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Guwahati is the gateway to Northeast India and a working city with a real temple-pilgrimage scene, river cruises, and rhino safaris within an hour’s drive. Entry to most temples is free, the main costs are transport and the occasional VIP darshan ticket. See our weather by month guide for more.
Things to Do in Guwahati: Temples and Sacred Sites
Kamakhya Temple
Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, 8 km west of the centre, is one of the most important Shakti Peethas in India and the city’s defining sight. The sanctum holds a natural rock cleft, not an idol, and the temple is busiest during Ambubachi Mela in late June. Entry is free, and darshan is open roughly 8:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00. A VIP pass costs ₹500 per person and cuts the queue from 3 to 4 hours down to about 30 minutes. Dress modestly and leave your shoes at the gate. See our best time to visit guide for more.
Umananda Temple (Peacock Island)
Umananda Temple sits on Peacock Island, a small island in the Brahmaputra that is the smallest inhabited river island in the world. You reach it by a shared ferry from Uzanbazar ghat that runs roughly every 30 minutes and costs about ₹20 each way. The 17th-century Shiva temple and the resident rhesus macaques are the draw, and the 15-minute crossing gives you a cheap view of the river. Go before 9:00 to beat the heat. See our travel tips guide for more.
Navagraha Temple
Navagraha Temple on Chitrachal Hill is Guwahati’s astronomical temple, with nine lingams representing the nine planets. It is one of the city’s oldest shrines and still houses an active research wing that studies astronomy. Entry is free and it opens around 6:00. The hilltop gives a clear view over the city toward the Brahmaputra, and it is far less crowded than Kamakhya. See our Guwahati travel guide guide for more.
Things to Do in Guwahati: Wildlife and Nature
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 48 km east of Guwahati (about 1 to 1.5 hours by road), has the highest density of one-horned rhinos anywhere in the world, packed into just 38 square km. Entry costs ₹50 for Indian nationals and ₹500 for foreign visitors, and a 2-hour jeep safari runs ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per jeep for 4 to 6 people. Permits can be booked online through the Assam forest department. Go on the first safari of the morning, 6:30, when rhinos are most active.
Deepor Beel
Deepor Beel is a Ramsar-listed wetland 10 km southwest of the centre and a major winter stopover for migratory waterfowl. It is best visited October to March, when you can spot Siberian cranes and grey-headed fish eagles from the viewing points along the edge. There is no entry gate, so hire an auto-rickshaw for the round trip (about ₹500) and go at sunrise. Bring binoculars; the birdlife sits far out on the water.
Assam State Zoo
Assam State Zoo, in the Hengrabari area, is the largest zoo in Northeast India and the best place to see the state’s wildlife in one visit, including the one-horned rhino, white tiger, and hoolock gibbon. Entry is ₹30 for Indians and ₹200 for foreigners, and it opens 7:00 to 16:30, closed Fridays. Budget 2 hours. It pairs well with the Ganeshguri and Hengrabari neighborhoods on the east side of town.
Kaziranga National Park (Day Trip)
Kaziranga National Park, a 4 to 5 hour drive (about 190 km) east on NH37, holds the largest population of one-horned rhinos in the world plus wild elephants, tigers, and swamp deer. It opens November 1 to April 30, and a jeep safari in the central Kohora range costs ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 depending on the zone, with foreigner entry at ₹650. Do it as an overnight trip rather than a single day, as the drive alone takes 8 to 10 hours return.
Things to Do in Guwahati: Culture and the Riverfront
Brahmaputra River Cruise
Alfresco Grand runs daily sunset, sundown, and dinner cruises on the Brahmaputra from Panbazar (winter) or Uzanbazar (summer). A sunset or sundown cruise costs ₹700 per person on the middle deck and ₹850 on the upper deck, and the 90-minute dinner cruise with live Bihu and Sattriya performances is ₹1,900. Book online up to 7 days ahead; the dinner cruise is the best way to see the city lights and, with luck, Gangetic river dolphins.
Assam State Museum
Assam State Museum on GNB Road holds the region’s best collection of Ahom dynasty artefacts, sculpture, textiles, and a natural history gallery. Entry is about ₹20 for Indians and ₹250 for foreigners, and it opens 10:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays. Budget 90 minutes. It is a 5-minute walk from the Paltan Bazaar hotels.
Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra
Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Panjabari is a cultural complex with an open-air amphitheatre, a museum of Assamese culture, and a replica of a village in the hills. Entry is about ₹40 for Indians and ₹200 for foreigners, open 10:00 to 18:00. It is the most efficient way to see the state’s weaving, masks, and Bihu traditions in one stop, and it hosts the larger events in the Guwahati festival calendar.
Fancy Bazaar and Paltan Bazaar
Fancy Bazaar, on the west side of the centre, is the place to buy Assam silk, especially muga and eri, plus bamboo and cane crafts. Paltan Bazaar, around the railway station, is busier and geared to daily goods and budget hotels. Both are open roughly 10:00 to 20:00 and are best in the morning before the crowds. Bargain for silk; start at half the quoted price. These markets and the surrounding streets are covered in the neighborhoods guide.
