18 Places to Visit in Shillong, in Town and Nearby
18 places to visit in Shillong: city sights, Upper Shillong viewpoints and easy day trips, each with distance, time needed, best months and a local tip.
Shillong Trip Travel Desk · Updated · 9 min read
ANKAN · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0The best places to visit in Shillong are Ward's Lake, the Don Bosco Museum, Iewduh market and the cathedral in town; Shillong Peak and Elephant Falls in Upper Shillong; and Umiam Lake, Laitlum Canyons and Mawphlang within an hour. Two full days cover them, with Sohra and Dawki as longer day trips.
Key takeaways
- Shillong sights fall into three rings: the city centre, Upper Shillong (10–12 km) and the 15–25 km ring of lakes, canyons and forest.
- Two full days cover the city and nearby spots; add a third for Sohra or the Dawki–Mawlynnong road.
- Shillong Peak is inside an Air Force area: Indians need original photo ID, and foreign nationals have generally not been allowed in.
- Sunday is a poor day for markets and shops; use it for Laitlum, Mawphlang or a church service.
- Traffic between Police Bazar and Laitumkhrah crawls around 9 am and 4 pm, so do the city early or late.
- No permit is needed, but hotels register every guest on the state system; keep ID with you.
On this page 11 sections
Most "Shillong sightseeing" lists are really lists of Meghalaya. Nohkalikai, Dawki and the root bridges are two to three hours away, not in the city. This guide sticks to what is genuinely in Shillong or within an hour of it, then adds the day trips at the end, clearly marked.
We measure every distance from Police Bazar, the centre of town. The city sits at about 1,525 m and needs no permit, though your hotel will register you on the state system. Our Shillong page has the basics on getting in, staying and eating.
Shillong in three rings
| Ring | Distance from Police Bazar | Places | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| City centre | 0–5 km | Ward's Lake, Don Bosco Museum, cathedral, Iewduh, Lady Hydari Park, golf course | 1 day |
| Upper Shillong | 10–12 km | Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls | Half a day |
| Outer ring | 15–25 km | Umiam Lake, Laitlum, Mawphlang, Mawkdok, Sweet Falls | 1 day |
| Day trips | 55–100 km | Sohra, Mawlynnong and Dawki, Jowai and Nartiang | 1 day each |
In the city
1. Ward's Lake and the Botanical Garden
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 1 km, 5 min · Best months: October to May · Permit: none, small entry ticket · Time: 1 hr
A horseshoe-shaped lake from the British period with a wooden bridge, paddle boats and a garden next door. Walk it at opening time; by mid-morning it fills with families.
Tip: combine it with a stroll along the old Secretariat roads nearby, lined with pines and colonial buildings.
2. Don Bosco Museum
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 4 km, 15–20 min · Best months: all year · Permit: none, entry ticket · Time: 2 hrs
Seven floors on the peoples of the Northeast, from Naga textiles to Khasi rituals, ending at a rooftop skywalk with a view over Mawlai. It is the best rainy-day stop in the city.
Tip: start at the top and walk down; the skywalk is best before the afternoon haze.
3. Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 2 km, 10 min · Best months: all year · Permit: none · Time: 30 min
A tall blue-and-white cathedral in Laitumkhrah, known for its stained glass and Stations of the Cross in terracotta.
Tip: dress modestly and visit outside Sunday service times unless you want to attend.
4. Iewduh (Bara Bazar)
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 1.5 km, 10 min · Best months: all year · Permit: none · Time: 1–2 hrs
One of the oldest traditional markets in the Northeast, run largely by Khasi women. Spices, betel, bamboo baskets, dried fish, local tea and cloth are sold in lanes that change every few steps.
Tip: the market follows the eight-day Khasi week, so ask your hotel which day is the main market day.
5. Lady Hydari Park
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 2 km, 10 min · Best months: October to May · Permit: none, entry ticket · Time: 1 hr
A landscaped park with a small zoo and a pine garden. It is simple, but children like it after a morning in the car.
Tip: pair it with Ward's Lake on the same half day.
6. Shillong Golf Course
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: 3 km, 10 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: none for walking the edges; green fees to play · Time: 1 hr
One of the oldest golf courses in India, laid in a pine-ringed valley. Non-golfers can walk the edges at dawn or dusk.
Tip: visiting players should call the club a day ahead about green fees and club hire.
Upper Shillong
7. Shillong Peak
Altitude: 1,965 m · Distance: 10 km, 30 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: original photo ID for Indians at the Air Force gate; foreign nationals generally not allowed · Time: 1–1.5 hrs
The highest point around the city, with a wide view over Shillong on clear mornings. See Shillong Peak for entry rules, and check current status before you travel.
Tip: leave the hotel by 8 am; mist often covers the view by 11.
8. Elephant Falls
Altitude: about 1,600 m · Distance: 12 km, 30 min · Best months: June to November · Permit: none, entry ticket · Time: 1 hr
Three tiers of water down a ferny gully, reached by steps. Elephant Falls is thin in March and April and loud after the rains.
Tip: the lowest tier is the best photo; allow ten minutes for the climb back.
The outer ring
9. Umiam Lake
Altitude: about 980 m · Distance: 15 km, 30 min · Best months: October to May · Permit: none, boating fees · Time: 1–2 hrs
The reservoir on the Guwahati road, with boating, kayaking and viewpoints over the water. Umiam Lake works best as a stop on arrival or departure day.
Tip: the viewpoint on the highway gets crowded at 4 pm; the water sports complex is calmer.
10. Laitlum Canyons
Altitude: about 1,750 m · Distance: 22 km, 45 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: none, village parking fee · Time: 2–4 hrs
Grassy ridges falling into deep gorges, with a long stairway to Rasong village for walkers. Laitlum is also the viewpoint we send foreign travellers to instead of Shillong Peak.
Tip: sunrise is clearer than sunset here; cloud rolls in by early afternoon.
11. Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Altitude: about 1,800 m · Distance: 25 km, 45–60 min · Best months: all year, driest October to April · Permit: none, guide compulsory · Time: 1.5–2 hrs
A community forest where nothing may be taken, not even a dry leaf. The guides at Mawphlang explain Khasi rituals and the monoliths near the entrance.
Tip: the David Scott Trail, an old bridle path of about 14 km, starts close by if you want a longer walk.
12. Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint
Altitude: about 1,700 m · Distance: about 25 km, 45 min · Best months: October to April · Permit: none · Time: 30–45 min
The first big valley view on the Sohra road, with a zipline across the gorge.
Tip: stop on your way to Sohra rather than as a separate trip.
13. Sweet Falls
Altitude: about 1,500 m · Distance: about 6 km, 20 min · Best months: June to October · Permit: none · Time: 45 min
A slender, high fall near Happy Valley, quieter than Elephant Falls.
Tip: stay behind the barriers; the edges are unfenced in places and have been dangerous.
Day trips from Shillong
These need a full day each, and most people are better off sleeping near them.
14. Sohra (Cherrapunji)
Altitude: about 1,480 m · Distance: 55 km, 1.5–2 hrs · Best months: October to April, or June to September for rain · Permit: none · Time: 1 day or 1 night
The falls, caves and plateau of Sohra, including Nohkalikai Falls.
Tip: leave by 7:30 am to beat the weekend jam at the Sohra viewpoints.
15. Mawlynnong
Altitude: roughly 800 m · Distance: about 80 km, 2.5–3 hrs · Best months: October to April · Permit: none, village fees · Time: half a day
The tidy village of Mawlynnong, with the Riwai root bridge nearby.
Tip: go on a weekday; weekends are crowded.
16. Dawki and the Umngot River
Altitude: under 100 m · Distance: about 85–95 km, 2.5–3 hrs · Best months: November to April · Permit: none, boat fee · Time: half a day
Boats on clear green water at the Bangladesh border. Dawki pairs with Mawlynnong on the same road.
Tip: in the monsoon the river is brown; save it for winter.
17. Jowai and Nartiang
Altitude: about 1,300–1,380 m · Distance: 64 km, 2 hrs · Best months: October to April · Permit: none · Time: 1 day
The Jaintia Hills town of Jowai and the standing stones of Nartiang.
Tip: add Thadlaskein lake on the way; it is right on the highway.
18. Krang Suri Falls
Altitude: about 800 m · Distance: about 90–100 km, 3 hrs · Best months: October to May · Permit: none, entry fee · Time: 1 day
A blue pool under a curtain fall. It can close in heavy rain, so check current status before you travel.
Tip: life jackets are for hire at the pool; use one.
Getting around the city
Shillong's local taxis are small hatchbacks that run shared on fixed routes, picking up and dropping along the way. They are cheap for short hops, such as Police Bazar to Laitumkhrah, but useless for sightseeing because they will not wait. For a day of sights, hire a full cab with a driver and agree the route and the finishing time before you set off. Self-drive rentals are not an option: Meghalaya has prohibited renting private vehicles to tourists for self-drive since June 2025. A half-day covering Upper Shillong and the city usually costs less than a full day to Laitlum and Mawphlang.
Walking works in the centre. Police Bazar, Ward's Lake, the State Central Library area and the old Secretariat roads are all within 15 minutes of each other on foot, but the hills are steep and pavements narrow. Parking is scarce around Police Bazar in the evening, which is one more reason to leave the car at the hotel and walk to dinner.
Traffic is the one thing that catches visitors out. The school run around 8:30–9:30 am and the office rush around 4–5 pm can turn a 3 km trip into 40 minutes. Do Upper Shillong before 9 or after 10, and aim to be back in town before the evening jam.
Where to base yourself
- Police Bazar: central, walkable, most mid-range hotels, busy and noisy until 8 pm
- Laitumkhrah: cafes, the cathedral and live music, a little quieter at night
- Upper Shillong and the Sohra road: pine forest and cooler air, but you need the car for everything
- Umiam Lake: a resort stay by the water, 30 minutes from town, good for a slow first or last night
If it rains all day
Rain is common in Shillong in every month, not just the monsoon. When the viewpoints are in cloud, switch the day around. Spend the morning in the Don Bosco Museum and the afternoon at the Capt. Williamson Sangma State Museum or the Air Force Museum in Upper Shillong. Eat a long lunch of jadoh and tungrymbai, browse the covered sections of Iewduh and end with music in a Laitumkhrah cafe. Keep Laitlum and Shillong Peak for the next clear morning; they are close enough to slot back in at short notice.
Shillong through the year
October and November bring clear skies, strong falls and, in November, cherry blossom on some streets. December and January are cold, with nights that can dip to around 3–5 °C, and they have the clearest views. February to April warms up, with spring haze by April. May is warm and busy with school-holiday traffic from the plains. June to September is monsoon: every fall is full, cloud sits on the ridges and the city smells of wet pine.
How long to give Shillong
| Days | What fits | Package |
|---|---|---|
| 2 nights | City, Upper Shillong, Umiam Lake | Shillong Weekend, from INR 9,500 |
| 3 nights | Add a night in Sohra | Shillong and Cherrapunji, from INR 12,500 |
| 4 nights | Add Mawlynnong and Dawki | Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong, from INR 16,500 |
Prices are indicative "from" rates per person on twin sharing in standard hotels. For a day-by-day version, see our Shillong 3-day itinerary.
How we'd plan it
Arrive from Guwahati by road, stopping at Umiam Lake on the way; our Guwahati to Shillong guide covers the transfer. Use the first evening for Police Bazar and dinner. On day two, do Shillong Peak and Elephant Falls by 10 am, then Don Bosco, Ward's Lake and Iewduh. Day three is Laitlum at sunrise and Mawphlang before lunch, with an afternoon free for cafes and live music.
That is the Shillong Weekend with a day added. With one more night, the Shillong and Cherrapunji trip moves you to Sohra, and Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong covers the border belt too. Hotel picks by area are in best hotels in Shillong.
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