What are the top 10 places to visit in Meghalaya?

Our top ten are Shillong, Laitlum Canyons, Sohra (Cherrapunji), Nohkalikai Falls, the Nongriat double decker root bridge, Mawlynnong, Dawki and the Umngot River, Shnongpdeng, Krang Suri Falls and Mawphlang Sacred Forest. Together they need five to seven days, based in Shillong and Sohra.

How many days are enough for Meghalaya?

Five days is enough for the classic circuit of Shillong, Sohra, Dawki and Mawlynnong. Seven days lets you add the Nongriat root bridge trek and the Jaintia Hills at an easy pace. With only three days, stick to Shillong and Sohra and skip the border belt.

Which is the best month to visit Meghalaya?

October to April is best for clear views, dry trails and the clear Umngot River at Dawki. June to September is monsoon: the waterfalls are at full force, but cloud often hides the viewpoints and treks get slippery. October and November combine strong falls with good visibility.

Do I need a permit to visit Meghalaya?

No. Meghalaya does not need an Inner Line Permit for Indians or a Protected Area Permit for foreigners. Hotels and homestays register guests on the state tourism system, so carry photo ID or your passport. Rules evolve, so check current status before you travel.

Is Shillong or Cherrapunji better to stay in?

Stay in both if you can. Shillong has more hotels, restaurants and evening life, and suits day trips to Laitlum, Mawphlang and Dawki. Sohra is quieter and puts you close to Nohkalikai, the caves and the Nongriat trailhead. Two nights in each is our usual split.

Can I visit Dawki and Mawlynnong in one day from Shillong?

Yes. They are on the same road, about 80–95 km from Shillong, and the round trip takes 9–10 hours with a boat ride at Dawki and a walk in Mawlynnong. Leave Shillong by 7 am. Adding the Riwai root bridge near Mawlynnong fits if you keep lunch short.

Is Meghalaya good to visit in the monsoon?

Yes, if you want waterfalls and rain rather than views. Nohkalikai and the Sohra falls are at their most powerful from June to September. Expect cloud, slippery steps and occasional road slides, and avoid the Nongriat trek after heavy rain. The Umngot River at Dawki is murky in this season.

Which places in Meghalaya are good for families with young children?

Umiam Lake, Elephant Falls, Mawsmai Cave, Nohkalikai viewpoint, Mawlynnong and a boat ride at Dawki all work well for children, with short walks and toilets nearby. Skip the Nongriat trek with under-tens and avoid the Krang Suri pool unless every child wears a life jacket.

What are some offbeat places to visit in Meghalaya?

Try the Jaintia Hills around Jowai and the Nartiang monoliths, Nongkhnum River Island near Nongstoin, Mawsynram and its cave, and Balpakram National Park in the Garo Hills. They see far fewer visitors than Sohra and Dawki, need longer drives and have simpler stays.

20 Places to Visit in Meghalaya, Grouped by Area

Meghalaya has more waterfalls, caves and viewpoints than any one trip can hold, and the list you find online rarely tells you which ones sit on the same road. We group them the way our drivers do: by area, so you can see what fits into a day.

Every entry below gives altitude, distance and drive time from Shillong, the best months, permit rules, how long to allow and one tip from our own trips. None of Meghalaya needs a special permit for Indians or foreigners, but since June 2025 every hotel and homestay must register guests on the state tourism app, so keep ID with you. Registration at entry points has also been planned; check current status before you travel. For the finer print on fees and registration, see Meghalaya travel rules.

Meghalaya by area

Area	Places in this guide	Base	Days to allow
Shillong and around	Shillong, Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Laitlum, Mawphlang	Shillong	2
Sohra plateau	Sohra, Nohkalikai, Mawsmai, Nongriat, Wei Sawdong, Mawsynram	Sohra	2–3
Border belt	Mawlynnong, Dawki and Umngot, Shnongpdeng, Krang Suri	Shillong, Dawki or Shnongpdeng	1–2
Jaintia Hills	Jowai, Nartiang	Jowai or Shillong	1
West and Garo Hills	Nongkhnum Island, Balpakram	Nongstoin, Tura	2–4

Shillong and around

1. Shillong

Altitude: 1,525 m · From Guwahati: 100 km, about 3 hrs · Best months: October to May · Permit: none · Time: 2 nights

The capital is your base for most of the state. Ward's Lake, the Don Bosco Museum, Iewduh market and the cafes of Laitumkhrah fill a day easily. Read more on our Shillong page.

Tip: most shops and many restaurants close on Sunday, so plan sightseeing, not shopping, that day.

2. Shillong Peak

Altitude: 1,965 m · From Shillong: 10 km, 30 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: Indians need original photo ID at the Air Force gate; foreign nationals have generally not been allowed · Time: 1–1.5 hrs

The highest point near the city, with a view over Shillong on clear mornings. Shillong Peak sits inside an Indian Air Force area, so check current status before you travel.

Tip: go before 10 am; by noon cloud often closes in.

3. Elephant Falls

Altitude: about 1,600 m · From Shillong: 12 km, 30 min · Best months: June to November · Permit: none, entry ticket at the gate · Time: 1 hr

Three tiers of falls reached by a short stepped path. Elephant Falls pairs naturally with Shillong Peak on the same morning.

Tip: the lowest tier is the best, and the steps back up are steeper than they look.

4. Umiam Lake

Altitude: about 980 m · From Shillong: 15 km, 30 min · Best months: October to May · Permit: none · Time: 1–2 hrs

The reservoir you pass on the Guwahati road. Umiam Lake has boating, kayaking and a couple of lakeside resorts.

Tip: stop on the way up from Guwahati rather than making a separate trip back from Shillong.

5. Laitlum Canyons

Altitude: about 1,750 m · From Shillong: 22 km, 45 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: none, village parking fee · Time: half a day

A grassy ridge that drops into deep gorges, with a long stairway down to Rasong village. Laitlum Canyons is also the best viewpoint for foreign travellers who cannot enter Shillong Peak.

Tip: sunrise here beats sunset; cloud builds in the afternoon, even in winter.

6. Mawphlang Sacred Forest

Altitude: about 1,800 m · From Shillong: 25 km, 45–60 min · Best months: all year, driest October to April · Permit: none, a local guide is compulsory · Time: 1.5–2 hrs

A community-protected forest where nothing may be removed, not even a fallen leaf. The guided walk at Mawphlang explains Khasi beliefs better than any museum.

Tip: wear shoes with grip; roots and moss make the trail slippery year-round.

The Sohra plateau

7. Sohra (Cherrapunji)

Altitude: about 1,480 m · From Shillong: 55 km, 1.5–2 hrs · Best months: October to April for views, June to September for rain · Permit: none · Time: 1–2 nights

Once the wettest place on record, and still one of the wettest. Sohra is the base for the falls, caves and root bridges below.

Tip: sleep here at least one night; day-tripping from Shillong wastes four hours in the car.

8. Nohkalikai Falls

Altitude: viewpoint about 1,240 m · From Shillong: about 58 km, 2 hrs (5–7 km from Sohra town) · Best months: June to November · Permit: none, entry ticket · Time: 1 hr

A plunge of about 340 metres into a green pool. Nohkalikai is thin in March and April and at full force after the rains.

Tip: October mornings give you both good flow and a clear view.

9. Mawsmai Cave

Altitude: about 1,280 m · From Shillong: about 56 km, 2 hrs (6 km from Sohra) · Best months: all year · Permit: none, entry ticket · Time: 30–45 min

A short, lit limestone cave with one tight squeeze. Mawsmai is the easiest cave in the state for children and older travellers.

Tip: go before 10 am; tour groups create queues inside by late morning.

10. Nongriat Double Decker Root Bridge

Altitude: about 600 m · From Shillong: about 65 km, 2.5 hrs to the Tyrna trailhead · Best months: October to March · Permit: none, small village fees · Time: full day, or one night in Nongriat

Roughly 3,500 steps down from Tyrna to the two-level bridge of living fig roots, then all of them back up. Our Nongriat page covers the trek.

Tip: start by 8 am, carry two litres of water and skip it after heavy rain.

11. Wei Sawdong Falls

Altitude: about 1,380 m · From Shillong: about 50 km, 1.5 hrs · Best months: October to April · Permit: none, entry fee · Time: 1.5 hrs

A three-step fall with turquoise pools, reached by a steep trail and bamboo ladders.

Tip: do not attempt the lower section in wet sandals; the rock is slick.

12. Mawsynram

Altitude: about 1,400 m · From Shillong: about 60 km, 2 hrs · Best months: June to September for rain, October to March for views · Permit: none · Time: half a day

Sohra's rival for the wettest-place title. Mawjymbuin Cave, with its natural stalagmite formation, is the main stop.

Tip: it makes a quieter alternative to Sohra on a monsoon trip.

The border belt

13. Mawlynnong

Altitude: roughly 800 m · From Shillong: about 80 km, 2.5–3 hrs · Best months: October to April · Permit: none, village entry and parking fee · Time: half a day

The village known for cleanliness, with a sky-view bamboo tower and the Riwai root bridge 3 km away. See our Mawlynnong page.

Tip: arrive before 10 am on weekends; by noon the lanes fill with day-trippers.

14. Dawki and the Umngot River

Altitude: under 100 m · From Shillong: about 85–95 km, 2.5–3 hrs · Best months: November to April · Permit: none, boats priced per boat at the ghat · Time: half a day to one night

The river so clear that boats seem to float on air, right at the Bangladesh border. Dawki is at its best in winter.

Tip: from June to September the water turns muddy, so do not build a monsoon trip around it.

15. Shnongpdeng

Altitude: under 100 m · From Shillong: about 95 km, 3 hrs · Best months: November to April · Permit: none · Time: one night

Upstream from Dawki, with riverside camps, kayaking, cliff jumping and snorkelling.

Tip: it is quieter than Dawki ghat for a boat ride, and the camping is simple but fun.

16. Krang Suri Falls

Altitude: about 800 m · From Shillong: about 90–100 km, 3 hrs · Best months: October to May · Permit: none, entry fee and life-jacket hire · Time: 2 hrs

A blue pool below a curtain fall in the Jaintia Hills. Krang Suri may close in heavy rain, so check current status before you travel.

Tip: swim only with a life jacket; the pool is deeper than it looks.

The Jaintia Hills

17. Jowai

Altitude: about 1,380 m · From Shillong: 64 km, 2 hrs · Best months: October to April, plus July for Behdienkhlam · Permit: none · Time: one night

The Pnar heartland, with the Myntdu river, Thadlaskein lake and the July Behdienkhlam festival. See our Jowai page.

Tip: pair it with Krang Suri and Nartiang for a two-day loop.

18. Nartiang Monoliths

Altitude: about 1,300 m · From Shillong: about 65 km, 2 hrs · Best months: all year · Permit: none · Time: 1 hr

A field of standing stones, the tallest around 8 metres, raised by the Jaintia kings.

Tip: the Durga temple nearby is worth ten minutes on the way out.

West Khasi and Garo Hills

19. Nongkhnum River Island

Altitude: roughly 600 m · From Shillong: about 100–110 km, 3.5–4 hrs · Best months: November to April · Permit: none · Time: one night

A large river island near Nongstoin, with sandy banks and the Langshiang Falls nearby.

Tip: carry food and cash; services on the island are basic.

20. Balpakram National Park

Altitude: about 900 m · From Shillong: 300+ km; base at Tura or Baghmara · Best months: November to March · Permit: entry permission from the forest office · Time: 2–4 days including travel

A plateau and canyon in the south Garo Hills, sacred in Garo tradition. Balpakram is for travellers who want wilderness over comfort.

Tip: go with a local guide; signage and phone signal are almost nil.

Worth a stop if you pass

These did not make our numbered list, but they sit on roads you will already be driving:

Seven Sisters Falls (Nohsngithiang) near Mawsmai: a row of falls off one cliff, best from July to October and often just rock face in March
Arwah Cave above Sohra: longer than Mawsmai, with fossils in the walls and a paved approach
Dainthlen Falls on the Sohra road: flat rock shelves above the drop, good for a quick photo stop
Mawkdok Dympep valley viewpoint: the first big valley view on the Sohra road, with a zipline
Don Bosco Museum in Shillong: seven floors on the cultures of the Northeast, with a rooftop skywalk

Getting between the areas

Meghalaya's distances look short on a map, but hill roads, trucks at Dawki and weekend traffic in Shillong stretch them. Allow roughly 25–35 km per hour of driving outside the city. A private car with driver from Shillong costs more than shared taxis, but it is the only practical way to string three or four stops together in a day. Since June 2025, renting private vehicles to tourists for self-drive has been prohibited in Meghalaya, so plan on a car with a local or Guwahati driver.

The roads connect like this. Sohra is a dead end off the Shillong plateau, so you come back the same way. Mawlynnong and Dawki share the Pynursla road south-east of Shillong. Krang Suri is reachable from Dawki via Amlarem, which saves going back to Shillong, but that link is narrow and slow in rain. Jowai sits on the Silchar highway east of Shillong, and the west Khasi and Garo Hills need their own trip.

Fees, cash and signal

There is no statewide tourist entry fee, but almost every waterfall, cave and village viewpoint charges a small entry, parking or camera fee, typically under INR 100 per person. Umngot boat rides at Dawki are priced per boat, so agree the fare at the ghat. Village councils run most of them, and many collect in cash only. Keep INR 1,000–1,500 per person in small notes for a day of sightseeing. Card and UPI work in Shillong and most Sohra hotels, but mobile data drops away around Dawki, Nongriat and the Jaintia back roads.

Which places suit your trip

Trip length	What fits	Our package
3 days	Shillong, Laitlum, Sohra, Nohkalikai	Shillong and Cherrapunji
4 nights	Shillong, Sohra, Dawki, Mawlynnong	Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong
5 nights	Add the Nongriat trek	Living Root Bridges Trek
6 nights	Add Laitlum, Krang Suri and a slower pace	Complete Meghalaya

Month matters as much as days. Our best time to visit Meghalaya guide covers rain, fog and river clarity month by month.

How we'd plan it

For a first trip of five to six nights, we use two bases. Two nights in Shillong cover the city, Laitlum and Mawphlang. Two nights in Sohra cover Nohkalikai, Mawsmai and the Nongriat trek with a free morning after. A final day runs to Mawlynnong and Dawki, with a night by the river or back in Shillong.

That is the shape of our Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong trip. Walkers should look at the Living Root Bridges Trek, and anyone with a week should take Complete Meghalaya.

Send us your dates on the contact page and we will match these places to the days you have.