Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
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Our first-timer journey of 11 nights and 12 days shows the best of Assam and Meghalaya without permits or very long drives: Kamakhya and the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, rhinos from Diphlu River Lodge, a planter's bungalow at Wild Mahseer, Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake, and Sohra's falls and living root bridges.
If you are coming to the North East for the first time, this is the journey we recommend. It begins with a night in Guwahati for Kamakhya Temple and a Brahmaputra sunset, then heads east to Kaziranga for three nights of safaris, and north across the river to the tea gardens for two nights at Wild Mahseer. No permits are needed, and the hotels are the best in each place.
The second half climbs into Meghalaya: three nights at Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake for Shillong, Mawphlang, Dawki and Mawlynnong, then two in Sohra for the waterfalls and the walk to Nongriat's double-decker root bridge. From Sohra it is about 4.5 hours back to Guwahati airport. Every long drive is followed by a slower day.
Highlights
Day by day
Your guide meets you at Guwahati airport. After check-in at Vivanta Guwahati and lunch, visit Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill with a pre-booked special darshan. In the late afternoon, take the ferry to Umananda Island and a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra. Dinner at the hotel, with Assamese dishes to start the journey.
Drive east across the Assam plains via Nagaon, past rice fields and tea gardens, with lunch on the way. The last stretch runs along the park's edge, and rhinos may be seen from the road. Arrive at Diphlu River Lodge by mid-afternoon and settle into your stilted cottage by the river.
A private jeep drive at first light in the Central range, where rhinos, wild buffalo, swamp deer and elephants gather around the wetlands. After lunch and a rest at the lodge, the afternoon drive is in the Western range, with open grassland and the park's highest rhino numbers.
A second morning drive in the range with the best recent sightings. At midday, visit the community orchid and biodiversity park near Kohora, with a short Bihu dance. In the afternoon, the Eastern range offers pelicans, storks and migratory ducks in winter, and the chance of otters.
An optional last early drive, then cross the Brahmaputra near Tezpur and continue north to Balipara. Arrive at Wild Mahseer for lunch and settle into a heritage planter's bungalow. In the late afternoon, walk the estate with the estate team and finish with a tasting of its teas.
Drive at dawn to Nameri, cross the Jia Bhoroli by boat and walk the forest edge with an armed forest guard, listening for hornbills. Float back downstream in an inflatable raft and picnic on the riverbank. The afternoon is free at the estate, perhaps with a visit to Tezpur's Agnigarh hill at sunset.
The longest drive of the journey, back along the north bank to Guwahati and up the highway into the Khasi Hills, with a good lunch on the way. Arrive at Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake in the late afternoon, in time for tea on your veranda and a quiet evening.
A slower day. Visit the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures for an introduction to the peoples of the North East, then walk Iewduh market with a guide and eat a Khasi lunch of jadoh and dohneiiong. Return to the lake for an afternoon of rest and a walk along the forest paths.
A full day to the Bangladesh border: row the glass-clear Umngot at Dawki, sit by the river at Shnongpareng, and in the afternoon walk Mawlynnong's tidy lanes and the easy root bridge at Riwai. Return to Ri Kynjai for dinner. This day is planned for Monday to Saturday.
Cross the plateau to Mawphlang for a guided walk in the sacred forest, then continue to Sohra. In the afternoon, see Nohkalikai Falls plunge about 340 m into its pool, the Seven Sisters at Mawsmai and the lit passages of Mawsmai cave. Your Sohra hotel is chosen to be close to the root bridge trail.
Begin at Tyrna by 7 am with your registered guide and descend about 3,000 steps through forest to Nongriat and its two-tier living root bridge. Swim in the clear pools in the dry months, then climb back up in the early afternoon. The rest of the day is for rest, or for the cliffs at Thangkharang if you have energy.
After breakfast, drive back across the plateau and down to Guwahati airport, with a stop at Umiam Lake if time allows. Your guide stays with you to the terminal.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A modern IHCL hotel at Khanapara on the southern edge of Guwahati, on the road to Shillong. It is the most reliable large hotel in the …
The leading safari lodge at Kaziranga, with stilted cottages along the Diphlu river on the park's southern boundary. Stays are full board, with park jeep drives …
A group of restored British-era planters' bungalows inside the Addabarie tea estate near Balipara, north of Tezpur. Rooms open onto lawns and tea gardens, the food …
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 …
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Questions travellers ask
Yes, for Assam and Meghalaya. Eleven nights cover Guwahati, Kaziranga, the tea country, Shillong, Dawki and Sohra at a balanced pace. Adding Arunachal, Nagaland or Sikkim needs more time; we suggest saving them for a second visit.
November to March, when Kaziranga is fully open, Meghalaya is dry and Dawki's river is clear. October and April also work, with some limits. We do not run it from May to September, when Kaziranga is closed and Meghalaya is very wet.
No. Assam and Meghalaya require no Inner Line Permit or Protected Area Permit for Indian or foreign visitors. Hotels in Meghalaya register all guests, so carry the photo ID you booked with.
Starting with Kaziranga and the tea country means the longest drive comes in the middle, after which you settle at Ri Kynjai for three nights. Ending in Sohra lets you walk to Nongriat late in the trip, when you are acclimatised to the pace.
Vivanta Guwahati, Diphlu River Lodge at Kaziranga, Wild Mahseer near Balipara and Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake, with the best available hotel in Sohra, where there is no luxury option. These are among the best stays in the North East.
From about ₹3,60,000 per person, twin sharing, including hotels and lodges, the meals listed, a private car and guide, safaris, local guides and entry fees. Prices vary with season and room category. Flights are extra.
Yes. The walk involves about 3,000 steps each way and is optional. We can replace it with a gentler day at Sohra's viewpoints, caves and the cliffs at Thangkharang, having already seen the easy root bridge at Riwai on day 9.
Yes, with small changes. Most days involve short walks. We replace the Nongriat walk with Riwai or a quieter day, keep drives comfortable and use the best rooms available. Kaziranga's jeep drives are bumpy but short.
Yes. Our guide to a 12-day first trip to the North East explains this route day by day, why it is ordered this way, and how to adjust it for your interests and season.
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