Northeast Tour Package Price 2026: Cost by Trip Length
Northeast tour package price in 2026 for 7, 10 and 14 nights: hotels, car hire by state, permits, Kaziranga safaris and worked budgets for couples and groups.
Shillong Trip Travel Desk · Updated · 9 min read
Anushila Bharali · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0A 7-night Northeast trip covering Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga costs roughly ₹18,000–24,000 per person on a budget, ₹38,000–48,000 all-in for a couple in standard hotels with a private car, and ₹60,000 upwards in premium stays. Adding Majuli or Tawang raises it by ₹4,000–6,500 per extra day. Indicative 2026 ranges, twin sharing.
Key takeaways
- Budget roughly ₹2,500–3,500 per person per day backpacking, ₹5,000–6,500 for a couple in standard comfort, and ₹8,000 upwards for premium
- The private car is the largest single cost on multi-state routes; groups of five or six cut it by more than half per head
- Advertised package prices usually cover rooms with breakfast and the car; meals, safaris and fees come on top
- Arunachal needs a Temporary ILP of about ₹300–500 and Nagaland ₹200 for Indian visitors; Meghalaya and Assam need none
- Tawang adds cost fast: two driving days each way and higher hill car rates
- All prices are indicative 2026 ranges; permits and park fees change, so check current status before you travel
On this page 15 sections
- A daily rule of thumb
- Hotel rates by state
- Car hire across states
- Permits, parks and fees
- Price by trip length
- What each extra stop adds
- Where to spend and where to save
- Why advertised prices look lower
- Worked example: a couple, 7 nights, standard
- Worked example: six friends, 10 nights, standard
- Worked example: a backpacker, 9 nights
- Flights and the season
- Package or independent
- Costs people forget
- How we'd plan it
- FAQs
Most people who ask us for a Northeast price quote give us a start date and a list of seven places. The honest answer is that the list matters less than the map. The Northeast is big, roads are slow, and every extra state adds driving days and, sometimes, permits. Price the days on the road correctly and the rest of the budget falls into place.
This is how the Shillong Trip Travel Desk prices multi-state Northeast trips in 2026: daily costs by comfort level, rate cards for rooms and cars in each state, permits, safaris, and three worked examples. All figures are indicative ranges for Indian travellers, twin sharing, starting and ending in Guwahati, and exclude flights unless we say so.
A daily rule of thumb
Once you are on the ground, a Northeast trip costs roughly this much per person per day, all-in:
| Style | Per person per day | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | ₹2,500–3,500 | Hostels and homestays, shared Sumos and buses, local food |
| Standard, couple | ₹5,000–6,500 | 3-star type hotels, private Dzire or Xylo, mixed dining |
| Standard, group of 6 | ₹4,000–5,000 | Same hotels, one Innova shared six ways |
| Premium | ₹8,000–11,000 | Boutique hotels and resorts, private Innova Crysta |
| Luxury | ₹14,000 upwards | The best resort in each stop, flexible car, naturalist-led safaris |
Arunachal days run 15–25% higher than Meghalaya and Assam days at the same comfort level, mostly because hill car rates are higher and distances longer.
Hotel rates by state
Rates per room per night, two adults, peak season.
| Tier | Shillong / Sohra | Kaziranga | Majuli / Jorhat | Tawang / Dirang |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | ₹1,200–2,800 | ₹1,500–3,000 | ₹1,000–2,500 | ₹1,200–2,500 |
| Standard | ₹2,500–5,000 | ₹3,000–6,000 | ₹2,500–4,500 | ₹2,500–5,000 |
| Premium | ₹5,000–10,000 | ₹6,000–12,000 | ₹4,500–8,000 | ₹5,000–9,000 |
| Luxury | ₹10,000–22,000 | ₹14,000–35,000 | Limited | Limited |
Majuli's stays are mostly bamboo cottages and guesthouses; the island has little at the luxury end. For named hotels and resorts, see our shortlist of the best hotels in Shillong; we keep similar lists for Sohra, Kaziranga and Tawang.
Car hire across states
On a multi-state route the car stays with you from arrival to departure, including long transfer days. These are the day rates we budget with in 2026:
| Vehicle | Meghalaya and Assam, per day | Arunachal hill routes, per day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dzire / Etios | ₹2,800–3,500 | ₹3,500–4,500 (not advised) | Couples, Meghalaya and Assam |
| Xylo / Ertiga / Scorpio | ₹3,500–4,500 | ₹4,500–5,500 | Couples wanting space, small families |
| Innova Crysta | ₹4,500–6,000 | ₹5,000–6,500 | Families and groups of 5–6 |
| Tempo Traveller | ₹7,000–9,500 | Limited | Groups of 9–12 |
Long transfer days, such as Shillong to Kaziranga (about 250–270 km) or Kaziranga to Jorhat for the Majuli ferry, sit at the top of each band. In Meghalaya, self-drive rentals for tourists are prohibited, so every Meghalaya day is a car with driver or shared taxis. Local taxi rules can also restrict out-of-state cabs on some local circuits; a good operator plans around this, but check current status if you are arranging cars yourself.
Permits, parks and fees
| Item | Indian visitors | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meghalaya | No permit, no entry fee | Hotels register guests on the state app |
| Assam | No permit | — |
| Arunachal Temporary ILP | About ₹300–500 | Online, 15 days under 2026 rules; pay what the portal shows |
| Nagaland ILP | ₹200 for 30 days | Online only |
| Kaziranga park entry | ₹100 per adult | Plus about ₹3,000–5,500 per jeep of up to 6 |
| Kaziranga elephant ride | About ₹1,200–2,000 | Per seat, Kohora and Bagori only |
| Meghalaya village sights | Typically under ₹100 | Plus parking; Umngot boats priced per boat |
Foreign nationals pay ₹650 Kaziranga entry and more for jeeps, need a Protected Area Permit for Arunachal, and since December 2024 need a PAP again for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Our Arunachal ILP guide covers the application. All of these change, so check current status before you travel.
Price by trip length
Per person, twin sharing, all meals, safaris and fees included, flights excluded.
| Trip | Route | Budget | Standard (couple) | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 nights | Shillong, Sohra, Dawki, Kaziranga | ₹18,000–24,000 | ₹38,000–48,000 | ₹60,000–80,000 |
| 10 nights | Adds Majuli and Jorhat | ₹25,000–33,000 | ₹52,000–66,000 | ₹85,000–1,10,000 |
| 14 nights | Adds Tawang via Dirang | ₹38,000–48,000 | ₹78,000–98,000 | ₹1,25,000–1,60,000 |
Groups of five or six in one Innova usually come in 15–25% below the couple figure at the same tier.
What each extra stop adds
Most Northeast trips start from the same core of Shillong, Sohra and Kaziranga, then grow. This is roughly what each add-on costs per person at the standard tier for a couple, all-in:
- Dawki and Mawlynnong as a separate day rather than squeezed into a Sohra day: about ₹4,000–5,000, one extra night and car day.
- Pobitora on the way in or out: a half day from Guwahati with a jeep or elephant ride, about ₹2,500–4,000 with entry and the car's extra hours.
- Majuli and Jorhat, 3 nights: about ₹14,000–18,000. The Neamati ferry is cheap; the cost is the extra car days.
- Tawang via Dirang, 6 nights: about ₹38,000–48,000, because of two driving days each way and higher hill car rates. See our Tawang trip cost guide for the detail.
- Kohima, 3 nights: about ₹15,000–20,000 including the Nagaland ILP, more in the first ten days of December when the Hornbill Festival fills every room.
The pattern is simple: stops that sit on the same road network add little, while stops that need their own long approach, like Tawang, add a lot. For the Meghalaya and Kaziranga pieces on their own, see our Meghalaya trip cost and Kaziranga tour cost guides.
Where to spend and where to save
If the budget is fixed, we would spend on three things. First, the car: an SUV with a driver who knows the hill roads is safer and makes long days bearable. Second, one good stay in Sohra, where a valley-edge room turns a rainy afternoon into the best part of the trip. Third, two safaris in different Kaziranga ranges rather than one.
We would save on the rest. Shillong's standard hotels are comfortable and central, and a premium room there adds cost without adding much to the experience. Meals at local eateries are better value and often better food than hotel buffets. Majuli's bamboo cottages are simple, but that is the point of the island. And a Guwahati night near the airport can be basic; you will only sleep there.
Why advertised prices look lower
You will see Northeast packages advertised from around ₹21,000–25,000 per person for 5–6 nights and ₹38,000–48,000 for 9–11 nights. Those "from" prices normally cover the room with breakfast and a share of the car, twin sharing, and not much else. That is fine, and it is roughly what our own package prices cover. The gap between that figure and the all-in numbers above is lunches and dinners, safaris, entry fees, tips and the odd extra night. When you compare quotes, compare the hotel names, the vehicle type, and whether safaris are listed by number and range.
Worked example: a couple, 7 nights, standard
Route: Shillong 3 nights, Sohra 1, Kaziranga 2, Guwahati 1. Private Dzire for 8 days.
- Hotels, 7 nights at ₹3,800 average: ₹26,600
- Dzire, 8 days at ₹3,300 average: ₹26,400
- Meals, 2 × 8 days × ₹1,100: ₹17,600
- Kaziranga: 2 jeeps ₹8,500, park entry ₹400
- Meghalaya entry fees, Umngot boat, parking: ₹3,000
- Tips and extras: ₹2,500
Total about ₹85,000, or ₹42,500 per person. Rooms and car alone come to about ₹26,500 each, which is roughly what a package from-price covers. This route is our Northeast in a Week package, from ₹29,500 per person.
Worked example: six friends, 10 nights, standard
Route: Shillong 2, Sohra 2, Kaziranga 2, Majuli 2, Jorhat 1, Guwahati 1. One Innova Crysta for 11 days.
- Hotels, 3 rooms × 10 nights × ₹3,800: ₹1,14,000
- Innova Crysta, 11 days at ₹5,200: ₹57,200
- Meals, 6 × 11 × ₹1,100: ₹72,600
- Kaziranga: 2 jeeps ₹9,000, entry ₹1,200
- Majuli ferry both ways, car and passengers, and satra visits: ₹3,000
- Meghalaya fees and boats: ₹6,000
- Tips and extras: ₹5,000
Total about ₹2,68,000, or ₹44,700 per person for 10 nights, against roughly ₹58,000 for a couple on the same route. See our Meghalaya, Kaziranga and Majuli package for the day-by-day plan.
Worked example: a backpacker, 9 nights
- Shared Sumos and buses: Guwahati–Shillong–Sohra–Shillong–Kohora–Jorhat–Guwahati: about ₹3,000
- Hostels and homestays, 9 nights at ₹800–1,200: ₹9,000
- Shared day cab for Dawki and Mawlynnong: ₹1,500
- Shared jeep seats at Kaziranga, two safaris with entry: ₹2,600
- Majuli ferry and bicycle hire: ₹800
- Food, 10 days at ₹700: ₹7,000
- Fees and small spends: ₹1,500
Total about ₹25,400. It works if you are flexible about departure times. Our Northeast on a Budget package covers Shillong, Sohra and Kaziranga on a tighter budget.
Flights and the season
Most visitors fly into Guwahati; Shillong's small airport has a handful of routes on smaller aircraft. As a rough guide, return economy fares from the metros can add 20–35% to a couple's ground cost on a 7-night trip, less if you book four to eight weeks ahead and avoid festival weeks.
The season shapes everything else. Kaziranga opens in phases from late September or October and closes around May, so a Northeast route with safaris runs from October to April. Meghalaya is cheapest from June to August but wet, and Kaziranga is shut then. Tawang is busiest from April to June and in October and November. Durga Puja, Christmas to New Year and long weekends push hotel rates 20–40% above our tables across the region.
Package or independent
The Northeast rewards independent travel less than most of India. Shared Sumos and buses link the main towns, but they leave early, fill slowly off-season and stop by mid-afternoon, and sights such as Laitlum, Dawki, the Sohra falls and Kaziranga's gates are hard to reach without a car. Solo travellers with time can make it work cheaply. Couples and families usually find that a package with one driver for the whole route costs about the same as arranging cars and hotels separately, and saves the hardest part: rerouting when a road shuts. Whichever you choose, get the hotel names, the vehicle type and every exclusion in writing before you pay. Our guide to booking a Northeast tour safely lists what to check.
Costs people forget
- Transfer days. Shillong to Kaziranga, or Kaziranga to Tawang via Tezpur, is a full day. The car costs the same as a sightseeing day.
- An arrival night in Guwahati. Flights landing after 2 pm usually mean a night in the city, ₹1,800–4,000 for a decent room.
- The spare day. Rain, landslides, bandhs or a Bum La closure can cost a day. On trips of 10 nights or more we keep one day spare.
- Heaters. Budget rooms in Shillong and Tawang charge for heaters from November to March.
- Cash. Village fees, homestays, ferries and boats are cash only; ATMs outside the main towns can run dry.
How we'd plan it
For a first trip we suggest 7 or 8 nights: two in Shillong, two in Sohra with the Nongriat trek or the falls, a day for Dawki and Mawlynnong, two nights at Kaziranga with two jeep safaris, and a last night in Guwahati if your flight is early. Families with elders or children should look at our Northeast Family Holiday, an 8-night version with Pobitora added.
With 10 nights, add Majuli for its satras and river life. With 14, add Tawang via Dirang, as in our Grand Northeast package. If comfort matters more than covering ground, look at Luxury Northeast, a 9-night trip through Shillong, Sohra, Kaziranga, Jorhat and Majuli. For the full itinerary with drive times, read our Northeast 10-day itinerary.
Send your dates, group size and comfort level on our contact page and we will send a costed, day-by-day plan.
