Guwahati

A river city, not just a transit stop

Guwahati runs along the south bank of the Brahmaputra, with low green hills rising right inside the city. It has the Northeast's busiest airport and railway station, so most travellers treat it as a place to change trains on the way to Kaziranga, Shillong or Majuli. Give it two days of its own. The river shapes everything here: the oldest temples sit on its hills and on an island in the middle of it, and the best hour of the day is the one just before sunset on the water.

Temples on the hills and in the river

Kamakhya Temple crowns Nilachal Hill on the western edge of the city. It is one of the most important Shakti Peethas in India and a working tantric shrine, so expect long queues, stalls selling red cloth and offerings, and a crowd that has come to worship rather than to look. The Kamakhya Temple guide covers the queues and the closure in June. On Chitrachal Hill to the east, the Navagraha Temple honours the nine planets and is far calmer. In the river, Umananda Temple stands on Peacock Island, a ten-minute ferry ride from Kachari Ghat near Uzan Bazar.

Getting around

The city is long and thin, squeezed between the river and the hills, and traffic on GS Road and around Paltan Bazar crawls at rush hour. App cabs and autos cover most trips. Kamakhya is about 7 km west of Paltan Bazar, and the airport at Borjhar is about 20 km west of the centre. Plan river trips for the afternoon and temple visits for the early morning, and you will spend less time stuck in traffic.

Eating and shopping

Assamese food is mild, sour and built around rice. Order a thali at Paradise in Silpukhuri or Khorikaa on GS Road and you will get khar to open the meal, masor tenga (a light, sour fish curry), aloo pitika and pickles. Pitha, the rice-flour cakes made for Bihu, sit in sweet-shop counters most of the year. Fancy Bazaar and Pan Bazar sell gamosas and ready-made mekhela chadors. If you want real Muga or Paat silk, go to Sualkuchi, the weaving village about 35 km west across the river.

When to come

October to April is the comfortable half of the year, with clear mornings and cool evenings from December to February. From May the humidity climbs, and the monsoon can flood low-lying streets for hours after a heavy shower. Check two dates before you book: Rongali Bihu in mid-April, when the city celebrates for a week, and the Ambubachi Mela in late June, when Kamakhya closes for three days.