A broad green Cherrapunji valley with a waterfall threading down a far cliff.

Meghalaya — Hills & Waterfalls

Two nights in Shillong and two in Cherrapunji — the city, the plateau, the big waterfalls and an easy root-bridge walk, without the hardest trek.

Day by Day

5 Days, In Full

The core of Meghalaya at a steady pace. Two nights in Shillong cover the city, Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls and the Don Bosco museum. Two nights in Cherrapunji cover Nohkalikai, the Seven Sisters, Mawsmai Cave and the plateau viewpoints. There is time for the short walk to the Riwai root bridge, but not the full Nongriat trek. It suits first-time visitors, and travellers who want the highlights without a 3,500-step day. The six and seven-day versions add the trek and the border rivers.

Shillong

Arrive in Shillong via Umiam Lake

The drive up from Guwahati airport takes about three hours, climbing out of the Assam plains into pine hills. The road runs along Umiam Lake, and there is a viewpoint to stop at for the first real look at Meghalaya. You reach Shillong in the afternoon. The rest of the day is easy: Ward's Lake, the cafes around Police Bazar, or just a rest after the flight. The evenings here are cool all year.

Shillong

Shillong — the City, the Peak and Elephant Falls

A full day around the capital. Elephant Falls first, a short walk down through the trees to a three-tier cascade. Then Shillong Peak, the highest point, for the view over the whole city and the hills. The Don Bosco museum lays out the cultures of all seven Northeast states across seven floors, and ends on a rooftop walkway. The afternoon is for Ward's Lake, the cathedral, and the lanes of Police Bazar and Laitumkhrah, where the city's coffee culture lives.

A deep green valley falling away between ridges on the Shillong to Cherrapunji road.

Shillong → Cherrapunji

Shillong to Cherrapunji via the Mawkdok Canyon

The road south to Sohra runs across a high, open plateau that gets barer and windier as you go. The Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint, about halfway, looks down a deep V-shaped gorge and has a zipline for anyone who wants it. You reach Cherrapunji by early afternoon. Nohkalikai Falls, India's tallest plunge waterfall, is the first stop: a short walk to a viewpoint over a three-hundred-and-forty-metre drop into a blue-green pool. Check in on the canyon rim for the evening.

Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji — the Waterfalls and the Caves

Cherrapunji is one of the wettest places on earth, and the landscape is all water and limestone. The Seven Sisters Falls pour off the cliffs near Mawsmai, best after rain. Mawsmai Cave is a short lit walk through the rock, past flowstone and narrow squeezes, with the longer Arwah cave nearby for anyone who wants more. The day can also take in the Nohsngithiang viewpoint, the Eco Park on the plateau edge, and Thangkharang Park, where on a clear day you can see into Bangladesh.

Shillong

Depart Shillong for Guwahati

A last morning in the hills before the drive down to Guwahati airport, about three hours. If the flight is later, there is time for a final stop at Umiam Lake, a coffee in Laitumkhrah, or the shops of Police Bazar for Khasi weave and orange-blossom honey. The road loses height quickly, and the air warms as the plains come back into view.

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luxury · 4 Nights