★★★★★ 4.9 on Google
Shillong-based ground team
Meghalaya Tour Packages, for the greenest, wettest corner of India.
Living root bridges grown over generations, waterfalls that fall a full 340 metres, and a river at Dawki so clear the boats look like they are floating on air.
6–7Ideal trip days
3,000Steps to Nongriat
24×7On-trip support
Meghalaya, planned properly
The one trip on our list with real walking in it
Meghalaya is not a drive-and-look destination. The double-decker living root bridge at Nongriat is roughly three thousand steps down and the same back up, and most of the state’s best moments are at the end of a trail rather than a road. Every My Trip Companion Meghalaya tour package is honest about that up front — we tell you which days involve real effort, and we build in the recovery day afterwards that most itineraries skip.
Six or seven days covers Shillong, Cherrapunji, Nongriat, Dawki and Mawlynnong at a pace that leaves room for the weather to have opinions. We use Khasi guides who know which trails are safe after rain, book the homestays at the bottom of the Nongriat descent rather than day-tripping it, and keep a trip host on call. For green hills without the staircases, our Kerala tour packages are the gentler cousin — or browse all our tour packages.
Why Meghalaya
Three reasons Meghalaya is unlike the rest of India
Bridges that were grown, not built
Khasi communities have trained living fig roots across rivers for generations. The double-decker at Nongriat is the famous one, but there are dozens, and they get stronger with age rather than weaker.
The wettest inhabited places on earth
Sohra (Cherrapunji) and Mawsynram trade the world rainfall record between them. That rain is the entire reason for the waterfalls, the moss and the almost unreal green.
Water you can see straight through
The Umngot at Dawki runs so clear in the dry season that boats appear to hover above the riverbed. It is the photograph everyone comes for, and it lives up to it.
Meghalaya packages
Pick a starting point, then make it yours
Every itinerary below is fully customisable — hotel category, pacing, route and add-ons — at no extra planning fee.
Bestseller
Meghalaya Root Bridge Trail
The signature route, with a night at the bottom of the Nongriat descent so the double-decker bridge is not a rushed day trip.
Nongriat homestayKhasi guidePrivate cabBreakfast
₹36,499per person
Enquire →Classic
Shillong, Dawki & Mawlynnong
The gentler circuit — clear-water boating at Dawki, Asia’s cleanest village and the Shillong viewpoints, with no long descents.
Dawki boat ridePrivate cabLocal hostBreakfast
[[NEEDS: price]]per person
Enquire →Adventure
Caves, Canyons & Waterfalls
Limestone caving around Sohra, the Laitlum canyons and the Jaintia hills — the active version of Meghalaya.
Caving guideSafety gearPrivate cabBreakfast
[[NEEDS: price]]per person
Enquire →Northeast
Meghalaya & Kaziranga Combined
Pairs the Khasi hills with Assam’s one-horned rhinos — the standard way to make the long flight worthwhile.
Jeep safariPark permitsPrivate cabBreakfast
[[NEEDS: price]]per person
Enquire →Prices are per person on twin sharing and vary by season and hotel category. Your trip designer confirms an exact quote in writing before any payment.
When to go
Best time to visit Meghalaya
Meghalaya’s rain is not a detail. It shapes which months work and what you will actually be able to reach.
| Season | Months | Weather | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Oct – Dec | Clear and mild, ~10–24°C | Dawki’s clear water, trekking, photography |
| Winter & spring | Jan – Mar | Cool, ~8–22°C; misty mornings | Comfortable walking, fewest crowds |
| Pre-monsoon | Apr – May | Warm with building showers, ~15–28°C | Green hills, waterfalls filling, good rates |
| Monsoon | Jun – Sep | Extreme rain; leeches and slippery trails | Waterfalls at maximum — but expect trail closures |
October to April is the practical season. The Umngot at Dawki is only glass-clear in the drier months — during and just after the monsoon it runs silty, so a monsoon trip will not give you that photograph.
The circuit
Places every Meghalaya itinerary should consider
Shillong
1–2 nightsThe state capital at around 1,500 m — Ward’s Lake, the Don Bosco museum, Police Bazaar and a live-music scene the northeast is genuinely known for.
Cherrapunji (Sohra)
2 nightsNohkalikai Falls dropping around 340 m, the Seven Sisters, Mawsmai cave and the plateau edge where the cloud comes up from Bangladesh.
Nongriat
1 nightThe double-decker living root bridge, reached by roughly three thousand steps down from Tyrna. Staying overnight turns a punishing day trip into the best part of the week.
Dawki & Shnongpdeng
1 nightThe Umngot river on the Bangladesh border, clear enough in season to see straight to the bed. Boating, cliff jumping and riverside camps.
Mawlynnong
Day tripWidely billed as Asia’s cleanest village — bamboo dustbins, flower-lined lanes, a skywalk over the canopy and another root bridge at Riwai nearby.
Laitlum & Mawphlang
Day tripThe Laitlum canyon viewpoint over the Jaintia hills, and the Mawphlang sacred forest where nothing at all may be removed.
Before you fly
Getting to Meghalaya, and what the walking is really like
Almost everyone flies into Assam and drives up — and the Nongriat descent deserves an honest word.
By air
Guwahati (GAU) in Assam is the practical airport, with a drive of roughly three to three and a half hours up to Shillong. Shillong’s own airport at Umroi has very limited connections and is not something to build a plan around.
Getting around
Everything is by road, and the mountain roads are slow. Shillong to Sohra takes about two hours for only 55 km. Budget generously and do not plan two long transfers in one day.
The Nongriat trek
Roughly 3,000 stone steps down from Tyrna and the same back up, typically two to three hours each way. It is not technical, but it is genuinely hard on the knees. Bring proper shoes, and staying overnight at the bottom is far kinder than doing it in a day.
Permits and connectivity
No Inner Line Permit is required for Meghalaya, unlike some neighbouring states. Mobile coverage disappears in the gorges around Nongriat — tell people at home before you descend.
Where you sleep
Where you sleep in Meghalaya
Comfort is good in Shillong and deliberately basic where the best walking is.
Shillong hotels
ComfortableProper hotels and boutique properties in and around the capital — the most comfortable rooms of the trip, and the right place for your first and last nights.
Sohra resorts & homestays
CherrapunjiPlateau-edge properties with valley views, plus Khasi family homestays. Heating is rare and the damp is constant — pack accordingly.
Nongriat & Shnongpdeng
BasicSimple guesthouses at the bottom of the gorge and riverside camps at Shnongpdeng. Shared bathrooms, limited electricity, and worth every bit of it.
No surprises
What’s included in every package
✅ Included
- ✓Handpicked stays — hotels, resorts or homestays as per package
- ✓Private vehicle with a local driver for all transfers and sightseeing
- ✓Daily breakfast at all stays
- ✓Dedicated trip host with 24×7 on-trip support
- ✓All standard permits and paperwork where required
- ✓Local Khasi guide for the Nongriat and root-bridge trails
- ✓Dawki boat ride where the itinerary includes Shnongpdeng
➕ Quoted separately
- •Flights and trains to and from the region
- •Lunches and dinners (we recommend the best local spots)
- •Entry tickets and optional activities unless explicitly listed
- •Travel insurance and personal expenses
- •Anything not listed under Included
- •Caving equipment hire and adventure activity fees
- •Porter charges on the Nongriat descent
In frame
Meghalaya, through our travellers’ days
[[NEEDS: more Meghalaya photography]] — this gallery reuses the Meghalaya images already in the media library. Upload trip photos you own the rights to and swap them in.
Good to know
Meghalaya trip FAQs
October to April. October to December gives clear skies and the Umngot river at Dawki at its most transparent, while January to March is cool, misty and quiet. The June-to-September monsoon brings extreme rainfall — spectacular waterfalls, but slippery trails, leeches and a silty river.
Six to seven days from Guwahati. That allows two nights around Shillong, two in Cherrapunji, a night down at Nongriat and a night at Dawki or Shnongpdeng, with enough slack for weather.
Roughly 3,000 stone steps down from Tyrna and the same climb back, usually two to three hours each way. It is not technical but it is genuinely demanding on the knees, particularly on the return. We strongly recommend staying overnight at Nongriat rather than attempting it as a day trip.
No Inner Line Permit is required for Indian or foreign nationals, unlike some neighbouring northeastern states. Carry photo ID as usual, and note that Dawki sits on the Bangladesh border where you should follow your guide about where photography is permitted.
Yes, and it is the usual way to justify the flight east. Kaziranga National Park is around five hours from Guwahati, so a nine-day trip comfortably covers the Khasi hills and a rhino safari. The park is closed during the monsoon, roughly May to October.
Keep exploring
Pairs well with Meghalaya
Your Meghalaya trip starts with one message
Tell us your dates and how much walking you are up for, and a Shillong-based trip designer will reply with a Meghalaya itinerary built around the weather — usually within a few hours.
+91 91038 00859 · hello@mytripcompanion.in