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Major city · India

Shillong

Give Shillong 2 nights as a cool base for Meghalaya: one day in the city, one for Cherrapunji or Mawlynnong. Skip it if you only want waterfalls — go straight to Sohra.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
INR
Best months
Sep–Nov and Mar–May; the monsoon (Jun–Aug) fills the waterfalls but soaks everything
avoid Jun–Aug for sightseeing (heavy rain, slippery falls); Dec–Feb nights are cold
Airports
SHL · GAU
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6
  • South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
  • South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
  • India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
  • India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
  • India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
  • India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and a hill station at about 1,496 m, the gateway to the Khasi Hills. The city itself is small and walkable around Police Bazar and Laitumkhrah; most travellers use it as a base for day trips to Cherrapunji, Mawlynnong and Umiam Lake. Two nights covers the city and one big day out; three nights lets you add a second.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Shillong, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café₹60–150 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmShared taxi hop in the city₹20–50 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,000 (≈ US$6–12)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person₹600 (≈ US$7)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room₹3,500 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room₹8,000 (≈ US$95)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₹1,500 (≈ US$18) · Mid ₹3,000 (≈ US$35) · High ₹6,000 (≈ US$70)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Hill-station climate and pine hillsPolice Bazar and Iewduh marketDon Bosco MuseumGateway to Cherrapunji and Mawlynnong
Airports
SHL Shillong Airport (Umroi) (About 40 km from the city; limited flights, mainly from Kolkata on some days. Check the schedule.) · GAU Guwahati (Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi) (The practical gateway, about 100 km and 3–4 h by road; shared SUVs and buses run from Paltan Bazar.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Shillong: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

16°C

4°C

2 rd

Feb

18°C

6°C

3 rd

Mar

22°C

10°C

5 rd

Apr

24°C

13°C

10 rd

May

24°C

15°C

16 rd

Jun

24°C

17°C

22 rd

Jul

24°C

18°C

24 rd

Aug

24°C

18°C

22 rd

Sep

24°C

17°C

18 rd

Oct

22°C

14°C

9 rd

Nov

19°C

9°C

3 rd

Dec

17°C

5°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable: Police Bazar to Ward's Lake is about 15 min on foot. Maroon city buses (SPTS) and black-and-yellow shared taxis cover the rest; shared taxi hops cost roughly ₹20–50. For sightseeing, hire a taxi by the day and fix the fare before you set off — unmetered taxis do not use the meter.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Cherrapunji (Sohra)

go

Door to door: About 4–5 h

Taxi or shared vehicle from Police Bazar, about 2 h each way on hill roads

Waterfalls and caves; go in or just after the monsoon for full flow. A full day.

Mawlynnong

overnight

Door to door: About 6 h

Taxi from Shillong, about 2.5–3 h each way

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep one night and see the living root bridge at Riwai.

Umiam Lake (Barapani)

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Shared taxi or bus north on the Guwahati road, about 30–40 min

Man-made lake with a water-sports complex and Lum Nehru park; good half-day.

Elephant Falls

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Taxi toward Upper Shillong, about 30 min

A short stop on the way to Shillong Peak; steps down to the lower falls.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Police Bazar

City centre: buses, shared taxis, shops and most restaurants within walking distance. Best for a short stay without a car.

Laitumkhrah

Quieter, near the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians; cafés and guesthouses, 10–15 min by shared taxi from Police Bazar.

MG Road / Laban

Central and close to Ward's Lake; a mix of hotels and guesthouses.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₹1,500–2,500 (≈ US$18–30) excl. bed
Mid
₹2,500–5,000 (≈ US$30–60) excl. bed
High
₹5,000 (≈ US$60)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 2 nights × ₹3,500₹7,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ₹3,000₹12,000
Shared SUV Guwahati → Shillong, one way2 × ₹400 · check₹800
Full-day taxi for Cherrapunji1 × ₹3,000 · check; fix the fare first₹3,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₹800₹1,600
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₹2,440
Trip total≈ ₹6,710 per person per day, bed included₹26,840≈ US$350

2026 estimate in rupees; flights and long-distance taxis excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Momos (steamed dumplings)₹60–150 (≈ US$1–2)
Thali or rice meal in a local eatery₹100–250 (≈ US$2–3)
Coffee or tea in a café₹60–150 (≈ US$1–2)
Shared taxi hop in the city₹20–50 (≈ under US$1)
Full-day taxi for sightseeingFix the fare before travel (check).₹2,500–3,500 (≈ US$30–40)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,000 (≈ US$6–12)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Shillong is generally safe for tourists, including solo women, and the city is calm by Indian big-city standards. The real risks are monsoon landslides and rough hill roads, slippery waterfall viewpoints, and unmetered taxis — agree the fare before you ride.
  • Roads outside the city are rough and slow in the rain; allow more time than the map suggests.
  • Shared taxis pick up more passengers en route — that is normal, not a scam.
  • Shillong Peak is an Indian Air Force area: declare cameras at the viewpoint and do not photograph radar facilities.
  • Sweet Falls has no barricades and slippery rocks; stay back from the edge.
  • The Guwahati–Shillong helicopter service has been suspended for maintenance at times — check before relying on it.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Police
100
Ambulance
108

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ShillongShillong

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Is pate par le chaliyeTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies112
  • Police100
  • Ambulance108

Embassy

No embassies in Shillong; the US, UK and most others have embassies or high commissions in New Delhi, with consulates in Kolkata and Guwahati for some countries (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Shared SUV Guwahati → Shillong: about ₹300–500 (≈ US$4–6), about 3 h (check)
  • Bus Guwahati → Shillong: ₹30–100 (≈ US$1–2) by class, about 4 h (check)
  • Shared taxi in the city: ₹20–50 (≈ under US$1)
  • Full-day taxi for Cherrapunji: about ₹3,000 (≈ US$35), fix first (check)

Say or show

  • Namaste — Hello / Namaste (nuh-mus-tay)
  • Shukriya / Dhanyabad — Thank you (shook-ree-yaa)
  • Kitna hai? — How much is it? (kit-naa hai)
  • Is pate par le chaliye — Please take me to this address (is pa-tay par lay cha-li-yay)
  • Toilet kahan hai? — Where is the toilet? (toy-let ka-haan hai)
  • Mujhe nahi chahiye — I don't want it (moo-jhay nuh-hee chaa-hi-yay)

Shillong is a state capital; carry small rupee notes for shared taxis and markets.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Shillong. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Sep–Nov and Mar–May; the monsoon (Jun–Aug) fills the waterfalls but soaks everything · avoid Jun–Aug for sightseeing (heavy rain, slippery falls); Dec–Feb nights are cold · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for SHL and GAU: last shared-taxi departures from Paltan Bazar, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Police Bazar, Laitumkhrah, Ward's Lake and MG Road, Upper Shillong falls.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Don Bosco Museum, Ward's Lake, Elephant Falls, Shillong Peak) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Monsoon and landslide fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to India

Sources