Meghalaya Tourism

Destination Snapshot: Know Before You Go

Best Time To Visit Meghalaya

How To Reach Meghalaya

By Air

• Primary gateway: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (IATA: GAU), approx. 120 km from Shillong
• Airlines: IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air
• Direct flights from: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad
• Guwahati to Shillong: Private cab (INR 1,500 to 2,500) or shared taxi from Paltan Bazar (INR 200 to 300 per seat); travel time 3 to 4 hours, making Guwahati the natural starting point for most Meghalaya trips
• Alternate airport: Umroi Airport, Shillong (IATA: SHL), approx. 35 km from city center; limited IndiGo connectivity from Kolkata only

By Train

• Nearest railhead: Guwahati Junction (GHY); no direct rail connection into Meghalaya
• From Delhi: Rajdhani Express or Saraighat Express (approx. 36 hours)
• From Kolkata: Saraighat Express or Kamrup Express (approx. 17 to 18 hours)
• From Mumbai: Northeast Express (approx. 48 hours)
• Guwahati to Shillong: Private cab or shared taxi, 3 to 4 hours

By Road

From Guwahati (Most Common Route)

• Route: NH6 (NH-106), Guwahati to Shillong; approx. 100 km
• Travel time: 3 to 4 hours. The road journey is a highlight of any Meghalaya trip from Guwahati.
• Shared taxi: Departs Paltan Bazar, Guwahati; INR 200 to 300 per seat
• Private cab: INR 1,500 to 2,500 from airport or city
• State buses: ASTC and MSRTC operate on this route

From Other Northeast Cities

• Silchar to Shillong: Approx. 220 km via NH6; travel time 6 to 7 hours
• Dimapur to Shillong: Approx. 330 km via NH29 and NH6; travel time 8 to 9 hours
• Agartala to Shillong: Approx. 450 km via NH8 and NH6; travel time 10 to 12 hours
• Aizawl to Shillong: Approx. 500 km; travel time 12 to 14 hours

From Kolkata (Long-Haul)

• Route: NH12 via Siliguri, then NH17 to Guwahati, continuing NH6 to Shillong; approx. 1,000 km
• Travel time: 20 to 24 hours; not recommended as a single stretch
• Better option: Fly or take a train to Guwahati, then drive to Shillong

Top Scenic Places To Visit In Meghalaya

• Key tourist places in Meghalaya worth building your iti
• Shillong: The state capital and most popular base. Key places to visit in Shillong include Police Bazar, Ward's Lake, Elephant Falls, Shillong Peak, and the Don Bosco Museum. The cafe and live music scene makes evenings here worth planning around.
• Cherrapunji (Sohra): One of the wettest places on earth, with dramatic viewpoints, Nohkalikai Falls (India's tallest plunge waterfall at 340 m), Seven Sisters Falls, and Mawsmai Cave. Many popular places to visit in Cherrapunji, like the double-decker living root bridges, are close by.
• Dawki: A small border town on the Umngot River where the water is clear enough to make boats look like they're floating on glass. Riverside camping is possible and worth it.
• Mawlynnong: Asia's cleanest village, run entirely by the local Khasi community near the Bangladesh border. The bamboo sky walk gives clear-day views across into Bangladesh.
• Nongriat: Reached via a steep 3,500-step trek from Tyrna, this village is home to the famous double-decker living root bridge. An overnight stay is strongly recommended.
• Mawphlang Sacred Forest: A 78-hectare ancient forest preserved by Khasi tradition, where no plant or animal may be removed. Guided walks here are genuinely eerie and beautiful.
• Mawsynram: Holds the record for the highest average annual rainfall on earth. Quieter than Cherrapunji, with fewer crowds and a rawer monsoon landscape.
• Elephant Falls: A three-tiered waterfall on the outskirts of Shillong, easy to combine with a city day. Named by the British after a rock that no longer exists.
• Tura and Balpakram National Park (Garo Hills): Meghalaya's western district feels like a different world, tropical forests, wildlife like elephants and clouded leopards, and barely any tourist crowds.
• Jowai and Nartiang (Jaintia Hills): Far less visited but worth the detour, ancient monolith fields, Krang Suri Falls, and authentic Jaintia culture with almost no tourist trail.

Offbeat Places In Meghalaya

• Shnongpdeng: A village on the Umngot River, 4 km away from Dawki, known for camping, kayaking and snorkelling in the crystal clear water. Much quieter than Dawki during peak season.
• Laitlum Canyons: These dramatic gorges near Shillong are often referred to as the Grand Canyon. It’s hard to beat the sunrise here and most mornings you’ll find the place almost to yourself.
• Kongthong (Whistling Village): In this remote Khasi village, every resident has a unique tune, hummed by their mother at birth, used in place of a name. Easily one of the most unusual cultural experiences in Northeast India.
• Nohsngithiang (Seven Sisters Falls): Visible from a viewpoint near Cherrapunji, this seven-segmented waterfall is best visited during or just after monsoon when all streams are in full flow.
• Phe Phe Falls: A short trek from Jowai in the Jaintia Hills, tucked inside a deep gorge and largely off the mainstream tourist trail.
• Wei Sawdong Falls: A three-tiered waterfall near Cherrapunji, reached after a short walk through forest cover. The natural pool at the base is one of the best swimming spots in the region.
• Mawryngkhang Bamboo Trek (Wahkhen Village): A narrow bamboo bridge trail over the Umiam River gorge near Nongstoin. The trek involves walking on bamboo poles suspended over a deep ravine, not for the faint-hearted.
• Ranikor: A remote riverside village in South West Khasi Hills, accessible via a long drive through forest roads. Known for river camping and near-zero tourist footfall.

Best Things To Do In Meghalaya For Every Traveler

• 1. Trekking to the Living Root Bridges (Nongriat): The double-decker living root bridge near Nongriat means a 3,500-step descent from Tyrna, about 45 to 90 minutes one way. Added to UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list in 2022, these are living structures shaped over centuries by the War Khasi people, and they only get stronger with time.
• 2. River Camping at Shnongpdeng and Dawki: The Umngot River is clear enough to see the riverbed 10 feet down, which makes camping along its banks a completely different experience. Set up a tent at Shnongpdeng, kayak over water that shifts from turquoise to silver as the light changes, there's nothing quite like it in India.
• 3. Chasing Waterfalls, Nohkalikai, Wei Sawdong, and Beyond: At 340 m, Nohkalikai is India's tallest plunge waterfall and the obvious highlight. But the region has plenty more, Rangsohkham Falls and Kshaid Thum Waterfall in the Jaintia Hills are the kind of places that haven't made it onto crowded itineraries yet.
• 4. Walking the Mawphlang Sacred Forest: Khasi tradition has protected this 78-hectare forest for centuries, nothing leaves, not a leaf or a stone. Guided walks carry a rare stillness, part ecological wonder, part living cultural archive.
• 5. Exploring Mawlynnong and the Sky Walk: Asia's cleanest village runs entirely on community-led eco-tourism. The bamboo sky walk at the village edge gives clear-day views across the Bangladesh plains, something most travelers don't expect.
• 6. Caving at Mawsmai and Krem Liat Prah: Meghalaya holds some of the longest cave systems in the subcontinent. Mawsmai Cave near Cherrapunji is well-lit and easy to walk through; Krem Liat Prah in the Jaintia Hills, one of the longest natural caves in Asia, is a different story and better suited for serious spelunkers.
• 7. Road-Tripping Through the Jaintia Hills: The Shillong to Jowai drive is one of Northeast India's most underrated stretches. Monolith fields at Nartiang, the turquoise pool at Krang Suri Falls, and the gorge at Phe Phe Falls, all on a route that sees a fraction of the traffic Cherrapunji gets.
• 8. Experiencing Kongthong, the Whistling Village: Every person in this remote Khasi village is given a unique melody at birth, used as their name in everyday life. One of the most quietly extraordinary cultural traditions in the country, nothing else on a Northeast India trip quite compares.
• 9. Sunrise at Laitlum Canyons: Often compared to a miniature Grand Canyon, these gorges near Shillong are best seen before dawn. Get there early and you'll likely have the viewpoint to yourself, mist filling the valley below and the first light laying across the ridgelines in layers.
• 10. Attending a Local Festival: Meghalaya's tribal festivals are among the most visually striking in India. Nongkrem (Khasi), Wangala (Garo), and Behdienkhlam (Jaintia) each bring traditional dance, music, and ritual, real cultural depth that goes well beyond the usual sightseeing circuit.

Food In Meghalaya

Top Meghalayan Dishes

• Jadoh: Khasi pork and rice cooked together with spices; the most iconic dish in the state
• Doh-Khlieh: Cold minced pork salad with onion, green chili, and ginger; sharp and refreshing
• Tungrymbai: Fermented soybean paste; pungent, earthy, served as a side or condiment
• Nakham Bitchi: Dried fish soup; warming and deeply umami
• Wak Pura: Garo-style slow-cooked pork with local herbs
• Minil Songa: Sticky rice steamed in bamboo; common at festivals and village meals

Top Places To Eat In Meghalaya

• Jadoh stalls, Bara Bazar (Shillong): Best for an authentic Khasi breakfast; cash only, very affordable
• Police Bazar eateries (Shillong): Highest concentration of local thalis, street food, and quick bites
• Trattoria (Shillong): Long-standing mid-range spot for continental and local fusion
• Cafe Shillong: Specialty coffee, live music evenings, one of the city's most popular spots
• Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort restaurant: Valley-view dining with Khasi home-style meals
• Local dhabas, Dawki and Shnongpdeng: Simple rice and curry by the river; very affordable

Where To Stay In Meghalaya

Shillong

• Top picks: Hotel Polo Towers, Tripura Castle, Ri Kynmaw
• Average cost: budget (INR 500 to 1,200/night), mid-range (INR 1,500 to 3,500/night), boutique (INR 4,000 to 8,000/night)

Cherrapunji (Sohra)

• Top picks: Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort, Polo Orchid Resort, La Mer Homestay
• Average cost: homestays (INR 800 to 2,000/night), resorts (INR 2,500 to 5,000/night)

Dawki and Shnongpdeng

• Top picks: Shnongpdeng riverside campsites (operator-run), Daw ki guesthouses
• Average cost: camping (INR 400 to 800/person/night), guesthouses (INR 600 to 1,500/night)

Nongriat

• Top picks: Local village homestays (book via Tyrna village contacts or trek operators)
• Average cost: INR 500 to 1,000/night

Garo Hills (Tura)

• **Top picks:** Hotel Sonar Bangla Tura, Meghalaya Forest Department rest houses
• Average cost: INR 1,200 to 2, 500/night

Practical Travel Tips For Meghalaya

• Roads are the variable: Meghalaya's road quality swings from smooth national highways to narrow village tracks with potholes and broken edges. Build buffer time into every day, especially after rain. A 60 km drive can take 3 hours. If you're arriving late, it’s important to know whether night driving in Meghalaya is safe.
• Carry enough cash: ATMs are available in Shillong and Cherrapunji, but cards may not work in many places outside the towns. Most homestays, local guides and village shops are cash-only.
• Mobile connectivity: Airtel and Jio have a good coverage in Shillong and on the popular tourist routes, but the signal can drop in the valleys and remote villages. Download offline maps before heading out of the city.
• Hire a local guide for treks: Especially for Nongriat and the Mawphlang Sacred Forest. A good Meghalaya tour guide adds real context to what you're seeing, and the fee goes directly to village livelihoods.
• Respect local customs: Each of the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia communities has its own traditions, so ask before taking photos of people, dress modestly in villages and strictly obey the rules of sacred forests. People are welcoming, but it helps to know the usual hidden tourist scams in Meghalaya beforehand.
• Book accommodation early in peak season: December and January fill up fast. Aim to book 3 to 4 weeks in advance for Shillong stays and Cherrapunji homestays.

Planning Your Meghalaya Trip With WanderOn