Permits & roads checked Shillong · Guwahati
Shillong Trip logo
Free trip plan
Meghalaya 3 nights · 4 days Easy

Umngot River and Mawlynnong

Shillong Mawlynnong Dawki Shnongpdeng

Umngot River flowing still and green between steep forested hills, the stretch that runs past ShnongpdengANKAN · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colourful houses of Shillong spread over green hills under a clear blue sky, seen from MawlaiANKAN · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Riwai living root bridge near Mawlynnong, a mat of roots spanning a rocky stream bedSujan Bandyopadhyay · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Green hills mirrored in the glassy Umngot River at Dawki, with a lone wooden boat mid-streamANKAN · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The route, night by night

Shillong1,525 m · Day 1
Mawlynnong500 m · Day 2
Shnongpdeng60 m · Day 3
Departure55 m · Day 4

Highest point on this trip: 1,525 m

In short

This 3 nights / 4 days trip spends its time on the Umngot River instead of in a car. After a night in Shillong, you sleep in Mawlynnong, take a 7.30 am boat at Dawki, then spend the day and night at a riverside camp in Shnongpdeng. From ₹13,500 per person, best November to April.

The Umngot is the reason most people come to this corner of Meghalaya, yet most see it for 40 minutes on a crowded day trip from Shillong. We turn it around. From Mawlynnong you are 30 km from the Dawki ghat, so you are on the water at 7.30 am. Then you move about 10 km upstream to Shnongpdeng, where the river is wider and quieter, and stay the night in a tent on the bank.

Shnongpdeng is where the river activities are: kayaking, snorkelling in the clear shallows, cliff jumps from marked rocks, and a zipline across the river when it runs. The water is clearest from November to April. From June to September the river rises, turns brown and boating is often suspended, so we do not sell this trip in the monsoon.

Highlights

  • 7.30 am boat on the Umngot at Dawki, before the Shillong day-trippers arrive
  • A night in a riverside tent at Shnongpdeng, with the water a few metres away
  • Kayaking, snorkelling and cliff jumping at Shnongpdeng with local operators
  • Mawlynnong village and the Riwai living root bridge
  • The 1932 Dawki suspension bridge and a look at the Tamabil border
  • A first evening in Shillong's Police Bazar and Laitumkhrah

Open to foreign passport holders with the right permits. Check permits

Route, permits and road status checked

Day by day

Day 1Guwahati to Shillong
  • Shillong
  • 1,525 m
  • 100 km · 3–3.5 hrs
  • Dinner

Your driver meets you at Guwahati Airport or the railway station. The highway climbs through Jorabat, Byrnihat and Nongpoh, where we stop for tea and pineapple. Pause at the Umiam Lake viewpoint, about 15 km before Shillong. Check in by mid-afternoon. In the evening, walk around Ward's Lake and Police Bazar, or head to a Laitumkhrah cafe for coffee and live music on weekends. Stock up on anything you need, such as sunscreen, a quick-dry towel or a waterproof phone pouch, because shops in the border villages are small.

Day 2Shillong to Mawlynnong
  • Mawlynnong
  • 500 m
  • 80 km · 2.5–3 hrs
  • Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Shillong after breakfast and drive south through Laitlyngkot and Pynursla, where the road follows a ridge above deep green valleys. Reach Mawlynnong before lunch and check into a homestay. In the afternoon, walk 20 minutes down stone steps to the Riwai living root bridge, a single span of rubber fig roots over a stream. Back in the village, walk the lanes lined with bamboo dustbins and flower beds, and climb the bamboo Sky View platform if it is open. After 4 pm the day visitors leave and the village quietens. Dinner is home-cooked Khasi food.

Day 3Dawki at dawn and a river day at Shnongpdeng
  • Shnongpdeng
  • 60 m
  • 40 km · 1.5 hrs, plus river time
  • Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Mawlynnong at 6.30 am and reach the Dawki ghat by 7.30, well before the queues. A boat takes 30 to 45 minutes and seats four or five; fares are fixed at the ghat. Walk onto the 1932 suspension bridge for the view down the river. Then drive about 10 km upstream to Shnongpdeng and check into your riverside camp. The rest of the day is on the water: kayaking, snorkelling in the shallows, a jump from a marked rock with a life jacket, or just sitting on the stones. Operators and rates are local, so we confirm them on the day. Dinner is at the camp.

Day 4Shnongpdeng to Guwahati
  • Departure
  • 55 m
  • 185 km · 5.5–6 hrs
  • Breakfast

Wake early for the best light on the river; mist often sits on the water until about 7 am in winter. After breakfast, leave by 8.30 am. The road climbs from about 60 m at the river through Dawki and Pynursla to the Shillong bypass at about 1,500 m, then descends to Guwahati via Umiam and Nongpoh. Expect a lunch stop on the way and arrival around 3 pm, depending on traffic near Jorabat. Please book flights after 5 pm or trains after 5.30 pm. Your driver drops you at the airport terminal or station entrance.

Choose your stays

Prices shown are for Standard. We confirm exact hotels when you book.

Standard

Shillong: Hotel Centre Point or similar. Mawlynnong: Hep Homestay or Streamside Guest House. Shnongpdeng: Travenjo Camping at Shnongpdeng or Riverruns Campsite, or similar

Premium

Shillong: Polo Towers Shillong or Hotel Pegasus Crown. Mawlynnong and Shnongpdeng: best available homestay and camp, or similar

Luxury

Shillong: Vivanta Meghalaya Shillong or Courtyard by Marriott Shillong. Mawlynnong and Shnongpdeng have no luxury stays; we book the best available, or similar

Included

  • 1 night in a Shillong hotel, 1 night in a Mawlynnong homestay and 1 night in a riverside tent at Shnongpdeng, twin sharing
  • Daily breakfast and dinner
  • Private car (Dzire or similar; Innova or Ertiga for 4 or more) for all transfers
  • Pickup and drop at Guwahati Airport or Guwahati Railway Station
  • Driver allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
  • Sightseeing as per the day plan
  • Taxes as applicable
  • WhatsApp support from our Guwahati desk

Not included

  • Flights and train tickets
  • Dawki and Shnongpdeng boat fares (paid to boatmen)
  • Kayaking, snorkelling, cliff jumping and zipline charges
  • Entry and parking fees at Mawlynnong, the Riwai root bridge and river ghats
  • Lunches, drinks and snacks
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Costs from landslides, road closures or strikes

Good to know

  • Boating on the Umngot is usually suspended during heavy monsoon flows between June and September; check current status before you travel
  • Every water activity needs a life jacket; do not jump or swim outside marked areas, as the river has deep pools and currents
  • Camps at Shnongpdeng have shared or basic attached washrooms and limited power; carry a torch and power bank
  • Do not approach the Bangladesh border near Dawki beyond the public road and bridge
  • Hotels, homestays and camps register every guest on Meghalaya's system, so keep photo ID for all adults
Good to know

Umngot River and Mawlynnong: questions

01When is the Umngot River clearest?

From November to April, when there is little rain and the water is slow. In January and February the river is often so clear that boats appear to float on air in photos. From June to September heavy rain makes it muddy, and boating is often stopped. October is a transition month.

02What is the difference between Dawki and Shnongpdeng?

Dawki is the border town where most day-trippers take a short boat ride near the suspension bridge. Shnongpdeng is a village about 10 km upstream, with a wider, quieter stretch of river, riverside camps and water activities such as kayaking, snorkelling and cliff jumping. This trip covers both.

03What does the Dawki and Mawlynnong package cost?

It starts at ₹13,500 per person on twin sharing, with a Shillong hotel, a Mawlynnong homestay, a Shnongpdeng camp, breakfast and dinner, and a private sedan. Boat fares and water activities are paid locally. Premium hotels in Shillong add about ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per person.

04Is swimming in the Umngot River safe?

Swimming and snorkelling are safe only in the shallow, marked areas with a life jacket and a local operator watching. The river has deep pools and underwater currents, and there have been drownings. Non-swimmers should stay in boats. Never swim after heavy rain or when the water is cloudy.

05How much are the water activities at Shnongpdeng?

Rates are set by local operators and change with the season. Kayaking, snorkelling and cliff jumping are usually priced per person per session, and the zipline, when running, separately. Budget ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per person for two or three activities, and confirm prices before you start.

06Can we visit Dawki in the monsoon?

You can drive there, but the river will be brown and fast, and boats are often suspended by the district. The camps at Shnongpdeng also close for part of the rains. We run this trip from November to April only. In the monsoon, a Sohra-based plan makes more sense.

07Do we need a permit or passport for Dawki?

No permit is needed for Indian or foreign visitors to Dawki, Shnongpdeng or Mawlynnong. You must not cross into Bangladesh at Tamabil without a visa and immigration clearance. Keep photo ID handy, as every hotel, homestay and camp registers guests.

08Is this trip good for couples and friends?

Yes. The camp night at Shnongpdeng, the quiet village evening in Mawlynnong and the early boat ride suit couples and small groups of friends. Families with young children can do it too, but should skip cliff jumping and keep children in life jackets near the water.

09Can we add Cherrapunji to this trip?

Yes, by adding one or two nights. Sohra is about 85 km from Mawlynnong, around 3 hours. A night there lets you see Nohkalikai Falls and Mawsmai Cave. Our Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki and Mawlynnong plan combines both areas in four nights.

Still wondering? Ask a trip planner

Similar trips

You might also like

On this route

Places you’ll see

Colourful houses of Shillong spread over green hills under a clear blue sky, seen from Mawlai Meghalaya1,525 m Shillong Meghalaya's pine-cooled capital and the base for most trips The Riwai living root bridge near Mawlynnong, a mat of roots spanning a rocky stream bed Meghalaya500 m Mawlynnong Khasi village known for swept lanes, near the Bangladesh border Green hills mirrored in the glassy Umngot River at Dawki, with a lone wooden boat mid-stream Meghalaya50 m Dawki and the Umngot River Boats that seem to float on clear water at the Bangladesh border Umngot River flowing still and green between steep forested hills, the stretch that runs past Shnongpdeng Meghalaya60 m Shnongpdeng Riverside camps and clear-water swims upstream of Dawki
Read first

Guides for this trip

Free trip plan

Want this trip your way

Change the pace, swap a place or add a safari. Tell us what to adjust and we’ll send a revised plan and price.

Get my plan WhatsApp
Umngot River flowing still and green between steep forested hills, the stretch that runs past Shnongpdeng
From ₹13,500Get quote
Chat with us

Try “Dawki”, “Kaziranga safari” or “ILP”