A greater one-horned rhinoceros walks a track through Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

Assam · 4 Days

Assam — Kaziranga Short Break

The shortest real Assam trip — arrive in Guwahati, drive to Kaziranga, and two nights of safaris for the one-horned rhino.

Day by Day

4 Days, In Full

Assam in the time most people can spare for an add-on to a bigger India trip. One night in Guwahati to arrive and see the river. Then east to Kaziranga for two nights: an elephant safari at dawn, a jeep safari in the afternoon, and time to rest between them. It skips Jorhat, Majuli and the tea country, which need more days. The six and seven-day trips add those. This one is a clean first look at the best rhino park in the world.

A lone fisherman poles a wooden boat across a wide marshy stretch of the Brahmaputra valley in Assam.

Guwahati

Arrive in Guwahati — the Brahmaputra at Dusk

You land at Guwahati, the hub for the whole northeast. The city sits where the Brahmaputra narrows between hills, and the river is the thing to see first. In the late afternoon a cruise boat runs out onto the water for the sunset, past Umananda island and under the temple hill, usually with tea or a meal and a short set of Assamese music. It is an easy way to arrive and get the shape of the place.

Guwahati → Kaziranga

Guwahati to Kaziranga — East Along the Brahmaputra

The drive east follows the south bank of the Brahmaputra for about two hundred kilometres and five hours, through paddy fields, tea gardens and small towns, with the hills of Meghalaya away to the south. There are stops for tea and for lunch on the way. You reach the lodges at Kohora, just outside the park's Central Range gate, in the afternoon, with time to settle in and meet the naturalist before dark.

Kaziranga

Kaziranga — Elephant Safari at Dawn, Jeep in the Afternoon

The elephant safari goes out at first light from Kohora or Bagori, for about an hour, walking through grass that is often higher than a jeep. This is where the rhinos feed, so it is the closest you will get to one. The mist lifts during the ride. Back for breakfast, then a slow middle of the day. The afternoon is a jeep safari of about three hours through the Central Range, for rhino, wild elephant, swamp deer and buffalo, and the chance of a tiger in the grass.

Guwahati

Depart Guwahati

A last morning in the city before the flight out. If there is time, a final hour on the river, a visit to the Assam State Museum, or the silk shops for Assam's own muga and eri weaves. Guwahati's airport connects to Delhi, Kolkata and the rest of the northeast, so onward plans are straightforward.

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Priced Packages On This Route

This route is already built into these packages — real inclusions and pricing on each one's own page.

luxury · 3 Nights