Overview
The Nongkrem festival at Smit village runs on a calendar that does not bend to travel schedules. It happens in October or November when the Syiem of Khyrim confirms the dates for the year, and all planning follows from there. Young Khasi women in silk skirts and traditional jewelry perform the Nongkrem dance as a community thanksgiving to U Blei – not a performance arranged for visitors but a living ritual that has run at Smit for as long as the Khyrim syiemship has held the land. The nongkrem dance festival shillong package is built around going when it happens.
Bon handles the vehicle from Guwahati Airport or Railway Station with Shillong as the four-night base throughout. Day 2 goes to Smit village for the festival, 11 kilometres from the city centre, with the afternoon returning to Shillong. Day 3 covers the Don Bosco Museum and Laitlum Canyon from the Shillong base. Day 4 makes the morning drive to Mawphlang Sacred Forest for the law kyntang guided walk before returning to the city. Day 5 closes at Guwahati Airport or Railway Station. This package is bookable only within the confirmed festival window each year.
Day-wise Itinerary
5-day travel plan — tap any day to view full details.
The nongkrem dance festival shillong tour picks up at Guwahati Airport or Railway Station for the 100-kilometre drive west through the Brahmaputra plains and into the East Khasi Hills. The road climbs through Nongpoh and arrives in Shillong at 1,496 metres in approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
The city carries a different quality in October and November - the post-monsoon clarity sits on the hills and the festival energy moves through Shillong before the Smit village date arrives. An evening in the lanes around Police Bazaar settles the group. Tomorrow begins 11 kilometres from here.
The nongkrem dance festival shillong day is the reason this package exists. Smit village sits 11 kilometres from Shillong as the seat of the Syiem of Khyrim and the Nongkrem dance fills the festival ground with a community thanksgiving that the Khasi Hills have held across generations.
The silk attire of the dancers and the rhythm of the ceremony are specific to this community and this moment in the year. The afternoon returns to Shillong. No sightseeing is scheduled after Smit - the morning at the festival ground is what the day asks the group to bring its full attention to.
The nongkrem dance festival shillong circuit uses Day 3 for the city and its edges. The Don Bosco Museum opens the morning with seven floors covering northeast India's tribal history, art, clothing and oral tradition - the deepest single-building context for what the Khasi ceremony at Smit yesterday belongs to.
Laitlum Canyon follows in the afternoon, 25 kilometres from Shillong across flat grassland that terminates at a rim where the valley drops below without warning. Standing there a day after the festival gives the landscape a different kind of depth from a standard plateau viewpoint.
The nongkrem dance festival shillong route moves 30 minutes from Shillong to Mawphlang for the law kyntang walk. The Sacred Forest here is held under Khasi community protection where no plant, stone or soil may be removed.
The guided walk covers 1.5 to 2 hours through canopy layers that community protection has allowed to close completely over generations. After two days inside the Khasi cultural structure at Smit and the Khasi tribal record at the Don Bosco Museum, the Sacred Forest is the third register of the same living system - not a separate day but a continuation of it.
Morning checkout after breakfast and the drive from Shillong to Guwahati Airport or Railway Station follows the East Khasi Hills road down through Nongpoh and across the Brahmaputra plains, approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. The nongkrem dance festival shillong tour closes here.
Afternoon and evening departures are comfortably in reach. Groups with earlier flights or trains should flag timing with the Bon team at booking so checkout can be structured with enough buffer.
Map
Inclusions & Exclusions
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Private six seater Innova or Xylo class car throughout, point to point on the itinerary and not on disposal.
- All sightseeing listed on the day plan with no hidden gaps.
- Pickup and drop at Guwahati Airport or Railway Station at the start and end of the trip.
- Daily breakfast at the hotel on CP basis.
- Deluxe hotel double sharing rooms throughout.
- All fuel, parking and toll charges.
- Driver's full trip allowances, nothing extra owed on the road.
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights and train fares to Guwahati are not included.
- Dinner and lunch throughout the trip.
- Guide charges at Mawphlang Sacred Forest, paid locally on Day 4.
- Entry fees at museums, viewpoints and cultural sites, paid directly on site.
- Emergency evacuation costs.
- Extra costs caused by road closures, landslides or other natural events.
- Personal spends including laundry, tips, shopping and beverages.
- Anything not clearly covered under the inclusions above.
Best Time to Visit
Meghalaya stays cool year-round. Shillong enjoys pleasant weather (15°C–25°C), while Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receive heavy monsoons (June–September), creating dramatic waterfalls. Winters (October–February) are crisp and dry (4°C–16°C), perfect for exploring living root bridges, crystal-clear Dawki river, and limestone caves. October to April is the best time for sightseeing, trekking, and clear valley views.
Important Price & Package Conditions
- Prices are subject to availability and may vary based on travel dates, hotel selection, and seasonal demand.
- The actual price is reconfirmed at the time of booking. Discounts or deals may apply depending on ongoing promotions.
- Prices displayed do not include optional add-ons such as cab upgrades, special activities, or extra room categories unless mentioned.
- For group bookings, custom itineraries, or peak season travel, final pricing may differ. Please connect with our travel expert.
- 50% advance payment confirms your booking.
- Remaining balance is due 45 days before travel.
- Natural disasters or political unrest will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
- Valid for Indian nationals only. International guests may require special permits.
- Carry original government ID for all hotels.
- Secure payments and flexible policies.
- 24x7 emergency support during travel.
- Bon Voyagers strives to provide transparent pricing. For clarity or a custom quote, please contact our support team.
Subha Travels reserves the right to update package pricing and availability. For clarity or a custom quote, please connect with our support team.