Shillong Itinerary: Cherry Blossoms, Misty Mountains, Living Root Bridge

Have you heard of the ‘Cherry Blossom Music Festival’ in Shillong? I went to attend this festival in mid-November and added several tourist attractions in Shillong on my itinerary. Shillong, also known as the ‘Scotland of the East’ is the capital of Meghalaya. This hill station is a popular destination in the North east and is known for waterfalls, lakes, misty mountains, lush greenery, and gorgeous vistas.

This 4 day itinerary for Shillong is quite relaxed. It combines some of the known attractions in the city with a day trip to a Living Root Bridge. Many travelers do a combined Meghalaya and Assam itinerary in the Northeast Region. We had separately covered 7 days on an Assam trip much earlier. It is easy to combine the trip to the 2 states because we flew down to Guwahati in Assam even for our Shillong trip. Guwahati has better connectivity to other Indian cities as opposed to Shillong’s own airport.

Disclaimer: This helpful post contains some affiliate links. If you click on any of the links in this post (AND make a purchase) I may receive a small commission at absolutely no cost to you. As such I thank you in advance should you decide to click & buy.

Best time to visit Shillong

The best time to visit Shillong is from the months of October to April. We went in mid-November and the weather was perfect. Winter and spring months experience pleasant weather with mild temperatures, making it ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Monsoons, from June to September, should be avoided due to heavy rainfall in Meghalaya.

We had rented a car not just for airport pick-up and drop, but also to go around the city for our trip. It turned out to be a great decision.

Day 1 of Shillong Itinerary

Our first day turned out to be a long travel day. First, a flight from Delhi to Guwahati. Then a road trip from Guwahati airport to reach our hotel in Shillong city. We had only the evening for some local sightseeing in the city. So we quickly checked into the Marriott city hotel and promptly left for Ward Lake.

Ward Lake

The cherry blossom season in Shillong is short – from late October until mid-November. One of the best spots in the city to see these tress bloom is the scenic Ward lake.

Wards Lake is a picturesque spot situated in the center of Shillong and is regarded as one of the best places to visit in Shillong for families. Surrounded by lush gardens, this tranquil lake is a perfect retreat for people of all ages. Many people were trying pedal boating here when we visited the park. There was a local festival going on and some pop-up stores for books, artisanal food products were open.

If you are fond of green spots, Lady Hydari Park is another popular Shillong tourist spot to visit. This is a well maintained and beautiful park in Shillong.

Day 2: Trip to Mawlynnong Village

Living Root Bridge

No Meghalaya itinerary is complete without a visit to a Living Root Bridge. While the most famous one is in Cherrapunjee, that bridge is accessible only via a difficult trek and makes for an impossibly long day trip. Instead, we chose to visit the Living Root Bridge in Mawlynnong. This village is at a distance of 78 km from Shillong, but takes almost 3 hours to reach. Add a brunch stop in the morning. The long road trip is quite scenic though.

Living Root Bridges, made of intertwined roots , have been built for centuries by the indigenous people of the land. They have also been used by these people to cross the overflowing rivers during the monsoon season. 

Mawlynnong village was awarded the title of the Cleanest Village of Asia in the year 2005. The Living Root Bridge here, located approximately 3 kilometres before Mawlynnong, does not disappoint! We went up a flight of steep stairs which is not all level, so make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. The area is really pretty with a stream flowing underneath the bridge.

Dawki 

Umngot River located at Dawki, is one of the cleanest rivers in Asia with crystal clear water. This is among the top attraction tourist spots in Meghalaya. Alas, we had spent much more time than expected to reach Mawlynnong and then to explore the bridge. It was a 1 hour drive from there to Dawki, so this would have been a further 3 hour excursion to go and come back, including the hour on a boat exploring the lake.

We needed to get back to Shillong to go to the first day of Cherry Blossom Music festival and decided to not visit Dawki. But it is highly recommended, so don’t miss this tourist attraction in Meghalaya. 

Other day trips from Shillong

The Double Decker Living Root Bridge is one of its kind among living root bridges in Meghalaya. It is located in Nongriat, few kilometers away from Cherrapunjee. But this is best done on an overnight trip to Cherrapunjee. Other short day trips from Shillong you can take are to Laitlum Canyons and Mawphlang Sacred Grove Forest. 

Day 3: More Tourist Attractions in Shillong

After the long day trip to Mawlynnong village, we wanted to have an easy day today. Plus we had the disappointment with the music festival getting cancelled last evening due to heavy rains. We had shifted outside of Shillong main city to a state-run hotel on the banks of Umiam Lake (to be closer to the music festival venue).

It was a cloudy and misty morning after heavy rains through the night. We decided to visit couple of famous tourist attractions in Shillong.

Shillong Peak

This is the highest peak in Shillong located on the road leading towards 7th mile. In order to reach there one has to take a left turn from the main road of 5th mile Shillong.

This peak is very beautiful and it provides a bird’s eye view of Shillong City. But on this misty morning, the view of the city was blocked by clouds all over the sky. It started drizzling a bit and we didn’t stay here for long.

Elephant Falls

We next visited the famous Elephant Falls. Meghalaya has several beautiful waterfalls, but many can be accessed only via treks. Elephant Falls is beautiful, yet accessible, it is located not too far from Shillong Peak.

The falls are named after the shape and size of the surrounding rocks. The water flows on all sides of the rock to dwindle in drops of water in little streams. We bought tickets and climbed all the way down. It was drizzling lightly but that only added to the beauty of the area.

Lunch at Ri Kynjai

The state-run hotel we had checked in did not have good food options. So we decided to visit the luxury Ri Kynjai Hotel for lunch. Pristine views of Umiam lake assured with good food. We hadn’t managed to get a room here, it was sold out for our travel dates. It reminded me of our stay at Diphlu River Lodge in Kaziranga, a couple of years earlier.

First Day of Cherry Blossom Music Festival

Thankfully, the weather held up today evening. After the wash-out yesterday, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the festival arrangement was quite good to accommodate 1 lakh visitors to the open ground.  We had a fun evening enjoying music from different local bands.

Day 4 of Itinerary for Shillong

Umiam Lake

This was the last day of our Shillong itinerary. We kept it easy visiting the Umiam Lake next to our hotel. 

This is a manmade reservoir and one of the popular places to visit in Shillong. The lake is an important source of drinking water for the city. It is located 20 km away from the main city of Shillong, but was next to our hotel. The lake is a perfect spot for leisure and rejuvenation. 

Canopy Walk

But even more than the lake and the boating, we enjoyed the canopy walk. I am surprised why this walkway is not advertised more. This elevated pathway takes you through some of the forest areas near the lake. It is pristine, uncrowded, and amazing.

Lunch again at Ri Kynjai. (yes, I couldn’t stand the food at Orchid Lake Resort where we were staying!) And finally the 2^nd night and finale at the Music Fest. 

The next morning was the flight back home from Shillong airport.

Other popular places to visit in Shillong

There are many other venues for local sightseeing in Shillong, that we had given a miss. The Shillong Air Force Museum is one of the popular places to visit in Shillong with kids. It is an educational experience of India’s aviation heritage. There is also the Don Bosco Museum for cultural insights.

Police Bazar is famous for shopping among other tourist spots in Shillong. It is located in the heart of Shillong, it is a crowded shopping area for all kinds of goods, such as Groceries, Fancy Items, Clothes, Shoes, Mobiles, Local Handicrafts and more.

We also tried a few cafes in Shillong for evening coffee and meals. Dylan’s Cafe was my favourite for its cool vibes and decent food. The Bob Dylan theme here is quite striking. The food at Cafe Shillong was noteworthy as well.

Conclusion: Shillong Itinerary for 4 days

We had a relaxed time in 4 days with Shillong local sightseeing and the music festival. Without the festival, our itinerary for Shillong would be done in 3 days. You can easily spend 3-4 days in lovely cosmopolitan city, there are many attractions within the city plus exciting day trips to take.

________________________________________

Pin it for later!

________________________________________

What is your favourite place in North-East India? Share with us in the comments below.

Subscribe to Zest In A Tote Digest, my monthly newsletter, for travel tips and inspiration.

Join me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook as I share my travel experiences.