Two days in Shillong — the town, the falls, the lake and the sacred grove
Two days that cover Shillong and its nearer hills. The first stays in the town: Ward's Lake, the cathedral, a museum and Elephant Falls. The second goes out to Shillong Peak, Umiam Lake and the Mawphlang sacred grove. For one day, see the short plan.
Photos: Prof (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Udayan Singh (CC0) · Aadri (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
First-time visitors with two days, in the dry months from October to March.
Day by day
Day 1The lake, the cathedral, the museum and the falls
4 stops · 35 min on the road
The lake, the cathedral, the museum and the falls
The town's own sights, with Elephant Falls in the afternoon.
- 09:30Ward's LakeThe horseshoe lake in the centre of the town.
- ↓ 4 min by road · 2 km11:00Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, ShillongThe Art Deco cathedral, built after the fire of 1936.
- ↓ 11 min by road · 5 km12:30Don Bosco MuseumPart of the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, for the cultures of the north-east.
- ↓ 20 min by road · 11 km15:00Elephant FallsThe tiered waterfall, down steep steps.
Day 2The peak, the reservoir and the sacred forest
3 stops · 2 h 14 min on the road
The peak, the reservoir and the sacred forest
A longer day out: the high view first, then the lake and the grove.
- 09:00Shillong PeakThe highest point in Meghalaya, 1,966 m.
- ↓ 1 h by road · 33 km11:30Umiam LakeThe reservoir on the Guwahati road.
- ↓ 1 h 14 min by road · 45 km14:30Mawphlang Sacred GroveThe Khasi sacred forest; ask before you enter.
Getting there
Shillong has no railway; see how to reach Shillong.
Where to stay
Stay in Shillong for the night. We have no verified lodging or prices.
Know before you go
- We have no verified opening hours or entry fees for any stop; ask locally.
- Elephant Falls' steps and the grove's paths are wet and slippery; wear shoes with grip.
- Take the grove respectfully: follow the notice at the entrance and take nothing out.
Places on this route
Going together
No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Other ways to do it
All Shillong itineraries →
More places nearby
All of Shillong →
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Questions people ask
Is two days enough for Shillong?
For the town, the falls and the nearer sights, yes. The stops lie 5 to 44 minutes from the centre on our routing, and the second day is the longer one. Cherrapunji, with its waterfalls and living root bridges, is a separate trip of its own and is not in this plan.
What is in the second day?
Shillong Peak, the highest point in Meghalaya, then Umiam Lake on the Guwahati road, then the Mawphlang sacred grove. These lie about 20, 44 and 37 minutes from the centre by road on our routing, in different directions, so the day is a relaxed loop rather than a sprint. Start early for the view.
When is the best time for this plan?
The cool, dry months, October to March. The IMD normals give 24.7 mm of rain in November and 7.2 mm in December, against 423.7 mm in June. Wikipedia says the monsoon arrives in June and the rain lasts almost to the end of October, which fills the falls but hides the views.