Things to do in Cherrapunji — waterfalls, rain, root bridges and caves
Things to do in Cherrapunji: Nohkalikai and the Seven Sisters waterfalls, the living root bridges of nearby villages, valley viewpoints and the heavy rain.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-14
Best time to visit Cherrapunji — month by month, from the rain figures
The best time to visit Cherrapunji, month by month from the IMD normals: a very wet monsoon, a dry cool winter and when the waterfalls and views work best.
Cherrapunji, officially Sohra again, is one of the wettest places on Earth, so the time to go depends on whether you want full waterfalls or clear views. The figures below are the India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020, as Wikipedia prints them.
Month by month
- January and February. Dry and cool: highs of 17.2 °C and 18.8 °C, lows of 6.6 °C and 8.7 °C, with 15.5 mm and 53.7 mm of rain.
- March and April. Warmer, with highs of 21.4 °C and 22.7 °C, and the rain climbing from 364.1 mm to 792.4 mm.
- May. A high of 23.1 °C and a low of 16.1 °C, and 1,297.1 mm of rain as the monsoon builds.
- June and July. The peak: 2,608.1 mm and 2,665.4 mm, with highs of about 23 °C.
- August and September. 1,768.7 mm and 1,089.7 mm, with highs of 23.6 °C and 23.9 °C.
- October. A high of 24.0 °C, a low of 15.3 °C and 461.4 mm of rain as the season ends.
- November and December. The driest: 49.3 mm and 10.2 mm, with highs of 21.8 °C and 18.8 °C.
What it means for a trip
The Nohkalikai Falls and the Seven Sisters are strongest in and just after the monsoon, though Wikipedia says the Seven Sisters run only in the rains and Nohkalikai weakens from December to February. Clear days are likelier in the dry months, when the falls are thinner. Many visitors choose October or November, a compromise.
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Questions people ask
What is the best time to visit Cherrapunji?
It depends on what you want. The waterfalls are fullest in the monsoon, but the IMD normals give 2,608.1 mm of rain in June and 2,665.4 mm in July, and cloud often hides the gorges. The cooler, drier months from October to February are clearer, with 49.3 mm in November, though the falls weaken.
How wet is Cherrapunji?
Very. Wikipedia says its average rainfall is 11,777 mm a year, just behind nearby Mawsynram, and that it still holds the records for the most rain in a calendar month, 9,300 mm in July 1861, and in a year. It has one long monsoon, and the driest months are November to February.
How cold does Cherrapunji get?
Mild. The IMD normals give a January high of 17.2 °C and a low of 6.6 °C, and Wikipedia gives a mean of 11.5 °C in January and 20.6 °C in August. The table's record low is 1.0 degree below freezing. Carry a rain jacket in any month, and a warm layer from November.