How to reach Meghalaya

Meghalaya is in the North Eastern India. The nearest metropolitan city is Kolkata. There are several ways if you want to know how to reach Meghalaya. We have enlisted all of them in detail in this post to make it easier for you to plan your mode of transport to reach Meghalaya. Depending on which part of India you are coming from, you can choose what best suits you.

Flights

Shillong has an operational airport. For tourists or travellers coming from Western or Southern India, in order to save time, it is best to take a flight directly to Shillong. You can book a flight from your city to Kolkata and then from Kolkata to Shillong. Direct flights may not be available from other cities to Shillong. So, this is the best way to save time and money both.

Indigo operates flights from Kolkata to Shillong. The typical cost of which is ₹4200-₹5500. Spicejet has a direct flight from Delhi to Shillong priced typically at ₹5500-6000. There are no direct flights from any other city to Shillong. Shillong airport is small. It handles only small airplanes. These aeroplanes are quite vulnerable to weather conditions. So, if the weather is not suitable or there are rains and clouds, airline operators may cancel the flights. You will have to consider this while booking you flights to Shillong.

Alternatively, you may also take a flight to Guwahati and start your trip from there. This is the best way keeping in mind all associated variables. Guwahati has a flight from almost all the major cities. The airport is sufficiently large as well. Additionally, Guwahati is a major city in Eastern India so has excellent connectivity. Even the resources are plenty in terms of travel operators, accommodations and taxis. Shillong is a 100 km or 2.5 hours drive from Guwahati.

Trains

Being a hilly region, there are no railway tracks in Meghalaya as yet. Therefore, there is no railway station which you can travel to start your trip. However, the nearest and most convenient railway station to reach Meghalaya is Guwahati. Most of the people from the eastern India travel to Guwahati via train. This gives a double advantage as you can visit Guwahati and Meghalaya in the same trip. Most of the travellers plan it in this way. Guwahati is the gateway to the North east India. Almost all the stations in India have a train to reach Guwahati. You can either search Guwahati station or Kamakhya station when looking for trains. From Guwahati, you may either take a bus, shared taxi or private taxi to reach Shillong. To know how we reached Meghalaya check this post.

Buses/ Shared Taxi

You may arrive at Guwahati by any of the above two means. From there you may take a bus to Shillong if you are on a strict budget. There are a number of buses that operate between Guwahati and Shillong. Meghalaya Transport Corporation operates non-AC mini vans in the first half of the day. It takes around 3-3.5 hours to reach Shillong. The fare is an affordable ₹200. There are several private operators as well with AC/non-AC buses at a fare of ₹300-500. They all take similar time of 3-3.5 hours to reach Shillong. These are a great option if you plan to travel Meghalaya by public transport. They may also be a budget choice to reach Shillong if you book a taxi from Shillong for your trip. ASTC Paltan Bazar (near Guwahati railway station) and ISBT Betkuchi are the bus stands from where you can take a MTC or private bus to Shillong.

There are many shared taxis outside the Guwahati railway station also to take you to Shillong/Cherrapunji. The price is around ₹250-400 per person. Either way, there are options if you are travelling in budget or are solo traveller wanting to explore Meghalaya like a local.