4 October 2026 · 4 min read
Combine Kaziranga and Meghalaya in one trip: the practical plan
A workable 5-day itinerary that fits Kaziranga and Meghalaya into one Northeast India trip from Guwahati — order, drive times, and what to skip.
Kaziranga and Meghalaya are the two Northeast destinations most first-time visitors want to see. They are not on the way to each other — Kaziranga is 200 km east of Guwahati, Shillong is 125 km south — which means a bit of planning saves a lot of double-driving. This post is the 5-day plan that works.
The order matters
Guwahati → Kaziranga → Guwahati → Shillong → Guwahati, not Guwahati → Shillong → Kaziranga.
Reason: Kaziranga's safari slots are morning (5:30 AM) and afternoon (1:30 PM). To do a morning safari you need to be at the lodge the night before, which means arriving Day 1 from Guwahati, not driving down from Shillong. Reversing the order means you drive 300 km from Shillong to Kaziranga on Day 3 and sacrifice a sightseeing day.
The 5-day itinerary
Day 1 — Arrive Guwahati, drive to Kaziranga
Land in Guwahati by noon. Drive east on NH-27 — 4 to 5 hours to Kohora, the main gate of Kaziranga National Park. Shared taxi seats are available on this route; most people prefer Reserve for a 4-5 hour drive with no fixed stop.
Check in to a lodge near Kohora. Evening in the village, early dinner.
Day 2 — Kaziranga safaris
Morning jeep safari at 5:30 AM in Central Range (Kohora). You will see rhino, buffalo, wild elephant and birds. Two hours. Open-top jeeps are allowed; book the day before.
Afternoon elephant safari at 2 PM in Western Range (Bagori). Smaller, closer encounters with rhino.
Alternative Day 2: do a morning jeep + an afternoon jeep in different ranges. The elephant safari is good but not essential if you have already seen the park from the ground.
Day 3 — Kaziranga to Shillong via Guwahati
Leave Kaziranga after breakfast (8 AM). 4 hours to Guwahati. Lunch at Guwahati. 3.5 hours more to Shillong. Arrive by evening, check in at your Shillong hotel.
This is a long driving day — about 7.5 hours total on the road. Reserve a cab for the Kaziranga–Guwahati leg (there is no OTS stand at Kaziranga; book via WhatsApp with a two-day lead). Shared seat or Reserve for the Guwahati–Shillong leg at your choice.
Day 4 — Cherrapunji + Nohkalikai
Drive to Cherrapunji (90 minutes). Nohkalikai Falls (the whole point of the day in monsoon, still worth it in winter), Mawsmai Caves, Seven Sisters Falls viewpoint, Arwah Caves. Lunch at Orange Roots in Sohra. Return to Shillong in the late afternoon.
If you have the energy, add Elephant Falls on the way back — it is on the Cherrapunji road and takes 30 minutes.
Day 5 — Shillong → Guwahati airport
Depart Shillong by 7 AM (if afternoon flight) or 4 AM (morning flight). See our Shillong-to-airport guide for the 6-hour rule and the common timing mistakes.
What you are skipping (and why)
Dawki in a 5-day plan. Dawki is a 90 km drive from Shillong — a full day. Fitting it in means dropping Cherrapunji or Kaziranga, and both are stronger stops. Save Dawki for a second Meghalaya trip, or extend to 6 days.
Mawlynnong. Same reason as Dawki. Also, Mawlynnong's reputation is bigger than its reality — the village is clean, the viewpoint sometimes clouds in, the sky-walk is a short structure, and the drive is 2.5 hours each way.
Nongriat (double-decker root bridge). This is a 6-hour trek. It is a day on its own. Save it for a trip that is primarily Meghalaya, not a shared itinerary. See the trek guide for who should do it and who should skip.
The costs, roughly
Family of two, 5 days, in October:
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kaziranga lodge (2 nights, mid-range) | ₹8,000 |
| Shillong hotel (2 nights, mid-range) | ₹6,000 |
| Kaziranga safari (jeep + elephant) | ₹5,500 |
| Guwahati → Kaziranga Reserve Dzire | ₹3,350 |
| Kaziranga → Guwahati Reserve Dzire | ₹3,350 |
| Guwahati → Shillong (2 shared seats) | ₹2,400 |
| Cherrapunji day (full-day Dzire charter via WhatsApp) | ₹3,500 |
| Shillong → Guwahati airport (2 shared seats) | ₹2,400 |
| Food (allowance) | ₹4,000 |
| Total (excluding flights) | ₹38,500 |
Flights add ₹26,000–₹35,000 for two depending on origin.
Booking the transfers
Guwahati–Shillong and Shillong–Guwahati are the two legs you book on the homepage search. Both directions are supported, pickup at any OTS stand (airport, Paltan Bazar, Kamakhya, ISBT, Police Bazar).
Kaziranga transfers are not on the public widget yet — WhatsApp us for a quote. The pricing is similar: ₹1,500–₹1,800 per seat for the shared cab, Reserve ₹5,500–₹7,000 depending on vehicle tier.
In one line
Fly into Guwahati, drive east to Kaziranga for two nights, drive back through Guwahati to Shillong for two nights, fly out. Reserve the long legs, Share the short ones.