Field guide · Meghalaya

Cherrapunji (Sohra) travel guide

A limestone plateau on the wet edge of Meghalaya: India's tallest plunge waterfall, caves, and the stone steps down to the living root bridges.

  • 340 m, one plungeNohkalikai Falls
  • About 3,500 steps each wayDouble Decker trek
  • Two nightsGood for

Locals call it Sohra. The British wrote it as Cherrapunji, and that is the name in the record books for rainfall. The town sits on a plateau about 55 km south of Shillong that ends in cliffs, with the plains of Bangladesh spread out below.

Everything here comes from the rain: waterfalls off every edge, caves under the surface, and in the gorges below, the root bridges at Nongriat. It is the part of Meghalaya most people remember.

Researched and written October 2026Location photos are free-use images, not Charkadam trip photos

Overview

The wet edge of the plateau

Moist air from the Bay of Bengal crosses the flat plains of Bangladesh, meets the plateau wall and is forced up. The result is one of the wettest inhabited places on earth, with nearby Mawsynram. Almost all of that rain falls between about May and September.

The odd part is what happens the rest of the year. The plateau is thin soil over limestone, so the water runs straight off or straight down. In winter Sohra can be short of drinking water, and the great waterfalls shrink to threads.

Two seasons, two trips

In the dry months you get clear views, safe steps, open caves and blue pools under the falls. In the monsoon you get the falls at full roar, and often nothing else but cloud. Decide which one you want before you book.

The cave that named an age

Mawmluh Cave, just outside town, is over 7 km long. A stalagmite from it records a drought about 4,200 years ago that geologists chose in 2018 as the start of the Meghalayan Age. It is a serious cave, not a casual visit.

A tall waterfall pouring down a rock gorge at Cherrapunji, seen from above
Off the edge, near Sohra

Food

Eating in Sohra

Sohra is a small town. Eat at jadoh stalls and at the kitchens of guesthouses and homestays. On the Nongriat trail, village homes sell tea, noodles and fruit.

Sohra's own

  • Jadoh and porkthe Khasi plate

    Red rice cooked with pork, served with dohneiiong, a black-sesame pork curry, or dohkhlieh, a cold pork salad.

  • Sohra pulaoa local rice dish

    A rice dish cooked with vegetables and oil and no spices, described as the town's signature. Ask for it by name.

  • Pork with bamboo shootsour and sharp

    Fermented bamboo shoot is a staple souring agent across the north-east.

  • Sohra oranges and honeywinter

    The slopes below the plateau grow small sweet oranges, in season from about November to January, and orange-blossom honey is sold at roadside stalls.

  • Cinnamon and bay leafto take home

    Both grow wild around Sohra and are sold in bundles at viewpoints and markets.

  • Trail foodNongriat steps

    Maggi, boiled eggs, lemon juice and pineapple from small stalls on the way down. Carry cash in small notes.

In Nongriat, order dinner when you arrive. Supplies come down on someone's back.

Things to do

Above ground, and below

  1. Nohkalikai Falls

    About 5 km from town

    A single 340 m drop from the plateau into a green pool, listed as the tallest plunge waterfall in India. The name means "the leap of Ka Likai", from a grim Khasi legend about a mother, told on a board at the viewpoint. Flow is weakest from December to February.

    Nohkalikai Falls and its green plunge pool seen from the viewpoint across the gorge
    Nohkalikai from the viewpoint

  2. The Double Decker root bridge, Nongriat

    From Tyrna village · full day

    Around 3,500 stone steps down, past single root bridges and wire suspension bridges, to two living spans one above the other. The upper is about 24.6 m long, the lower 18.4 m. Start by 8 am, carry water, and save your legs for the climb back. Staying a night in Nongriat turns it from an ordeal into a pleasure.

    The double-decker living root bridge at Nongriat with a pool beneath it
    Two spans, grown not built

  3. Rainbow Falls

    Beyond Nongriat · adds 2 to 4 hours

    A further walk past blue pools to a waterfall that throws a rainbow on sunny mornings. Sources disagree wildly on the distance, from 3 to 7 km. Only attempt it if you are staying in Nongriat or started very early.

  4. Mawsmai Cave

    Near town · 20 minutes inside

    The lit show cave: stalactites, pools underfoot and a couple of tight squeezes. Easy and popular. Closed or unsafe when flooded in the monsoon.

    View up from inside a limestone cave to the forest canopy at Mawsmai
    Mawsmai

  5. Arwah Cave

    About 3.5 to 5 km from town

    Rawer than Mawsmai, with marine fossils set in the walls from when this rock was seabed. Only the first few hundred metres are open. Bring a torch.

  6. Wei Sawdong

    Near Dainthlen · steep descent

    A three-tier waterfall of about 51 m with turquoise pools in the dry season. The way down is a steep path with bamboo ladders. Wear shoes with grip.

    Wei Sawdong falls stepping down three tiers of layered rock into pools
    Wei Sawdong's three tiers

  7. Dainthlen Falls

    About 5 km from town

    A wide fall you can walk right up to across flat riverbed rock, pitted with potholes. In Khasi legend this is where a giant serpent, the Thlen, was killed.

Hidden gems

What travellers pass on

These are not our discoveries. They are places and tips that other travellers keep passing on, in forum threads, Q&A answers and independent travel blogs. We have cross-checked each one against at least one more source, but small places change fast. Ask locally before you plan a day around any of them.

  • Sleep in Nongriat

    At the bottom of the steps

    The strongest advice from people who did the trek: stay a night in one of the village homestays. You see the bridge empty at dawn and climb out fresh.

    Agreed across trek write-ups

  • Lyngksiar Falls

    Near Mawkma village

    A multi-level fall with pools, described as peaceful and far less visited than the headline falls. A short walk in.

    One north-east travel guide

  • Prut Falls

    Sohra area

    A waterfall with a natural path running behind the curtain of water. Best when there is water, so early dry season or monsoon.

    One north-east travel guide

  • Thangkharang Park and Kynrem Falls

    About 10 km south of town

    A park on the cliff edge with a view over Bangladesh, facing a three-tier fall across the gorge. A local picnic spot more than a tourist stop.

    Named in two lists

  • Mawkdok Dympep at first light

    On the Shillong road

    Everyone stops at this V-shaped valley viewpoint. The tip is to stop on the way in, early, before cloud fills it, instead of on the way back.

    From seasonal advice in guides

Practical info

Before you go

Best time

October to March for most people

The state tourism board recommends October to March for the Nongriat trek. November to February has the clearest skies. For big waterfalls come in June to September, and accept cloud, leeches and closed caves.

Getting there

From Shillong

About 55 km and two hours from Shillong by road, usually with stops at Mawkdok and the falls on the way. Shared taxis leave from Shillong's Bara Bazaar. Tyrna, the trailhead for Nongriat, is about 12 km beyond Sohra.

Fitness

The steps are the test

The Nongriat trek is not technical. It is 3,500 steps down and the same back up, in humidity. If stairs trouble your knees, bring a pole and take the climb slowly. A few weeks of stair practice before the trip makes a real difference.

Altitude

Not a factor

Sohra is at around 1,400 m and Nongriat far lower. Heat and humidity are the issue, not thin air.

Money and fees

Small cash

Viewpoints, caves and trails each charge a small entry fee, often with a camera fee, collected by the village. Carry plenty of small notes. ATMs in Sohra exist and are not dependable.

What to pack

Grip and dry bags

Shoes with good tread, a rain jacket, a dry bag, swimwear, a small towel, a torch for caves, insect repellent, and salt or socks against leeches in the wet months.

Build your packing list

Sohra is about grip and rain protection, not warmth. Tell the builder the month.

Open the Packing List BuilderFitness guide

Go with Charkadam

Sohra, with a group

Cherrapunji and the root-bridge trek are on both of our Meghalaya trips. The trip pages have the day-by-day plans and say how the trek day is handled.

See the departure calendarAll trips

* Indicative starting price. The trip page shows the price for each date.

Questions

Cherrapunji, answered

Yes. Sohra is the original Khasi name, and Cherrapunji is the name that came into use under British rule. The state uses Sohra officially.

Roughly 3,500 stone steps each way from Tyrna village. Most people take four to six hours in total, not counting time at the bridge.

October to March for clear weather, safe trails and open caves. June to September is the monsoon, when waterfalls are at their most powerful but cloud and rain can hide everything.

It drops 340 m (1,115 ft) in a single plunge and is listed as the tallest plunge-type waterfall in India.

There are natural pools near the Double Decker bridge where people swim in the dry season. Follow village rules, and do not swim when the water is high or fast.

Keep reading

Guides nearby

All destination guides