This is the one-day version: we pick you up from your Shillong hotel in the morning and have you back the same night, with the four things the border road is famous for in between. The Umngot River at Dawki, where in winter the water is so clear the boats look like they are floating on air. Mawlynnong, awarded Asia's cleanest village. The living root bridge at Riwai, grown rather than built, from rubber-fig roots trained across a stream over decades. And the Indo-Bangladesh border at the Dawki zero point, where the hills stop and the Sylhet plain opens out flat to the horizon.
It is a long day and we would rather say so upfront: about 82 km each way on a winding border road, roughly five hours of driving in total, and the rest of it out of the car. It is comfortably done, and thousands of visitors do it every season, but it is a full day rather than a relaxed one. If you would rather not drive back the same night, the same route works far better with a riverside camp at Shnongpdeng, which is what our Dawki tour covers.
The car is private and the driver is local and has driven this road in every season, which matters more than it sounds: the order of the stops changes the day. Going to Mawlynnong first and Dawki after lunch keeps you ahead of the Shillong day-tour traffic and puts you on the river when the light is best.
What you'll see
Umngot River, Dawki
A rowboat over water so clear the shadow of the hull rides the riverbed
Mawlynnong
Asia's cleanest village - bamboo lanes, flower gardens and the sky-walk viewpoint
Living Root Bridge, Riwai
A ten-minute forest walk to a bridge grown from living fig roots
Indo-Bangladesh border
The Dawki zero point and friendship gate, with the Sylhet plain beyond
Dawki suspension bridge
The 1932 single-lane bridge over the gorge, still in daily use
Border-road viewpoints
The Pynursla ridge, where the road drops out of the hills towards the plain
Route map
Every stop pinned in driving order, starting from Shillong. Your driver adjusts the exact order on the day with the weather and light.
Open the full route in Google MapsSample itinerary
A typical run of the trip - every stop, timing and order can change to suit you.
- 6:30 AM
Pickup from your Shillong hotel
The earlier you leave, the emptier Mawlynnong is when you get there
- 9:30 AM
Mawlynnong village
Walk the spotless bamboo lanes and climb the sky-walk viewpoint
- 10:45 AM
Riwai Living Root Bridge
Short forest walk down to the root bridge, about 30 minutes there and back
- 12:00 PM
Lunch
Simple Khasi kitchens in Mawlynnong or on the road to Dawki
- 1:30 PM
Umngot River boating
About 45 minutes on the water, hired per boat at the ghat
- 3:00 PM
Indo-Bangladesh border
The zero point, the friendship gate and the old suspension bridge
- 4:00 PM
Start back for Shillong
Back at your hotel between 7 and 8 pm, depending on the road
Timing, pickup and the best season
From your own hotel anywhere in Shillong, at whatever time you pick. Earlier is genuinely better - it is the difference between an empty Mawlynnong and a full one.
About 11 to 12 hours door to door, of which roughly 5 hours is driving. We do not rush the stops to shorten it.
The Umngot runs low and glass-clear. In monsoon (June to September) the water turns green-grey and boating often pauses altogether.
What's included
- ✓Private car with a local driver who knows the border road
- ✓Fuel, parking and tolls
- ✓Pickup and drop at your Shillong hotel
- ✓Driver charges - no meter and no per-kilometre top-up
- ✓Stop order planned around the crowds and the light on the day
Not included
- -The Umngot boat ride - hired per boat at the Dawki ghat, about 4 people per boat
- -Village entry and root-bridge tickets
- -Meals and refreshments
- -Any overnight stay - if you would rather camp by the river, see our Dawki tour instead
Every trip is priced to your group size, vehicle, season and add-ons - so we quote personally instead of listing one-size rates. Fuel, parking and driver charges are always included, with no hidden costs. Tell us your date and how many of you there are, and say if you want to add Krang Suri Falls on the Jowai route on the way back.
Dawki & Mawlynnong Day Trip - FAQ
Updated August 2026
Can Dawki and Mawlynnong really be done in one day from Shillong?+
Yes, and it is the most common way people do it. Expect 11 to 12 hours door to door with about 5 hours of driving. Leave by 7 am at the latest and you will have unhurried time at every stop. Leave at 9 and you will be watching the clock by the afternoon.
What time do you pick up, and from where?+
From your own hotel anywhere in Shillong, usually between 6:30 and 7:30 am. You tell us the time. We drop you back at the same place, normally between 7 and 8 pm.
When is the Umngot River clearest?+
November to March, when the river runs low and glass-clear, often holding into early April. During monsoon the water turns green-grey and boating frequently pauses, so if the famous transparent-water photos are why you are going, go in winter.
How does the boating work and is it included?+
It is not included, and we would rather be clear about that than surprise you. Rowboats are hired per boat rather than per person, each takes about four people, and a ride is around 45 minutes. You pay at the ghat and your driver makes sure you get the standard local rate.
Should we do the day trip or stay overnight?+
If you have the time, stay. The same route with a riverside camp night at Shnongpdeng is a better trip by some distance - you get the river in the early morning before any day boats arrive, and you are not driving back tired. Our Dawki tour covers that version. The day trip exists because a lot of people only have the one day, and it works.
Is the road difficult, and is it suitable for older travellers or children?+
The road is winding but sealed and in reasonable condition. The drive is the tiring part rather than any of the walking - the root bridge involves a short set of steps down and back, and everything else is flat and easy. For elderly guests or young children we would honestly suggest the overnight version instead of the day trip.
Can we add Krang Suri Falls or the border viewpoint at Shnongpdeng?+
Krang Suri can be added on the Jowai route on the way back, which adds around two hours and makes it a very long day - it works better as its own trip. Shnongpdeng is only 8 km past Dawki and adds barely half an hour, so yes, easily.
How much does the Dawki and Mawlynnong day trip cost?+
There is no fixed rate card - the quote depends on your group size, the vehicle and the date. WhatsApp your date and group size to +91 98637 89990 and we will send an exact quote the same day, with fuel, parking, tolls and driver charges all included.
Just need a taxi on one of these routes?
Every tour above can also be booked leg by leg - point-to-point cabs with the same cars and local drivers.
