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7 Nights / 8 Days
Daily Tour
20 people
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Northeast India is one of the country’s last great travel secrets — a region of extraordinary natural beauty, rich tribal cultures, wildlife sanctuaries, and landscapes so lush and dramatic they seem almost unreal. From the misty Darjeeling hills with their Kangchenjunga views and UNESCO Toy Train, to the wild rhino country of Kaziranga, to the living root bridges and crystal rivers of Meghalaya — this corner of India rewards curious travellers with experiences that simply don’t exist anywhere else.
Our North East India Discovery Tour — 7 Nights 8 Days — is the most comprehensive Northeast India package from most Indian cities, carefully threading together four extraordinary destinations: Darjeeling (West Bengal), Kaziranga (Assam), Shillong, Cherrapunji, and Dawki (Meghalaya).
Watch sunrise paint Kangchenjunga gold from Tiger Hill. Walk through a working Darjeeling tea garden and taste the world’s finest first-flush tea. Go on a dawn jeep safari for one-horned rhinos at Kaziranga. Trek through a Meghalaya jungle to a living bridge grown from tree roots. Float on the world’s most transparent river at Dawki. This is India at its most surprising, most beautiful, and most soul-nourishing.
Arrive at Bagdogra Airport (NJP Railway Station) and transfer by vehicle to Darjeeling (3.5 hrs), ascending through tea gardens and mountain hairpin bends. Darjeeling at dusk is a revelation — the smell of mountain air, the murmur of Tibetan prayers, and the first glimpse of snow peaks turning orange and pink above the clouds. Check in to your hotel. Overnight in Darjeeling.
Rise at 3:30 AM for the Tiger Hill sunrise experience — watching the world's third highest peak, Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), and even Mount Everest on clear days, painted in the rising sun's gold from 2,590 metres. Return for breakfast. Then explore Darjeeling — the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park (red pandas!), the Peace Pagoda, and a visit to a working tea garden for a tasting. Ride the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Toy Train through the mountains. Overnight in Darjeeling.
After breakfast, drive from Darjeeling through the foothills to Guwahati (approx. 6 hrs), then continue to Kaziranga National Park (2 hrs). En route, stop at a local Assam tea garden — the world's finest black tea grows here. Arrive at your wildlife lodge on the park's edge as jungle sounds surround you. Overnight at Kaziranga.
Two wildlife safaris today in the World Heritage-listed Kaziranga National Park — home to two-thirds of the world's entire population of Indian one-horned rhinoceros, as well as tigers, elephants, wild buffalo, and over 450 species of birds. Morning jeep safari at dawn for the best wildlife sightings. Optional afternoon elephant safari for a closer experience. Overnight at Kaziranga.
Drive from Kaziranga to Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya (approx. 4.5 hrs). Perched on pine-covered hills, Shillong has a distinctly colonial hill station character. Visit Ward's Lake, Don Bosco Museum (one of Northeast India's finest cultural museums), Police Bazar, and the serene Umiam Lake for a sunset boat ride. Overnight in Shillong.
Drive to Cherrapunji — one of the rainiest places on Earth, located on the southern cliffs of the Meghalaya plateau with jaw-dropping views of the Bangladesh plains far below. Visit the stunning Nohkalikai Waterfall (India's tallest plunge waterfall at 340 m), Seven Sisters Falls, Mawsmai Limestone Caves, and the Eco Park at the cliff edge. Afternoon: hike down to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge near Nongriat village — a 3,000-step descent through a jungle of tree ferns to bridges grown from living rubber fig tree roots by the Khasi people over 500 years. Extraordinary. Overnight in Cherrapunji.
Drive to Dawki (1 hr from Cherrapunji) on the India-Bangladesh border. The Umngot River at Dawki is famous for its extraordinary water clarity — boats appear to float in mid-air above the sandy riverbed below. Spend the morning on a boat glide across this surreal natural wonder before the tourist crowds arrive. Return to Shillong via Mawlynnong — Asia's cleanest village — with its immaculate bamboo homes and sky view bridge over the jungle canopy. Overnight in Shillong.
Transfer from Shillong to Guwahati Airport (3 hrs) for your flight back home. The Northeast is not like the rest of India — it’s wilder, quieter, greener, and more surprising than almost anywhere in the country. You came as a traveller. You leave changed.
Yes. Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam (including Kaziranga), Meghalaya (Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki) are all completely safe and very welcoming to Indian and international tourists. The region has seen major tourism growth in recent years and has excellent hospitality infrastructure. Some inner line permits may be required for Arunachal Pradesh.
October to May is ideal. October to December offers post-monsoon lush greenery and clear mountain views in Darjeeling. January to March is great for Kaziranga wildlife. March to May has comfortable temperatures and blooming rhododendrons in Meghalaya. Avoid June to September (heavy monsoon) especially in Cherrapunji and Meghalaya.
For this specific itinerary (Darjeeling, Kaziranga, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki), no special permits are required for Indian nationals. Foreign nationals may need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for some destinations. Our team handles all permit arrangements as part of the tour.
The Living Root Bridge trek involves approximately 3,000 steps (it's strenuous). We can modify the itinerary for senior travellers or families with young children — substituting with the Single Living Root Bridge (fewer steps) or other Meghalaya sightseeing. All other parts of the tour are comfortable for most fitness levels.
