North East India in October

Shillong 14–22 °C, clearing skies, Tawang 2–12 °C

Rain clears and the air is washed clean, giving the year's sharpest mountain views from Gangtok, Pelling and Tawang. Kaziranga reopens in phases during October, with dates announced each year. Durga Puja fills Guwahati and Shillong with pandals and traffic for five days. It is the start of the best season across the region, and a fine month for Sikkim and Arunachal.

Where to go

Our picks for October

hill station Gangtok

Sikkim's ridge-top capital, facing the Kanchenjunga range

Best Mar – May · Oct – Dec · 3 nights

hill station Pelling

Monastery ridge with the closest view of Kanchenjunga

Best Mar – Apr · Oct – Dec · 2–3 nights

temple town Tawang

India's largest monastery, high in the eastern Himalaya

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov · 2–3 nights

Avoid Puja week for Guwahati road transfers unless you want the festival itself.

Journeys

Routes at their best in October

North East India · 11 nights Arunachal: Apatani Ziro and Monpa Tawang Ziro · Balipara Tea Country · Dirang · Tawang · Dirang · Balipara Tea Country From₹3,20,000 pp

North East India · 7 nights Meghalaya: root bridges, falls and a lake Shillong · Sohra (Cherrapunji) · Shillong From₹2,10,000 pp

North East India · 11 nights Sikkim's mountains and Meghalaya's hills Gangtok · Pelling · Shillong · Sohra (Cherrapunji) From₹3,70,000 pp

North East India · 7 nights Sikkim family holiday: Gangtok and Pelling Gangtok · Pelling From₹2,25,000 pp

North East India · 9 nights Sikkim: monasteries, Lachung and Kanchenjunga Gangtok · Lachung and Yumthang, North Sikkim · Gangtok · Pelling From₹2,90,000 pp

North East India · 8 nights Tawang and the Monpa valleys of Arunachal Balipara Tea Country · Dirang · Tawang · Dirang · Balipara Tea Country From₹2,40,000 pp

Questions travellers ask

Good to know

Is October a good time to visit North East India?

What is the weather like in North East India in October?

Shillong 14–22 °C, clearing skies, Tawang 2–12 °C. Conditions differ by altitude and coast, so check the forecast for each stop a week before you travel.

Where should we go in North East India in October?

We suggest Gangtok, Pelling, Tawang. Avoid Puja week for Guwahati road transfers unless you want the festival itself.

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