Sohra, long known to outsiders as Cherrapunji, sits at about 1,430 metres on the southern edge of the Khasi Hills, where the plateau drops 660 metres or so towards the plains of Bangladesh. Monsoon clouds from the Bay of Bengal hit that wall and shed their water, which is why the town holds Guinness records for the most rain in a year and in a month, set in 1860-61, even though nearby Mawsynram now claims the title of wettest place. The name Sohra is the Khasi original; Cherrapunji is the colonial-era mispronunciation.
What visitors come for is a short loop of sights within a few kilometres of each other: Nohkalikai Falls, the seven-segmented Nohsngithiang (Seven Sisters) Falls, the lit passage of Mawsmai Cave and the clifftop viewpoints at Thangkharang Park, plus longer walks such as Dainthlen and Wei Sawdong falls. The big, famous sight of the district is the double-decker living root bridge at Nongriat, but it sits at the bottom of roughly 3,000 to 3,500 stone steps and is a serious half-day or full-day walk, not a stop on a drive.
Sohra is also a place with a history beyond scenery. Welsh Presbyterian missionaries arrived in 1841, and Thomas Jones set the Khasi language in Roman script here; the Nongsawlia church and school date to those years. The Ramakrishna Mission museums hold a small but useful collection on Khasi and other northeastern tribal cultures. The Khasi are a matrilineal society, and it helps to know that when you meet your guide or homestay host.
Most visitors come as a day trip from Shillong, about 52 km away, but the sights reward a night or two on the plateau. Clouds can close in and hide a waterfall that was clear an hour earlier, so build slack into the plan, go in the morning, and treat the weather as part of the place. This is a destination for patient travellers, and good for older ones if they stay on the drive-up viewpoints and leave the steps to others.
Before you plan
Sohra (Cherrapunji) at a glance
- Best months
- November to March for clearer views…November to March for clearer views and drier walking; October is workable. June to September is the monsoon, with the heaviest rain and fullest falls but also fog, slippery paths and landslide risk.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 long day from Shillong covers the…1 long day from Shillong covers the drive-up sights; 2 days is better, 3 if you add the Nongriat walk
- Airport
- Shillong AirportShillong Airport (SHL) at Umroi is the nearest, with limited flights; Guwahati (GAU), about 155 km away and roughly 4 hours by road, has the wide choice of flights
- Railway station
- None in Sohra or ShillongNone in Sohra or Shillong; Guwahati (GHY) is the nearest major railhead. A rail link to Shillong is reported to be under construction, so check current status.
- Getting around
- A hired car and driverA hired car and driver (usually from Shillong) is the practical choice; shared taxis run from Shillong, but sights are spread out and public transport between them is limited.
- Daily budget
- Mostly the cost of a car and driver…Mostly the cost of a car and driver from Shillong or Guwahati; meals, entry tickets and guides are modest by comparison. Rates vary, so confirm before you book.
- Senior comfort
- Good for drive-up viewpointsGood for drive-up viewpoints, the cave and the museums with a driver and a flexible plan; poor for Nongriat, Wei Sawdong and other step-heavy trails. Cool, damp, often foggy.
- Language
- Khasi is the local languageKhasi is the local language, and English is widely understood at sights, hotels and restaurants; Hindi is less common than in many Indian destinations
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Sohra (Cherrapunji): November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Sohra (Cherrapunji) itinerary
One good day
1 day in Sohra
Leave Shillong by about 7 am and stop briefly at the Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint on the way if the valley is clear. Reach Sohra in the morning for Nohkalikai Falls while the clouds are usually still thin, then continue to Mawsmai: Seven Sisters Falls first, then Mawsmai Cave. Have lunch at a sit-down restaurant such as Orange Roots, and spend the early afternoon at Thangkharang Park for the Kynrem Falls and Bangladesh plains views. If time and legs remain, drive to Dainthlen Falls before heading back to Shillong ahead of dusk. Roads are slow in fog, so do not stack more than this.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Sohra
Start at Nohkalikai Falls in the morning, then visit Seven Sisters Falls and Mawsmai Cave. Break for lunch, then take in Thangkharang Park in the afternoon. In the evening visit the Ramakrishna Mission museums if they are open, or rest.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Sohra
Drive from Shillong, pausing at Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint. Check in, then see Nohkalikai Falls in the afternoon light if the weather allows.
Day-by-day plan →
