A family trip fails for different reasons than other trips: a drive that outlasts a toddler's patience, a viewpoint at the end of 400 steps a grandparent cannot do, no washroom for two hours. So this plan is built backwards from those facts. The days are short, every stop has an easy version, the walks are the flat ones - Ward's Lake, Mawlynnong's lanes, the walk-through Mawsmai Cave - and the itinerary bends on the spot when someone needs it to.
The vehicle is the other half of the plan. Up to four travel in a Dzire; a family of six or seven fits an Ertiga or one of our Innovas; and a joint family travels together in a 12 or 17-seat Tempo Traveller with pushback seats and a roof carrier, instead of splitting across two cars and arguing over who got the grandmother. One local driver stays with you throughout - we plan the four night halts around family-friendly hotels and you book the ones you like directly.
What you'll see
Umiam Lake (Barapani)
Pedal boats, speed boats and lakeside lawns - the easiest hit with kids
Ward's Lake & Lady Hydari Park
Flat garden walks, a wooden bridge to feed fish from, a mini zoo
Don Bosco Museum
Seven indoor floors and a rooftop skywalk - the rainy-day insurance
Elephant Falls
The famous three tiers - viewable from the first platform if steps are an issue
Mawkdok Dympep Valley
Drive-up gorge viewpoint, with the zip-line for teenagers
Nohkalikai Falls
India's tallest plunge waterfall, seen from a railed viewpoint
Mawsmai Cave
The one cave that needs no crawling - lit, paved and walk-through
Mawlynnong
Asia's cleanest village - bamboo lanes, treehouse viewpoints, unhurried
Umngot River, Dawki
A calm morning boat ride on glass-clear water
Route map
Every stop pinned in driving order, starting from Guwahati Airport. 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.
- DAY 1
Arrive · Umiam & Shillong
Pickup at Guwahati (~3 hrs) with the boating stop at Umiam Lake to break the drive · Ward's Lake toward evening · night in Shillong
Day route on Google Maps - DAY 2
Shillong, gently
Don Bosco Museum, Lady Hydari Park and Elephant Falls, with Police Bazar for shopping and momos · the shortest driving day of the trip · night in Shillong
Day route on Google Maps - DAY 3
Into Sohra
Mawkdok viewpoint, Nohkalikai from the railed platform and the walk-through Mawsmai Cave · night in Cherrapunji, so nobody repeats the drive
Day route on Google Maps - DAY 4
Dawki & Mawlynnong
The trip's big day - morning boat ride on the Umngot, lunch and treehouse views at Mawlynnong, the Riwai root bridge if legs allow · night in Shillong · with very small children we swap this for the Garden of Caves and an easy afternoon
Day route on Google Maps - DAY 5
Unhurried drop
A slow morning, one last Umiam stop for photographs, and the drive down · drop at Guwahati airport or station - book afternoon-or-later departures
Day route on Google Maps
What's included
- ✓One vehicle and local hill driver for all 5 days - Dzire to 17-seat Tempo Traveller
- ✓Fuel, parking and tolls
- ✓Pickup & drop - Guwahati airport or Shillong
- ✓Route planned around 4 night halts with family-room hotel recommendations (you book directly)
- ✓On-the-day flexibility - the driver reorders stops around naps, meals and energy
Not included
- -Entry tickets, boating and rides (paid at each spot)
- -Meals
- -Child car seats - bring your own and we fit it, or ask when booking
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. Joint family? The 12 and 17-seat Tempo Travellers keep everyone in one vehicle.
Meghalaya Family Package - FAQ
Updated August 2026
Is Meghalaya suitable for young children and grandparents?+
Yes, if the plan respects them - which is the whole point of this package. Drives are kept to 2-3 hour hops, every day has flat, easy stops, and the two famously step-heavy sights (the Nongriat trek and Phe Phe Falls) are simply not on it. Meghalaya is also among India's safest, cleanest states to travel with a family.
Which stops involve steps, honestly?+
Elephant Falls has about 100 steps to the lowest tier - the first platform needs almost none. Arwah Cave and the Riwai root bridge involve short uneven walks. Everything else on this plan - Umiam, Ward's Lake, Don Bosco, Mawkdok, the Nohkalikai viewpoint, Mawsmai Cave, Mawlynnong, the Dawki boat - is manageable at any age. The driver always says beforehand what a stop involves.
Which vehicle fits a family of 8 or 10?+
One Tempo Traveller - ours seat 12 and 17 with pushback seats and a roof carrier for the luggage, so a joint family stays in one vehicle with one plan. For 5 to 7, an Ertiga or one of our Innovas; the Crysta is the softest ride of the fleet for anyone prone to car sickness on hill roads.
What if a child falls sick or a day needs to change?+
The plan bends - that is the advantage of a private vehicle over a fixed group tour. The driver reorders or drops stops on the spot, and days 2 and 4 both have built-in easier versions. Shillong has good hospitals and pharmacies, and your driver knows where they are.
When should a family visit Meghalaya?+
October to April is the comfortable window - dry paths, boating running, and pleasant days. December-January nights get properly cold in Shillong and Sohra, so pack real layers for children. Monsoon (June-September) is spectacular but means rain gear, slippery paths and a plan built around indoor fallbacks.
How much does the family package cost?+
There is no fixed rate card - the quote depends on group size, vehicle, days and season, with fuel, parking and the driver always included. WhatsApp your dates, ages and head count to +91 98637 89990 and you will get an exact figure and a vehicle suggestion the same day.
