Highlights of Assam and Nagaland

This small-group tour by Explore Worldwide sets off from Guwahati on the banks of the Brahmaputra before heading into the hill regions of Meghalaya and Assam, with a stop at Elephant Falls and a six-hour walk to the double-decker living root bridge near Cherrapunjee. After time at Kaziranga National Park with afternoon safaris tracing one-horned rhinos and local tribal dances, the route turns towards Nagaland. Here, the Hornbill Festival offers traditional music and dances from 16 tribes, followed by visits to hill towns and remote villages where old headhunting customs are still visible in tattoos and weaponry.

The tour crosses to Majuli, the world's largest river island, staying in stilt houses with close encounters of migratory birdlife and centuries-old monasteries. It finishes at Assam’s tea plantations around Dibrugarh, where tea is picked and processed for local markets. Throughout, the itinerary balances cultural insight with nature and quiet moments, all on roads that can be slow and occasionally rough.

Rooms are mainly simple twin-share with en suite bathrooms, and some accommodations feel a little remote or rustic, which adds to the sense of travelling off the beaten track. A familiar rhythm emerges between early starts, long drives and patches of rest.