Shillong · Cherrapunji · Dawki · 5 nights / 6 days · adventure
Meghalaya 5N Abode of Clouds
The Northeast everyone's suddenly searching for: living-root bridges grown by hand over centuries, Dawki's glass-bottom river, Asia's cleanest village, and waterfalls that make Cherrapunji's rain worth it.
Highlights
- Double-decker living root bridge trek (or the easier single-decker option)
- Umngot river at Dawki — boats that look like they float on air
- Mawlynnong, 'Asia's cleanest village'
- Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters waterfalls
- Shillong's cafés and the Laitlum canyon viewpoint
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Guwahati → Shillong
Drive up past Umiam Lake's viewpoint into the pines. Evening at Police Bazar's café scene.
Day 2 — Shillong → Cherrapunji
Elephant Falls and Laitlum canyon en route, then into cloud country. Nohkalikai's 340-metre plunge before check-in.
Day 3 — Root-bridge trek
The famous descent to Nongriat's double-decker living root bridge — 3,500 steps of jungle stairway, natural pools at the bottom, legendary sleep after. (Easier Riwai single-decker available for non-trekkers.)
Day 4 — Dawki & Mawlynnong
Umngot's transparent water by boat at Dawki, the India–Bangladesh border flag point, and spotless Mawlynnong with its sky-view bamboo tower.
Day 5 — Back to Shillong
Mawsmai caves and Seven Sisters falls, then return to Shillong for a farewell dinner with live music if the night cooperates.
Day 6 — Departure
Drive down to Guwahati airport, already recommending it to someone.
Included
- 5 nights (2N Shillong, 2N Cherrapunji, 1N Shillong) with breakfast
- Private SUV for the full circuit including Guwahati transfers
- Dawki boat ride
- Local guide for the root-bridge trek
- All parking, tolls and driver expenses
Not included
- Flights to/from Guwahati
- Lunches and dinners
- Entry tickets at falls/caves (nominal, paid at gate)
- Travel insurance
- Anything not listed in inclusions
Best time to go: October to April for clear skies; monsoon (June–September) is spectacularly wet and only for waterfall devotees.
Things to carry
- · Proper trekking shoes with grip — the 3,500 steps are real
- · Rain shell year-round; this is the wettest place on Earth's neighbourhood
- · Quick-dry clothing and a dry bag for Dawki
- · Knee support if stairs trouble you
Cancellation policy
30+ days before departure: full refund minus ₹2,500 per person processing fee.
15–29 days: 50% of the package cost is retained.
7–14 days: 75% is retained.
Under 7 days or no-show: non-refundable.
Hotel and airline penalties during peak or festival dates may be higher and are advised at booking. Wherever we can recover more from suppliers, we pass it back.
More questions, answered
- How hard is the root-bridge trek?
- About 3,500 steps down and the same back up — honest thighs-on-fire territory, done by thousands of ordinary travellers yearly at their own pace. The Riwai single-decker bridge is a 15-minute walk for anyone skipping it.
- Is Dawki's water always that clear?
- November to April, yes — glass-bottom-boat clear. Monsoon turns it a powerful brown; we schedule Dawki only in the clear months and say so upfront.