North East India travel guide 2026–27
Plan Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Nagaland and the other states of the North East: permits, best time, routes, how many nights and what our trips cost.
By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 8 min read
Why go
The North East has eight states and some of the greenest country in India. Tea gardens in Assam. Living root bridges in Meghalaya. High monasteries in Arunachal. Hill villages in Nagaland where festivals still follow the farming year.
Roads are slower here and plans need permits. Plan well and you get places with few crowds and a lot of warmth.
The states at a glance
- Assam: Kaziranga for one-horned rhinos, Majuli river island, tea gardens, Kamakhya temple in Guwahati
- Meghalaya: Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki's clear river, Mawlynnong village, root bridges
- Arunachal Pradesh: Tawang monastery, Sela Pass, Dirang, Ziro Valley, Mechuka
- Nagaland: Kohima, Khonoma village, Dzukou Valley, the Hornbill Festival in December
- Manipur: Loktak Lake with floating phumdis, Imphal, the Sangai Festival
- Mizoram: Aizawl, quiet hill roads, Vantawng Falls
- Tripura: Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal water palace, Unakoti rock carvings
- Sikkim: covered in our separate Sikkim and Darjeeling guide
When to go
October to April is the main season for most of the region. Skies clear after the monsoon, views open up and roads are in their best shape.
October and November bring the best mountain views in Arunachal and the clearest weather in Meghalaya.
December to February gets cold. Tawang and Sela Pass see snow, and Sela sometimes closes for a day or two. Kaziranga is at its best for safaris.
March and April bring rhododendrons in Arunachal and warm days.
June to September is the monsoon. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receive some of the highest rainfall on earth. Waterfalls are at their fullest, but landslides close roads. Kaziranga closes to safaris from May or June to October.
Month by month
| Month | Average temperature | Our trips that month |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C to 23°C | 27 of 38 packages |
| February | 12°C to 25°C | 27 of 38 packages |
| March | 16°C to 28°C | 33 of 38 packages |
| April | 19°C to 30°C | 34 of 38 packages |
| May | 22°C to 30°C | 13 of 38 packages |
| June | 24°C to 31°C | 7 of 38 packages |
| July | 25°C to 31°C | 3 of 38 packages |
| August | 25°C to 31°C | 3 of 38 packages |
| September | 24°C to 31°C | 4 of 38 packages |
| October | 21°C to 30°C | 32 of 38 packages |
| November | 16°C to 27°C | 37 of 38 packages |
| December | 11°C to 24°C | 34 of 38 packages |
Average night low to day high, from long-term climate averages. Higher places run colder.
Permits
Indian citizens need an Inner Line Permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. Apply online on each state's portal with a photo ID. We arrange the permits with your booking.
Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for Arunachal and some other areas, and must register with local police in some districts. Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura need no special permit for Indian or foreign visitors.
Carry printed copies of every permit and your photo ID. Check posts on state borders ask for them.
How many nights
The region is large, and drives take longer than the map suggests. Pick two or three states for one trip.
- 5 nights: Guwahati, Shillong and Cherrapunji, with a day trip to Dawki and Mawlynnong
- 6 nights: Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga
- 7 nights: Guwahati, Dirang, Tawang and back, with Sela Pass
- 9 to 10 nights: Meghalaya, Kaziranga and Arunachal together
- 4 to 5 nights: Kohima and Khonoma, timed with the Hornbill Festival
Add a buffer day for Arunachal. Weather and road work cause delays.
Getting there
Guwahati is the main gateway, with flights from most Indian cities and good rail links. From here, Shillong is 3 hours by road, Kaziranga 5 hours, and Tawang two long days.
Other airports: Bagdogra for Sikkim, Dibrugarh and Jorhat for upper Assam, Imphal, Dimapur for Nagaland, Agartala, Aizawl, and Donyi Polo Airport at Itanagar for Arunachal.
Trains reach Guwahati, Dimapur, Dibrugarh, Agartala and Naharlagun near Itanagar.
Meghalaya
The stops that appear most often in our North East itineraries:
- Shillong
- Kaziranga
- Imphal
- Kohima
- Aizawl
- Tawang
- Agartala
- Cherrapunji
Shillong sits at about 1,500 m. Ward's Lake, Police Bazaar, the Don Bosco Museum and Shillong Peak fill a day. Laitlum Canyons, 25 km away, gives a huge view of the valleys.
Cherrapunji, also called Sohra, has Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sisters Falls and the Mawsmai cave. The double-decker root bridge at Nongriat needs a walk of about 3,500 steps down and back up. Plan a full morning and wear shoes with grip.
Dawki, on the Bangladesh border, has the Umngot river, clear enough in winter to see the riverbed under the boats. Mawlynnong, close by, is known as one of the cleanest villages in Asia.
Assam
Kaziranga National Park protects about two thirds of the world's one-horned rhinos. Jeep safaris run in the Central, Western and Eastern ranges. An elephant safari runs at dawn in some ranges. The park opens from November to April. Book two safaris in different ranges.
Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world, sits on the Brahmaputra. Reach by ferry from Jorhat. The island's satras, Vaishnavite monasteries, keep alive the mask-making and dance traditions of Assam.
In Guwahati, the Kamakhya temple on Nilachal hill is an important Shakti peetha. Queues run long. A sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra makes a calm first evening.
Tea gardens around Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Tezpur offer stays in old planter bungalows.
Arunachal Pradesh
The road to Tawang crosses Bomdila and Dirang, then climbs Sela Pass at about 4,170 m. Snow covers the pass for much of the winter. Tawang monastery, one of the largest in the Tibetan Buddhist world, sits above the town.
From Tawang, day trips run to Bum La pass on the China border and Madhuri Lake, both with separate army permits and only when open. Dress warmly. Altitude affects some travellers. Read our altitude sickness guide.
Ziro Valley, home of the Apatani people, is known for rice fields, pine hills and the Ziro music festival in September. Mechuka, near the border, is remote and beautiful but needs a long drive.
Nagaland and Manipur
Kohima, at about 1,450 m, has the Second World War cemetery, the state museum and busy markets. Khonoma, 20 km away, is a green village with terraced fields and a long history.
The Hornbill Festival runs from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima. All the Naga tribes gather with dances, songs, food and crafts. Book stays months ahead.
Dzukou Valley, on the Nagaland and Manipur border, is a day hike or an overnight camp, with lilies in summer.
In Manipur, Loktak Lake has floating islands of vegetation called phumdis. Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, shelters the Sangai deer.
What to eat
Food changes from state to state.
- Assam: masor tenga, a sour fish curry, duck with ash gourd, pithas, and of course tea
- Meghalaya: jadoh, rice cooked with meat, and tungrymbai, fermented soybean
- Nagaland: smoked pork with bamboo shoot, and the fiery raja mircha chilli
- Arunachal: thukpa, momos and butter tea in the Monpa areas
- Manipur: eromba, a mash of vegetables and fermented fish
Vegetarian food is easy in Guwahati, Shillong and on highways. In villages, tell your host well ahead.
Our North East packages
Prices start from ₹10,400 per person on twin sharing, with a private vehicle and driver for the whole trip.
Practical tips
- Daylight ends early, around 4:30 pm in winter. Plan drives to finish before dark
- Carry cash. ATMs thin out in the hills and network fails often
- Postpaid SIMs work best. Prepaid connections from other states do not work in some areas
- Some villages ask visitors to pay a small entry or camera fee
- Respect local customs. Ask before photographing people, and dress modestly
- Keep one free day in any trip to Arunachal
- Pack a rain jacket in every season
Tell us which states interest you most. We plan the route so the drives stay reasonable.
