Shillong Courtyard
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
5 days, planned by Kestrel High Routes
Laitlum drops away with no railing and usually no other people. Go before the light goes.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Umiam Lake |
| Laitlum Canyons |
| Police Bazar |
The Umngot is clear enough in winter that the boats appear to float on nothing. In monsoon it is brown.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Mawlynnong |
| Riwai root bridge |
| Umngot river |
| Dawki |
Three and a half thousand steps down, and the same three and a half thousand back up tomorrow. The bridge is a living tree, trained across the river over decades.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Double-decker root bridge |
| Rainbow Falls |
| Nongriat |
The climb out is the hardest hour of the trip. Nohkalikai afterwards is the tallest plunge waterfall in India.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Mawsmai Cave |
| Nohkalikai Falls |
| Seven Sisters Falls |
Allow the full five hours to Guwahati airport. The Shillong road is slow.
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
4 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners across 5 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.
9 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
“Himalayan trekking with a fixed guide ratio and no offloading surcharge”
Started by two IMF-qualified leaders who were tired of watching groups of thirty share one guide. Ratios are written into the price and are not negotiable downward.
The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Worth every rupee.
Did this over 5 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Worth every rupee.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Solid operator.
Meghalaya in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Recommended.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Would send friends their way.
Did this over 5 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Solid operator.
Going down is hard on the knees; coming up is genuinely hard, about two to four hours depending on fitness, in humidity. It is the reason this trip is graded moderate rather than easy.
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →