6 days, 5 nights ยท Shillong, Cherrapunji, Kaziranga
Six-day Northeast tour package: Meghalaya's waterfalls and Kaziranga's rhinos
The Northeast is the part of India that most visitors never reach, and Guwahati is the door to it. Six days takes the two things within easy reach of that door: the Khasi hills of Meghalaya, where Cherrapunji records some of the heaviest rainfall on earth and the living root bridges are grown rather than built, and Kaziranga, which holds about two-thirds of the world's greater one-horned rhinos.
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The region
What makes the Northeast different
The Northeast is connected to the rest of India by a corridor about 22 kilometres wide, and it feels like it. The hill states have their own languages, largely Christian populations in Meghalaya and Nagaland, matrilineal inheritance among the Khasi, and a food culture with almost nothing in common with the plains. For a traveller who has done Rajasthan and Kerala, this is the part of the country that will feel genuinely unfamiliar.
Guwahati on the Brahmaputra is the practical base — it has the region's main airport and it is one of our own cities, so the chauffeur and vehicle are local rather than positioned. From there Shillong is about 100 kilometres south into the Khasi hills and Kaziranga about 195 kilometres east along the river. The city guides cover the Guwahati end.
Six days is the minimum that does both without a day being lost to backtracking. The distances are not large but the hill roads in Meghalaya are slow, and Kaziranga's safaris run at fixed early slots that have to be planned around rather than fitted in.
The three places
What each one holds
A capital, a rain-soaked plateau and a floodplain grassland.
Shillong
Meghalaya's capital at about 1,500 metres, once called the Scotland of the East. Ward's Lake, the Don Bosco museum of tribal cultures, Elephant Falls and a live-music culture that is unlike anywhere else in India.
Cherrapunji and Sohra
About 55 km south of Shillong on a plateau that drops sheer into Bangladesh. Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters falls, limestone caves, and the living root bridges at Nongriat — footbridges grown over decades from the roots of rubber figs.
Kaziranga
A UNESCO site on the Brahmaputra floodplain holding about two-thirds of the world's greater one-horned rhinos, plus wild buffalo, swamp deer, elephants and tigers. Jeep and elephant-back safaris run in fixed morning and afternoon slots.
The root bridges
What reaching them actually involves
The living root bridges are the image that sells Meghalaya, and the photographs rarely mention the staircase. The double-decker bridge at Nongriat is reached by a descent of roughly 3,000 steps from Tyrna village, and the climb back out is the hard part — two to three hours of continuous ascent for most people, in humidity. It is a genuine trek, not a walk, and it is not suitable for everyone.
The alternative, and the one the desk suggests for most parties, is the single root bridge at Mawlynnong or the one near Riwai, both of which are a few minutes from the road and need no descent at all. They are smaller and less dramatic but they are the same phenomenon, and they leave the day intact.
If Nongriat is the reason you are coming, say so at booking: the day needs to start early, the chauffeur waits at Tyrna for five to seven hours, and an overnight in the village below is worth considering rather than doing the descent and ascent in one push. We would rather set that out in advance than have it discovered at the top of the steps.
Kaziranga
How the safaris work, and when the park is open
Kaziranga is closed to visitors for the monsoon, roughly mid-May to the end of October, because the Brahmaputra floods a large part of it. The season runs from about November to April, and February and March are the best months — dry, with the grass cut back and animals easily visible.
Safaris run in fixed slots. Jeep safaris go early morning and mid-afternoon in four ranges, of which the Central range at Kohora is the most reliable for rhino; elephant-back safaris run at dawn only and have very limited capacity. Both are booked through the forest department and both sell out in season, so they are arranged in advance rather than on arrival.
The chauffeur drives you to the range gate and waits; safari vehicles are the park's own and private cars are not permitted inside. Rhino sightings are close to certain in the Central range in season; tigers are present in good numbers but seen far less often. The desk books the slots with the itinerary rather than leaving them to chance.
Booking
How to book the six-day circuit
Book the transport direct on the booking page, fare fixed before payment. Say at booking whether you intend to do the Nongriat descent, and whether you want an elephant-back safari — both need the day built around them. For hotels, park permits and safari slots, ask through the contact page. Cancellation is free beyond 72 hours, then 10%, 50% and 100%.
Day by day
The six-day itinerary, leg by leg
Meghalaya's hill roads are slow and Kaziranga's safaris run at fixed dawn and afternoon slots, so this circuit is built around times rather than distances.
| Day | Where | What the day covers | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Guwahati to Shillong | Met at Guwahati and south into the Khasi hills, past the Umiam lake. Into Shillong for Ward's Lake and the evening. | Guwahati-Shillong ~100 km, 3 hrs |
| Day 2 | Shillong to Cherrapunji | The Don Bosco museum in the morning, then south to the plateau. Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters falls, and the Mawsmai caves. | Shillong-Cherrapunji ~55 km, 1.5 hrs |
| Day 3 | The root bridges | Either the Nongriat descent for the double-decker bridge — an early start and a long day — or the roadside bridges at Riwai with Mawlynnong village and the Dawki river. | Tyrna ~12 km from Cherrapunji; Mawlynnong ~80 km |
| Day 4 | Cherrapunji to Kaziranga | North out of the hills, back through Guwahati and east along the Brahmaputra. Into Kaziranga in the evening. | Cherrapunji-Kaziranga ~290 km, 7 hrs |
| Day 5 | Kaziranga | A dawn safari in the Central range for rhino, then a second jeep safari in the afternoon in Western or Eastern range. | Range gates 5-20 km from the lodges |
| Day 6 | Kaziranga to Guwahati | A last early safari if the flight allows, then west along the river to Guwahati, with Kamakhya temple on the way if there is time. | Kaziranga-Guwahati ~195 km, 4.5 hrs |
What it costs
The 6-day Northeast circuit: two ways to buy it
Six charter days at the published rate, for the car rather than per person. Park entry, safari vehicles and guides are forest-department charges billed at cost; private cars are not permitted inside Kaziranga.
Transport package — firm, published
Every kilometre of the 6-day circuit in a private chauffeured car: the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, and the driver's meals and accommodation on the road. Priced at the published charter-day rate × 6 days, the same figure as the rates page.
From $13,500 - $16,200 per car for the whole circuit
On the international card · Luxury SUV · GST extra · tolls, parking and state entry taxes at cost
All-inclusive — stays, meals and entries
The same itinerary with hotels, breakfasts, monument entries and a licensed guide arranged for you. Because we contract stays per departure date and per hotel category, this tier is quoted on request rather than published — we will not print a per-person figure we cannot hold.
Send the dates and the hotel category you want (3-star, 4-star, heritage or palace) through the contact page and the desk returns a written quote, itemised, within one working day.
| Vehicle class | Cars | Per charter day 10 hours / 300 km | 6-day circuit International card, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury SUV 5 passengers, 4 bags |
Toyota Fortuner, Land Cruiser & Mercedes-Benz GLS | $2,250 - $2,700 | $13,500 - $16,200 |
| Premium MPV 6 passengers, 5 bags |
Toyota Innova Hycross & Kia Carnival | $1,950 - $2,340 | $11,700 - $14,040 |
| Executive sedan 3 passengers, 2 bags |
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & BMW 5 Series | $1,700 - $2,040 | $10,200 - $12,240 |
| Group van 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Force Urbania & Tempo Traveller (executive) | $3,200 - $3,840 | $19,200 - $23,040 |
What the transport package includes
- A private, air-conditioned vehicle of the class you book, held for the whole circuit — the same car from the first pickup to the last drop, never shared and never re-assigned.
- One professional chauffeur for the whole circuit, holding a commercial licence and a state transport badge, police-verified and background-checked, in uniform and speaking English and Hindi.
- Fuel, the chauffeur's own meals and accommodation on every outstation night, and the vehicle's permits, fitness certificate and insurance.
- All airport, railway-station and hotel transfers inside the itinerary, with the flight tracked on the arrival leg and 60 minutes of waiting included after landing.
- A named coordinator at the desk for the whole trip, reachable on one number, who holds the run sheet and moves a leg when a day runs long.
- A written confirmation before departure carrying the chauffeur's name and licence number and the vehicle registration, so a security office or a hotel can check it against the operator record.
What it does not include
- Hotels, meals and anything consumed off the road — those are the all-inclusive tier, quoted on request rather than published.
- Monument and museum entry fees, which differ for Indian, SAARC and foreign visitors and change by notification; the desk quotes the current figures with the itinerary.
- Licensed local guides, which we arrange city by city on request and bill at cost.
- Tolls, parking and state entry taxes, charged at cost against receipts rather than estimated into the fare.
- Air and rail tickets into and out of the circuit, which the travel desk books separately.
- GST, added to every figure at the applicable rate, and any night allowance where a leg runs between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Airport transfers include 60 minutes of waiting after landing and meet-and-greet at the arrivals exit.
- The charter day (10 hours, 300 km) includes fuel and the chauffeur's meals and accommodation on outstation nights.
- Night driving between 10 pm and 6 am carries the night allowance per night; a second chauffeur is added on days over 12 hours.
- Tolls, parking, state entry taxes and permits are charged at cost against receipts; monument and guide fees through the travel desk are itemised.
- No gratuity is expected. GST is shown separately on every invoice. Cancellation terms are on the cancellation policy page.
- Vintage cars and stretch limousines are quoted per event.
- GST at 5% on chauffeured hire (18% where input credit is claimed) is added to every figure. The full international card is on the rates page; the charter builder prices a circuit of any length live, and the booking page takes the payment direct.
- Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before the first pickup, then 10% inside 72 hours, 50% inside 48 hours and the full first day inside 24 hours or for a no-show — the schedule on the cancellation policy page.
Questions
The 6-day Northeast circuit: frequently asked
When is Kaziranga open?
Roughly November to April. The park closes for the monsoon from about mid-May to the end of October because the Brahmaputra floods it. February and March are the best months.
How hard is the walk to the double-decker root bridge?
It is about 3,000 steps down to Nongriat and the same back up — two to three hours of continuous climbing in humidity. It is a trek, not a walk. Roadside root bridges at Riwai and Mawlynnong need no descent at all.
Will we see a rhino?
In the Central range in season, close to certain — Kaziranga holds about two-thirds of the world population. Tigers are present in good numbers but seen far less often.
Can our car go into the park?
No. Safaris use the forest department's own jeeps or elephants at fixed slots, booked in advance. The chauffeur drives to the range gate and waits.
Is the Northeast difficult to travel in?
Not on this circuit. Guwahati has good air links, the roads to Shillong and Kaziranga are reasonable, and no permits are needed for Meghalaya or Assam. Other northeastern states do have permit regimes.
How wet is Cherrapunji?
It records some of the highest rainfall on earth, almost all of it between May and September. In the November to April season it is comfortable, and the falls still run from the plateau.
Same circuit, other lengths
The The Northeast: Meghalaya and Assam in a different number of days
On the route
Chauffeur service in the cities this circuit runs through
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Book
Book the six-day Northeast circuit direct
Six charter days price live by vehicle class, fare fixed before payment. Safari slots and the Nongriat day need building in at booking.
Weddings, film units, multi-day chauffeur hire, outstation journeys and anything with more than one vehicle are quoted by a person: call (877) 860-3388 or send the outline and a coordinator replies with a written quote.
Offers through BookingWorldwide.net
Hotels and flights for this itinerary, through BookingWorldwide.net
The stays along this route are on BookingWorldwide.net; reserve them there or ask our desk for the all-inclusive quote, and the chauffeured legs are lined up against whichever you choose.
Flight + hotel packages
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Kerala bundles for festival weeks, school holidays and long weekends, with the airport transfer added to the same itinerary.
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Delhi, Agra and Jaipur hotels on one booking, and the RUTZ.IN chauffeur for the whole circuit quoted beside it.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Palace and heritage hotels
Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Hyderabad palace hotels, chosen with the transfer distance from the airport in mind.
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Beach and backwater resorts for the weeks a chauffeur is only needed at each end of the stay, with Dabolim, Mopa or Cochin airport pickups timed to the flight.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Hill-station stays
Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Ooty, Munnar and Coorg hotels, with the SUV from the gateway airport quoted on the same plan.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Wildlife and safari lodges
Ranthambore, Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Periyar and Bandhavgarh lodges and safari permits reserved before the car is dispatched.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Tickets and experiences
Taj Mahal entry, Kerala houseboats, Jaipur hot-air balloons, city walks and festival tickets reserved ahead so the chauffeured day runs to the plan.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →International flights
Fares into every airport on the airports page, so the car is timed to a confirmed arrival rather than an estimate.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Self-drive car rental
For the middle days of a trip, returned to the airport where the RUTZ.IN chauffeur collects you again.
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See also, and where the facts come from
On RUTZ.IN: India tour packages · 7-day Northeast tour · Cities · 5-day Darjeeling Sikkim tour · Charter · Rates · Tourists.
Official references used on this page:
- Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India Official destination guides and tourist statistics.
- India Meteorological Department Forecasts and monsoon warnings we check before hill and coastal journeys.
- National Highways Authority of India Expressway and toll information for the intercity routes we drive.
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Motor Vehicles Act rules for commercial permits, licences and passenger carriage.