Meghalaya Backpacking · Christmas & New Year
Shillong · Cherrapunji · Camp
- Pickup
- Guwahati
- Drop
- Guwahati
- Next departures
- 20 Dec · 24 Dec · 28 Dec
What you are signing up for
Swap the usual Christmas and New Year plans for waterfalls, caves and a riverside camp. Start at Umiam Lake and Shillong, chase waterfalls and caves around Cherrapunji, take on the steps down to the living root bridges, then camp by the glass-clear Umngot river at Shnongpdeng. We sort the stays, the camp, permits and every drive. You just pack light and show up.
Highlights
- Double-decker root
- Camp by the Umngot
- Nohkalikai Falls
- Water sports
- Mawlynnong
- A Trip Captain, start to end
All 6 days
Shillong— 1 night
Part One · Khasi Hills
Land at Guwahati airport by 11 AM and meet your Trip Captain and crew.
Drive up into the hills, with lunch and a stop at Umiam Lake.
An evening in Shillong's markets, then check in.
On to Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji— 2 nights
Part One · Khasi Hills
Breakfast, then the Lyngksiar waterfall.
Explore Arwah Cave, with fossils set into its rock.
Reach Cherrapunji for Nohkalikai Falls, then check in for the night.
Drive to Tyrna village, stopping at Seven Sisters Falls if time allows.
Walk down to the single root bridge, then on to the double-decker bridge.
Climb back up to Tyrna (about 6,600 steps in all) and rest in Cherrapunji.
On to Mawlynnong
Mawlynnong— 1 night
Part Two · Bridges & Villages
Visit Mawsmai Cave after breakfast.
Walk around Mawlynnong, a spotless Khasi village.
Camp beside the Umngot river at Shnongpdeng, with dinner and a bonfire (weather permitting).
On to Shillong
Shillong— 1 night
Part Three · The Umngot
Breakfast by the river, then cliff jumping, snorkelling, kayaking and boating on the Umngot.
Lunch in Shnongpdeng, then Krang Suri Falls on the way back.
A last evening in Shillong's markets.
Breakfast, then the Laitlum Canyons for one last view.
Drive back to Guwahati airport.
Book your flight home for after 6 PM.
5 nights, town by town
Shillong
Hotel, twin sharing
Cherrapunji
Hotel, twin sharing
Mawlynnong
Riverside Camp
Shillong
Hotel, twin sharing
What is and is not included
Included
- Tempo Traveller for the whole trip
- 5 nights: Shillong 2, Cherrapunji 2 (hotels), Shnongpdeng 1 (camp)
- Breakfast Days 2-6, plus dinner at the camp
- Entry fees for sightseeing in the itinerary
- Guided root bridges trek
- Cliff jumping, snorkelling, kayaking and boating at Shnongpdeng
- Bonfire at the camp (weather permitting)
- Trip Captain throughout, plus a medical kit
- Inner line permits, driver night charges, tolls and parking
- Travel insurance
Not included
- 5% GST
- Flights to and from Guwahati
- Meals and drinks not listed
- Personal expenses and extra adventure activities
- Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
Other information
Built for solo travellers after a crew, friends who hate planning, and couples who'd rather not hold the itinerary.
Pack this
- A light rain jacket or poncho
- Shoes with grip for the root bridge steps
- Swimwear and a quick-dry towel
- A small dry bag for phones on the river
- Mosquito repellent
- Cash for village stalls
Sort this before you fly
- Land in Guwahati by 11 AM on Day 1; book your return flight after 6 PM.
- The riverside camp is basic: dome tents, mattresses or sleeping bags and a shared washroom.
- The root bridges trek is about 3,300 steps each way; wear shoes with grip.
Plans can move Weather, roads and closures can change a day. We carry an alternative for each one rather than cancelling it.
What to eat in Meghalaya
Masor Tenga
Assamese sour fish curry.
Pitha
Assamese rice sweets.
Haah Mangxo
Assamese duck curry.
Khar
An Assamese tradition.
Aloo Pitika
Assamese mashed potatoes.
When to go
Every town on this route has its own weather. Pick a month to see the real numbers for each one.
Dec on this route
Meghalaya averages 18° by day and 7° after dark, with rain on 3 days of the month.
Typical conditions, not a forecast — weather models only run about a fortnight ahead. Daily records averaged per calendar month (Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis). Temperature bars scaled 15 °C to 35 °C, rain bars to 30 days.
Real stories, real escapes.
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Booked this one fairly late and still got a seat on the December batch. Mawsmai Cave is the bit I keep describing to people who did not go. Tell your friends to go before it gets busy.
Meera Varma, Kolkata
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Paid, packed, turned up. That was genuinely the whole job. Food stops were picked by someone who actually eats there, not off a list. Would do it again with the same crew.
Sanjay Agarwal, Chandigarh
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The route sold it — Shillong, Cherrapunji, Camp in 6 days without me planning a thing. Laitlum Canyons came around just as the group had hit its stride, which was annoying in the best way. Tell your friends to go before it gets busy.
Harini Subramanian, Chandigarh
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5 nights was exactly right — long enough to settle, short enough to take off work. The pace was honest — a couple of early starts, and they told us in advance rather than springing them. Already looking at their Manali, Sissu & Kasol trip.
Uday Chawla, Kolkata
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Was deciding between two operators and picked this for the itinerary. No regrets. Stays were simple rather than fancy, clean, and always where they said they would be. Worth every rupee, and I am not easy to please on that.
Anushka Reddy, Vadodara
Not sure it is your group?
Tell us who is coming and when you are free. We will say honestly whether this departure fits, or build a private one that does.
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