Meghalaya's living root bridges are grown, not built — the Khasi and Jaintia tribes have spent generations training the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across rivers and gorges, creating structures that get stronger with age rather than weaker. There are dozens scattered across the East Khasi Hills, but two dominate every itinerary: the Double Decker bridge near Nongriat, and the single-tier bridge at Riwai, close to Mawlynnong.
The Double Decker is the one worth planning around. It's a genuine trek — roughly 3,500 steps down into the Nongriat valley and back up, taking most travellers four to five hours round trip. The path is well-maintained but relentless on the knees on the return climb, and it's not a casual walk in flip-flops. Grippy trekking shoes, a refillable water bottle, and an early start (before the afternoon heat and cloud cover set in) make a real difference.
Riwai's single bridge, by contrast, is a fifteen-minute walk from the car park — genuinely accessible for almost anyone, including children and older travellers, and easily combined with a Mawlynnong village visit on the same afternoon. If your itinerary only has half a day for root bridges rather than a full one, this is the realistic option.
Best season runs October through April. The bridges are structurally at their best just after the monsoon, when the surrounding forest is at its greenest, but the rivers underneath are also at their clearest for photographs. Avoid the peak monsoon months (June–September) — the steps get slippery and the rivers can run high enough to make crossing points genuinely risky.
Every Meghalaya package on this site can be built around either bridge depending on how much trekking you actually want on your trip — tell us your fitness level and time budget and we'll route it accordingly.
Plan This Trip