This post explains what a Meghalaya trip costs and why. It uses the prices of the trips we sell, for 3 nights and for a full week.
It also covers what is paid on the day, what makes a trip cost more, and how we price a family of four.
The short answer
Our Guwahati and Shillong trip, 3 nights and 4 days, starts from ₹17,500 per person.
Our Assam and Meghalaya trip, 5 nights and 6 days, starts from ₹27,500 per person.
Our Meghalaya in Full trip, 6 nights and 7 days, starts from ₹31,500 per person.
Add Kaziranga, and our Meghalaya and Kaziranga trip, 8 nights and 9 days, starts from ₹47,000 per person.
All four prices are indicative, not quotes. Each one is per person, for 2 adults sharing a room, and land only. Flights and trains are extra.
What the price is made of
A Meghalaya trip has four parts. The room, the car and driver, the meals, and the entries.
The room is a 3-star hotel or a plateau resort, with breakfast. On two people sharing, you each pay half the room.
The car is private, with a driver, for the whole trip. Fuel, tolls, parking and the driver's allowance are in the price. You pay for the car by the day, however many seats you fill.
Those two, the room and the car, are most of the cost. Meals and entries are much smaller.
One cost you will not have is a permit. Meghalaya Tourism says Indian nationals usually need no permit for the state, unlike Arunachal Pradesh next door.
Some trips include extras. The 3-night trip has a VIP darshan pass at Kamakhya and a Brahmaputra cruise. The week-long trip has three dinners in Sohra and a Khasi guide at Mawphlang.
What you pay on the day
Some costs are not in any package price. You pay them yourself, as you go.
Entry fees at falls, caves, parks and viewpoints are collected by each village, often in cash. They change locally without notice, so we do not fix them into the price.
Boats on the Umngot at Dawki are paid at the river. The guide for the Nongriat walk is paid on the day, where you take one. Lunches are yours too.
Carry enough cash for these, in small notes.
A budget for 3 days
Three nights is the cheapest way to see Meghalaya properly. Our 3-night trip starts from ₹17,500 per person, on 2 sharing.
That covers one night in Guwahati and two in Shillong, all with breakfast. It covers the car for all four days, the Kamakhya darshan pass and the river cruise.
On top, budget for lunches, dinners and the entry fees on the Sohra day. That day has the most gates: Nohkalikai, the caves and the parks.
You save on hotels by not moving them. The trade-off is about two hours of driving each way on the Sohra day.
A budget for 7 days
A full week starts from ₹31,500 per person, on 2 sharing. That is three nights in Shillong and three in Sohra.
It covers six breakfasts, three dinners in Sohra, the car for all seven days and the Mawphlang guide.
On top, budget for the Nongriat guide, the Dawki boat, lunches, three dinners in Shillong and the entry fees across the week.
A week costs more in total, but less per night than a short trip. That works out to about ₹5,250 a night against about ₹5,800 on the 3-night trip. You also change hotels only twice.
A family of 4
Our prices are set for 2 adults sharing one room. A family of four is priced differently, so we do not print a family total.
Two things change. First, four people usually need two rooms, or one room with extra beds. Second, the car is shared by four instead of two. That cuts the car cost per person, since the car costs the same by the day.
Children are where it varies most. Each hotel sets its own rule for a child's bed and breakfast. The rule often changes with the child's age.
So we quote to your party. Tell us how many adults, the age of each child, and how you like to sleep. We price the rooms and the right size of car for four people and their bags.
A budget for 5 days, with Assam
Our 5-night Assam and Meghalaya trip starts from ₹27,500 per person, on 2 sharing. It mixes two nights in Guwahati with Shillong and one night in Sohra.
It includes the Kamakhya darshan pass, a Brahmaputra sunset cruise, a tea estate visit and a booked slot for the morning Pobitora Safari.
The forest department's entry, jeep and camera charges at Pobitora are paid at the gate on the day. So are the Meghalaya entry fees and the Dawki boat.
Ways to keep the cost down
Travel as four, not two. The car is the biggest shared cost, and it costs the same by the day.
Avoid the busiest weeks if you can. Long weekends, Durga Puja and Christmas are when Sohra and Shillong fill up.
Move hotels less. Two bases are cheaper and calmer than four.
Do not cut the night in Sohra to save money. Without it you drive about two hours each way to the falls, and you see less for the same car cost.
Book early. Rooms are not held until you confirm, so the best-value rooms go first.
What makes it cost more
The season. Sohra fills early over long weekends and in the Durga Puja and Christmas weeks. Rooms are harder to find then, and the best ones go first.
The hotel level. A 3-star room is our standard. A better resort or a heritage stay raises the price, sometimes by a lot.
A private car versus a shared one. We use a private car throughout. A shared car or a coach is cheaper, but you lose control of the day and the stops.
The size of your group. Two people carry the whole car between them. Four or six people split it.
The number of hotel moves. Each move adds packing and driving time. Fewer moves means more time at the sights for the same money.
Adding a day or a walk
Some single experiences are priced on their own, which helps if you want to add one.
The living root bridges walk starts from ₹2,800 per person. That covers a day trek with a local guide and transfers to Tyrna.
A night in Sohra starts from ₹6,500 per person. That covers the stay, the waterfalls and the caves.
The Mawphlang sacred grove starts from ₹1,800 per person for a half day with a village guide. All three prices are indicative.
How payment works
On our packages, 50% is paid when you confirm. The rest is due 30 days before the trip starts.
Rooms are not held until you confirm. So the price can move if you wait, above all in the busy weeks.
For when to go and what each month gives you, read our best time to visit Meghalaya. The Meghalaya travel guide covers the rest.
Get a price for your dates
For a first trip, start with Guwahati and Shillong. It is our lowest-priced Meghalaya trip, and it can be stretched.
Tell us your dates and your party on Plan My Trip. We will reply within 24 hours with a price.
