North East India Self-Launched Adventure: Guwahati, Meghalaya, Kaziranga & Majuli

Land at Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport or arrive by train, and settle into a budget guesthouse in the Paltan Bazaar or Fancy Bazaar area — the transport hub for onward travel. Spend the afternoon acclimatising by the Brahmaputra riverfront and picking up a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£3 with data) and stocking up on cash, as ATMs get sparse east of Shillong. Grab an early dinner of Assamese thali or fish tenga. Book tomorrow's shared Sumo to Shillong from the Paltan Bazaar Sumo stand.

🚌Airport bus or Ola/Uber to hotel (~£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paltan Bazaar, Guwahati (~£14)

• →Brahmaputra riverfront walk
• →Paltan Bazaar orientation
• →Buy SIM card and cash-up

Start early at Kamakhya Temple (free entry, ~£1 to leave shoes/phone), the region's most important Shakti shrine — ride the shared jeep up to the hilltop or take an Ola. Afterwards head to the Sumo stand for the shared Sumo to Shillong (~3 hrs, ~£4-5 per seat). Shillong sits at 1,500m so evenings are cool. On arrival check into a guesthouse in Police Bazaar or Laitumkhrah, then wander the colonial-era Ward's Lake and the buzzing Police Bazaar for momos and pork dishes.

🚌Shared Sumo Guwahati-Shillong (~£5)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Laitumkhrah, Shillong (~£18)

• →Kamakhya Temple visit
• →Shared Sumo transfer to Shillong
• →Ward's Lake evening stroll

Hire a shared Sumo or join a day-trip taxi from Police Bazaar (~£20 per person for the full day with a group) heading south to Mawlynnong, Asia's cleanest village. Walk the bamboo sky-view tower and village trails. Then trek down to the Single Decker Living Root Bridge in Riwai village (~15 min each way, small entry fee ~£1) — one of Meghalaya's iconic jingkieng jri, grown by Khasi communities over generations. Continue to Dawki/Tamabil on the Bangladesh border, and take a rowboat on the crystal-clear Umngot River at Shnongpdeng village (~£5-8, ¥ shared boat). Return to Shillong in the evening.

🚌Shared day-trip Sumo/taxi (~£20)

🛏Same Shillong guesthouse (~£18)

• →Mawlynnong village walk
• →Riwai living root bridge trek
• →Dawki border & Tamabil
• →Umngot River boat ride

Take a shared Sumo from Shillong's Bara Bazaar stand to Cherrapunji (~2 hrs, ~£3-4). The road winds past Shillong Peak — stop en route for the viewpoint over the city (small fee). Check into a Sohra guesthouse, then visit Thangkharang Park for grand canyon views towards Bangladesh, and the thundering Nohkalikai Falls, India's tallest plunge waterfall (~£1-2 entry each). The whole area is dramatic plateau and cloud forest. Evenings are misty and cool — bring a layer.

🚌Shared Sumo Shillong-Cherrapunji (~£4)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Sohra/Cherrapunji (~£18)

• →Shillong Peak viewpoint
• →Thangkharang Park
• →Nohkalikai Falls
• →Walk the Sohra plateau trails

This is the long transfer day. Take a shared Sumo back to Shillong, then a shared or night bus onward to Guwahati and on to Kaziranga's Kohora gate area (~8-9 hrs total, ~£10-12). Alternatively break the journey in Guwahati. On arrival check into a budget resort/guesthouse in Kohora, the village at the park's central entrance. In the evening arrange your safari permits for the next two days — jeep safaris must be booked via the Kohora jeep association or online; elephant safaris book out fast.

🚌Shared Sumo to Shillong + bus to Kaziranga (~£12)

🛏Budget guesthouse/resort in Kohora, Kaziranga (~£22)

• →Scenic transfer across Assam
• →Arrive Kohora gate
• →Book jeep & elephant safaris

Dawn jeep safari in the Central (Kohora) range — the best zone for one-horned rhinos, wild elephants, swamp deer and, with luck, a tiger. A shared jeep (6 people) costs around £18-22 per person including permits and forest guide. Afternoon safari in the Western (Bagori) range for more rhino and birdlife. Between safaris rest at your guesthouse or visit the Kaziranga Biodiversity Centre (optional, small fee). The park is closed to visitors in the monsoon (mid-May to Oct) — check dates.

🚌Shared park jeep (included in safari cost)

🛏Same Kohora guesthouse (~£22)

• →Morning jeep safari (Central range)
• →Afternoon jeep safari (Western range)
• →Optional Kaziranga Biodiversity Centre

Take an early-morning elephant-back or jeep safari into the grasslands for close rhino encounters (~£25-30 per person, booked the day before, very limited). Afternoon jeep safari in the Eastern (Agoratoli) range for a different landscape and more wildlife. Optional tribal dance performance or tea-garden walk in the evening. Kaziranga is a UNESCO site holding two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhinos — this is the highlight of the trip for most travellers.

🚌Shared park jeep/elephant (included)

🛏Same Kohora guesthouse (~£22)

• →Early elephant-back or jeep safari
• →Afternoon jeep safari (Eastern range)
• →Optional village/tea-garden walk

Travel east by shared Sumo or bus to Jorhat (~2.5 hrs, ~£5), the heart of Assam's tea country. Jorhat is the base for Majuli Island crossings. Visit the Tocklai Tea Research Centre, the world's oldest tea research station, to learn about Assam's tea industry (small entry fee, guided walk ~£3-5). Stay in a budget guesthouse in Jorhat's main bazaar, and soak up the quiet colonial-era town — it's a good spot for a proper Assamese meal.

🚌Shared Sumo/bus Kaziranga-Jorhat (~£5)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Jorhat (~£18)

• →Transfer to Jorhat
• →Tocklai Tea Research Centre visit
• →Jorhat bazaar stroll

Head to Nimati Ghat (~30 min from Jorhat) for the ferry across the Brahmaputra to Majuli, the world's largest river island (~1.5 hrs, ~£1-2 for the local ferry; faster private boats cost more). On arrival hire a bicycle or scooter (~£5-8/day) or a shared taxi to explore. Visit Naghmar and other Mishing villages with their stilted bamboo houses, and one of Majuli's ancient Vaishnavite satras (monasteries) to see mask-making and devotional dance traditions. Stay in a riverside eco-guesthouse or village homestay.

🚌Ferry (~£2) + local bike/scooter hire (~£6)

🛏Riverside eco-guesthouse/homestay on Majuli (~£18)

• →Nimati Ghat ferry crossing
• →Naghmar village & Mishing culture
• →Visit a Vaishnavite satra
• →Cycle around the island

A full travel day back west. Take the morning ferry back to Nimati Ghat, then a bus or shared Sumo to Jorhat and onward to Guwahati — this is a long haul (~7-9 hrs). Overnight buses (Jorhat/Guwahati) are a cheap and comfortable option if you prefer to sleep through it. Check into a budget guesthouse in Paltan Bazaar on arrival.

🚌Ferry + bus/overnight bus to Guwahati (~£12)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paltan Bazaar, Guwahati (~£14)

• →Morning ferry from Majuli
• →Long-haul transfer to Guwahati
• →Evening rest in Paltan Bazaar

Spend the day exploring Guwahati's sights independently. Revisit Kamakhya Temple if you missed it, then head to the Umananda/Peacock Island ferry jetty at Kachari Ghat and take a shared boat across the Brahmaputra to Peacock Island (~£2). Climb to the small 17th-century Shiva Temple (Umananda) on the island, and keep an eye out for the rare golden langurs. In the afternoon visit Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, the cultural museum and performance complex celebrating Assamese heritage (~£2 entry).

🚌Ola/auto-rickshaws around the city + island ferry (~£6)

🛏Same Guwahati guesthouse (~£14)

• →Kamakhya Temple
• →Boat to Peacock Island & Shiva Temple
• →Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra

Final morning for last-minute shopping — Assam silk (muga), tea and bamboo crafts around Fancy Bazaar — before transferring to the airport or railway station for your onward flight or train. If you have time, the Assam State Museum is worth a quick stop. Trip ends.

🚌Taxi to airport/station (~£3)

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Fancy Bazaar souvenir shopping
• →Optional Assam State Museum
• →Departure transfer