Guwahati, the capital city of the northeastern state of Assam, was formerly known as Pragjyotishpur (the City of Eastern Light). Its etymological root is derived from two Assamese words, "Guwa," meaning areca nut and "Haat," meaning market. Couched between the picturesque hills of the eastern flanks of the Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati houses the political capital of the state, Dispur. The gateway to the seven other northeastern states, Guwahati is a vital tourist link point, besides being an attraction in itself.

Situated on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra, at an altitude of 55 meters above sea level, Guwahati is the junction of three important roads, National Highways 31, 37 and 40. It is split into two parts by the river and North Guwahati is almost a separate town. One can visit it via the Saraighat Bridge or by the ferries that ply on the river. The nearest important city is Calcutta (1182 km), while the capitals of the other northeastern states are at distances varying from 110 km to 650 km. The city experiences an annual rainfall of 180 cm (from May to September). While summer temperatures range from 22 to 38°C, in winters the mercury ranges from 10 to 25°C. The best time to visit this cosmopolitan city is from October to April.

Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport of Guwahati is well connected by air with New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Indian Air Lines, Sahara And Jet Airways operate regular flights to Guwahati. The other towns to which these airways operate flights are Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, North Lakhimpur and Silchar. Air India operates direct flight between Guwahati and Bangkok on Mondays and Thursdays.

The busy and overcrowded Paltan Bazar railway station is the nearest railhead for many trains from every part of India. There are direct train services from New Delhi and Kolkata with connectivity to Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram etc.

All India tourist permit vehicles are available for the local transportations and also for the inter city transportations too. Guwahati is connected by regular bus services with Shillong, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Siliguri, Sibsagar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizawal, Itanagar, Barpetta Road and Cooch Bihar.

Guwahati planetarium, located on MG Road is one of its kind in Guwahati. The planetarium conducts various programs related to astronomy which is meant to stimulate interest and increase awareness about astronomy. Everyday, astronomy shows in English are held here at 12pm and 4pm.

Hajo is a small town located on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra, around 28km from Guwahati. It is a sacred place for Hindus, Muslims as well as Buddhists. Hajo has a large number of temples and the chief among them is the Hayagriva-Madhava Temple. Here both Hindus and Buddhists offer prayers. For the Muslims, Powa-Mecca next to the Madhav temple is a celebrated place of pilgrimage. Hajo is also renowned for its bell metal works.

Located 32km away from Guwahati on the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra, is the renowned silk-weaving centre Sualkuchi. Often known as the Manchester of the East, it is one of world's largest weaving villages. Sualkuchi is famed for its 'muga' silk, i.e the natural golden silk (not dyed) of Assam which is not produced anywhere else in the world. Other varieties like 'Endi' or 'tassar' and pat silks are also woven here.

About 35 km from Guwahati, Madan Kamdev is famous for its impressive archaeological ruins and stone sculptures. Located in a picturesque surrounding, this historical spot has a large ruined temple with a sculpture of Lord Shiva and the goddess Uma dating back to the Pallava dynasty (11th & 12th centuries). The wall, pillars, lintels and door frames of the temple are scattered with flowers, images and icons of griffins, nymphs, dancing fairies, six headed Bhairava, four headed Shiva, women and animals in various postures. It is more of a mystery in the sense that very little is known about the origin of this magnificent archaeological ruins.

Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalashetra is a modern multi arts complex, named after the greatest Vaishnava Saint Sankardeva. Established in 1990, this premier institution aims at the preservation and promotion of the rich Assamese culture. It is located on Shillong road in the Panjabari district. Within the Kalashetra premises there is a central museum, an art gallery, an open-air theatre, a traditional Vaishnavite temple etc. Cultural objects and day-to-day articles used by different ethnic groups are preserved and exhibited in the museum. The Sahitya Bhavan library here, houses rare books and manuscripts. Sankaradeva Kalashetra is the venue of many cultural activities. Cultural events, musical recitals and dance performances are held regularly in the theatre.

Deeporbeel bird sanctuary covering an area of around 4sq.kms is situated at a distance of 18kms from the city. It is an extensive wetland within the municipal limits of Guwahati. The sanctuary is home to more than 150 species of birds. Ferruginous duck, adjutant storks, fishing eagle, water cock, grey-headed lapwing, kingfisher etc are among the birds found here. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from December to March.