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Book your seat on the Meghalaya Backpacking Trip. Batches leave every week, groups are small, and some dates are already full. Pick your batch and reserve now.
The Meghalaya Backpacking Trip by The Travel Story is a 5 night, 6 day group tour from Guwahati to Guwahati. It covers Shillong, Cherrapunji, the double decker living root bridge trek at Nongriat, Mawlynnong and Dawki. Prices start at ₹18,999 plus 5% GST on triple sharing.
You land at Guwahati airport, meet your trip captain and ride in one shared Tempo Traveller with travellers aged 18 to 35. You walk around 3,500 steps down to the Nongriat living root bridges, swim at the beautiful Phe Phe Falls, and take a boat ride on the Umngot river at Dawki. You are back at Guwahati airport by about 3 PM on Day 6.
Included:
- 5 nights of stay: 2 in Shillong, 2 in Cherrapunji and 1 at Shnongpdeng
- 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
- Guwahati airport pickup and drop
- A trip captain for all 6 days
- Driver charges, tolls and parking
- 30 minutes of shared boating at Dawki
- A medical kit on the trip
More days or a different season?
- Add Kaziranga on the Meghalaya Kaziranga Expedition, a 6 night, 7 day trip.
- Travelling over New Year? See the Meghalaya Backpacking NY Special.
- Want full waterfalls? See the Monsoon Meghalaya trip.
- Not sure when to go? Read the best time to visit Meghalaya.
Itinerary
Land at Guwahati airport before 12 noon and join the 12:30 PM departure. Stop at Umiam Lake on the way. In the evening, walk around Police Bazaar in Shillong. Stay in Shillong.
Visit Elephant Falls, Dympep Valley and the Garden of Caves, and see Nohkalikai Falls around dusk. Stay in Cherrapunji.
Start at Tyrna village and walk about 3,500 steps down to Nongriat and the double decker root bridge. Also see Rainbow Falls and Seven Sister Falls. Stay in Cherrapunji.
Visit Arwah Caves, the India Bangladesh border viewpoint and Mawlynnong village. Drive on to Dawki and Shnongpdeng. About 90 km, 3 to 4 hours. Stay at Shnongpdeng.
Take the 30 minute shared boat ride on the Umngot river, with 4 people per boat, then swim at Phe Phe Falls. Drive to Shillong. Stay in Shillong.
Leave around 9 AM and stop at Laitlum Canyon. Reach Guwahati airport around 3 PM. Book onward flights after 5 PM.
Other Info
- Trip: Meghalaya Backpacking, 5 nights and 6 days
- Operator: The Travel Story (Travel Story Ventures Private Limited), Delhi
- Route: Guwahati, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Nongriat, Mawlynnong, Dawki, Shillong, Guwahati
- Start and end: Guwahati airport
- Age: 18 to 35
- Group size: 12 to 16 travellers per batch
- Vehicle: Shared Tempo Traveller
- Meals: 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
- Departures: Weekly batches from October to March.
- Delhi: about 2.5 hours
- Kolkata: about 1.25 hours
- Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad: about 3 to 3.5 hours
- October to December: Dry, clear skies and the clearest Umngot river. Best for trekking and photos.
- December to February: Cold. Nights in Shillong can fall to about 4 °C, so pack warm.
- March to April: Warmer, with a few showers.
- May to September: Monsoon. Waterfalls run full, but the river is muddier and landslides are possible. See the Monsoon Meghalaya trip for how we run these months.
- You stay in hotels and homestays: 2 nights in Shillong, 2 in Cherrapunji and 1 at Shnongpdeng.
- Rooms are shared on triple or double sharing. Solo travellers share with someone of the same gender and age group remains 18-35.
- Your trip captain stays with the group for all 6 days.
- A medical kit travels with the group.
- Trekking shoes with good grip
- A light rain jacket
- Quick dry clothes and a warm layer for winter
- A waterproof pouch for your phone
- A power bank and a water bottle
- Swimwear for Phe Phe Falls
- Your own medicines
Trip at a glance
What does a 5 or 6 day Meghalaya trip cost?
Prices are ₹18,999 on triple sharing and ₹20,999 on double sharing, plus 5% GST per person. Solo travellers are matched with a roommate. Budget extra for lunches, drinks, camera fees at the root bridge (₹20 to ₹50 per person), the local trek guide and personal spends. Flights are not included.
Is 5 days enough for Meghalaya?
Yes, for the main circuit of Shillong, Cherrapunji, Nongriat and Dawki.If you are looking for 6 Night 7 days trip you can opt for Meghalaya with Kaziranga.
How do I reach Guwahati from my city?
Fly into Guwahati airport (GAU). Approximate flight times:
Shillong is about 100 km from Guwahati. Umroi airport near Shillong has limited flights, and Guwahati railway station is about 96 km from Shillong.
Arrival and return timing
Land before 12 noon on Day 1 for the 12:30 PM departure. On Day 6, book your return flight after 5 PM.
Best time for a Meghalaya group tour
Stays, rooming and the trip captain
How hard is the Nongriat root bridge trek?
It is moderate. You walk about 3,500 steps down to Nongriat and the same back up, 6 km in total, in 4 to 6 hours. Wear shoes with good grip. You need basic fitness. Signal weakens near Nongriat.
Dawki and the Umngot river
The Umngot is clearest from October to April. From August to early October it runs muddier, but the waterfalls are fuller. The boat ride is 30 minutes and shared by 4 people.
Is Meghalaya safe for solo and women travellers?
Yes, with normal precautions. You travel with a trip captain, a driver and a group, and roommates are matched by gender. Avoid night travel on your own in hill areas.
Permits and ID
As per our page, no Inner Line Permit is needed for Indian nationals. Rules can change, so confirm before you travel. Carry a government photo ID. PAN cards are often not accepted at hotels.
Network and cash
BSNL and Airtel work in most places. Signal drops near Nongriat. Carry some cash for small shops and the root bridge camera fee.
What to pack
Food and vegetarian options
Meals are local and simple. Vegetarian food is available, but choices can be limited in smaller places. Tell your trip captain on Day 1.
What happens after you book
After booking the trip you will receive the Booking ID that can be shared with the team for confirmation. You will be assigned with the destination expert who can answer all your other queries regarding the trip. 1 week before the trip you will be added in the WhatsApp group with other co-travellers. the group will receive the updates regarding the trip and pickup timings from the airport and other important information about the trip. Virtual briefing will be held 2-3 days before the trip starts to clear the doubts of each and every traveller.
- 5 nights hotel: 2 in Shillong, 2 in Cherrapunji, 1 at Shnongpdeng (Dawki)
- 5 breakfasts (Day 2 to 6), 5 dinners (Day 1 to 5)
- 30 minutes of boating at Dawki, shared 4 to a boat
- Trip captain for all 6 days
- Driver charges, toll and parking
- Guwahati airport pickup and drop
- Medical kit carried through the trip
- Food and drinks outside the fixed meal plan, alcohol, bottled water, highway meals
- Personal spends: driver tips, monument entry tickets, camera fees at sites like the root bridge (₹20 to ₹50 per person, paid on the spot), rafting, laundry, phone bills
- Costs from landslides or roadblocks, payable on the spot
- 5% GST, added separately
No Refund shall be made with respect to the initial booking amount for any cancellations. However,
- If cancellations are made 30 days before the start date of the trip, 50% of the trip cost will be charged as cancellation fees.
- If cancellations are made 15-30 days before the start date of the trip, 75% of the trip cost will be charged as cancellation fees.
- If cancellations are made within 0-15 days before the start date of the trip, 100% of the trip cost will be charged as cancellation fees.
- In the case of unforeseen weather conditions or government restrictions, certain activities may be cancelled and in such cases, the operator will try his best to provide an alternate feasible activity. However, no refund will be provided for the same.
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Testimonials
Bandita Shee
It was my first ever trip with strangers, and I was scared, being a young girl, of how it would be. But I wanted to explore and enjoy. Those people I met and those memories, I will cherish forever. Arvind, our group captain, did his job very well. Hotels and homestays were good, and I enjoyed the food too.
Meghalaya Backpacking
29 November, 2025
Deepa Makwana
My first big trip was with TTS Meghalaya. Our captain Arbind was very helpful, since this was my first time going on treks. He was patient, motivated us throughout, and made us feel comfortable and safe. Our stays were comfortable, and the food was tasty even though the vegetarian options were limited, the captain always found good vegetarian food for us.
Meghalaya Backpacking
22 August, 2025
Saif Thobani
I recently went for the Meghalaya backpacking trip with Travel Story for 13 to 18 September 2025. Our captain Arbind was very hospitable and kind and ensured we all had a great experience. I'm looking forward to their other packages as well, Kashmir, Ladakh and Vietnam, in the months to come.
Meghalaya Backpacking
13 September, 2025
Keerthi Rani
It was such wonderful experience traveling to meghalaya with travel story.. Captions arranged everything so perfectly and they handled all situations so clam and composed, Each of us felt safe and secure all the time and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip
Meghalaya Backpacking
17 October, 2025
