Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
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Seven nights in the Khasi Hills, built around the walk to the double-decker root bridge at Nongriat. Stay at Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake and in Shillong, spend two nights in Sohra for an early start on the trail, and see Dawki's clear river, Mawlynnong and the Laitlum canyons.
Meghalaya repays a slow week. This journey gives you time to settle at Ri Kynjai, the lakeside resort near Shillong, before moving to Sohra for the region's best walk: about 3,000 steps down to the double-decker root bridge at Nongriat and back. We start early, walk with a registered local guide and keep the afternoon free.
Between the walking days you see the Khasi Hills at their best: the clear Umngot river at Dawki, the tidy village of Mawlynnong with its easy root bridge, the sacred forest at Mawphlang, sunrise over the Laitlum canyons and Shillong's great market. We end in town at Tripura Castle, the former summer house of the Tripura royal family, for evenings among Shillong's cafes.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver and guide meet you at Guwahati airport for the drive into the Khasi Hills. The highway leaves the Assam plain at Jorabat and climbs through pine and broadleaf forest to Umiam Lake, where Ri Kynjai's cottages look over the water. Arrive in time for tea on your veranda and a walk along the forest paths before dusk. Dinner is at the resort, with Khasi dishes on request, and an early night after the journey.
A morning at the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, the best introduction to the peoples of the North East, ends on its rooftop walkway above the city. Your guide then leads you through Iewduh, Shillong's great Khasi market, with its lanes of betel nut, smoked meat and bamboo goods. Lunch is jadoh and dohneiiong at a family-run eatery. In the afternoon, see Ward's Lake and the cathedral before returning to the lake.
An early start for the long, beautiful drive to the Bangladesh border. At Shnongpareng, walk the suspension footbridge and sit by the clear Umngot, then row at Dawki while the light reaches the riverbed. After lunch, continue to Mawlynnong for a quiet walk through the village and down to the single root bridge at Riwai, a gentle preview of Nongriat. Return to Ri Kynjai in the evening. This day is planned for Monday to Saturday.
Leave the lake after breakfast and cross the plateau to Mawphlang, where a village guide leads you through a sacred grove protected by Khasi custom for centuries. Continue past the Mawkdok valley viewpoint to Sohra. In the afternoon, see Nohkalikai Falls drop 340 m into its green pool and the Seven Sisters at Mawsmai. Your hotel in Sohra is chosen for its position close to the root bridge trail.
Leave at 6:30 am for Tyrna, where your registered guide is waiting. The stairway descends about 3,000 steps through forest and over two steel suspension bridges to Nongriat, where two living root bridges cross the stream one above the other. Spend time on the bridges and, in the dry months, swim in the pools below. The climb back takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. Return to Sohra for a late lunch and a quiet afternoon.
A slow morning in Sohra. Walk through the lit passages of Mawsmai cave, then drive along the plateau rim to Thangkharang, where the land ends above the plains of Bangladesh and Kynrem Falls drops opposite. After lunch, return to Shillong and check in to Tripura Castle, the former summer residence of the Tripura royal family. In the evening, your guide can take you to one of Shillong's live music cafes.
A pre-dawn start for the Laitlum canyons, where the Khasi plateau breaks into deep green gorges. Watch the light come up with tea and breakfast packed by the hotel, then walk a short way down the stone stairway used by the canyon villages. Return to Shillong by late morning. The afternoon is yours: shop for local tea and textiles, revisit the market, or rest in the gardens.
After breakfast, drive down to Guwahati airport for your onward flight, timed with a comfortable margin for traffic. If your flight is in the evening, we stop at Umiam Lake on the way or add a visit to Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. Your guide accompanies you to the terminal.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A lakeside resort on the wooded shore of Umiam Lake, about 20 km north of Shillong, with cottages built in the Khasi manner of timber and …
The former Shillong summer residence of the royal family of Tripura, now a small heritage hotel in the leafy Cleve Colony area. It suits travellers who …
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Questions travellers ask
Most days involve only short walks. Day 5, the Nongriat root bridge walk, involves about 3,000 steps down and the same back up, taking 5 to 6 hours. Regular walkers manage it well at a steady pace. If you prefer not to walk it, we replace it with a gentler day and the Riwai root bridge.
October to April. November to February is driest and coolest, with clear water at Dawki and dry steps at Nongriat. October has full waterfalls and clearing skies. We do not run it from June to August, when heavy rain affects trails and roads.
The Nongriat walk is best started at about 7 am, before the heat and the crowds. Driving from Shillong would mean leaving before 5 am. Two nights in Sohra make the walk comfortable and leave time for the falls and caves.
It is the best luxury stay in the state, set on Umiam Lake with cottages in Khasi style. We pair it with Tripura Castle in Shillong for character and town access. In Sohra, we use the best comfortable property near the trail.
Yes, for children who walk well. The Nongriat walk suits active children of about 9 and up. Younger children enjoy Dawki's boats, Mawlynnong's village and Riwai's easy root bridge, and we adjust day 5 accordingly.
Some sites limit Sunday visits. Mawlynnong bars day visitors on Sundays, and the Nongriat trail is reported to close. We plan your days so these fall on other days of the week. Check current status before you travel.
From about ₹2,10,000 per person, twin sharing, including hotels, the meals listed, a private car, a private guide and local guides and entry fees. Prices depend on dates and room categories. Flights to Guwahati are extra.
Yes. Kaziranga is about 6.5 to 7 hours by road from Shillong, or 5 hours from Guwahati. Adding three nights at Diphlu River Lodge makes a 10 or 11 night journey. See our Meghalaya and Kaziranga itinerary.
No. Meghalaya does not require an Inner Line Permit or Protected Area Permit. Hotels must register guests with the state, and visitor registration at entry points has been planned. Check current status before you travel.
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