How to get from Guwahati to Shillong and Cherrapunjee
A quick guide on how to get from Guwahati to Shillong and Cherrapunjee by public transport. All you need to know to travel the region cheaply.
Although Guwahati, the state capital of Assam, has a big Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT), there were no buses from there to Shillong, the state capital of neighboring Meghalaya.
To save people from the same frustration we faced, here’s a quick guide on how to get from Guwahati to Shillong and Cherrapunjee by public transportation.
How to get from Guwahati to Shillong
Although both our Lonely Planet and the Meghalaya Tourism website state that regular buses to Shillong leave from the Inter State Bus Terminal, there were no buses to Shillong when we arrived there. Apparently, there are two private buses, one at 6:00 and one at 17:00, but these times are terrible. If you want to travel from Guwahati to Shillong outside of those times, you have to travel by Sumo.
Our shared Sumo at a snack stop
Sumos are basically shared Jeep taxis. They’re the most common form of travel between cities and villages in the northeast. Sumos for Shillong leave from Khanapara bus stand. To get there, jump on a bus leaving from G.S. Road near the train station. Most buses going from here, driving away from the train station, will pass here. Just ask the hawker. A ticket to Khanapara is 10 Rs. per person.
At Khanapara, you’ll be accosted by plenty of Sumo hawkers. It’s good to walk around a bit, since Sumo’s don’t leave until full. So if you enter an empty Sumo, you might have to wait for a while. Some drivers will try to get you to charter the whole Sumo. Friendly but firmly decline their offer (unless you want to, of course).
Getting from Guwahati to Shillong by shared Sumo costs 170 Rs. per person. In our experience, drivers are honest about the fare, but this being India, be wary of shysters. 170 Rs. is the standard price. It takes 2-3 hours to get from Guwahati to Shillong.
Note: There might be Sumos leaving from Guwahati’s train station to Shillong. From here the price is 10-20 Rs. per person more. If bus services resume, a bus to Shillong from Guwahati should cost 100 – 130 Rs. per person.
How to get from Shillong to Cherrapunjee (Sohra)
From Shillong to Cherranpunjee you’ll have to take another Sumo. There are several Sumo stands in Shillong, making finding the right one a bit tricky. Taxi drivers aren’t helpful, since they’ll just want to drive you to Cherranpunjee themselves.
The Shillong to Cherrapunjee Sumo stand is located on the second floor of a dark parking garage. It’s marked on Google Maps. There will be a written sign saying Sohra (another name for Cherrapunjee) above two parking lots.
A ride from Shillong to Cherrapunjee costs 70 Rs. per person. The first driver wanted to charge us more to put our luggage on the roof of the car—which is BS—so we waited about half an hour for another Sumo to go. Sumos go when full. It takes 1.5-2 hours to get from Shillong to Cherrapunjee.
Not sure about heading to the Northeast? Check out our post on why you need to visit Northeast India!
Cherrapunjee is one of the wettest places in India. Wise visitors (unlike us) bring umbrellas and rain covers for bags.
Staying in Cherrapunjee and visiting Nongriat
Most people visit Cherrapunjee as a jumping-off base for visiting Nongriat and various root bridges. Nongriat is a small Kashi village in the jungle, home to several living root bridges, of which one is a magnificent double-decker. Nongriat can only be visited by walking for about 1.5-2 hours from nearby Tyrna, and the surroundings are absolutely gorgeous. We highly recommend it.
There are several cheap sleeping options in lower Cherrapunjee/Sohra, about 20 minutes walking downhill from the main town. By The Way Hostel charges 250 Rs. per person, and D-Cloud charges 300-350 Rs. per person. Accommodation is simple, and a little overpriced if you’re not alone, but you don’t have many other options. There are a handful of nondescript restaurants on the “main” street near By The Way.
Sunset in Cherrapunjee
To get from Cherrapunjee to Nongriat, you can take an early morning bus from near By the Way, which leaves around 9:30, or a taxi to Tyrna. A taxi should cost 250 Rs., but don’t be surprised if you have to pay 350-400 Rs. The owner of By the Way can give more information on how to get to Tyrna by bus. You can also walk to Tyrna, which will take a couple of hours. From Tyrna, it takes about 1.5-2 hours to reach Nongriat by way of 2,500 steep stairs through the jungle.
The steep walk to Nongriat
There are several basic sleeping options available in Nongriat, of which Serene Guest House is the most well known. It’s best to just show up. Even if they’re full, the owner, Byron, will arrange something for you. Serene charges 300 Rs. per person, and a scrumptious all-you-can-eat dinner is available daily for 130 Rs. per person.
So there you have it, a quick guide on how to get from Guwahati to Shillong and Cherrapunjee. Let us know in the comments if anything changes so we can update the post!
Thanks a Lot, this is very helpful
Glad to hear it! Safe travels to Cherrappunjee.
Thanks a lot ! Wanted to visit cherrapunjee cheapest way 🙂 . How far is sumu stand from main Sohra town ?
Which Sumo stand do you mean? The Sumo stand in Sohra is in the center of town, which is about 20 minutes away from the budget accommodation.
Thanks for your information. I have one query, between cherrapunjee and dawki is there any shared taxi system.
We’re not sure about that, but usually shared taxis go everywhere.
This is extremely helpful! Thankyou!
Most welcome!
Where exactly in Shillong is the Sohra shared taxi stand located and how early do the shared taxi to Sohra start.
The shared taxi stand is in the center of town. Just ask around, and someone will point you in the right direction. We’re not sure what time they start running, probably around 6 or 7 in the morning.
Hii, can you please guide me, whether we can do the Shillong site seeing in one day, and then leave for Cherrapunje in evening? What time will be the last bus or shared sumo from Shillong to Cherrapunje?
Thanks
I’m not sure what time exactly, but I imagine the last shared ride will leave in the late afternoon. Driving during night isn’t so common. But, of course, I recommend taking your time no matter where you go 🙂
Thanks a lot Seabastiaan for this very informative travelogueAsaIndian from Mumbai i am learning travel in my own country from a foreigner as i myself have
travelled to 66 Country’s to date and almost entire India. The North East of India is next on my local Indian travelogue and your simplistic English guide is obe of my guide maps for my solo exploration tour.A Big Thanks from one traveller to another .
Glad this could be of help! Helping out fellow travelers is the main goal of the blog 🙂 Safe travels to the Northeast!
IN shillong sumo car one day rent how much?
is it possible to stay in Guwahati and after sightseeing in Shilong and cherapunji return back to guwahati
With in same day starting from Guwahati towards Shilong and Cherapunji with sightseeing and return back is not possible.
first of all, thanks for this fantastic info. which one has better staying options? tyrna or nongriat? the double bridge is 2500 steps walk from nongriat or from tyrna?
I don’t recall seeing much in the way of places to stay in Tyrna. Nongriat would be a better and more scenic choice.
Whether shared taxi avaliable from Cherrapunji to Shillong nd from Shillong to Guwahati at night.
This is real and valuable informations.Thanks to traveller.
No problem, glad to be of help.
I’ll have to catch a flight on 4th june
So can can I get sumo from cherapunji to guwahati in the evening
I wouldn’t count on evening (after dark) transport in this region.
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Is there any taxi service provided by Meghalaya Tourism for Guwahati airport to Shillong and Shillong to Cherrapunji? How to book the Meghalaya tourism taxi?
Thanks a lot for the information. We will reach Guwahati airport by 4 pm and have return flight at 8:30 pm on next to next day. After reaching guwahati, the same day we are planning to go to shillong and 2 night stay at shillog. Can we cover shillong and cherrapunji in these 2 days and return back on time? Please suggest your plan on this.
How much distance from cherrapunji texi stend to sai mika resort
Hey Sebastiaan,
Your blog is amazing. Well couldn’t ask for a better blog. Even I visited Cherrapunjee from Guwahati. And my experience was amazing. After reading your blog it reminded me of my own experience. Well even though I reside in India still exploring different states in India is what excites me. Cause you’re never get enough of anything. Anyway when I made my visit I rented a cab from PicNtic Travels. Well they provided me affordable cab service and a clean cab, with a very professional driver. When I asked them whether they provide such service pan India and I got the reply I wanted to hear from them and which was ‘Yes’. Well I would recommend you to make use of their services whenever you visit India again.
Cheers!!
Hey Sebastiaan!
Thank you for the information! I am looking for a small suggestion. We are planning a 3 night 4 days trip and I am confused that where should we book the hotels. Should we book an accommodation in Shillong and return at night after a day trip to Cherrapunjee? or should we spend one night in shillong and 2 nights in Cherrapunjee?
Like is there anything to see in and around Shillong or should we spend the night in Cherrapunjee?
Thanks!
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Thank you. Please keep writing such blogs for fellow passengers. Also if you can put some hygienic places to eat that will be great.
Thank you very much Sebastiaan. This information is indeed very helpful 🙂
Keep up the good work.
Any tips on tura , garo hills … any good places to stay and eat ? Are roads fine from guwahati ?