Guwahati
Northeast's gateway city: Kamakhya Temple, river cruises
Best time to visit Guwahati
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March to April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: May to September
Guwahati season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Pleasant and dry, best for the Kamakhya hilltop and sunset Brahmaputra cruises.
Summer March to May Shoulder
March-April is warm but fine; May onward turns properly hot and humid.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Heavy, sustained rain and periodic urban flooding. City runs, but sightseeing suffers.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October still runs 31C and about 120 mm of rain with Navaratri queues at Kamakhya; November drops to 28C and under 10 mm.
What Guwahati is actually like
Transit-hub energy: most solo travellers pass through for a night before heading on.
Things to do in Guwahati
The local places worth your time in and around Guwahati, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
-
Kamakhya Temple
Temple · 7 km out
Shakti pitha on Nilachal hill and the state's busiest shrine; take the paid darshan slip or queue for hours, shut at midday.
-
Umananda Temple
Temple · 2 km out
Shiva temple on a rock island in the Brahmaputra with golden langurs; ferries from Kachari ghat until about 4 pm.
-
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife · 50 km out
Grassland with the densest rhino population anywhere; jeep safaris morning and afternoon, booked at the gate, shut in monsoon.
-
Deepor Beel
Lake · 13 km out
Ramsar wetland on the city edge with pelicans and storks in winter; the railway embankment is the easiest place to watch from.
-
Assam State Museum
Museum · 2 km out
Ahom and Kachari stone sculpture plus a tribal life gallery; closed Mondays, allow an hour, cameras stay at the counter.
-
Fancy Bazar
Market · 1 km out
Old trading quarter of dense cloth, cane and spice lanes; late morning to evening, on foot only, keep your bag in front.
Getting to Guwahati
Major airport (LGBI), direct flights nationwide. No ILP.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 55 m
- State
- Assam
- Coordinates
- 26.1445, 91.7362
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Guwahati?
November to February is peak season in Guwahati. March to April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to September. October still runs 31C and about 120 mm of rain with Navaratri queues at Kamakhya; November drops to 28C and under 10 mm.
How many days do you need in Guwahati?
1 day is the usual stay. Transit-hub energy: most solo travellers pass through for a night before heading on.
How do you get to Guwahati?
Major airport (LGBI), direct flights nationwide. No ILP. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Guwahati expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
What are the best things to do in Guwahati?
Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Temple, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Deepor Beel, Assam State Museum and Fancy Bazar. Shakti pitha on Nilachal hill and the state's busiest shrine; take the paid darshan slip or queue for hours, shut at midday.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Hajo & Sualkuchi
Assam
Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim shrines, and a town that weaves muga silk
30 km from Guwahati, roughly under an hour by road
-
Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)
Meghalaya
Elephant and hornbill forest on the Umtrew, off the Guwahati road
40 km from Guwahati, roughly under an hour by road
-
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)
Assam
Densest rhino grassland on earth beside Mayong, Assam's village of black magic
40 km from Guwahati, roughly under an hour by road
-
Chandubi Lake
Assam
Earthquake-born forest lake in Rabha country near Guwahati
60 km from Guwahati, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Shillong
Meghalaya
Northeast's hill capital: cafes, lakes, live music
100 km from Guwahati, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Mawphanlur
Meghalaya
Grassy knoll village of tiny lakes and kayaks at 1,850 m
110 km from Guwahati, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Orang National Park (Silbori)
Assam
Mini Kaziranga on the north bank: rhino grassland, tigers and empty jeep tracks
100 km from Guwahati, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Meghalaya
Khasi sacred grove where you may not carry a single leaf out
120 km from Guwahati, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Assam
- Bhairabkunda Assam
- Chandubi Lake Assam
- Dehing Patkai National Park (Jeypore) Assam
- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat) Assam
- Haflong Assam
- Hajo & Sualkuchi Assam
- Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam
- Kaziranga National Park Assam
- Majuli Island Assam
- Manas National Park Assam
- Nameri National Park Assam
- Orang National Park (Silbori) Assam
- Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong) Assam
- Sivasagar Assam
- Son Beel (Karimganj) Assam
- Tezpur Assam
- Umrangso (Kopili Reservoir) Assam