The best months are October to early May, when skies are clearer and the air is crisp and cool, with daytime temperatures often 15-22°C and chilly nights. October and November are ideal, just after the monsoon when waterfalls still roar but rain eases. The Shillong leg of festivals like Cherry Blossom (mid-November) and the year-end music events draw big crowds, so book ahead. Monsoon (June to September) is dramatic and intensely green but brings relentless rain, landslides, and disrupted day trips, especially around Cherrapunji, the wettest inhabited place on Earth.

Most travelers fly into Guwahati (Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, GAU) in neighboring Assam, then take a shared cab or private car for the roughly 100 km, 3 to 3.5 hour drive up to Shillong; pre-paid shared taxis are common and cheap. Shillong's own Umroi Airport (SHL) has limited flights. Within the city, distances are short but traffic in and around Police Bazar is heavy, so walk the central core and use local taxis (often shared) or app-based cabs for longer hops. For day trips to Cherrapunji, Dawki, and Mawlynnong, hire a private car with driver for the day, as public transport is sparse and the routes are scenic but winding.