Guwahati to Shillong by shared taxi: fares, timings & pickup points (2026)

The 100 km drive from Guwahati to Shillong is one of the busiest routes in Northeast India. Most travelers do it by shared taxi — you pay for a single seat, the driver fills the rest of the cab from his stand, and the four of you head up the hill together. It's faster than a bus and a fraction of the cost of a private cab.

Here's everything you need to know to book one without showing up at the taxi stand at 4 AM.

How long does the drive take?

Plan for 3 to 3.5 hours, traffic-dependent. Leaving Guwahati between 7 AM and 9 AM gives the smoothest run; afternoon departures often hit construction near Khanapara and slow into Shillong by Barapani. The road itself is good — NH 6 has been resurfaced through 2024-25 — but it's a winding climb after Nongpoh, so motion-sensitive passengers should pre-book a window seat.

What does a shared taxi cost?

Per-seat fares on Online Taxi Stand for Guwahati → Shillong:

• Hatchback (Maruti Swift, WagonR): ₹900–₹1,000 per seat. Three passenger seats — one front, two back.
• Sedan (Dzire, Aspire): ₹950–₹1,100 per seat. Same layout as a hatchback but more boot space.
• SUV (Innova, Bolero): ₹650–₹950 per seat. Six passenger seats so you usually wait less for the cab to fill.
• Tempo Traveller: ₹550–₹900 per seat. Cheapest per-seat fare; longer wait to fill 12 seats.

Front passenger seats are priced ₹50–₹150 higher than middle seats — most regulars pay the premium for the legroom and the view.

Pickup points in Guwahati

Three active pickup points right now:

• Paltan Bazar Taxi Stand — closest to the Guwahati railway station. Most cabs leave from here.
• Khanapara — convenient if you're coming from the Airport / Beltola side. Saves you 30 minutes vs going to Paltan Bazar.
• ISBT Guwahati — for travelers connecting from a long-distance bus.

When you book on OTS, you pick the pickup point yourself — the driver waits at the one you chose.

Drop points in Shillong

• Police Bazar — the central drop, walking distance to most hotels in town.
• MTC Bus Stand — useful if you're connecting onward to Cherrapunjee, Mawlynnong, or Dawki.

Why book online?

Three concrete reasons people are switching off the walk-up taxi-stand model:

1. You know the price up front. No haggling with drivers, no surge after rain. The fare is the same whether you book at 6 AM or 4 PM.
2. You pick your seat. The seat-map widget shows exactly which seats are taken. If you want the front, you can lock it now instead of arriving at the stand and finding two strangers already there.
3. You don't wait for the cab to fill. The driver gets a paid booking and commits to the departure time. No more "10 minutes more, sir" for an hour.

When to book

For weekend trips (Friday evening → Sunday afternoon), book 1–2 days ahead. Front seats and SUV middle seats sell out first. Weekdays are usually fine to book day-of, even a few hours before departure.

What you need at pickup

Just your booking confirmation — we send it by email the moment payment goes through. The driver gets a notification on the OTS driver app and has your phone number on the manifest. Show up at the pickup point ten minutes before departure, share the booking ID if asked, and you're set.

Search Guwahati → Shillong shared taxis on Online Taxi Stand →