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A row of carved stone temple blocks under a small shelter on a paved terrace among trees
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Photo: BhuyanBhaskar · CC0
1 night · 2 daysculture loversruins, wetland and weavingbalanced

Two days around Guwahati — Basistha, Deepor Beel, then Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi

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.
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Two days beyond the main sights of Guwahati. The first day takes in the temple at Basistha and the Ramsar wetland of Deepor Beel. The second goes out to the carved ruins of Madan Kamdev and the silk looms of Sualkuchi.

Photos: BhuyanBhaskar (CC0) · JyotiPN (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Visitors who have seen Kamakhya Temple and want ruins, birds and weaving, with a long drive each day.

Day by day

Day 1

A temple in the south-east, a wetland in the south-west

2 stops · 27 min on the road

Basistha lies on the south-east edge of the city and Deepor Beel on the south-west; keep the middle of the day free for the road.

  1. 09:00
    Basistha Temple
    temple · 16 min from Guwahati · about 45 min there
    The Shiva temple at the ashram of the sage Vasistha on the edge of the Garbhanga forest; the octagonal brick temple dates from the 18th century.
  2. ↓ 27 min by road · 19 km
    14:00
    Deepor Beel
    lake · 29 min from Guwahati · about 1 h there
    The freshwater lake and Ramsar site south-west of the city, about 29 minutes from the centre on our routing; best late in the day.
Day 2

The ruins and the looms

2 stops · 41 min on the road

Madan Kamdev is north-east of the city and Sualkuchi north-west, so this is a long day: start early.

  1. 08:30
    Madan Kamdev
    ruins · 32 min from Guwahati · about 1 h there
    The 9th–10th century Pala-period temple ruins at Baihata Chariali, about 32 minutes from the centre.
  2. ↓ 41 min by road · 33 km
    13:00
    Sualkuchi
    town · 38 min from Guwahati · about 1 h 30 min there
    The weaving town on the Brahmaputra, about 38 minutes from the centre, known for muga, pat and eri silk.

Getting there

See how to reach Guwahati and the best time to go.

Where to stay

Stay one night in Guwahati. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules.

Know before you go

  • We have no verified opening hours or entry rules for Madan Kamdev, Basistha or Deepor Beel; ask locally before each drive.
  • Sualkuchi and Madan Kamdev lie on opposite sides of the city, so do not try to add a third place on day two.
  • Deepor Beel is a wildlife sanctuary and Ramsar site; keep to the open viewpoints and ask before you walk along the railway line.

Places on this route

Madan Kamdev — the ruined Pala-period temples at Baihata Chariali
Madan Kamdev — the ruined Pala-period temples at Baihata Chariali
ruins · 32 min from Guwahati
Sualkuchi — the silk-weaving town on the Brahmaputra
Sualkuchi — the silk-weaving town on the Brahmaputra
town · 38 min from Guwahati

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Guwahati itineraries →
One day in Guwahati — Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Island and the Assam State Museum
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 →

More places nearby

All of Guwahati →
Kamakhya Temple — the Shakti pitha on Nilachal Hill, Guwahati
Kamakhya Temple — the Shakti pitha on Nilachal Hill, Guwahati
temple · 7.4 km away
Umananda Island — Peacock Island and its Shiva temple in the Brahmaputra
Umananda Island — Peacock Island and its Shiva temple in the Brahmaputra
island · 12 km away

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Questions people ask

What is there to do around Guwahati beyond the temples?

Four places. The Madan Kamdev ruins, a Pala-period temple site, are about 32 minutes from the centre on our routing. Sualkuchi, a silk-weaving town, is about 38 minutes away. Deepor Beel, a Ramsar wetland, is about 29 minutes away, and the Basistha Temple about 16 minutes.

What is Deepor Beel?

A permanent freshwater lake south-west of Guwahati in a former channel of the Brahmaputra. Wikipedia says 4.1 km² of it was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1989 and that it became a Ramsar Site in November 2002. It lies about 13 km from the city by Wikipedia's figure, and the airport is about 5 km away.

Can you do Madan Kamdev and Sualkuchi on one day?

Yes, but it is a long day. Madan Kamdev lies north-east of Guwahati and Sualkuchi on the north bank of the Brahmaputra to the north-west, about 32 and 38 minutes from the centre on our routing, so allow time on the road between them and start early. We have no verified opening hours for either.