This post gives you three Meghalaya plans: 3 nights, 5 nights and 6 nights, which is a full week. Each one follows a route we already run.
For each plan we say where you sleep, what each day holds and what you give up. Pick the one that fits your leave.
Three rules for any Meghalaya plan
First, every trip starts and ends in Guwahati. Shillong is about three hours up by road. The drive back down to the airport takes about three and a half.
Second, sleep in Sohra if you can. A day trip from Shillong costs about two hours of driving each way. One night on the plateau turns that into time at the falls.
Third, the double-decker root bridge needs its own day. The walk down to Nongriat is about 3,500 steps, and the climb back is the same. Allow four to six hours, and a night in Sohra before it.
Meghalaya in 3 days
Three nights is a long weekend. This plan follows our Guwahati and Shillong trip, with one night in Guwahati and two in Shillong.
Day 1: land in Guwahati. Visit Kamakhya temple on Nilachal hill, then take a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra. If you would rather skip the city, go straight up to Shillong instead.
Day 2: drive up to Shillong, with a stop at Umiam Lake. In town, see Elephant Falls and the Don Bosco Museum. Finish at Laitlum Canyon in the late afternoon, where the plateau just ends.
Day 3: a full day south to Sohra. See Nohkalikai, the Seven Sisters Falls, the Garden of Caves and one limestone cave. Drive back to Shillong for the night.
Day 4: drive down to Guwahati for your flight. Afternoon and evening flights suit this plan best.
What you give up: the root bridges, Mawlynnong and Dawki. They do not fit in three nights without a rush.
One change worth asking for: sleep in Sohra on Day 3 instead of going back to Shillong. That saves the evening drive. The drive to the airport on Day 4 is then longer, so it suits a later flight.
Meghalaya in 5 days
Five nights lets you sleep on the plateau and reach the Bangladesh border. This is our seven-day route with the root bridge day taken out.
Day 1: Guwahati to Shillong, with Umiam Lake on the way. Evening at Police Bazar.
Day 2: Laitlum Canyon early, before the crowds. Then Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls and the Don Bosco Museum.
Day 3: drive to Mawphlang and walk the sacred grove with a local guide. Then cross the grassland to Sohra and check in for two nights.
Day 4: a full day of falls and caves around Sohra. Go to Nohkalikai first, while the light is good.
Day 5: east to the Riwai root bridge and Mawlynnong, then down to the Umngot at Dawki. Back up to Shillong. Expect five to six hours in the car across the day, plus stops.
Day 6: drive down to Guwahati for your flight.
Five days with Assam instead
Want a taste of Assam too? Our Assam and Meghalaya trip spends two nights in Guwahati first.
That gives you Kamakhya, a river cruise and a morning Pobitora Safari for rhinos. Then it runs Shillong, one night in Sohra and the Dawki day. You lose Laitlum and the sacred grove, but gain the rhinos.
Meghalaya in 7 days
A full week is the honest way to see Meghalaya. This is our Meghalaya in Full route: three nights in Shillong and three in Sohra.
Day 1: Guwahati to Shillong, with a stop at Umiam Lake.
Day 2: Laitlum Canyon early, then Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls and the Don Bosco Museum.
Day 3: Mawphlang sacred grove with a Khasi guide, then on to Sohra for three nights.
Day 4: the Sohra falls and caves, in the right order. Nohkalikai in the morning, then the Seven Sisters, the Garden of Caves and Arwah or Mawsmai cave.
Day 5: the walk down from Tyrna to Nongriat and the double-decker root bridge. There is a natural pool on the way. The climb back out is the hard part.
Rainbow Falls lies beyond Nongriat, if you still have the legs. It adds time to an already long day, so decide at the bridge, not at the top.
Day 6: Riwai root bridge, Mawlynnong and the Umngot at Dawki. Back to Shillong for the last night.
Day 7: drive down to Guwahati for your flight.
Which plan suits you
The 3-day plan suits a long weekend, or a first look before a longer trip. It is also the gentlest, with no hard walking at all.
The 5-day plan suits most couples and families. It has one long day in the car, but no trek.
The 7-day plan suits anyone who wants the double-decker root bridge. It also suits slow travellers, because three nights in one Sohra base means fewer bags to pack.
Travelling with small children or older parents? Read Meghalaya with kids and elderly parents before you pick.
Where you sleep on each plan
In Shillong we use 3-star hotels in or near Police Bazar. You can walk out to dinner, which matters in a town with slow traffic.
In Sohra we use a resort on the plateau with valley views. It keeps you close to Nohkalikai and the Seven Sisters, so mornings start at the falls, not in the car.
Sohra fills early over long weekends and in the Durga Puja and Christmas weeks. Book well ahead if your dates fall then.
Adding the Jaintia Hills
Every plan above stays in the Khasi Hills. If you have a spare day, the Jaintia Hills to the east are much quieter.
From Jowai you can walk down to Phe Phe Falls, a fall that drops into a deep green pool. Krangsuri Falls pairs with it in the same day.
Tell us if you want it, and we will fit it in and say what it replaces.
If the root bridge walk is not for you
The Nongriat stairs are a real trek. They are hard on knees, and hard in humid weather.
If anyone in your party would rather not, swap Day 5 for the Riwai root bridge or the bamboo trail at Wahkhen. Neither needs the gorge.
You can also use the spare day for the caves of Meghalaya or a slow morning on the plateau.
Days of the week matter
Mawlynnong closes to day visitors on Sundays. Overnight guests are allowed, so either stay there or move that day.
Ward's Lake in Shillong is closed on Tuesdays. Shillong Peak sits inside an Air Force area and can close without notice.
We set the order of the days around your dates, so none of these land on the wrong day.
The month changes the plan
From about November to April the Umngot runs clear and the viewpoints are open. This is when the Dawki day is at its best.
In the monsoon the falls are at full force, but the views can sit inside the cloud. Boating at Dawki is often stopped when the river runs high.
Read our guide to the best time to visit Meghalaya before you fix dates. The Meghalaya travel guide covers getting there and the rules.
Plan your Meghalaya trip
If you have a week, start with Meghalaya in Full. It gives the root bridge a whole day.
Send us your dates on Plan My Trip, and we will reply within 24 hours with a plan that fits them.
