Guwahati is a city that is resplendent with culture, history and nestled right by the Brahmaputra river, it is a joy to visit. The river-port city is affluent and full of fun-fair, especially for the backpacker wanting to explore the forgotten lands of the North-East. With this one day Guwahati local sightseeing tour by private cab, you will be able to look at the city in its most individual and real sense, beyond the stereotypes associated with it.
Exploring the vast expanses of greenery and consuming some of the best of Indian cuisine, this city from Assam is home to some of India’s most vibrant cultures and people. The young enjoy the city for its cult music festivals and the raging joy of football. Guwahati, home to the city’s capital district Dispur is full of some of the most ancient and important temples, old and full of the memory of our rich civilisation.
The largest city in the North-East derives its name from “guwa”, meaning areca nut which was a tree found in abundance across the place. The city is full of ample natural beauty which you will enjoy as you begin your one day Guwahati tour by private car, taking in the sights and views.
Highlights of One Day Guwahati Local Trip
Full-day Guwahati Local Sightseeing Tour
Duration: 8 hours
Tour by Private Cab (not shared with others)
Pickup & Drop: Guwahati Hotel / Home
Places Covered: Kamakhya Temple, Ganesh temple, Tirupati Balaji temple, Sukreswar Temple and the Basistha temple, Assam State Museum, Assam State Zoo, and Fancy Bazaar.
1-Day Itinerary of Guwahati Local Sightseeing Tour Package
Pickup from your Home / Hotel in Guwahati at 9:00 AM
Drop back at your Home / Hotel in Guwahati by 7:30 PM
PLEASE NOTE: Guests can visit all the Guwahati tourism places listed above or remove any of the places that they don’t want to visit. Inclusion of any other sightseeing place not listed above is normally not permitted. However guests can check with their cab provider if any exceptions possible, while booking this Guwahati local sightseeing tour by private car.
Detailed Itinerary
1. Kamakhya Temple
One of the most popular places to visit is the Kamakhya Temple. Situated in the Nilachal Hill of the western part of the city, it is one of the many famous shakti peethas from Hindu mythology. It is located within a complex of several temples, all dedicated to deities that are unpopular in the dominant Brahmanical narratives of Hindu religion.
The place is considered sacred for followers, especially the “tantric” believers. It is a famous Khasi site, one of largest North-Eastern communities. The temple is most famous for its annual fertility festival as devotees celebrate the Goddesses’ yearly menstrual cycle.
The temple has also grown a fascination in many young individuals as it celebrates amour and sensuality, usually considered a taboo in Hindu religious discourses.
2. Ganesh Temple, Guwahati
Guwahati is famously known as the “city of temples” and rightly so. It has a close proximity to the sacred river Brahmaputra, which is also greatly revered in other religions and communities like Buddhism.
Next in your Guwahati local sightseeing tour will be the Ganesh temple, also known as Ganeshguri in the southern part of the city. Located in one of the most densely populated regions, it reflects on how society has taken over our past histories.
3. Tirupati Balaji Temple, Guwahati
Next up on your Guwahati Private Sightseeing Tour, as you sip on Assamese tea and gawk at the city’s wonderful flora is a visit to the Tirupati Balaji temple. It is large temple complex, built to satiate the traveller seeking isolation from the hustle of daily life.
Situated ten kilometres away from the main city in the Lokhra region, it is a temple created in 1998, modelled after the famous Tirupati Venkateswara Balaji temple in the South. The complex is spread out over two acres of land and consists of several Gopurams, constructed in sync with the architecture of the South Indian Balaji temples, taking inspiration from those existing in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The temple is absolutely stunning with its pure white texture and the carvings of majestic deities. The complex also has large Yagasala to practice Yagna pooja. In addition there are several auditoriums and halls that one can explore to enjoy and breathe in the tranquillity of Assamese spirituality.
4. Sukreswar Temple & Basistha Temple
In this same day Guwahati sightseeing tour, it would be terrible to miss out on the experience of visiting Sukreswar Temple and the Basistha temple and ashram. These two are some of the most important places to visit and extremely sacred for the diligent devotees of Lord Shiva.
Both of them are located on the Southern part of the city, near the shore of the majestic Brahmaputra river. The Sukreswar temple attracts a plethora of visitors during the Mahashivratri festival in Hindu mythology. It is believed that those who perform post-death rituals at the site may achieve “moksha”, relief from the cycle of birth and rebirth from Hindu religious philosophy.
The Basistha Ashram too takes from the Vedic history of India and Indian religious, believed to be founded by the famous Saint Vasistha. Believers spend their time exploring the peace and aesthetic beauty of the site. Visit the Ashram for a trip back in time, aligning oneself to our past cultural and spiritual history.
5. Assam State Museum, Guwahati
Further in your Guwahati city tour package, you will be taken to the unique Assam State Museum. The museum began as a non-government movement to protect and preserve the rich history of Assam and its past civilisations. It was only after 1953 that it was recognized as a government institution.
Presently in its British era abode, it consists of several artefacts, metal objects, epigraphs, handicrafts and manuscripts, especially from the rural narratives in and around Assam. It also gives the enthusiast an opportunity to understand how the Assamese middle class is different from the rest of the country and how the people of the city draw from the rich past of their civilisation into the present every-day.
6. Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden
7. Fancy Bazaar
For every cultural festival that we attend, it is also essential that we understand and celebrate the marginalised sectors of Assamese society with their rich music, dance and food. Food, how can one ever forget the gorgeous Assamese food that the bazaars, dhabas and street side vendors have to offer in the busy lanes of Guwahati. From unique fermenting and drying techniques, the use of the most exotic spices, get to taste some of the best fish and meat recipes.
Gam’s delicacy near the Ganeshguri temple serves some of the most pocket friendly Assamese cuisine. Akhor, gur, dohi, Bola Saulor Jolpan to the best Jal Muri and Luchi are popular dishes from the cuisine, served everywhere around Guwahati. Enjoy the best of momos and Tukpas, the most savory dishes from the North-East.
The Assam State Zoo is one of the largest in the North-East region, spreading over 432 acres. It is located within the luscious Hengrabari Forest Region of Guwahati. It is home to more than 900 species of animals, birds and reptiles, located within the splendid forest cover of Assam.
It also has creatures like ostriches, zebras, Chimpanzees and giraffes from Africa; lama and puma from South America and kangaroos from Australia. Apart from these exotic animals, several indigenous creatures were taken in as well one horned Indian rhinoceros and others, to many countries.
Furthermore, it expanded to add a museum and a botanical division in the same area. No fauna can exist without the flora and it is imperative that we as partakers of society spend more time in such rejuvenating environment.