Shillong Trip from Hyderabad: Flights, Days and Route
Plan a Shillong trip from Hyderabad: direct flights to Guwahati, the weekly train, 4 to 8 day routes with Cherrapunji, Dawki and Kaziranga, and when to go.
Shillong Trip Travel Desk · Updated · 9 min read
ANKAN · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0The easiest Shillong trip from Hyderabad is a direct flight to Guwahati (about 2 hrs 40 min), then a 3 to 3.5 hour drive from the airport to Shillong. Give it at least 5 days: 2 nights in Shillong, a day each for Cherrapunji and Dawki, and a travel day home. Add 2 nights for Kaziranga between November and April.
Key takeaways
- Fly Hyderabad (HYD) to Guwahati (GAU) direct in about 2 hrs 40 min; Shillong's own airport at Umroi has no direct Hyderabad service
- The Secunderabad–Guwahati express runs about once a week and takes roughly 44 to 45 hours, so rail only suits slow travellers
- Five days is the practical minimum from Hyderabad; four works only if your flights land before noon and leave after 3 pm
- October to April is the dry, clear-water season; Kaziranga safaris run only from about October to April
- Pack a proper jacket for December and January, when Shillong nights drop to around 3 to 5°C against Hyderabad's 15°C
- Book the morning flight out of Hyderabad so you reach Shillong before dark on day 1
On this page 9 sections
- Getting from Hyderabad to the Northeast
- How many days you need
- A 5-day Shillong trip from Hyderabad, day by day
- Adding Kaziranga to your Hyderabad trip
- Best months to go from Hyderabad
- Variations we plan often
- Food and weather notes for Hyderabad travellers
- Mistakes we see in Hyderabad bookings
- How we'd plan it
- FAQs
From Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, you can be looking at Umiam Lake by early afternoon: a direct flight of about 2 hours 40 minutes to Guwahati, then a 3-hour drive up the Guwahati–Shillong road. We plan this route for Hyderabad families, couples and office groups every season, and the pattern that works is simple. Fly to Guwahati, base yourself in Shillong, do Sohra and Dawki as separate days, and fly home from Guwahati.
This page covers how to get there, how many days to budget, a tested 5-day plan, the Kaziranga add-on and the versions we change for monsoon, families and foreign passport holders.
Getting from Hyderabad to the Northeast
There is no single best route. There is one fast route and a couple of slow ones.
| Option | Route | Time | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct flight | HYD to Guwahati (GAU) | About 2 hrs 40 min | Best choice for most trips |
| One-stop flight | HYD to Shillong (Umroi) via Kolkata | 6 to 9 hrs with layover | Only if fares or timings suit you |
| Train | Secunderabad to Guwahati (12513, about weekly) | 44 to 45 hrs | For slow travellers with 12+ days |
| Road | Hyderabad to Shillong | About 2,000 km, 2+ days | Not practical for a holiday |
Two or three airlines fly HYD–GAU direct on most days, with the number of departures changing each schedule season. One-way fares we see when booked 4 to 6 weeks ahead start at about ₹8,000 and climb sharply around Durga Puja, Diwali, Christmas and New Year. Treat these as indicative and compare dates early.
Shillong's own airport at Umroi is 30 km from the city and handles only turboprop aircraft, so it has no direct Hyderabad flight. For the full breakdown of road, rail and air options from Guwahati, read our guide on how to reach Shillong.
Which flight to take
Take the earliest Hyderabad departure you can manage. If you land at Guwahati by 11 am, you reach Shillong by 3 pm with a stop at Umiam Lake. A flight landing after 3 pm means you drive the final hour of ghat road in the dark, and in winter that also means fog above Nongpoh. On the way home, choose a departure after 2 pm so you are not leaving Shillong at 6 am.
The train option
The weekly Secunderabad–Guwahati express takes about 44 to 45 hours and crosses Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and lower Assam. It is a genuine experience, but it eats four days of a two-week holiday in transit. If you do take it, arrive at Guwahati station, not Kamakhya, and keep a day in Guwahati to recover before the hills. Check current running days before you plan around it.
How many days you need
The distances inside Meghalaya are short on the map and slow on the road. Shillong to Sohra is about 55 km but takes 1.5 to 2 hours; Shillong to Dawki is about 85 km and 2.5 to 3 hours on a winding road through Pynursla.
| Trip length | What fits | Package that matches |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days (3 nights) | Shillong, Sohra, Umiam Lake | Shillong and Cherrapunji 3-night trip |
| 5 days (4 nights) | Shillong, Sohra, Dawki, Mawlynnong | Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong in 4 nights |
| 6 days (5 nights) | Meghalaya plus Kaziranga | Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga 5-night tour |
| 8 days (7 nights) | Meghalaya, Kaziranga and Guwahati | Northeast in a Week |
From Hyderabad, we push most people towards 5 days minimum. The flight is short, but the airport-to-Shillong transfer takes a full half-day each way, so a 4-day trip leaves you only two proper sightseeing days.
A 5-day Shillong trip from Hyderabad, day by day
This is the plan we send most often to Hyderabad enquiries. It keeps you in one Shillong hotel for four nights, which suits families who dislike repacking.
Day 1: Hyderabad to Shillong
Morning flight from HYD, landing at Guwahati around 10 to 11 am. Drive about 120 km from the airport to Shillong, which takes 3 to 3.5 hours with a tea stop. Stop for 30 to 45 minutes at Umiam Lake, 15 km before Shillong, where the highway viewpoint is free and boating runs from the lakeside jetties. Check in by 3 or 4 pm and walk Police Bazaar and Ward's Lake in the evening.
- Drive: about 120 km, 3 to 3.5 hrs
- Sleep: Shillong (1,525 m)
Day 2: Sohra (Cherrapunji) day trip
Leave at 8 am. The road to Sohra climbs across the plateau past the Mawkdok Dympep valley viewpoint, about 45 minutes out of Shillong. In Sohra, see Nohkalikai Falls (a 340 m plunge, the tallest in India), Mawsmai Cave, which takes about 20 minutes to walk through, the Seven Sisters Falls viewpoint and Arwah Cave if you have the energy. Back in Shillong by 6 pm.
- Drive: about 55 km each way, 1.5 to 2 hrs each way
- Sleep: Shillong
Day 3: Mawlynnong and Dawki
The long day. Leave at 7:30 am for Mawlynnong, about 90 km and 2.5 to 3 hours away, and walk the village and the Riwai root bridge nearby. Then drive about 30 km to Dawki and the Umngot River for a boat ride on the clear water between November and April. Return to Shillong by 7 to 8 pm.
- Drive: about 210 km round trip, 7 to 8 hrs in the car
- Sleep: Shillong
Day 4: Laitlum, Elephant Falls and Shillong Peak
A slower day. Drive about 25 km to Laitlum Canyons for the morning view down to the valleys, then Elephant Falls (12 km from the city) and Shillong Peak at 1,965 m. Shillong Peak sits inside an Air Force area, so carry photo ID and check current status before you travel, as access has been restricted at times. Spend the afternoon at the Don Bosco Museum and in the cafes around Laitumkhrah.
- Drive: about 60 km in total
- Sleep: Shillong
Day 5: Shillong to Guwahati and home
Leave Shillong at 9 or 10 am for an afternoon flight. If your flight is after 5 pm, stop at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, but allow 2 hours for queues on weekends.
- Drive: about 120 km, 3 to 3.5 hrs to the airport
Adding Kaziranga to your Hyderabad trip
Most Hyderabad travellers who fly this far want the rhinos too. Kaziranga is about 250 km and 6 to 7 hours from Shillong via Jorabat and Nagaon, and about 195 km, 4.5 to 5 hours, from Guwahati airport. Two nights there gives you one afternoon jeep safari and a morning jeep or elephant safari the next day.
Safaris run only in the dry season. The park reopens in phases from October and closes for the monsoon around May, and elephant safaris usually start from November. Slot timings are set by the forest department each year, so check current status before you travel. Our Kaziranga safari guide explains the ranges and booking.
The simplest combined route is Guwahati, Shillong (3 nights), Kaziranga (2 nights), Guwahati, which is close to our 5-night Shillong–Kaziranga package. With 7 nights, add a night in Sohra and a Guwahati night for Kamakhya and the Brahmaputra.
Best months to go from Hyderabad
Hyderabad travellers tend to travel at three points in the year: the October–November long weekends and Dasara break, the December school holidays, and the April–June summer break. Here is how each lands in Meghalaya.
- October to November: our top pick. The monsoon has just ended, waterfalls are still full, and the Umngot starts clearing by November.
- December to February: cold and dry. Dawki's water is at its clearest, but the big falls thin out. Shillong nights fall to around 3 to 5°C.
- March to May: warm days around 20 to 24°C, a good escape from 40°C Hyderabad. Pre-monsoon showers start in April.
- June to September: heavy monsoon. Sohra and Mawsynram get some of the highest rainfall in the world, and Kaziranga is closed. See our Meghalaya month-by-month guide before you commit to these months.
Variations we plan often
Monsoon version
Between June and September we swap Dawki for a second Sohra day, because boating on the Umngot is often suspended when the river rises. Waterfalls like Nohkalikai are at full volume, but clouds can hide them for hours, so we keep the afternoon free for a second attempt. Expect landslide delays on the Sohra and Dawki roads.
Family version
With children under 10 or grandparents, we drop the Mawlynnong–Dawki day to a shorter version that skips Mawlynnong, and add a lazy morning. We avoid the Nongriat trek entirely, since it has about 3,500 steps each way. Book a car with space for luggage: an Innova or similar for 4 to 6 people, and a Tempo Traveller for larger groups. Our Meghalaya with kids guide covers food and pacing.
Honeymoon version
Couples from Hyderabad often ask for one night by the lake and one in Sohra instead of four nights in a city hotel. We split the stay: 1 night near Umiam, 2 in Shillong and 1 in Sohra, which is close to our Meghalaya honeymoon package.
Foreigners version
Foreign nationals living in Hyderabad do not need a special permit for Meghalaya or Assam, but must carry their passport and visa, and hotels file the standard foreigner registration. Extending to Arunachal needs a Protected Area Permit arranged through a registered operator, and some border points such as Bum La are closed to foreigners. Check current status before you travel.
Food and weather notes for Hyderabad travellers
Two things surprise Hyderabad guests most. First, the cold: a December evening in Shillong feels far colder than the number suggests, because most homes and many small hotels have no central heating. Ask for a room heater when you book. Second, the food. Khasi cuisine leans on pork and rice, and good biryani is hard to find. In Shillong you will get dosa, north Indian thalis and Chinese without trouble, while in Sohra and Dawki vegetarian options are simpler, so ask your hotel ahead.
Early sunsets (around 4:45 pm in December) and shops closing by 8 pm also shape the day. Plan to start sightseeing at 8 am rather than 10 am.
Mistakes we see in Hyderabad bookings
A few patterns come up again and again when Hyderabad travellers plan on their own:
- Booking the evening flight in. Landing at 5 pm means reaching Shillong after 8 pm, tired, with day 1 lost.
- Doing Sohra and Dawki on the same day. The two sit in different directions from Shillong. Together they add up to more than 250 km of hill road, and you see neither properly.
- Planning Kaziranga in July. The park is closed to safaris in the monsoon, and parts of it are often flooded.
- Leaving Shillong at noon for a 3 pm flight. The Jorabat stretch near Guwahati jams on weekday evenings and weekends. Leave at least 5 hours before departure.
- Packing for Hyderabad weather. A cotton jacket is not enough for a January night at 1,500 m.
- Planning to self-drive. Since June 2025, Meghalaya has banned renting private vehicles to tourists for self-drive. Book a car with a driver.
How we'd plan it
If a Hyderabad couple asked us for one plan with no other information, we would book the earliest HYD–GAU flight, set 5 days for Meghalaya alone, and put Sohra on day 2 while legs are fresh. With 7 days and travel between November and March, we would add Kaziranga at the end, so the last drive to the airport is the easy 195 km plain road rather than the ghat road from Shillong. We would avoid landing on a Saturday in October, when Guwahati–Shillong traffic around Jorabat can add an hour.
If you are still choosing between hill time and wildlife, compare our Northeast in a Week route with the Meghalaya-only 4-night trip, then tell us your flight times. For the full costing picture, our Meghalaya trip cost guide breaks down hotels, cars and entry fees.
Share your Hyderabad dates and group size on our contact page and we will send a day-by-day plan matched to your flights.
