Region
North-Eastern India
Go for 10+ days or skip: seven states, permit paperwork and long hill transfers make a 3-day add-on pointless.
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Key facts · India
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
- Language
- Hindi and English at national level
- Plugs
- C · D · M · 230 V
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30 all year
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.
The Northeast is the Seven Sisters: Assam's Brahmaputra valley and tea, Meghalaya's wet plateaus and caves, Arunachal's Himalayan valleys, and the hill states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. It is not a side trip from Delhi. Flights from Kolkata or Delhi reach Guwahati in about 2 hours, but internal hill roads run 5–10 hours a day, so pick two or three states and give them a week or more. Assam and Tripura need no permit; Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur do, and foreigners face extra registration. Best window is October to April; the monsoon (May–September) brings landslides and washed-out roads.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- ShillongCity guide
Meghalaya base; 3 h from Guwahati; day-trip Cherrapunji and Mawsynram.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Day trip
Also here
- GuwahatiCity guide
Main airport and rail hub; Kamakhya temple, Brahmaputra riverfront.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND - KazirangaGuide: planned
One-horned rhino; jeep and elephant safaris; 4–5 h by road from Guwahati.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 7 nights
- Guwahati 1 + Kaziranga 2 + Shillong/Meghalaya 3 + Guwahati 1
- 12 nights
- Assam 5 (Guwahati, Kaziranga, Jorhat/Majuli) + Meghalaya 4 + Nagaland 3 (Kohima, Hornbill in December)
- Manipur: check your government's travel advisory; curfews and internet shutdowns have occurred.
- Monsoon (May–September) closes hill roads with landslides; build buffer days.
- Driving yourself is not advised on forest and hill routes; hire a car with driver.
- Altitude sickness is possible in Arunachal's higher valleys.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaziranga National Park | Guwahati | 300 min | unknown | Road only; leave early, park gates close by late afternoon. |
| Cherrapunji and Mawsynram | Shillong | 120 min | unknown | Wettest places on earth; waterfalls peak in and after the monsoon. |
| Majuli | Jorhat | check min | unknown | Road transfer to the ferry plus the crossing; check sailing times and river levels. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture here; carry your own bags and pack for hill-road days.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam and Tripura valleysBrahmaputra valley and Tripura plains | best | best | ok | hot | wet | wet | wet | wet | wet | ok | best | best |
| Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur hillsHill states | best | best | ok | ok | wet | wet | wet | wet | wet | ok | best | best |
| Arunachal PradeshEastern Himalaya | cold | cold | ok | ok | wet | wet | wet | wet | wet | ok | ok | cold |
- Assam and Tripura valleys
- Warm and humid; monsoon flooding in the Brahmaputra valley; mild, dry winters.
- Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur hills
- Cooler year-round; heavy rain May–September; Cherrapunji and Mawsynram among the wettest places on earth.
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Tropical valleys, temperate mid-hills, alpine near the Tibetan border with winter snow.
October to April is the dry, clear window; December is Hornbill Festival time in Nagaland and the busiest week for beds.
Getting in and passes
Arrival times and regional passes
Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | Guwahati | flight | check | Most common entry; also direct flights from Delhi. Confirm the current schedule — direct flights run roughly 1.5 hours. |
| Delhi | Guwahati | flight | check | Direct flights exist; confirm the current duration. The rail alternative is 28 h+. |
| Kolkata | Guwahati | train (Saraighat Express) | check | Confirm the current timetable; single, non-electrified tracks in Assam mean delays are normal. |
| Delhi | Guwahati | train (Rajdhani Express) | ~28 h | Book well ahead; slower mail trains take 32–42 h. |
| Kolkata or Siliguri | state capitals | long-distance bus | varies | Regular services; the Siliguri corridor is the land link to the rest of India. |
Regional passes
Inner Line Permit (ILP)
buyRequired for Indian citizens entering Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur; check the current state process and apply before travel.
Protected Area Permit (PAP)
checkForeign nationals need it for Arunachal Pradesh; usually arranged via a registered operator — confirm current rules.
Foreigners Registration Office (FRO)
checkForeign visitors must register on arrival in Manipur, Mizoram or Nagaland; check the current deadline and whether your hotel handles it.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Assam tea and rice meals | Assam: Guwahati, Jorhat, tea estates | Strong malty tea; estate visits and tastings are common. |
| Rice beer (apong, aphung, zutho) | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram markets | Local rice-based drinks; availability varies by area and community. |
| Tribal herb-and-spice dishes | Across the hill states | Local herbs and smoked meats; vegetarian options exist but ask. |
| Conventional Indian menus | Hotels and restaurants in state capitals | North and South Indian food is widely available in towns. |
Go next
Eastern India
plannedvia the Siliguri corridor by rail or road
Kolkata and West Bengal are the land gateway to the Northeast.
Himalayan North
plannedflight or long rail via the plains
Different mountains, different permits; don't chain them in one short trip.
Kolkata
flight ~1 h 15
Usual first or last stop before flying home.
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 2 h to 5 h
- Nights suggested
- 7–12 nights
- Ways in
- 5 listed
- Best months
- No month is best in every zone
Going in…
Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.
Pick a month.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Sources
Ask about North-Eastern India
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