hills Meghalaya1,400 m Nartiang Monoliths A garden of standing stones raised by the Jaintia kingdom Orange sunset over golden paddy fields and low hills at Ladthlaboh on the edge of Jowai Meghalaya1,380 m Jowai Hill town of the Pnar people and base for the Jaintia Hills Black-and-white view of a lone church on the grassy uplands of Mawsynram under heavy rain clouds Meghalaya1,400 m Mawsynram The rain-record village on the edge of the Khasi Hills Weinia Falls at Nongkhnum thundering into a misty gorge beside a wooden viewing platform, West Khasi Hills Meghalaya600 m Nongkhnum River Island Meghalaya's largest river island, with sand, falls and few visitors Sheer cliffs dropping into the forested Balpakram canyon under a hazy sky, South Garo Hills Meghalaya910 m Balpakram National Park Remote Garo Hills gorge and plateau, held sacred as a land of spirits

Assam

State guide
The sun setting over the Brahmaputra at Guwahati, with low hills and a boat on the golden water Assam55 m Guwahati The Brahmaputra city where almost every Northeast trip begins Beehive-shaped spires and curved roof of Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, Guwahati Assam180 m Kamakhya Temple Guwahati's hilltop Shakti peetha and home of the Ambubachi Mela A flowering silk-cotton tree standing alone in the tall grassland of Kaziranga under a blue sky Assam60 m Kaziranga National Park Grassland rhino country on the Brahmaputra floodplain Pink and blue dawn sky reflected in flooded pasture on Majuli river island, Assam Assam85 m Majuli A shrinking river island of satras, masks and Mising villages Wooden fishing boats on the calm green Kakodonga River lined with trees, Jorhat district Assam116 m Jorhat Upper Assam's tea town and the jumping-off point for Majuli The tall brick spire of Shiva Dol beside smaller shrines and a long hall on green lawns, Sivasagar Assam95 m Sivasagar The old Ahom capital of palaces, tanks and royal burial mounds Wisps of white cloud over the wide, calm Brahmaputra seen from its bank at Dibrugarh Assam108 m Dibrugarh Assam's tea city on the Brahmaputra and the gateway to the far east The braided Manas River and green grassland below the forested Bhutan foothills, Manas National Park Assam85 m Manas National Park Tiger reserve on the Bhutan border, with golden langurs and grassland A one-horned rhino and her calf grazing side by side on a green meadow at Pobitora Assam50 m Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary Rhinos within a morning's drive of Guwahati Two wooden boats on the pebble shore of the wide, blue Jia Bhoroli river at Nameri Assam100 m Nameri National Park Foothill forest, river rafting and forest walks on the Jia Bhoroli Pink evening clouds over the broad, calm Brahmaputra at Tezpur Assam80 m Tezpur A riverside town of legends and ruins on the road to Tawang Haflong town spread over green hills in the soft light of dusk, seen from Synod viewpoint Assam680 m Haflong Assam's only hill station, with a lake, blue hills and Jatinga Bare trees standing in floodwater under a bright blue sky and white clouds, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park Assam118 m Dibru-Saikhowa National Park River islands, feral horses and dolphins by boat The carved stone shikhara of Hayagriva Madhava Temple on Monikut hill at Hajo, Assam Assam50 m Hajo One hill town sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims

Arunachal Pradesh

State guide
Tawang town and its hilltop monastery under towering white clouds, Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal3,050 m Tawang A 3,000 m Monpa town, India's largest monastery and the road to Bum La Tawang Monastery's white buildings and gold roofs spread along a ridge below a blue peak Arunachal3,050 m Tawang Monastery India's largest Buddhist monastery, founded in 1680–81 above Tawang A boardwalk leading along blue Sela Lake below rocky peaks at Sela Pass, 4,170 m, Arunachal Arunachal4,170 m Sela Pass A 4,170 m pass with a frozen lake, now bypassed by the Sela Tunnel Snow patches and a small lake among jagged peaks near Bum La Pass on the India–China border Arunachal4,600 m Bum La Pass The 4,600 m India–China border pass, 37 km from Tawang Dead tree trunks standing in the blue water of Madhuri (Shonga-tser) Lake between steep cliffs near Tawang Arunachal3,708 m Madhuri (Shonga-tser) Lake A 3,708 m army-guarded lake with drowned tree trunks, near Bum La Nuranang (Jang) Falls plunging down a green mountainside into a turquoise river valley near Tawang Arunachal2,400 m Nuranang (Jang) Falls A 100 m waterfall off NH-13 near Jang, 40 km before Tawang The Gontse Gaden Rabgye Ling monastery at Bomdila with red pillars and gold roofs under a blue sky Arunachal2,415 m Bomdila West Kameng's 2,415 m hill town and first overnight stop for Tawang Golden terraced fields along the Dirang river valley between forested slopes, West Kameng Arunachal1,500 m Dirang A river valley at about 1,500 m, the best night's sleep before Sela Bright green paddy fields and an Apatani village spread across the flat floor of Ziro valley below forested hills Arunachal1,688 m Ziro Valley Apatani rice fields and pine hills at 1,688 m, 115 km from Itanagar A suspension bridge over the blue Siyom river in the wide Mechuka valley under a clear sky Arunachal1,900 m Mechuka A Memba valley on the Siyom river, 29 km from the LAC Forested hills reflected in the still green water of Gyakar Sinyi (Ganga Lake) near Itanagar Arunachal320 m Itanagar Arunachal's capital at 320 m, a brick fort and the gateway to Ziro The Siang (Brahmaputra) river leaving the forested hills for the plains near Pasighat, East Siang Arunachal155 m Pasighat Arunachal's oldest town (1911), where the Siang leaves the hills The Noa Dihing river winding out of forested hills into grassland in Namdapha National Park Arunachal350 m Namdapha National Park 1,985 sq km of rainforest from 200 m to 4,571 m on the Myanmar border Snow-capped tops of the Mishmi Hills beyond forested ridges, seen from Mayodia Pass above Roing Arunachal390 m Roing and Mayodia A foothill town at 390 m and a 2,655 m pass that gets winter snow

More Northeast

State guide
Kohima's houses spilling down green ridges with clouds lying in the valleys beyond, Nagaland Nagaland & more1,440 m Kohima Nagaland's hill capital, the WWII battlefield and Hornbill host Rolling bright-green hills of Dzukou Valley on the Nagaland–Manipur border under grey cloud Nagaland & more2,452 m Dzukou Valley A high grassland valley on the Nagaland-Manipur border Green terraced paddy fields stepping down a misty hillside at Khonoma green village, Nagaland Nagaland & more1,621 m Khonoma India's first green village, with terraced fields and Angami history Lights of Imphal spreading across the valley at dusk, with the Manipur hills on the horizon Nagaland & more786 m Imphal Manipur's valley capital of Kangla, Ima Keithel and polo A thatched hut on a floating phumdi island amid rings of green phumdis on Loktak Lake, Manipur Nagaland & more768 m Loktak Lake A lake of floating phumdis and the world's only floating national park Aizawl's colourful buildings stacked along a steep ridge under a clear blue sky, Mizoram Nagaland & more1,132 m Aizawl A ridge-top capital of stacked houses, quiet streets and hill views The white domes and towers of Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala behind a long reflecting pool and gardens Nagaland & more13 m Agartala Tripura's palace city beside the Bangladesh border The giant rock-cut face of Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava among mossy boulders at Unakoti, Tripura Nagaland & more60 m Unakoti Giant rock-cut Shiva faces in a forested gorge of north Tripura
Timing

Best months at a glance

Best months to visit each place
Place
ShillongJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: goodJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
SohraJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Nongriat Double Decker Root BridgeJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: not idealMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
DawkiJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: not idealNovember: goodDecember: good
MawlynnongJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Kaziranga National ParkJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: not idealNovember: goodDecember: good
MajuliJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: not idealMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Manas National ParkJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: not idealNovember: goodDecember: good
TawangJanuary: not idealFebruary: not idealMarch: goodApril: goodMay: goodJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Sela PassJanuary: not idealFebruary: not idealMarch: goodApril: goodMay: goodJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Ziro ValleyJanuary: not idealFebruary: not idealMarch: goodApril: goodMay: goodJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: goodOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: not ideal
MechukaJanuary: not idealFebruary: not idealMarch: goodApril: goodMay: goodJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
KohimaJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: goodMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Dzukou ValleyJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: not idealMay: not idealJune: goodJuly: goodAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good
Loktak LakeJanuary: goodFebruary: goodMarch: goodApril: not idealMay: not idealJune: not idealJuly: not idealAugust: not idealSeptember: not idealOctober: goodNovember: goodDecember: good

Best months Possible, with trade-offs

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Clouds pouring over a knife-edge green ridge and deep valleys at Laitmawsiang near Sohra, Meghalaya
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