Assam City Guide
Guwahati, one of the biggest and most visited cities of Assam offers many attractions to its visitors. Guwahati information section shares important details related to Guwahati which will come handy at the time of planning a visit to Guwahati. Contact our Tour Planner available at the end of the page to request for Tour information on Guwahati and get price quotations, itinerary suggestions, bookings, etc.
Situated at the bank of Brahmaputra, Guwahati is the state capital of Assam and is the gateway to eastern India. Surrounded by the scenic hills of the eastern Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati has developed as one of the must visit tourist destinations in India. The city offers numerous travel sites including architectural temples, lakes and beautiful natural surroundings.
Take a tour to Guwahati and explore the unparalleled sights including the Kamakhya Temple, the Navagraha temple and Umananda Temple which commands a majestic view of the city and the river. The Assam State Museum is also a must visit place. It has collections of archeology, distinct paintings, sculpture metal, ivory and woodwork and costumes. There are exhibits of reconstructed huts of Assamese tribes.
On arriving at Guwahati, also visit Kaziranga National Park, which consists of dense forest, marshes and shallow pools. Elephant grass makes it an ideal grazing ground for One Horned Rhinoceros.
Famous Tourist Attractions
Kamakhya Temple: Popularly known as the best among the tantrik shrines of Shakti worship in the world, the Kamakhya temple stands on the top of the Nilachal hill, approximately 10 km from the railway station. It was actually constructed in the tenth century by the Koch king, Naranarayan.
Bhubaneshwari Temple: Higher to the Kamakhya Temple is located the temple of Bhubaneshwari. From here you can have a splendor beauty of the town of Guwahati.
Shiva Temple: Reachable by motor boats and public ferries from Umananda Ghat, the Shiva Temple of Umananda is positioned on an island in the mid of sacred Brahmaputra River.
Navagraha Temple: In eastern part of the city of Guwahati is located the Navagraha temple on top of a hill. It is referred to as the temple of nine planets.
Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji Temple: Covering a huge area of two acres at Betkuchi, the Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji Temple is one more tourist attraction in Guwahati.
Vashistha Ashram: At approximately 12 km from the railway station lies the Vashistha Ashram (the abode of sage Vashistha). It is an interesting old shrine, amid lots of greens and three lovely rivulets, Kanta, Lalita, and Sandhya.
Lakes: Deepor Beel, Dighalipukhuri, Silpukhuri, Nakkatapukhuri and Jorphukhur are among the various natural and artificial lakes that offers some of the finest sightseeing options.
Shopping: Guwahati offers some of the best shopping markets and bazaars showcasing handicraft items, traditional products. Pan Bazaar, Fansi Bazaar, Ganeshguri, Paltan Bazaar, and Beltola Bazaar are the best options for local craftsmanship and rural handicraft items. Also don't forget to pick branded tea's straight from the Assam tea gardens.
Places to Visit Around Guwahati
Dighalipukhuri Lake Cruise: Dighalipukhuri is a water body in the heart of the city with boating facilities, cruises on the river Brahmaputra in the 'Jolporee', the famous Balaji Temple of Tirupati, Planetarium, the Saraighat Bridge over the Brahmaputra, the Guwahati Oil Refinery, Lachit Barphukan Park and the Guwahati University are places worth visiting.
Chandubi Lake: A natural lagoon and an excellent picnic spot which is 64 kms. from Guwahati. The lake and its surroundings is an ideal holiday resort with the added amusement of fishing and rowing.
Sualkuchi Village: Sualkuchi is one of the world's largest weaving villages often called the Manchester of the East. The entire population here is engaged in weaving exquisite silk fabrics. A renowned centre of silk production, particularly known for Muga - the golden silk of Assam which is not produced anywhere else in the world.
Hajo Religious Pilgrimage: Hajo is a popular pilgrimage center where three religions meet - Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. Large number of Bhutanese visit this temple every year during the winter season.
Getting There:
By Air: Indian Airlines connect Guwahati with Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Bagdogra, Imphal Agartala, Dibrugarh and Dimapur.
By Rail: Guwahati is connected by rail with New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Trivandrum, Bangalore, Cochin, Silchar, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.
By Road: Guwahati is connected by good motorable roads with Shillong 103 kms, Kaziranga National Park 217 kms, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 176 kms, Dimapur 280 kms, Itanagar 420 kms, Imphal 487 kms, Agartala 599 kms, Aizawal 538 kms, Gangtok 624 kms, Darjeeling 587 kms, Kolkata (Calcutta) 1182 kms and Kohima 342 kms.
When to Visit
Climate: Situated at an altitude of 55 meters above sea level on the banks of Brahmaputra, Guwahati experiences an annual rainfall of 180 cm from May to September. The summer temperatures range from 22 to 38°C, and in winters the mercury varies from 10 to 25°C. Guwahati is best visited between the months of October and April.
Clothing: If you are planning for a holiday vacation in Guwahati, you may require to carry cotton clothing for summers and woolen for winters.
Staying Options in Guwahati
The Guwahati hotels are most strategically located within convenient reach from depots and major tourist attractions. The rooms at most of the Guwahati hotels are large, clean and well designed and offer various up to date amenities. At the restaurants you can avail of some of the most delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner sessions. Enjoy the local Assamese cuisine as well as the international cuisines in these Guwahati hotels. Following are some of the famous hotels in Guwahati to stay in:
- Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok (Ashok Group)
- Hotel Rajmahal
- Hotel Dynasty
- Hotel Vishwaratna
- Hotel Nandan
- Ginger Hotel
