Umananda Island — Peacock Island and its Shiva temple in the Brahmaputra
Umananda Island, or Peacock Island, in the Brahmaputra at Guwahati: the Shiva temple on Bhasmachala hill, the 1694 and 1897 story and the boat from the ghat.
Assam2 itineraries
Guwahati
Guwahati, Assam: Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Island in the Brahmaputra, the Assam State Museum, Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi, with how to reach and when to go.
Guwahati is the largest city in Assam and in the whole Northeast, and the gate to the region, on the south bank of the Brahmaputra with the hills of the Shillong plateau behind it. It was the seat of the ancient kingdom of Kamarupa, and its many old temples earn it the name of the city of temples.
The one you go for is Kamakhya Temple, on Nilachal Hill, among the oldest and best-loved centres of Shakti worship. In the river itself, Umananda Island carries a small Shiva temple that country boats reach from the ghat. Outside the city are the 9th–10th century ruins of Madan Kamdev and the weavers of Sualkuchi.
Guwahati is about 1,776 km from Delhi by road, and nearly everyone arrives by air or train. The airport lies about 22 km out and the main station is in the town centre. It is also the usual gateway to Meghalaya: Shillong is about 96 km away. Read how to reach Guwahati, the best time to go and things to do in Guwahati, and copy the one day in Guwahati or the two days with Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi.
Photos: Pinakpani (CC BY 4.0) · BhuyanBhaskar (CC0) · JyotiPN (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Plans that include this
All Guwahati itineraries →
One day in Guwahati — Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Island and the Assam State Museum
Day plan · First visit · temples and culture
A one-day plan for Guwahati: Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, Umananda Island in the Brahmaputra and the Assam State Museum, with drive times from the centre.
Best Jan–Mar · Oct–Dec
See the plan →
Two days around Guwahati — Basistha, Deepor Beel, then Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi
1 night · 2 days · culture lovers · ruins, wetland and weaving
A two-day plan around Guwahati: Basistha Temple and Deepor Beel on day one, the Madan Kamdev ruins and the silk town of Sualkuchi on day two, with drive times.
Best Jan–Mar · Nov–Dec
See the plan →Going together
No one has started a group going to Guwahati yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Places worth the drive
Sualkuchi — the silk-weaving town on the Brahmaputra
Sualkuchi, the weaving town on the Brahmaputra about 35 km from Guwahati: muga, pat and eri silk, mekhela chadors and gamosas, and the Sidheswar Devalaya.
Madan Kamdev — the ruined Pala-period temples at Baihata Chariali
Madan Kamdev, the 9th–10th century temple ruins at Baihata Chariali about 30 km from Guwahati: the Pala-period carvings, the 1977 excavations and the drive.
Kamakhya Temple — the Shakti pitha on Nilachal Hill, Guwahati
Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati: one of the oldest Shakti pithas, the rock-spring shrine below ground, the ten Mahavidyas and the Ambubachi Mela.
On the map
Open the Guwahati map →The places a Guwahati day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Guwahati — Kamakhya, the Brahmaputra, museums, ruins and silk
The best things to do in Guwahati: Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Island, the Assam State Museum, Basistha, Deepor Beel, Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi, with times.
How to reach Guwahati — by air, by train and by road, and on to Shillong and Kaziranga
How to reach Guwahati: the airport 22 km out, the station in the centre, the Rupnath Brahma bus terminus, Delhi by road, and Shillong and Kaziranga from here.
Best time to visit Guwahati — month by month, with the monsoon and the dry winter
When to go to Guwahati: the dry, mild months of November to February, the heat of April and May, and the monsoon rain of June to September, with IMD normals.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
What is Guwahati famous for?
Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, among the oldest and best-loved Shakti centres. Also the Brahmaputra, with Umananda Island in the river, and the many old temples that give the city its name, the city of temples. It is the gateway to Northeast India, and the state capital Dispur lies inside it.
How far is Guwahati from Shillong and Kaziranga?
On our routing Shillong is about 96 km and 140 minutes away, and Wikipedia says about 100 km. Kaziranga is about 190 km and 152 minutes by road. Hill roads and monsoon rain add time, so allow extra on both, and start early if you want to make the journey and return in a day.
Is Guwahati worth a day or two?
Yes: one day covers Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Island and the Assam State Museum, all within about 14 minutes of the centre on our routing. A second day takes you out to the Madan Kamdev ruins, about 32 minutes away, and the silk-weaving town of Sualkuchi, about 38 minutes away.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.