Shillong, Kaziranga National Park & Guwahati Tour | North East Package

Day- 01

Arrival at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GUA) / Guwahati Railway Station (GHY) / Rupnath Brahma Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) & transfer to Shillong - Our Official will receive guests on arrival at Guwahati - The ancient cities of Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya were the capitals of the ancient state of Kamarupa - It is the largest city in the Indian state of Assam and also the largest urban area in Northeast India situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra -  Assistance on arrival at Guwahati Airport / Railway Station and transfer to Shillong - Its approximately 120 kilometres & is nearly 03 hours by car - It is the capital and hill station of Meghalaya [Meghalaya means  "The Abode of Clouds"] - It is situated at an attitude of 1520 meters i.e. 4990 feet - It is situated on a plateau bound on the north by the Umiam gorge, on the northwest by the great mass of the Diengiei Hills that rise up to a height of 1823 meters i.e. 6077 feet and on the northeast by the hills of the Assam valley - With sparkling waterfalls, manicured gardens, azure lakes, and distinct culture, this alluring hill town reminds of the European settlers of Scotland – Hence popularly known as 'Scotland of the East' - On the way if time permits visit Umium Lake which is popular known as Badapani – The lake is dotted with few small islands and the adjoining Lum Nehru Park is also interesting - On arrival check-in to your hotel - Rest of the day at leisure or one can stroll around the local market or police Bazaar - Overnight stay in Shillong

Day- 02

Shillong Local Sightseeing - Early morning breakfast - The name Shillong is derived from U-Shyllong, a powerful deity - Sightseeing starts with Wards Lake is a beautiful little lake with short garden walks and boating facilities - Cathedral Church is a beautiful cathedral of Roman Catholics dedicated to Mary Help of Christian- Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures features displays for promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of North East India, a unique fusion of all the sister states under one roof - Shillong View Point is an ideal picnic spot at an elevation of 1965 meters and 10 kilometres from the city offers a panoramic view of these country side, and is also the highest point in the State - Elephant falls is 12 kilometres on the outskirts of the city the mountain stream with two successive falls set in dells of fern-covered rocks & there are two smaller falls which are also beautiful and captivating, these are the Wei Iaplam Falls and the Wir Phang Falls, there are a well-paved footpath and a small wooden bridge to facilitate access to these falls - Lady Hydari Park is a popular spot with an abundance of plants and flowers and is best in April & October - Umiam Lake is a man-made lake that covers an expanse of 221 square kilometres - Police Bazar is a one-stop market for every kind of tourist visiting Shillong and it offers several kinds of opportunities for shopping and entertainment - [Optional are few other places of interest like Ever Living Museum, Sweet Falls, Spread Eagle Falls, Golf Course, Captain Williamson Sangma State Museum, Sohpetbneng Peak, etc]  Back to hotel - Evening free to stroll around Police Bazaar or visit restaurant & pubs - Overnight stay at hotel in Shillong

Day- 03

Excursion to Cherrapunjee - Early Morning breakfast - Next forwarding journey to Cherrapujee - It is approximately 60 Kilometres i.e. 02 - 2½ hours drive by car - The original name for this town was Sohra (soh-ra), which was pronounced "Churra" by the British - This name eventually evolved into the current name, Cherrapunji, meaning 'land of oranges', which was first used by tourists from other parts of India - Cherrapunjee, also known as Sohra, is a high-altitude town in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya - It's known for its living root bridges, made from rubber trees  - There are some interesting living root bridges in Cherrapunjee like the Umshiang root bridge, Mawsaw root bridge, Ritymmen root bridge etc - To the northeast, Mawkdok Dympep Valley View Point overlooks verdant gorges - In the surrounding hills, the Noh-Kalikai, Dain-Thlen and Kynrem waterfalls plunge from forested cliff tops - South of town, Mawsmai Cave has stalagmites and worth visiting - It is credited as being the wettest place on Earth, although nearby Mawsynram currently holds that record - Cherrapunjee possesses some exotic waterfalls and impressive limestone caves - Visit Visit Dwan Syiem view point, Noh kalikai falls, Mawsmai caves, Seven Sister falls, Eco park etc - Later after lunch back to Shillong  drive back to Shillong - On the way visit to Shillong Peak & Elephant Falls - Return to The Hotel / Resort  - Evening if time permits visit local market (Police Bazaar) - Night stay at Shillong

Day- 04

Excursion to Mwallynnong & Dawki - Early morning breakfast - Next start the excursion to Dawki & Mawllynnong – The journey is approximately 85 kilometres and is nearly 02½ hours by scenic road one way - After breakfast move to Mawlynnong or Mawlynnong village located in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, also referred as ‘God’s own garden’ has won the acclaim of being the cleanest village in Asia in 2003 - The village known for its cleanliness and is a community-based eco-tourism initiative – The Living root bridges of Meghalaya are a must-visit destination  and it also offers a sight of natural balancing rock, a strange natural phenomenon of a boulder balancing on another rock - Next move to move to Dawki, the Indo - Bangladesh border  - Dawki  or Dauki - Tamabil is one of the few road border crossings between India and Bangladesh in Jaintia Hills of India - Dawki Bridge, is a suspension bridge over the Umngot River – This is a creaky old suspension bridge built by the British over the Umngot river in Dawki - Only one vehicle is allowed to cross the bridge at a time - It was constructed in 1932 by the British –– Later by evening return back to Shillong - Evening visit Local markets, Police Bazaar or any pub  - Overnight stay in Shillong

Day- 05

Transfer to Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary - Early morning breakfast - Next one has to drive nearly 05 - 05½ hour over approximately a distance of 260 kilometres via Asian Highway 01 &  02 kilometres - After breakfast drive to Kaziranga - Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India  -The park area is bordered by the Brahmaputra River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries, and the Mora Diphlu, which forms the southern boundary - Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri - Other places near the park are Guwahati, Dimapur and Jorhat - Kaziranga National Park is a protected area and is situated in northeast Indian state of Assam – It spread across the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, its forests, wetlands and grasslands are home to tigers, elephants, etc – It has the world’s largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses - Ganges River dolphins swim in the park’s waters - It’s visited by many rare migratory birds, and gray pelicans roost near Kaziranga village -  Kaziranga, the World Heritage Site is the oldest park in Assam & is a natural habitat for conservation of biologically diverse flora & fauna – Kaziranga has been identified by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area - It  shelter about 15 species of India’s threatened mammals - Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari, and Harmoti for wildlife viewing - There are numerous other major wildlife fauna  - Check in Hotel -  Evening it is better to stroll just within the domain of Hotel resort or Home Stay - Overnight at Kaziranga

Day- 06

Kaziranga National Park Activities - Early morning start for exciting elephant safari - Feel the gratifying pleasure in a early morning elephant safari across the Western range of the National Park - Forest activities includes i.e. Elephant ride @ 5-30 AM - 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM (Subject to allotment from forest department) & safari - If lucky one will come acroos the great Asian one-horned Rhinos with wild Buffalo, Tiger, Elephant, variety of Deer, Python and variety of migratory birds, water birds, predators, scavengers and game birds etc - The ride will make one feel like sailing mysteriously on a green sea as the grass is as high as elephant - Return to Hotel for breakfast for refreshment - Return for Breakfast to hotel - It is popular destination with holiday travellers as it offer Elephant safaris, Jeep Safaris and a comprehensive nature centric experience – One can visit the Observation towers - Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari and Harmoti for spotting wildlife - Then one can go for a local sightseeing including renowned lush green tea gardens of Assam and visit Karbi Ethnic village and local village etc - Then you can have your lunch of your choice in hotel or in any of the restaurant nearby of your choice (optional) -  After lunch guests can go for jeep safari at the national park for another dose of adventure into the jungle or one can visit tea  plantations  rubber plantations  or may go for a tribal village visit to see silk worm rearing by Assamese - Finally evening free at leisure to explore the region on own - One may take a walk close to the Resort, Home Stay or Hotel - It is advisable to stay within the campus or close to resort - Overnight in Kaziranga National park

Day- 07

Kaziranga Activities (Optional) & Transfer to Guwahati - Early morning start for exciting elephant safari - Feel the gratifying pleasure in a early morning elephant safari across the Western range of the National Park - Forest activities includes i.e. Elephant ride @ 5-30 AM - 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM (Subject to allotment from forest department) & safari  back to resort or hotel have breakfast - Next start for Guwahati - Next one has to drive nearly 05 - 05½ hour over approximately a distance of 255 kilometres - - Guwahati, the capital city of the northeastern state of Assam, was formerly known as Pragjyotishpur or the City of Eastern Light - Its etymological root is derived from two Assamese words, "Guwa," meaning areca nut and "Haat," meaning market - Couched between the picturesque hills of the eastern flanks of the Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati houses the political capital of the state, Dispur - The gateway to the seven other northeastern states, Guwahati is a vital tourist link point, besides being an attraction in itself - Guest can have lunch at a local cuisine restaurant and then free for shopping at Assam Emporium / Jagaran, etc – Shopping can be done in any of the four major trading center and places of interest for tourist are  Pan Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar, Fancy Bazaar and Uzan Bazaar - In the evening set out on a River cruise to watch the sun goes down the Brahmaputra River and feel why the river is locally called ‘Luit’- colour of blood (Optional) - Evening free to stroll around the area or visit local market -  Overnight stay at Guwahati

Day- 08

Guwahati Sightseeing - Early morning breakfast - Start your sightseeing tour and visit Kamakhya temple - Situated atop the Nilachal Hills, the foremost shrine of Assam, Kamakhya is an ancient seat of Tantrik and Shakti cults of Hinduism - The temple offers grandstand views of the river Brahmaputra and its surroundings - The reigning deity here is Goddess Parvati (Sati) - Legend has it that the body of sati was dismembered and it is believed that of the pieces of her body which were scattered across the land and fell on the Nilachal hill - The temple here is called Yoni Pith - The shrine finds mention in the inscription of King Samudragupta’s pillar at Allahabad - A rush of devotees throngs the temple during the Ambubachi Puja - Close to Kamakhya temple is Bubhaneshwari temple from where one can have a panoramic view of the Brahmaputra River and the city - Visit Bashista Ashram - dating back to the time when great Saga Vashishta visited this spot on the confluence of the Sandhya, Lalita and Kanta streams and set up his ashram here - Visit Guwahati Museum- where one can see the largest assamese ethnic & traditional, cultural collection -  Evening free to stroll around the area or visit the local market - Overnight stay at Guwahati

Day- 09

Excursion to Saulkuchi - Early morning breakfast - After breakfast drive to Saulkuchi for sightseeing - Sualkuchi  or Sialkuchi is a town in Kamrup district in the Indian state of Assam - It is situated on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra – It is approximately 35 kilometres from Guwahati and is of nearly 01 – 01 ½ hours drive – This small settlement is a block of Kamrup District - It has large number of cottage industry engaged in handloom, for which it is also known as the "Manchester of Assam" – Silk is generally  made from the cocoons of the silkworm Bombyx mori, which feeds on the leaves of the mulberry - But the rare silk called Muga silk of Assam, is made using the cocoons of the silkworm Anthera assamensis, which are endemic to Assam , in Northeast India - These cocoons feed on the leaves of the Som tree which is found in the forest of that state - The silk is a natural golden colour, which cannot be dyed or bleached - One can even visit the village of Sialkuchi to know about the making of Silk -  Assam silk denotes the three major types of indigenous wild silks produced in Assam i.e. golden muga, white pat and warm eri silk & the Assam silk industry, now centered in Sualkuchi, is a labor-intensive industry -  Back to Guwahati  -  Evening free to stroll around the area or visit local market - Overnight stay at Guwahati

Day- 10

Departure Transfer to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GUA) / Guwahati Railway Station (GHY) / Rupnath Brahma Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) - Early Morning Breakfast - Departure Transfer - Few fact about Assam worth mentioning is the  ancient cities of Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya (North Guwahati) were the capitals of the ancient state of Kamarupa under the Varman and Pala dynasties - Many ancient Hindu temples are in the city hence it is also named as the City Of Temples - Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam - Four major trading center are  Pan Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar, Fancy Bazaar and Uzan Bazaar – Products from North East Handicrafts is available in Guwahati – Assam Silk is quite popular worldwide - Guests can visit them and buy souvenir for the tour -  Guwahati experience humid subtropical climate, which offers an average annual temperature of 24°C with an extreme that is known to have touched the 40°C - Next drop at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GUA) / Guwahati Railway Station (GHY) / Rupnath Brahma Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) - Forwarding Journey