If you’ve already read our guide to a 7-day Assam and Meghalaya circuit, you know that a week is enough to get a genuine taste of North East India. But if you have 10 days to spare, you can go significantly further — adding Kaziranga’s wildlife, and crossing into Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most remote and visually spectacular states in the entire country, home to the Tawang Monastery and some of the highest motorable passes in India.
This is the itinerary we build for travellers who want the complete North East India experience in one trip, rather than returning separately for each state. It’s more demanding than a standard week-long tour — more driving, an Inner Line Permit to arrange, and higher-altitude travel — but it rewards you with a genuinely rare combination: rhinos in the grasslands, living root bridges in the clouds, and a Himalayan monastery near the Tibet border, all in a single, well-planned journey.
As the best travel agency in Siliguri, AKKCRUSIER PRIVATE LIMITED has planned this exact 10-day Assam-Meghalaya-Arunachal circuit for travellers looking for a longer, more comprehensive North East India tour. Here’s the complete route, day by day.
Why Combine Assam, Meghalaya & Arunachal in One Trip?
- Shared entry point: All three states are reachable from Guwahati, so you don’t need multiple flights or separate trips — one arrival, one departure, one connected loop.
- Complementary landscapes: Assam offers wildlife and river plains, Meghalaya offers waterfalls and living root bridges, and Arunachal offers genuine high-altitude Himalayan scenery — three very different experiences in one itinerary.
- Time and cost efficiency: Combining all three in a single 10-day trip is significantly more efficient than three separate shorter trips, both in flight costs and overall logistics.
- A rarer, more complete story to tell: Relatively few travellers make it all the way to Tawang on the same trip as Meghalaya — this itinerary genuinely stands apart from the standard North East circuit.
Before You Go: The One Thing to Plan Early
Unlike Assam and Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh requires an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for all Indian travellers who aren’t natives of the state. This is the single biggest planning item for this itinerary, and it needs to be sorted 5–7 days before travel, ideally through your travel agent, so it doesn’t hold up your trip once you’re already on the road. (We’ve covered the complete ILP process, entry gates, and documents required in detail in our Tawang Tour Guide.)
No special permits are needed for the Assam and Meghalaya legs of this trip beyond a valid photo ID.
The Complete 10-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Guwahati
Land in Guwahati and ease into the trip with a visit to the Kamakhya Temple, followed by a relaxed sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra River. Spend the evening exploring Guwahati’s local food scene before an early night — the days ahead involve a fair bit of driving.
Overnight: Guwahati
Day 2: Guwahati to Kaziranga (~215 km, 5–6 hours)
Drive to Kaziranga National Park, arriving in time for an afternoon jeep safari if your travel timing allows. Settle into a resort near the park for the evening.
Overnight: Kaziranga
Day 3: Kaziranga Safari & Drive to Shillong (~250 km, 6–7 hours)
Start with an early elephant or jeep safari to spot Kaziranga’s famous one-horned rhinos. (For a full breakdown of zones and safari types, see our Kaziranga Safari Guide.) After the safari, begin the long drive to Shillong. This is a full travel day, so plan for a late-evening arrival.
Overnight: Shillong
Day 4: Shillong Sightseeing
A full day exploring Shillong — Ward’s Lake, Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls, and the lively Police Bazaar in the evening. After two travel-heavy days, this is a good day to slow down and simply enjoy the city.
Overnight: Shillong
Day 5: Shillong to Cherrapunjee (~55 km, 2 hours)
Head to Cherrapunjee (Sohra), visiting Nohkalikai Falls, the Seven Sisters Falls, and Mawsmai Cave along the way. The drive itself, through pine forests and valley viewpoints, is one of the most scenic legs of the entire trip.
Overnight: Cherrapunjee
Day 6: Dawki & Mawlynnong Day Trip
Visit Dawki, famous for boating on the crystal-clear Umngot River, followed by Mawlynnong, Asia’s cleanest village, and a walk to its nearby Living Root Bridges. Return to Shillong for the night.
Overnight: Shillong
Day 7: Shillong to Guwahati to Bhalukpong/Bomdila (~330 km total, long travel day)
An early departure from Shillong back to Guwahati, continuing onward through Bhalukpong — your Arunachal Pradesh entry checkpost, where your ILP is verified — and up to Bomdila. This is the longest travel day of the trip, so start as early as possible and build in rest stops.
Overnight: Bomdila
Day 8: Bomdila to Dirang to Tawang via Sela Pass (~185 km)
A short sightseeing stop in Bomdila, followed by a drive through Dirang, and then the dramatic climb over Sela Pass (around 13,700 ft) en route to Tawang. This is the most visually stunning drive of the entire itinerary.
Overnight: Tawang
Day 9: Tawang Sightseeing
A full day exploring Tawang Monastery, one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the world, along with the Tawang War Memorial and, weather and permissions permitting, Madhuri Lake (Shonga-tser Lake). A day to slow down and take in the scale and altitude of this remote Himalayan town.
Overnight: Tawang
Day 10: Return Journey & Departure
Begin the return journey towards Tezpur or Guwahati, depending on your onward flight timing. Given the distance, this is typically a long travel day back down from the hills — many travellers choose to break this into an overnight halt in Dirang or Bomdila if their flight allows a Day 11 departure instead.
A Practical Note on Pace
This 10-day itinerary is genuinely ambitious, and it’s worth being honest about that upfront: Days 2–3, 6–7, and 10 involve significant driving, and the Arunachal leg alone (Bhalukpong to Tawang and back) typically benefits from a little more breathing room. If your schedule allows, extending this to 12–13 days makes for a noticeably more relaxed trip, with an extra overnight stop on the way to Tawang and one on the return leg. We regularly customise this exact itinerary to either the tighter 10-day version or a more comfortable 12–13 day version, depending on how much time you have available.
Best Time for This 10-Day North East India Trip
Since this itinerary spans three states with different seasonal considerations, timing matters more than usual:
- October to April is the best overall window, when Kaziranga is open (it closes for monsoon roughly May–October), Meghalaya has cleared post-monsoon skies, and Arunachal’s mountain roads, including Sela Pass, are generally accessible.
- November to February offers the clearest combination of good weather across all three states, though it’s also peak season, so book well in advance.
- Avoid June–September, since this overlaps with Kaziranga’s closure and increases landslide risk on both the Meghalaya and Arunachal hill roads.
Estimated Budget for the 10-Day Trip
Costs vary by hotel category and group size, but as a rough guide per person for this extended North East India tour package:
- Mid-range travellers: ₹55,000 – ₹75,000 (comfortable 3-star stays, private vehicle throughout, safaris and permits included)
- Premium travellers: ₹85,000 and above (boutique stays, private guided experiences, upgraded vehicles for the hill sections)
This typically includes accommodation, private vehicle and driver for the entire circuit, Kaziranga safaris, ILP processing, and sightseeing entry fees, but excludes flights to and from Guwahati.
Why Book This Extended Circuit Through AKKCRUSIER?
A 10-day, three-state North East India trip has considerably more moving parts than a standard week-long tour — Kaziranga safari slots, Meghalaya’s hill routes, and Arunachal’s Inner Line Permit and high-altitude driving all need to be coordinated together. As the best travel agency in Siliguri, AKKCRUSIER PRIVATE LIMITED handles the complete planning — permits, safari bookings, hotel stays across all three states, and an experienced driver for both the Meghalaya and Arunachal hill sections — so the only thing you need to plan is how much time you can give the trip.
Explore our North East India Tour Packages or contact us for a customised 10-day or extended itinerary.
Ready to plan your complete North East India trip? Get in touch today for a tailored quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is 10 days enough to cover Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh? Yes, but it’s a fairly packed itinerary with several long driving days. For a more relaxed pace, especially for the Tawang leg, 12–13 days is more comfortable.
Q2. Do I need a permit for this entire trip? You need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) only for the Arunachal Pradesh leg of the journey. Assam and Meghalaya don’t require any special permit for Indian citizens beyond a valid photo ID.
Q3. What is the best time to do this 10-day North East India trip? October to April is ideal, since it covers Kaziranga’s open season, clear Meghalaya weather, and generally accessible Arunachal mountain roads.
Q4. Can this itinerary be shortened if I don’t have 10 days? Yes. If Arunachal isn’t a priority, the Assam-Meghalaya portion alone works well as a 7-day trip — see our dedicated 7-day Assam and Meghalaya itinerary guide for that version.
Q5. Is this itinerary suitable for families with children or elderly travellers? The Assam and Meghalaya legs are comfortable for most travellers. The Arunachal leg involves high-altitude driving over Sela Pass (around 13,700 ft), so we’d recommend discussing your group’s fitness and health considerations with us before finalising this route.
Planning an extended North East India trip? AKKCRUSIER PRIVATE LIMITED, the trusted travel agency in Siliguri, designs complete multi-state itineraries covering Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, with full permit assistance included. Get in touch today.
