If you are someone who enjoys wildlife just as much as who enjoys learning about rich cultures and exploring local cuisine, this 10-day North East India Manas Kaziranga Meghalaya Majuli tour through some of the best places to see is just perfect. This North East Wildlife and Cultural tour explores many parts of this diverse region of the country.
Over 10 days, we follow the following Manas Kaziranga Meghalaya Majuli itinerary:
10-Day Manas Kaziranga Meghalaya Majuli Tour Itinerary
- Day 1 – Guwahati To Manas National Park
- Day 2 – Manas National Park Safaris [Till Bhutan (optional)]
- Day 3 – Manas National Park To Shillong
- Day 4 – Shillong – Dawki – Mawlynnong
- Day 5 – Mawlynnog – Cherrapunjee
- Day 6 – Cherrapunjee – Shillong
- Day 7 – Shillong – Kaziranga National Park
- Day 8 – Kaziranga National Park Safaris
- Day 9 – Kaziranga – Majuli
- Day 10 – Majuli Guided Tour
- Day 11 – Majuli – Jorhat / Guwahati
Day 1 – Guwahati To Manas National Park
Land in Guwahati and get received by our representative at the airport. From Guwahati, drive down to the Manas National Park region. On your way there, you will take the Saraighat Bridge to cross the mighty Brahmaputra River.
Stop for lunch just after crossing the Saraighat bridge, if you wish to. When it comes to food in Assam, nothing better than an exhaustive Assamese thali to start with.
Drive for around 3 hours or so to finally reach the Manas National Park region and check in to your simple, local homestay.
You will reach by evening. The evening is free to relax.
Day 2 – Manas National Park Safaris [Till Bhutan (optional)]
Your day will start early today with Elephant safaris inside Manas National Park. Afterward, you will return to your homestay for a quick breakfast followed by a Manas Jeep Safari into the wild again. Unlike Kaziranga Jeep Safaris which are generally about 2 hours, the Jeep Safaris in Manas National Park are around 3.5-4 hours (half-day) with an option to go for a full-day Jeep Safari that takes you to the Bhutan side of the National Park, the Royal Manas National Park.
By the time you come back, it will be afternoon. Time permitting, the is free to walk around the tea plantations and villages near your Manas homestay.
Day 3 – Manas National Park To Shillong
Today, you will start your journey to Meghalaya’s capital city, Shillong, also known as the Scotland of the East. It’s a long but beautiful drive. Leave from Manas after breakfast and you should reach your first of many things to see in Meghalaya, the Umiam Lake, by late afternoon.
Spend time soaking in the gorgeous surroundings and go for a speedboat ride, if you wish to. Then from there, head up to Shillong, for your stay.
Day 4 – Shillong To Mawlynnong via Dawki
Take it easy in the morning, as you take in the fresh air of the hills. Today you will visit the Umgkot River, which is famous for its transparent waters. Go for a boat ride in country boats and go until ‘ziro point’, where India and Bangladesh meet.
From there, you will drive up to Mawlynnong, Asia’s cleanest village. Located close to the India-Bangladesh border, Mawlynnong is a small, little Khasi (the local tribe) village that prides itself on the way the inhabitants keep it spic and span. Due to its cleanliness, it had also earned itself the title of Asia’s cleanest village.
Day 5 – Mawlynnong To Cherrapunjee
Wake up early and take a walk around the beautiful village to see firsthand, how from kids to elders, everyone strives to keep even the tiniest bit of trash off the streets and everywhere else other than the dustbins.
As you walk the narrow lanes of the village, you will come across its historical, more than hundred-year-old Church.
After spending time at the cute little church, find the nearby Bangladesh view bamboo deck and climb up the same to have a bird’s eye view of the Bangladesh plains below.
Once you have explored Mawlynnong village and have had your breakfast, get ready to start your journey to another very interesting place to see in Meghalaya, Cherrapunjee. However, not before making a stop at the Riwai village to visit the single-decker living root bridge.
It is a 10-15 minute hike down from the parking and a perfect place to see a living root bridge without having to go on a trek to the double-decker living root bridge.
For the night, stay at a lovely Khasi homestay or at a local guesthouse.
Day 6 – Cherrapunjee To Shillong
Today we will head to one of the most interesting parts of Meghalaya, Cherrapunjee. Today’s journey will take you to some unique and interesting places to see in Meghalaya. At the end of the day, you will have visited the following places:
- Elephant falls.
- Mawkdok Viewpoint.
- Wha Kaba falls.
- Arwah Caves.
Check in to a simple and hospitable Khasi homestay/local guest house for the night.
Day 7 – Shillong To Kaziranga National Park
Today is going to be a comparatively long day as you drive down from the hills of Meghalaya and to the plains of Assam. On your way down we stop by the gorgeous Umiam Lake as our last place to see in Meghalaya, before finally heading to Assam.
After about a drive of 4 hours’ or so, you would stop for lunch. a great opportunity to try an Assamese thali. Post lunch, another couple of hours or so and you would have reached the Kaziranga National Park. And more certainly than not, you would already have spotted some wild animals, before reaching your stay in Kaziranga.
Evening free to relax or walk around.
Day 8 – Kaziranga National Park Safaris
Today is going to be another very interesting day on this north east India tour. Depending on the slot you are allotted for Kaziranga Elephant Safari, you will start your day sometime before or after dawn.
Elephant safari in the Kaziranga National Park is an experience in itself. While on an elephant safari, you get to see the wild animals of Kaziranga National Park from very close. The elephants take you right next to the rhinos, who remain indifferent.
After the hour-long safari, you come back to your stay for breakfast followed by a quick nap maybe. Or, you can head out to the interesting Kaziranga Orchid Park which is sure to keep you busy for the next few hours.
You can also have your early lunch at the Orchid Park itself, which has one of the best Assamese thalis in the region.
Post lunch, get ready for your Kaziranga Jeep Safari.
While the Elephant safari took you closer to the wild animals, the jeep safari in Kaziranga will take you deeper inside the forest, giving you a chance to spot a wider variety of wild animals and birds.
Once back from the 2+ hour-long Kaziranga Jeep Safari, you can also choose to go to the Kaziranga Orchid Park (again). This time enjoy a couple of hours-long cultural performances that happen every evening.
Call it a day after that.
Day 9 – Kaziranga – Majuli Island
It will be an easy start today as there’s barely any dedicated sightseeing today. But that does not mean that today is going to be any less interesting. Today’s journey from Kaziranga to Majuli island will start after breakfast and is going to have multiple legs to it.
First, you drive to Nimati ghat, to catch a jetty. Then, you cross the mighty Bramhaputra on a ferry that will take somewhere between 1 and 2 hours to reach the island. And finally, you will again be driving in your vehicle to reach your stay in Majuli.
The traditionally built, stilted bamboo cottages at a very calm and picturesque location, your home for your time on the island, are sure to charm you almost immediately. Settle down and breathe in the pure and fresh air of the island.
Evening free.
Day 10 – Majuli Guided Tour (Mask-making, Xatras, Pottery, Tribal villages and more..)
Your guide will be joining you after breakfast, to take you on a guided tour of the rich and unique shades of the Majuli islands.
Being the birthplace of the neo-Vaishnavite culture of Assam, Majuli is historically and culturally very important. It is home to numerous unique ways of art and creativity, be it pottery, mask-making, or various dance forms. Over the course of the day, we will visit quite a few Xatras and learn about their significance.
We start by exploring the unique mask-making art of Majuli. Interaction with the artists is a great way to learn how these unique masks take shape, from bamboo structures to the final product and that is exactly what we do when we visit them.
From there, we drive to the village of Samlora, also known as potter’s village to see and learn the form of pottery that is done here. For lunch, you can either choose to go to one of the small local eateries or if you would like to try something unique, lunch at a family Xatra (monastery for married monks) can be arranged.
From there, we visit nearby Mising (the local tribe of this part of the region) village(s). While on the walking tour, we interact with the locals and learn more about their daily lives and culture. We also learn and see firsthand, how wonderful weavers they are.
Post dark, sit by the bonfire, share stories, and sip your favorite brew, looking back at the last 10 days of experiences that you have had, as the trip finally draws to an end.
Day 11 – Majuli – Jorhat/Guwahati
You start in the morning today, after breakfast. You will be catching a morning ferry to cross over to the mainland, enjoying the cool morning breeze of the mighty Bramhaputra.
If you are flying out of Jorhat, we will drive to the Jorhat airport from Nimati ghat, or else, we will drive all the way back to Guwahati by evening.
Trip ends.
Inclusions
- Stay at our interesting stays on a twin-sharing basis for all nights, with breakfast
- A dedicated vehicle with driver cum guide
- All road tolls and taxes
- 1 x Jeep Safari at Kaziranga
- 1 x Elephant Safari at Kaziranga
- 1 x Jeep Safari at Manas (half-day)
- 1 x Elephant Safari at Manas
- Ferry Charges
- Local guide wherever needed
Exclusions
- 5% GST
- Air charges between Guwahati – Jorhat
- Parking charges & Entry fees at sigh-seeing places
- Anything not mentioned above in the Inclusions section
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