Scenic Waterfalls in Meghalaya: By Region and Season

Meghalaya means "abode of the clouds Meghalaya means "abode of the clouds," and the clouds pay their way in water. Sohra and Mawsynram, on the southern edge of the Khasi Hills, are among the wettest places on earth, and every monsoon that rain pours off the plateau as some of the most dramatic waterfalls in Meghalaya, or anywhere in India.

Most lists of the scenic waterfalls in Meghalaya give you 20 or 30 names in no particular order, and that is how travellers end up planning impossible days.

This guide is organised the way you will actually travel: first by season, because monsoon and winter are two different trips, and then by region, so you can see one cluster of falls in a day. Also, if you want to visit the falls without planning, ourMeghalaya tour packages cover the main clusters, region by region.

The best waterfalls in Meghalaya change with the calendar. The same fall can be a thundering white wall in August and a thin silver thread in February, and a pool that is muddy brown in the rains turns turquoise by winter.

So the first decision is not which falls to see, but which kind of trip you want. Each season offers its own gifts, and the falls shine brightest during that time. For the wider picture of weather and crowds, see our guide to the best time to visit Meghalaya.

• Monsoon (June to September): The rain-fed giants around Sohra, such as Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters, are at full power. The trade-offs are real: the cloud can hide a fall completely for hours, paths and steps turn slippery, swimming is usually unsafe, and landslides can delay hill roads.

Go for the drama, keep each day flexible, and accept that some views will be fog. Our guide to Meghalaya in monsoon covers road conditions and what to pack.

• October to December: The best all-round window. The falls still carry good water from the rains, the skies are clear, and the pools start to turn blue. This period is the sweet spot for seeing the Sohra giants and swimming at the Jaintia pools in one trip.
• January to March: Rain-fed falls thin out, Seven Sisters is largely dry from December to March, and Nohkalikai shrinks to a ribbon. But this period is when pools like Krang Suri and Wei Sawdong are at their clearest and most photogenic. February is the peak for blue water.

April and May bring the first pre-monsoon showers, rising water and warmer swims, a reasonable shoulder season if you are flexible.

Sohra, about 54 km from Shillong, is the base for the tallest falls in the state. Most attractions that follow are within half an hour of the town, allowing one full day to cover the plunge-fall viewpoints, while a second day is suitable for the falls that require a walk. Start early, and be ready to wait out passing clouds, which can hide a viewpoint for minutes or hours.

A practical split: on day one, take the Nohkalikai viewpoint in the morning and the Seven Sisters viewpoint near Mawsmai, then add the Garden of Caves on the drive in or out of Shillong. On day two, head out to Dainthlen and Wei Sawdong, which share the same route.

Kynrem, Wah Kaba, and Rainbow Falls are also in this area if you have extra time; see our guides to Kynrem Falls, Wah Kaba Falls and Rainbow Falls near Nongriat, home of the double decker living root bridge.

Nohkalikai Falls drops about 340 m (1,115 ft) off the edge of the Sohra plateau into a green plunge pool, making it the tallest plunge waterfall in India. It is named after a local legend of a grieving mother, Ka Likai, who leapt from the cliff.

You see it from a viewpoint at the top, so there is no trek unless you choose the long walk down. It is fullest in the monsoon and shrinks between December and February. Who it suits: everyone; it is the one waterfall every Meghalaya trip should include.

When it rains, Seven Sisters Falls becomes a wall of seven parallel streams pouring about 315 m off the limestone cliffs near Mawsmai village, a few kilometres south of Sohra. It is rain-fed, so it is spectacular from June to September and largely dry from December to March. View it from the roadside viewpoint near Mawsmai, and give the cloud time to lift if it rolls in.Mawsmai Cave is close by, so the two fit into one stop.

Who it suits: monsoon travellers; skip it in winter.

Dainthlen Falls is an easy stop close to Sohra, where the river slides over broad, flat rock shelves before dropping into a gorge. The name ties it to a Khasi legend of the Thlen, a giant serpent said to have been slain here, and locals point to marks in the rock as part of the story. It is fullest from the monsoon into November.

Who it suits: families and anyone short on time, as it is right by the road.

Wei Sawdong falls in three tiers into turquoise pools, on the same route as Dainthlen. The catch is the way down: a steep path with rocky steps and bamboo ladders, so it suits steady feet. Early afternoon light reaches the tiers best.

Who it suits: fit travellers and photographers, especially from October to March when the pools are bluest.

The Garden of Caves, near Laitryngew off the Shillong-Sohra road, is a mossy hollow of caves, rock pools and small falls, including Sum Syiem and Arsdad. The waterfalls are smaller than the giants, but the setting is magical, with streams running through rock chambers and light filtering through the trees.

Who it suits: families and anyone who wants something gentler; it is an easy add-on on the drive to or from Sohra.

The Jaintia Hills, east of Shillong around Jowai, are where you come for blue pools rather than height. Jowai is roughly a two-hour drive from Shillong, and the main falls lie within an hour of town, so base yourself there for a night or make a long day trip.

Pair Phe Phe and Krang Suri in one day, and catch Tyrshi on the way in or out. Moopun Falls is another option if you have time.

Krang Suri Falls, near Amlarem, about 30 km from Jowai, spills into a deep blue pool that is one of the few places in Meghalaya where swimming is organised, with life jackets required. The water is bluest from October to April; in the monsoon it runs fuller and murkier. A paved path and steps lead down from the parking area.

Who it suits: anyone who wants to get in the water.

Phe Phe Falls, near Shkentalang village, about 22 km from Jowai, drops in two tiers into clear pools in a quiet valley. The walk in takes about 15 to 20 minutes through fields and forest, with some scrambling, and a local guide helps.

Who it suits: travellers who want a quieter, more natural fall than the busy ones. Our Phe Phe Falls guide covers the route and pairing with Krang Suri.

Tyrshi Falls tumbles in stages through green, open countryside about 5 km from Jowai, just off the Shillong-Jowai highway, and you can walk down to its base. It is a short, easy stop rather than a destination and the closest major fall to Jowai town.

Who it suits: road-trippers heading to or from Jowai.

If you only have Shillong, you can still see good falls alongside the city's other places to visit. These waterfalls near Shillong are each within about half an hour of the city, so they fit into a morning or an afternoon. Bishop and Beadon Falls, in Mawlai on the city's northern edge, are also close.

About 12 km from the city in Upper Shillong, Elephant Falls is known in Khasi as Ka Kshaid Lai Pateng Khohsiew, the three-step waterfall, after its three tiers linked by a stone staircase. The British named it for an elephant-shaped rock nearby, which the 1897 earthquake destroyed. It is busy, well-kept and easy.

Who it suits: families, short stays and first-timers..

Sweet Falls, also called Kshaid Weitden, is near Happy Valley, about 12 km from Police Bazar. It is a tall, slender drop down a rocky cliff into a deep gorge, quieter and wilder than Elephant Falls. The approach and rocks are steep and slippery, so stay on the path and away from the edge, especially after rain.

Who it suits: confident walkers who want a less crowded view.

The West Khasi Hills hold some of the most remote waterfalls in Meghalaya, far from the tour-bus circuit.Langshiang Falls, near Sangriang village about 24 km from Nongstoin, is often quoted at about 337 m, though that figure is unconfirmed. Weinia Falls sits close to Nongkhnum River Island. Both need long drives on slower roads, so save them for a second trip, ideally with a night in Nongstoin.

The rule that makes a trip to the waterfalls in Meghalaya work is simple: one cluster per day. Sohra and the Jaintia Hills are in opposite directions from Shillong, so trying to see Nohkalikai and Krang Suri on the same day means most of it is spent in a car.

A balanced five-day plan looks like this:

1. Day 1: arrive in Shillong; Elephant Falls and Sweet Falls in the afternoon.

2. Day 2: Sohra Giants: Garden of Caves on the way, Nohkalikai, and Seven Sisters.

3. Day 3: Sohra walks: Dainthlen and Wei Sawdong, back to Shillong or stay in Sohra.

4. Day 4: Jaintia day: Tyrshi on the way, Phe Phe and Krang Suri, night in Jowai.

5. Day 5: return to Shillong or continue to Dawki for the clear Umngot river.

In the monsoon, add a buffer day. Clouds can close a viewpoint for hours and landslides can slow hill roads, so start each day early and avoid driving on the plateau after dark. Hire a local driver who knows the roads rather than self-driving in heavy rain.

If you would rather have the routing, driver and stays handled, our Meghalaya tour packages build these clusters into a day-by-day plan, with the Sohra and Jaintia days kept separate so you are not doubling back.

• Stay behind the railings. Cliff edges at Nohkalikai and Sweet Falls are sheer.
• Swim only where it is allowed. Krang Suri has life jackets and staff; most other pools have neither.
• Wear shoes with grip. Algae and spray make rocks slick in every season, not just the monsoon.
• Carry your rubbish out. Bins are few, and these villages keep the sites clean themselves.