Visitors in a wooden boat on the clear green water of the Umngot river at Dawki in Meghalaya, with a row of moored boats on the shore

Destination · India

Corporate offsite in North East India: Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok and Tawang

Rhino country in Assam, root bridges in Meghalaya, Himalayan monasteries in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Most groups fly into Guwahati and combine two states in four to six nights.

Plan an event in North East India
Getting there
Guwahati is the main gateway; Bagdogra serves Sikkim; Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur and Dibrugarh have their own non-stop flights
Best months
October to April for most of the region; the monsoon closes roads and parks
Suits
Leadership retreats, incentive groups and conferences of up to a few hundred delegates
Delivery
Planned by ICE India's nearest team, with vetted local suppliers on the ground

Why companies choose the North East

  • Places no other offsite offers

    Living root bridges, one-horned rhinos, Kanchenjunga from Gangtok and the monastery at Tawang give a team something to talk about for years.

  • Cool weather from October

    Shillong, Gangtok and Tawang stay mild or cold while the plains are warm, which suits long working days.

  • One hub, many circuits

    From Guwahati a group can reach Shillong, Kaziranga or Tawang by road without another flight.

  • Boutique properties

    Lake resorts, heritage hotels and wildlife lodges give 20 to 150 delegates dedicated space and quiet.

  • Big ballrooms in Guwahati

    Guwahati hotels take sessions of 500 or more, so a larger group can base itself there.

  • Evenings with character

    Khasi music in Shillong, monastery visits in Gangtok and the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland make the evening programme.

The North East for corporate groups

North East India means the Seven Sisters, the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, together with Sikkim. They share a gateway and a style of programme more than a geography: hill roads, small hotels, mist and cultural experiences that groups from the metros rarely see. Darjeeling is in West Bengal rather than the North East, but it sits on the same circuit as Sikkim and is covered with it.

The region works for focused leadership retreats, strategy offsites, training programmes, incentive groups and conferences of up to a few hundred delegates. It does not work for a thousand-person dealer convention, and it does not reward a short trip: the journey takes most of a day at each end. Four to six nights is the practical minimum, and the best programmes combine two states rather than spreading across four.

Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim lead for conferences, Arunachal Pradesh for Tawang, and Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura suit smaller groups and culture-led programmes. ICE India builds the agenda around the journey times, the weather and the permits, with a single point of contact, end to end.

Suggested circuits

Guwahati, Shillong and Sohra, 4 nights
Fly into Guwahati, drive to Shillong or Umiam Lake for the sessions, add a day for Sohra's root bridges and Dawki, and fly out of Guwahati. The most reliable circuit for groups of 40 to 300.
Guwahati, Kaziranga and Shillong, 5 nights
Two nights in the park, October to April, then Shillong for the working days. Add Guwahati's ballrooms at either end for a larger group.
Bagdogra, Gangtok and Darjeeling, 4 to 5 nights
Sessions in Gangtok, then a day on the road to Darjeeling for tea estates and the heritage hotels, and out through Bagdogra.
Guwahati, Dirang and Tawang, 6 to 7 nights
For incentive groups with time and the right health: two days up by road or one by helicopter, two at Tawang, with a night at Dirang to acclimatise. Not for conferences.
Dimapur and Kohima, 3 nights
Built around the Hornbill Festival in the first ten days of December, for groups who want a cultural event rather than a conference.

State by state

Each state has its own entry rules, hotel stock and style of programme. The hotels listed are the properties groups ask for most.

The Brahmaputra at Guwahati with a bridge across the river at sunset

Assam

Guwahati

Guwahati, on the Brahmaputra, is the region's gateway and its main city for conferences. Its ballrooms take 3,000 to 6,000 sq ft, and the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Panjabari has a 1,250-seat auditorium, a 300-seat auditorium and a 2,000-person open-air amphitheatre. A Guwahati conference of 500 or more fits in the hotel ballrooms.

The Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill and Fancy Bazaar give the free afternoon. Assam needs no entry permit for Indian citizens.

Selected corporate venues in Guwahati
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Radisson Blu Hotel GuwahatiGuwahati1968 meeting roomsBanquet hall: about 5,100 sq ft, 600
Vivanta GuwahatiGuwahati1506Joysagar: about 6,230 sq ft, 500
Novotel Guwahati GS RoadGuwahati1188 meeting roomsLargest hall: about 3,000 sq ft, 280
Srimanta Sankardev KalakshetraPanjabari, GuwahatiNot a hotel2 auditoriums and an open-air amphitheatreAuditorium: Not available, 1,250
A one-horned rhino crossing a forest track in front of two safari jeeps in Kaziranga

Assam

Kaziranga

Kaziranga National Park is closed in the monsoon and reopens for jeep safaris in October, with the best months from November to April. The lodges have small meeting rooms, so Kaziranga is an overnight add-on to a Guwahati conference rather than a venue for one.

Selected corporate venues in Kaziranga
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
IORA The RetreatBogorijuri, Kaziranga422 hallsBlue Orchid: about 2,466 sq ft, 220
Infinity ResortBochagaon, Kaziranga161 conference hallConference hall: 700 sq ft, 60
Diphlu River LodgeKaziranga12 cottagesConference room and banquet hallNot available
A wooden boat moored beside a jetty on Umiam Lake with forested hills under cloud

Meghalaya

Shillong, Umiam Lake and Sohra

Meghalaya, the abode of clouds, is the strongest all-round state for corporate groups after Assam: a hill capital with large hotels, lakeside retreats and living root bridges within a day trip.

Shillong, at about 1,500 metres, has its main hotel cluster around Police Bazar and Ward's Lake and suits conferences of 100 to 300. Umiam Lake, about 15 km north, has quiet resorts such as Ri Kynjai. Sohra (Cherrapunji), about 54 km south at 1,430 metres, has the Polo Orchid Resort with a ballroom and lawn.

The sights are the Double Decker living root bridge at Nongriat, about 3,500 steps down from Tyrna, the Mawsmai caves, the Mawlynnong village walk and the clear Umngot river at Dawki. Meghalaya needs no entry permit for Indian citizens, but hotels and homestays register every non-resident guest.

Selected corporate venues in Shillong, Umiam Lake and Sohra
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Courtyard by Marriott ShillongPolice Bazar, Shillong1824Cosmos: 4,768 sq ft, 380
Vivanta Meghalaya, ShillongShillong1013Crystal Hall: about 2,600 sq ft, 200
Polo Orchid ResortSohra (Cherrapunji)58Ballroom, hall, lawn and pool deckMawsmai Ballroom: Not available, 250
The Heritage Club, Tripura CastleShillong40+Banquet hall, boardroom, Sky LawnBanquet hall: Not available, 100
Hotel Polo TowersShillongAbout 502Kohinoor Hall: 750 sq ft, 50
Ri Kynjai, Serenity by the LakeUmiam Lake17Meeting room and outdoor spaceMeeting room: Not available, about 40
Snow-covered Kanchenjunga under a blue sky, seen from Sikkim

Sikkim

Gangtok

Sikkim's capital has the region's most developed hill-town hotels, with halls for 250 to 300. Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, shows on most October mornings.

Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La are the day trips. Indian visitors need a Protected Area Permit for them and for North Sikkim, which ICE India obtains through a registered operator. Nathu La is typically closed on Mondays, and Gangtok itself needs no permit.

Selected corporate venues in Gangtok
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Mayfair Spa Resort & CasinoGangtokNot available3Teesta: about 2,500 sq ft, 250
Welcomheritage Denzong RegencyGangtokAbout 262Hall: about 3,280 sq ft, 300
The Royal PlazaGangtok783Big Hall: about 4,800 sq ft, 300
Summit Grand Resort & SpaGangtok70Banquet hallBanquet hall: Not available, 130
A steam toy train passing tea-garden hedges in Darjeeling

West Bengal

Darjeeling

Darjeeling is the usual second stop after Gangtok, reached in four to five hours with no railway between them. Its hotels have one hall or a few small meeting rooms, so Darjeeling suits the end of a trip rather than the conference. Tea estates, Tiger Hill and the Singalila National Park are the experiences.

Selected corporate venues in Darjeeling
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Mayfair DarjeelingDarjeelingAbout 451Himalayan Bird: about 1,250 sq ft, 120
Windamere HotelObservatory Hill, Darjeeling415 meeting roomsRhodes Hall: Not available, 60
Monks looking out from a whitewashed monastery building at Tawang, with mountains behind

Arunachal Pradesh

Tawang

Tawang is the state's corporate destination: a monastery town on a high plateau, reached over the Sela Pass at 13,750 ft (4,170 m) and, since March 2024, the Sela Tunnel. The Tawang Monastery and the high lakes are the programme.

It suits incentive groups and small leadership retreats, not conferences: the altitude needs 24 hours of acclimatisation, and winter snow closes roads. Spring and autumn are the working seasons.

Older travellers and anyone with asthma, chronic bronchitis or a heart condition need medical clearance, so ICE India advises Tawang for fit incentive groups rather than mixed-age conference groups. Non-resident Indian citizens need an Inner Line Permit, which ICE India files online for the whole group before it leaves Guwahati.

Selected corporate venues in Tawang
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Vivanta Arunachal Pradesh, TawangTawang804Hornbill: 4,000 sq ft, 200
Donyi Polo InternationalItanagar612 conference halls, a board room, a meeting room and a lawnHornbill Hall: Not available, 200
Hotel ElysiumBomdilaNot available1 conference hallNot available
Houses climbing a hillside in Kohima under morning fog

Nagaland

Kohima

Kohima is the state capital. The draw for corporate groups is the Hornbill Festival at Kisama Heritage Village, about 12 km away, which runs from 1 to 10 December 2026. Hotels fill, so groups book early. Non-resident Indians need an Inner Line Permit.

Selected corporate venues in Kohima
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Hotel VivorKohima294The Deck: Not available, 200
Hotel JapfuKohimaNot available3 meeting roomsNot available
Hotel SaramatiDimapur302Orchid Hall: Not available, 180
Niathu ResortChumukedima, DimapurNot availableSeveralNousi Auditorium: Not available, 300
The hill town of Aizawl glowing at sunset

Mizoram

Aizawl

Aizawl is a hill city. It suits small groups interested in the state's culture rather than a conference. An Inner Line Permit is required, and a temporary one can be issued at Lengpui airport.

Selected corporate venues in Aizawl
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Hotel RegencyZarkawt, Aizawl452 banquet hallsBanquet hall: Not available, about 100
Hotel FloriaBara Bazar, Aizawl33Banquet and dance hallLeikapui: Not available, about 120 to 150
Circular floating islands with huts on Loktak Lake in Manipur

Manipur

Imphal

Imphal suits smaller groups with a specific reason to be there. Loktak Lake, about 50 km south, with the Keibul Lamjao floating national park for the Sangai deer, is the excursion. Manipur needs an Inner Line Permit for non-resident Indians.

Selected corporate venues in Imphal
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Classic Grande ImphalChingmeirong, Imphal1713Imperial Hall: about 1,840 sq ft, 300
Hotel ImphalImphal553Classic Sangai: Not available, 250
The domed facade of Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala

Tripura

Agartala

Agartala's Ujjayanta Palace, a state museum open daily except Monday, and Neermahal, a 1930 lake palace about 53 km away reached by boat, make a culture-led half day. No permit is needed.

Selected corporate venues in Agartala
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Polo Hotel Agartala (formerly Hotel Polo Towers)VIP Road, KunjabanAbout 724 halls, a combined ballroom and lawnsGrand Ballroom: 4,185 sq ft, Not available
Hotel Welcome PalaceH.G. Basak Road, Agartala381Meeting room: about 2,000 sq ft, Not available

Flights to the North East from the main Indian cities

Guwahati is the hub, with non-stop flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Bagdogra is the gateway for Sikkim and Darjeeling. Mumbai has no non-stop flight to Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur or Dibrugarh, so those groups connect through Kolkata, Delhi or Guwahati.

Reaching North East India
CityAirportNon-stop flightsRail and road
GuwahatiLokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (GAU)Kolkata (about 1h 15m to 1h 50m), Delhi (about 2h 25m), Hyderabad (about 3h), Chennai (about 3h 10m), Mumbai (about 3h 20m) and Bengaluru (about 3h 20m).The Delhi to Dibrugarh Rajdhani takes about 27 hours to Guwahati. The New Jalpaiguri to Guwahati Vande Bharat covers 407 km in about five and a half hours. Kaziranga is about 195 km and four to five hours away; Meghalaya's Shillong is 100 to 123 km and three to four hours.
Bagdogra, for Sikkim and DarjeelingBagdogra (IXB), West BengalKolkata (about 1h 10m), Delhi (about 2h 25m), Hyderabad (about 2h 40m), Chennai (about 2h 45m), Bengaluru (about 2h 55m) and Mumbai (about 3h).Pakyong, Sikkim's own airport, has no scheduled flights at present, so ICE India plans on Bagdogra. Gangtok is 120 to 125 km and four to five hours on NH10; Darjeeling is about 68 km and three to four hours. Gangtok to Darjeeling is about 100 km and four to five hours.
ShillongShillong (SHL), Umroi, about 30 km and an hour from the cityIndiGo from Kolkata is the dependable route.No railway station. Guwahati to Shillong takes three to four hours by road, up to four and a half on weekends.
Kohima, via DimapurDimapur (DMU)Delhi and Kolkata.Dimapur is the railhead for Kohima, about 70 km and two hours away by road.
ImphalBir Tikendrajit International (IMF)Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.The airport is 7 km south of the city centre.
AgartalaMaharaja Bir Bikram (IXA)Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.The airport is 12 km northwest of the city.
AizawlLengpui (AJL)Delhi and Kolkata.About 32 km and 60 to 75 minutes from the airport.
TawangNone: fly to Guwahati (GAU) or TezpurAs for Guwahati450 to 510 km from Guwahati, two days by road with a night at Dirang or Bomdila, or about an hour by helicopter on scheduled days in clear weather.

What groups do in the North East

  • Kaziranga jeep safari

    Early-morning and afternoon drives to see one-horned rhinos, elephants and birds, October to April.

  • Living root bridge walks

    Bridges grown from fig roots by Khasi communities, reached by stone steps from villages near Sohra.

  • Dawki river boats

    A boat ride on the Umngot, whose water is clear enough to see the riverbed.

  • Monasteries and Kanchenjunga

    Gangtok's monasteries and early-morning mountain views, with a day trip to Tsomgo Lake.

  • Tawang Monastery

    A visit to the high-altitude monastery town, for groups with the time and the health for it.

  • Hornbill Festival

    Naga music, dance and food at Kisama in the first ten days of December.

When to go

Assam and Meghalaya run best from October to April, when the skies are clear and the hill roads are most reliable. Every state in the region has a monsoon, so each outdoor session needs an indoor alternative and each transfer day needs slack. Typical formats are four to six nights, because the journey takes most of the first and last days.

Shillong and Sohra
Shillong is about 22°C by day and 14°C at night in October and April, and 4°C to 20°C in winter, with fog in January. Sohra receives about 11,600 mm of rain a year, and July is its wettest month.
Kaziranga
November to April.
Sikkim
October to February is best, with spring from March to May as the alternative. Gangtok is about 4°C to 12°C by day from December to February, snow falls at Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La, and the monsoon from June to September brings landslides that close roads to North Sikkim.
Tawang
March to June and September to November are the good seasons, with heavy snow from December to February; July and August are not recommended.

Events ICE India has run in North East India

Planning an event in North East India: questions

How long should a North East programme be?

Plan at least four nights. Most delegates fly in the morning, drive in the afternoon and lose the first day, and the same happens on the way out. Add a night for each extra state, and two for Tawang.

Can overseas delegates join?

Yes, with extra paperwork. Foreign nationals need a valid Indian visa. They also need a Restricted Area Permit for any part of Sikkim, a Protected Area Permit for Arunachal Pradesh, issued only to registered groups of two or more, and Nathu La is closed to them. OCI cardholders are treated as foreign nationals for these permits. Allow a month for the permits.

Can we combine the North East with Kolkata or Darjeeling?

Yes. Kolkata is the shortest flight into both Guwahati and Bagdogra, so a Kolkata office can travel on the same day as the programme starts. Darjeeling pairs with Gangtok, but allow a half day for the road between them.

What does a North East programme cost?

It depends on group size, season, flights and the number of states. For reference, ICE India's published bands put a one-night conference for 200 people at ₹35-70 lakh, twin sharing and before GST. ICE India quotes each programme after a short brief. See corporate MICE.

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