Shillong
Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, India, is a hill station and the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district.
It is the 330th most populous city in India, with a population of 143,229 according to the 2011 census. It is said that the rolling hills around the town reminded the British of Scotland. Hence, they would refer to it as the "Scotland of the East".
Getting to Shillong
The best way to reach Shillong, is from Guwahati, via helicopter. The government of Meghalaya operates a service to/from Guwahati Airport, and also to/from Tura. The helicopter flies to the ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) Shillong, an Air Force Heliport located around 15 km away from the city center. Tickets are modestly priced at ₹1500 per person.
- 01Shillong Airport
Worth seeing
Butterfly Museum. There is a huge collection of different types of butterflies. Students of zoology will find them interesting. This place is also attractive for adults where they can see the natural beauty and play with the beautiful and colourful butterflies. This museum presents some of the finest and rarest species of butterflies.
- 01Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong which covers the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.
- 02Golf
Shillong golf course is located at an altitude of around 5200 ft.
- 03Lady Hydari Park
The park has a variety of local flowering plants and orchids.
- 04Lok Bhavan
The official residence of the Governor of Meghalaya appointed by the President of India, formerly the Raj Bhavan.
- 05Madina Mosque
India's only glass mosque, and one of the largest in the Northeast.
Things to do
Take a walk through Iewduh (Bara Bazar)-Iewduh means Big Market - It is one of the biggest market in North-East India. There are separate areas dedicated to vegetables, fruits, iron works, fish, beef, betel and so on. Visit the State Central Library - it was started at the time of British Raj and holds many rare books and almanacs. For British searching for clues about ancestors in this area, it is a gold-mine.
- 01Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Where to eat
There are a variety of restaurants in Shillong. Most of the better ones are located in Police Bazar area. Chinese, Indian and Tibetan foods are popular and even khun ksew. Bamboo Hut in RAPs' Mansion MG Road is one of the famous hangout and also the CITY Dhaba near Earl Holiday Home.
Getting around Shillong the local way
- Get inThe best way to reach Shillong, is from Guwahati, via helicopter.
- Get inThe helicopter flies to the ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) Shillong, an Air Force Heliport located around 15 km away from the city center.
- Get inTravelling by helicopter reduces the tedious 4 hour road journey from Guwahati to a pleasant 20-minute flight.
- Get inTickets can be booked from the Meghalaya Helicopter Service counter at the Guwahati airport and from the Meghalaya Transport Corporation counters in Shillong.
- Get inAs of July 2023, since May, the helicopter service is not operating due to maintenance.
- Get inShared taxis are quite easily available from Paltan Bazar area, which is adjacent to the railway station in Guwahati.
- Get inThese are generally SUV-sized vehicles (Tata Sumo, Toyota Innova and Mahindra Bolero) shared between 8 people.
- Get aroundBlack and yellow unmetered shared taxis ply within city limits.
From Wikivoyage: Shillong, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-08.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Govind619 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
