Best Time & Month To Visit Shillong, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya

When is the best time and month to visit Shillong, Cherrapunji in the state of Meghalaya in the Northeastern part of India? The best time and month to visit Shillong, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya is between the month of May and October. It is because the weather during this month is very comfortable with temperatures ranging from 10-20 degrees celsius. The weather in Shillong during winter is really chilly and you should avoid visiting there unless you want a real winter experience.

In this article we will discuss about which is the best month to visit Shillong and Cherrapunji located at the state of Meghalaya in the Northeastern part of India with the following sections.

• When is the best time to visit Shillong?
• When is the best time to visit Cherrapunji?
• Why are May to Oct the best time to visit Shillong and Cherrapunji?
• 15 things you must take care before starting your journey towards Shillong and Cherrapunji.
• 10 reasons you should visit Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya.
• Can you visit Shillong and Cherrapunji other than the above mentioned months?
• How many days are the optimum for a trip to Shillong?

Without further a due, let’s jump into the topic.

When is the best time to visit Shillong?

As mentioned above The best time and month to visit Shillong is between the month of May and October due to the perfect weather in Shillong to cool down your body while most of the world including India is scorching due to summer heat. Don’t you want a holiday with an amazing weather in the middle of summer? We will discuss many other reasons in the following sections.

SHILLONG WEATHER

When is the best time to visit Cherrapunji?

Since you are mainly travelling to Cherrapunji to see the rainfall, the best time to visit Cherrapunji is between May to July but you can still experience the rainfall up to October because that place is raining all year round. While visiting Cherrapunji, you must take care of somethings before you start marching there. Continue reading to below sections to know what are the things you should consider before going to Cherrapunji.

If you are wondering when is the best time to visit the Northeast India, I have written a detail post explaining when is the best time to visit the Northeast India. You can check out by clicking the link below.

Why are May to Oct the best time to visit Shillong and Cherrapunji?

There are many reasons but we will restrict to the important points only. Some of the compelling factors are the chilling weather in the summer heat, heavy rainfall in the Cherrapunji area – #1 reason why you are visiting Cherrapunji, lusty and greenish mountain ranges and jungles due to rainfall, experience the adventurous journey in trekking, lakes and waterfalls. We will discuss each one below.

Pleasant weather during the scorching Indian summer.

Did you know that the British, during its rule of India, used Shillong as a summer resort place in order to stay away from the Indian summer heat which can reach up to 45+ degree Celsius. Shillong is located at a 2-3 hours drive away from Guwahati with a very pleasant weather even in summer. This makes Shillong a perfect place for anyone who wants to cool down the summer heat. Thanks to the advance in technology, now everyone, not only British, can just go to Shillong and enjoy there.

Heaviest rainfall receives during the months of May to July.

The major reason you are travelling to Cherrapunji is to experience the heavy rainfall. In fact Cherrapunji is famous for being the rainiest place on the planet earth for a long time until Mawsynram replaced it. It is also located near Cherrapunji. There is one thing you should take care of first before going to Cherrapunji. I have the answer and it is kind of obvious but try to guess it and keep in mind. If your answer matches with the one below, comment down below, if not, comment what was your guess.

NohKaLikai Falls is the tallest waterfall in India and is one of the wettest place on the earth. This is the place where you will experience the beauty of the waterfall and as well as the heavy rainfall.

Endless curve roads in the midst of the green mountains and clouds

One of the major difference between the roads in other parts of India and roads in Meghalaya is the cleanliness. While driving to reach Cherrapunji and Shillong, you will pass through green mountains, clouds just below you, the endless curves of the black road will make you forget everything but enjoy the moment.

Monsoon gives adventures to those who are adventurous

For normal people, monsoon rains might be a little bit turn off but for many adventurous travelers, it gives plenty of opportunities to experience what is like to be in a monsoon season in a mountainous area. Trekking in a muddy hike adds a little spice than a normal trekking. So, take this with a gain of salt but HEY! Adventurous travelers will like the kind of salt I am talking about.

So, all these are some of the reasons that the best time to visit Shillong, Cherrapunji during the month of May to October.

15 things you must take care before starting your journey towards Shillong and Cherrapunji.

Remember I asked you guess a very important thing to care of before going to Cherrapunji? Now it is the time to remember it and check if it matches with mine. Below is a list of 15 things you must take care before starting your journey towards Shillong and Cherrapunji.

1. Protect your gadgets from the water and moisture using a waterproof gadget protector. This is the one thing I requested you to guess. Check out the best smartphone waterproof pouches from Amazon here.
2. Make sure you carry an umbrella or be ready to get wet.
3. Expect it a little colder than what you think it would be.
4. Brush your walking and hiking skills because you will need it now more than ever. 🙂
5. Carry a movee or Volini just in case.
6. Bring at least some winter cloths but not thermals.
7. Be ready to get your head spin because you will eat the Tamul there if you are a pan lover.
8. Make sure you have some trekking gears like a backpack, some basic foods and energy drinks.
9. Make sure you have a survival knife and other emergency kits. Amazon has a pretty good list of survival knifes, you can check them out by clicking here.
10. Be ready to pay high taxi fares if you hiring a reserve taxi outside of Shillong City.
11. Do not throw or spit on the streets or for that matter anywhere except in the dustbin.
12. Do not try to go to other treks other than the one you are being guided to. Remember these are thick mountain ranges and remember point number 8 and 9 just in case.
13. Carry a powerbank for your gadgets.
14. Make sure your hotel rooms are confirmed because Shillong is a popular destination and they tend to run out quickly.
15. Expect some runny nose because of the sudden weather change and exposure to rainfall multiple times. Remember point number 2.

I hope you liked the above list. If you think I missed anything, comment down below so that others will know too. May be I will add to the list as well.

10 reasons you should visit Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya.

Deciding to travel to Shillong may become one of the best decision you will ever make in your travel bucket list. I am sure you already know many of the below lists on why you should travel to Shillong. Nevertheless, let’s go through once again.

1. Cleanest village of Asia is located in the state of Meghalaya. Shillong is much cleaner than most of the cities in India or in the world for that matter.
2. Rainiest place on the earth is just hours drive from Shillong.
3. Relax during the summer heat in the pleasant weather of Shillong.
4. Experience the living root bridge, the only one in the world.
5. The crystal clear water of Dawki Trekking.
6. Many trekking sites you can choose ranging from easy to difficult level.
7. The fresh air, the clouds, the green mountain ranges, it is just mesmerizing, poets will call it eyegasm or may be it is mindgasm.
8. Perfectly safe or women and very liberal place to hang out and enjoy.
9. One of the best roads to experience for a biker.
10. Booze are legal and you can get in most of the bars and restaurants.

Do you have anything to add? Comment down below to add. If you want to know what are the other capital cities of the other Northeastern states of India. Click on this post to know it.

Names and Capital cities of Northeastern states of India.

Can you visit Shillong and Cherrapunji other than the above mentioned months?

Well, you can always travel to Shillong and Cherrapunji other than the months of May to October but you will missed the real experience what you are supposed to experience. For example, you may find it extremely cold during winter season. You won’t find much rainfall and you may think, well, it is same amount of rainfall you always see in your home. Or the mountains may be little out of form because of lack of rainfall. Since you are traveling to experience the full adventure, I suggest you to go Shillong and Cherrapunji during the best months of May to October.

How many days are the optimum for a trip to Shillong?

The optimum days for a Shillong trip depends on your plan and purpose. An ideal plan would be a 3-7 days depending on your needs.

A 5 days travel itinerary will look like this:

Day 1: Arrive and walk around your hotel area.

Day 2: Visit the Cherrapunji and enjoy there.

Day 3: Go for a Dawki Trekking.

Day 4: Take rest and roam the city, get to know different and important places within the city.

Day 5: Spend time in Umiam Lake, Wards Lake, and other nearby places from the city view from the Shillong View Point, Laitkor Peak.

Are you planning for a Camping Trip in Shillong? You should know which tent is the best tent for camping and I have written a detailed post about it. Check out the link below to know more.

I hope this post is helpful to your planning of visiting Shillong. If you have anything, do not hesitate to comment down. Do you know any of your friends planning for a Shillong trip for years? Share this with them, this may actually lead him/her to actually going to Shillong. Stay tune see you in the next post.