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Voykit pocket guide · India
Guwahati
গুৱাহাটী
Give Guwahati 2 nights as the gateway to Assam: Kamakhya Temple and a Brahmaputra ferry crossing, then move on to Kaziranga or Shillong.
Guwahati is the largest city in India's northeast and the region's air and rail hub, on the south bank of the Brahmaputra. Its main draw is the Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, plus river ferries, silk shopping and Assamese food. Most travellers use it as a 1–2 night gateway before heading to Kaziranga, Shillong or Arunachal Pradesh. The monsoon (Jun–Sep) brings heavy rain and flooding; Oct–Mar is the comfortable window.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- গুৱাহাটী
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (monsoon rain and flooding)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–6,000 excl. bed · High ₹6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Tourist helpline (24 h) 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Assamese thali | ₹150–400 |
| Masala chai | ₹10–30 |
| Bottled water (1 L) | ₹20–40 |
| Auto across the centre | ₹100–250 |
| Brahmaputra ferry crossing | ₹10 one way (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GAU · Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (Borjhar)
- About 20 km west of the centre; 40–60 min by taxi in traffic. Prepaid taxi counter in arrivals.About 12 mi west of the centre; 40–60 min by taxi in traffic. Prepaid taxi counter in arrivals.
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- ₹700–1,000, 40–60 min (check)
- Auto, Paltan Bazaar → Kamakhya
- ₹200–350 (check)
- Shared ferry, Fancy Bazar jetty
- about ₹10 one way (check)
Get around
Autos and app cabs (Ola, Uber) are the main ways to move; autos have no meter, so agree the fare first. City buses are cheapest. Shared ferries cross the Brahmaputra from Fancy Bazar jetty. Distances are long and traffic is slow — allow 30–60 min between sights.
See and do
Known for
- Kamakhya Temple
- Brahmaputra river ferries
- Assam silk and Sualkuchi weaving
- Gateway to Kaziranga and the northeast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sualkuchi silk-weaving town | Taxi or bus north across the Saraighat bridge, about 30 kmTaxi or bus north across the Saraighat bridge, about 19 mi | About 1–1.5 h each way |
| Deepor Beel | Taxi southwest of the city, about 15 kmTaxi southwest of the city, about 9.3 mi | About 45 min each way |
| Shillong | Shared taxi or bus via NH-6, about 100 kmShared taxi or bus via NH-6, about 62 mi | About 3–3.5 h |
| Kaziranga National Park | Bus or taxi east via NH-715, about 200 kmBus or taxi east via NH-715, about 124 mi | About 5 h |
Sleep
- Paltan Bazaar / GS Road
- Central, walkable to the railway station and buses; the practical base for 1–2 nights.
- Zoo Road / Ganeshguri
- Quieter, restaurant-heavy, mid-range hotels; 10–15 min by auto from Paltan Bazaar.
- Near Kamakhya (Nilachal Hill)
- For an early temple visit; fewer services and steeper streets.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | নমস্কাৰnomoskar |
| Thank you | ধন্যবাদdhonnobad |
| How much is it? | কিমান দাম?kiman dam |
| This one, please | এইটো দিয়কeitu diok |
| Where is the toilet? | শৌচালয় ক'ত?sousaloy kot |
| Please stop here | ইয়াতে ৰাখকiyate rakhok |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Autos refuse the meter: fix the price before you get in.
- Monsoon flooding and waterlogging Jun–Sep can close roads.
- Kamakhya Temple gets very crowded during Ambubachi Mela (around late June): expect queues and closures.
- Drink bottled or filtered water; street food hygiene varies.
Generally safe for tourists, with the usual India cautions: fix auto fares first, watch your bag in crowded markets and at Kamakhya, and avoid unlit riverside spots at night. Women travelling alone report occasional staring; standard precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Guwahati yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kamakhya Temple
- Brahmaputra river ferries
- Assam silk and Sualkuchi weaving
- Gateway to Kaziranga and the northeast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Assam Tourism Development Corporation: assamtourism.gov.in/
- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport: www.adani.com/lgbia-guwahati-airport
- Indian Railways — Northeast Frontier Railway: nfr.indianrailways.gov.in/
- Wikivoyage: Guwahati, revision 5321657 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321657
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Guwahatiগুৱাহাটী
এই ঠাইত ৰাখক
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Guwahati; most countries have embassies or consulates in New Delhi or Kolkata. Check your own country's mission for the northeast.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/guwahati). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.