Things to do in Shillong
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Shillong
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window: post monsoon green, strong falls and the November festival season.
Driest and clearest, Dawki at its clearest, waterfalls thinnest and nights cold.
Pleasant spring, rhododendrons, then May school holiday crowds and higher prices.
Monsoon: huge waterfalls but landslides, fog, leeches and provisional itineraries. Worst for a first trip in July and August.
What's on
- Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 20-21 November 2026
Autumn cherry blossom music festival. 2026 headliners include Khalid, Swae Lee and Boys Like Girls. Venue reported as the new permanent venue at New Shillong Highland Grounds, with a later organiser update pointing to Madan Kurkalang, Bhoirymbong: confirm when you book.
- Shillong Literary Festival November
Literary festival running in the same November window as the cherry blossom season.
- Christmas in Shillong 25 December
Carols, lit churches and markets in a majority Christian city, a peak booking window.
Best things to do in Shillong
Don Bosco Museum
The best introduction to Northeast cultures, with 17 galleries and a rooftop view over Shillong.
Elephant Falls
Shillong's signature three tier waterfall, most rewarding when you descend to the third level.
Shillong Peak
The highest viewpoint in Meghalaya, worth the drive only on a clear morning.
Ward's Lake
The central lake and gardens where Shillong itself comes for an evening walk and a boat ride.
Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Shillong's landmark cathedral, calm and beautiful on a weekday morning outside Mass.
Iewduh
The city's real traditional market, run largely by Khasi women traders and full of local foods.
Phan Nonglait Park
A gentle pine shaded park that suits families and a slow morning between bigger days.
Capt. Williamson Sangma State Museum
A compact state museum that adds Meghalaya specific context after the Don Bosco Museum.
Where to stay in Shillong
Laitumkhrah / Dhankheti
first trip, all-round base
Cafe quarter with the best food, live music and mid range hotels, walkable to the centre.
Police Bazar
centrality, transport and big hotels
Markets, taxi stands and Ward's Lake on foot, at the cost of gridlock and noise.
Lachumiere / Cleve Colony
quiet, couples and longer stays
Leafy old residence streets with the city's calmest nights and heritage stays.
Umiam Lake
resort night, trip start or end
Lake, forest and silence 15 km north, impractical as a base for city and Sohra days.
Upper Shillong
Elephant Falls and Sohra-road mornings, trek-focused stays
The high southern edge on the way to Sohra and the Peak, cooler and removed from evening life, with ML 05 Cafe the main stop; pick it for southbound day trips, not nightlife.
Think twice about
- Iewduh / Bara Bazar and Mawlonghat
Wholesale market and bus belly with narrow crowded lanes, loading vehicles, market waste and almost no decent hotels. Visit the market, sleep elsewhere.
- Police Bazar junction core and GS Road
The city's traffic choke point, gridlocked by day with horn noise at night. The edge streets near Ward's Lake are fine, a junction facing room is not.
- Far residential sprawl beyond the centre
No cafes or restaurants to walk to and a taxi for every outing, so the cheap room price does not survive transport costs.
Best restaurants in Shillong
Jadoh
The cheapest and most authentic Khasi combo meal in the city, if you arrive by 12:30pm.
Trattoria
A no frills Khasi canteen whose pork thali is the meal local writers send everyone to try.
City Hut Family Dhaba
The city's most consistently reviewed family restaurant, safe for mixed groups and vegetarians.
Cafe Shillong
A warm Laitumkhrah cafe mixing Khasi touches with continental food and live music.
Dylan's Cafe
A Bob Dylan tribute cafe with vinyl walls, long hours and a slow afternoon atmosphere.
ML 05 Cafe
A biker themed pine forest cafe made for the stop after Elephant Falls on a clear day.
Qzine Restaurant
A large central all rounder that handles groups who cannot agree on one cuisine.
Red Rice
A second genuine Khasi kitchen in Police Bazar, specialising in pork in many forms.
Outdoor things to do in Shillong
Shillong Golf Course
A historic 18 hole natural course from 1898, nicknamed the Gleneagles of the East.
Laitlum Canyon
A plateau edge dropping into a deep canyon, with a steep hike down to Rasong village.
Mawphlang Sacred Forest
An ancient protected grove entered only with a local guide, gateway to the David Scott Trail.
David Scott Trail
Historic 16 km bridle path from Mawphlang to Ladmawphlang over stone paving, meadows and streams.
Nohkalikai Falls
India's tallest plunge waterfall and the centrepiece of the classic Sohra day circuit.
Seven Sisters Falls
Seven segmented falls across the gorge, at full force in monsoon and still worth the stop in winter.
Mawsmai Cave
Lit, walk-through limestone cave on the Sohra circuit, an easy underground stop between the falls.
Mawkdok Dympep Valley Viewpoint
Valley viewpoint on the drive down to Sohra, the roadside stop that opens the Cherrapunji circuit.
Best hotels in Shillong
Courtyard by Marriott Shillong
The modern big hotel benchmark in Shillong, with a pool, spa and strong service reviews.
Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong
Taj service and the best market location, booked for hospitality rather than resort facilities.
Ri Kynjai
A Khasi style lake resort in forest above Umiam, the splurge night of a Meghalaya trip.
Hotel Polo Towers, Shillong
A long established hotel in the quiet east, running two of the city's best known cafes.
Hotel Centre Point
The classic central mid range hotel, four minutes on foot from Ward's Lake.
Royal Heritage - Tripura Castle
A heritage stay in former royal grounds, with lawns and quiet Police Bazar cannot offer.
Cafe Shillong Bed & Breakfast
A small characterful bed and breakfast for travellers who prefer a house over a corridor hotel.
Hotel Poinisuk
A straightforward hotel in the middle of the best base neighbourhood in Shillong.
Is Shillong expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹5,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₹14,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Shillong Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Mawphlang Sacred Forest: a few days ahead
- David Scott Trail: a few days ahead
- Double Decker Living Root Bridge: a few days ahead
- Mynt: a few days ahead
- Courtyard by Marriott Shillong: weeks ahead
- Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong: weeks ahead
- Ri Kynjai: weeks ahead
- Book hotels weeks ahead for the November Cherry Blossom Festival and Christmas to New Year.
- Book trek guides and a Nongriat homestay bed a few days ahead in season.
- Reserve reliable drivers for excursion days when you reserve the hotel in peak months.
Is Shillong safe?
- Stay behind railings at Sohra cliff viewpoints and never swim at view only waterfalls.
- Cancel or delay Sohra and Dawki drives in landslide or thick fog conditions in monsoon.
- Carry photo ID for hotels and the Shillong Peak Air Force check, and cash for villages. Emergency number 112.
Shillong travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Restaurants and shops on the immediate Police Bazar strip charging tourist prices for ordinary food.
- Dawki sold as crystal clear year round, when the clarity is a dry season November to April effect.
- One day Sohra plus Dawki combos that spend six hours in a car for two rushed stops.
Getting around Shillong: public transport and more
- Use local and shared taxis in the city and agree point to point fares before you ride.
- Hire a car and driver by the day for Sohra, Dawki and other excursions and agree the price in writing.
- Guwahati to Shillong is about 100 km and three hours by road, by private taxi, shared taxi or state bus.
Who Shillong suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Shillong your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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