When to visit›Meghalaya›Shillong›May
Shillong in May: doable, with the right plan
May: rain on 26 days — and inside the recommended window.
May is the middle of Shillong's season — the recommended window is March – June, September – November. Mild days around 23°C, nights near 17°C, rain on most days. Stays run about 30% above the usual rate this month.
June is in season too. The season runs to the end of June, next month. The cold months usually begin in December, 7 months away. The next mild, dry spell usually starts in November, 6 months away.
3 days in Shillong in May · from ₹8,900 for two
Stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Day-by-day plan with the journey from your city, priced for May — ready in seconds, no sign-up.
What the weather actually does
10-year average · ShillongMild days around 23°C, nights near 17°C, rain on most days.
What a day in Shillong looks like
The things most people actually do here, by time of day.
Morning
- Elephant Falls — three-tier cascade through jungle1h 30m · moderate
- Don Bosco Museum — finest tribal cultures collection in Asia2h · easy
- Shillong Peak (1966m) panorama over the city1h 30m · moderate
Afternoon
- Ward's Lake boating & garden walk1h · easy
- Laitlum Canyons — dramatic gorge viewpoint2h · moderate
- Mawphlang Sacred Grove — protected ancient forest2h · moderate
Evening
- Police Bazar food & shopping + Shillong live music night2h · easy
About 12h of activity in total — the planner spreads this across your days and fits travel time around it.
What a May trip costs · 3 days, total for two
Budget
₹8,900 for two
- Stay · 2n₹2,730
- Food₹3,120
- Local + entry₹2,450
- Buffer₹600
Mid-range
₹21,986 for two
- Stay · 2n₹7,917
- Food₹7,200
- Local + entry₹5,300
- Buffer₹1,569
Luxury
₹58,485 for two
- Stay · 2n₹27,612
- Food₹16,800
- Local + entry₹9,800
- Buffer₹4,273
May multiplier already applied (1.30× on stays). Covers stay with GST, food, local transport, entry & activities, 8% buffer for two people sharing one room — the same figures the planner opens on. Excludes travel to Shillong. How we price this
Add the journey from your city — see the full priceBook Shillong for May
Opens with May dates for two — change them on the booking site.
Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.
A May plan, day by day
3 days in Shillong for May, at this month's stay rates.
- 1🌿 Nature Day3h out
- Laitlum Canyons — dramatic gorge viewpoint · afternoon, 2h
- Ward's Lake boating & garden walk · afternoon, 1h
The altitude and cool air hit as you arrive — a slow evening settling in before the hills tomorrow.
- 2🎭 Cultural Day7h out
- Don Bosco Museum — finest tribal cultures collection in Asia · morning, 2h
- Elephant Falls — three-tier cascade through jungle · morning, 1.5h
- Shillong Peak (1966m) panorama over the city · morning, 1.5h
- Police Bazar food & shopping + Shillong live music night · evening, 2h
Culture here is in the streets, not just museums — this day takes you through both.
- 3🌿 Nature Day1h out
- Umiam Lake sunrise · morning, 1h
Final day in Shillong — these natural sites are best experienced in sequence — morning freshness for the trails, afternoon for the valleys.
Swap places, change the pace, set your own dates.
Plan my Shillong tripGetting to Shillong
Usually the biggest line in the budget — and the one the estimate above leaves out.
Guwahati → Shillong
bus · 3h
₹150
1 way / person
Guwahati → Shillong
cab · 2.5h
₹1,800
1 way / person
Kolkata → Shillong
flight · 1h
₹4,500
1 way / person
Cheapest listed route is Guwahati → Shillong by bus. Return for two works out to about ₹600 — so a whole trip lands near ₹9,500 for two, travel included.
Fares are typical one-way estimates per person from Shillong's common gateways, not live prices — book early and expect festival months to run higher.
Every month, scored
What you’ll actually do in Shillong
All of these are open in May.
- Elephant Falls three-tier cascade
- Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous Cultures
- Shillong Peak (1966m) panorama
- Ward's Lake boating
- Umiam Lake sunrise
- Rock music scene & live gigs
- Laitlum Canyons viewpoint
- Mawphlang Sacred Grove walk
- Police Bazar street shopping
- Mawlynnong cleanest village (30km)
- Living Root Bridges day trip (60km)
- Cherrapunji scenic drive
Within reach: Elephant Falls · Shillong Peak · Ward's Lake · Don Bosco Museum · Sweet Falls · Umiam Lake.
Packing for May
- A packable rain shell and quick-dry clothes — showers come most days.
- Footwear with grip that can get wet, and a zip-lock for phone and documents.
- Insect repellent and leech socks for forest walks.
- Walking shoes with grip and a power bank — charging points and signal are patchy on hill roads.
May questions, answered
Is May a good time to visit Shillong?
It can work — May is not Shillong's best month: it sits in the middle of the recommended season (March – June, September – November), and mild days around 23°C, nights near 17°C, rain on most days. Tourisma's fit score for May is 60/100.
See a May plan for ShillongHow much does a trip to Shillong cost in May?
A typical 3-day trip for two costs from ₹8,900 (budget) to ₹58,485 (luxury), excluding travel to Shillong. Seasonally adjusted for May.
Price it for your group and cityWhen is the best time to visit Shillong?
The best months are November, December, February. From May: June is in season too. The season runs to the end of June, next month. The cold months usually begin in December, 7 months away. The next mild, dry spell usually starts in November, 6 months away.
What is there to do in Shillong?
Elephant Falls three-tier cascade. Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous Cultures. Shillong Peak (1966m) panorama. Ward's Lake boating. Umiam Lake sunrise. Rock music scene & live gigs. Guwahati is the nearest railhead, 104 km away.
Part of a longer route
Most people visit Shillong as one stop of several.
Nearby, same trip
Elsewhere in India in May
Instead in season this month, from Tourisma's ranking of all 238 destinations for May.
- Haridwar · Uttarakhand · from ₹6,526 for two, 2 days
- Rishikesh · Uttarakhand · from ₹7,733 for two, 3 days
- Gulmarg · Jammu & Kashmir · from ₹9,694 for two, 2 days
- Bomdila · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹4,855 for two, 2 days
- Tawang · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹10,176 for two, 3 days
- Ziro Valley · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹4,855 for two, 2 days
- Kodaikanal · Tamil Nadu · from ₹6,390 for two, 2 days
- Yumthang Valley · Sikkim · from ₹5,335 for two, 2 days
Want this as a real plan?
Shillong in May, priced for your group, dawn-starts built in — about 40 seconds.
From ₹8,900 for two · stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Plan Shillong in May