Places to visit in Guwahati

• Kamakhya Temple: The first stop for most visitors is the Kamakhya Temple Guwahati situated atop Nilachal Hill. A seat of an ancient fertility cult, the temple is a revered Shakti pitha where a cleft in a rock is worshipped by the devout. Umananda, the tiniest river island of the Brahmaputra, is located downstream of the world's biggest river island Majuli. A Shiva temple complex lies on the forested river island, accessible by a 15-minute ferry from Kachari Ghat. There are many places to visit in Guwahati. The capital city of Assamis dotted with shrines. There's a Jain Temple off MS Road, Sattagarh Mandir in Uzan Bazaar, and The Navagraha temple, a unique astrological temple shrine is located on Chitrachal Hill.
• Christ Church: It is the oldest church in town. First constructed in 1844 and destroyed by two powerful earthquakes in 1854 and 1897, the present church was built in 1903 and renovated in the late '70s.
• Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra: A tribute to Assam’s medieval poet-playwright, is the perfect primer into Assamese culture. Ethnic buildings in the sprawling campus exhibit murals, masks, silk saris, jaapi (traditional conical hat) and the red and white cloth gamosa. In Assam, guests are, usually welcomed with a gamosa and tamul (betel nut), often served in a xorai, an ornamental bell-metal offering tray, considered Assam’s cultural symbol.
• Bhupen Hazarika Museum: The Bhupen Hazarika Museum showcases 4,000 objects owned by the maestro while an open-air theatre serves as performance space for traditional dances like Bihu.
• The Assam State Museum: Located in a majestic colonial-era building, the museum has exquisite sculptures and anthropological galleries showcasing tribal homes and ethnic cultures.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries in Assam: Kaziranga National Park, Assam’s premier wildlife park, lies 250km east, which is about 5-6 hrs by road. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is another must-visit wildlife habitat, located 40km northeast of the city and is reachable by a boat ride across the river. You must go for elephant rides into the forest, teeming with nearly a hundred one-horned rhinos.

High-end shopping/luxury shopping/shopping malls in Guwahati

• Sohum Emporia
• The Hub
• Central Mall
• City Center Mall
• Anil Plaza Mall
• Matrix Mall
• Rudraksha Mall

Street shopping in Guwahati

• Ganeshguri Market: Named after the Ganesh temple nearby, it is close to the state capital Dispur and considered the main commercial precinct (the two cities are only 8km apart). It's an excellent place to buy Assam's famed silk products like mekhela chadar.
• Pan Bazaar: Guwahati's academic hub Pan Bazaar sells everything from clothes, jewellery, furniture, souvenirs, home décor items to accessories.
• Fancy Bazaar: Located in Old Guwahati, it is excellent for traditional Assamese items like jaapi, gamosa, tribal art, handicrafts and ethnic clothes.
• Assam Silk's Tatkala Outlet: While here, drop by at Assam Silk's Tatkala Outlet on JC Das Road, Lakhtokia. River People at Mishra Building on AK Azad Road opposite Lahkar Guest House in Rehabari sells locally made cane and bamboo artefacts.

There's a lot to shop in Assam's capital city—mekhela chadar, silk saris, local weaves to bamboo and cane handicrafts. The Guwahati-Shillong Road, or GS Road for short, runs through Guwahati and is lined with upscale shops and showrooms. Guwahati's traditional markets are popular with shoppers looking for good bargains.

Nightlife/party places in Guwahati

Guwahati is not known for its nightlife but a clutch of new hotspots that give travellers something to look forward to enjoying their evening. Most of the lounge bars are inside upmarket hotels. 

• Octave is an eclectic bar at Vivanta by Taj - Guwahati; Gotanagar has a stylish bar called Reign that serves handcrafted cocktails and international beers. 
• The Zone Liquid Lounge at Mayflower Hotel
• Lords Bar at Hotel Nandan.
• The Lounge—a contemporary pub at Hotel Dynasty and Silver Streak, an upscale discotheque in Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok. 
• Cafe Hendrix (or just Hendrix) is another popular hangout with live bands and good music. 
• Topaz Lounge and Café, Lachit Nagar and Terra Mayaa at Anil Plaza 2 on GS Road are good spots.
• Mocha, located on Anil Plaza 2, is a British-style café with sea-green décor, hammock chairs and tasty snacks and beverages.

• Sualkuchi and Hajo: Guwahati city is an excellent base to cover nearby sights like the silk-weaving centre of Sualkuchi and Hajo, a pilgrim centre for Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, where the Brahmaputra is at its narrowest (just 1km).
• Heritage Walk: Go on a heritage walk of Old Guwahati–from the Courthouse shaped like a beehive dome to Dighulipukhuri Park, once the fortified jetty of the Ahom kings. Guwahati Planetarium nearby screens show on outer space projected on a dome-like screen. A short walk northwest leads to the riverbank, an excellent place to watch the sunrise or sunset.
• Though steeped in tradition, there's a quirky side to Guwahati too. Experience the Brahmaputra's beauty; locals take great pains to explain that it is a 'nad, not a nadi' being a rare male river!
• See the sunrise across the Brahmaputra from Fancy Bazaar, enjoy boat rides or catch the serene sunset after a day's explorations.
• Take a heritage walk through Old Guwahati and catch a Bihu performance. Share the local love for betel leaf as you try a paan.

Ambubachi Mela

Try to time your visit in the monsoons to see the Ambubachi Mela, a week-long fertility festival at Kamakhya Temple attended by mystics and tantriks. When the Brahmaputra is in spate during the rainy season, the creek flowing over the stone shrine turns red with mud, symbolising the goddess Kamakhya. The sanctum is out of bounds for three days and reopens after the goddess gets purified with a ritual bath. Devotees collect holy spring water and shreds of the angabastra (stained red cloth) as prasad. It is one of a kind fair and the biggest carnival in the whole of Assam. In June, it is celebrated to commemorate a belief that Goddess Kamakhya undergoes her annual menstruation cycle during this time.

Brahmaputra Beach Festival

The Brahmaputra Beach Festival is an annual festival that falls during the spring season along the Brahmaputra river's shores. It is a three-day event and an assortment of cultural events, dancing, crafts, and water sports.