Ward's Lake, Shillong
A horse-shoe shaped artificial lake in central Shillong, built in 1894, with a wooden bridge, flower gardens and paddle boats.
Overview
Ward's Lake is one of the easiest places to visit in Shillong, a century-old artificial lake in the city centre. This guide gives its history, timings and boating details.
Ward's Lake, also called Pollock Lake or Nan Polok, sits in the middle of Shillong near the Governor's residence, within walking distance of Police Bazar. The lake was planned by Sir William Ward, Chief Commissioner of Assam, designed by Fitzwilliam Thomas Pollok and built by Colonel Hopkins in 1894. It is horse-shoe shaped, crossed by a wooden bridge in the middle, and ringed by a paved path through landscaped gardens that include orchids and a fountain.
Meghalaya Tourism recommends paddle boating, and there is a restaurant overlooking the bridge where visitors can feed the fish. It is a short, easy stop of an hour or so, and a good place to start a day in the city before heading out to the waterfalls. Hours are not fixed across sources: Meghalaya Tourism gives a usual window of 8:30 am to 6:30 pm and advises checking, while a travel blog gives 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
A blog reports no entry fee and approximate boating rates, but no official fee list was found.
Entry fees
Entry
All visitors
No entry fee reported by a travel blog; official page states no fee either way
Source: TrekGo – Ward's Lake Shillong
Free
Needs verification
Boating
All visitors
Blog gives approximate ranges (paddle boat Rs 50-100 and row boat with boatman Rs 100-150 for 30 minutes); not confirmed by an official source so no amount is stored
Source: TrekGo – Ward's Lake Shillong
Amount needs verification
Entry reported free and boating charged separately, both from a travel blog only. Check rates at the boat counter.
We only show an amount when a source backs it. Prices change, so confirm locally before you go.
Opening hours
- Mon – Sun
- 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
- Usual timing per Meghalaya Tourism; may vary by day and season
Usually about 8:30 am-6:30 pm per Meghalaya Tourism, which advises checking as timings change by day and season; a travel blog gives 8:30 am-5:30 pm.
Last boats reportedly go out by about 5:00 pm (blog, unverified).
Visitor information
- Best time to visit
- Spring for cherry blossom (Meghalaya Tourism mentions the cherry blossom season); dry months for boating.
- Best time of day
- Late afternoon, when the garden paths are cooler
- How long to spend
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Families
- Suitable for families
Good to know
- Keep to the paved paths and avoid littering in the gardens
Location
Ward's Lake, central Shillong, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Shillong, Meghalaya, India
25.57500, 91.88700
Get directionsPhotos
Ward's Lake and its bridge in central Shillong. Photo: ANKAN / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 The lake and bridge at sunset. Photo: Udayan Singh / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 Water lilies on the lake. Photo: Indrani911basu / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 Geese on the lake. Photo: ANKAN / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 The lake and its gardens. Photo: Nazmul Ahmed / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entry fee for Ward's Lake?
A travel blog reports no entry fee, with boating charged separately, but no official fee list was found. Confirm at the gate.
When was Ward's Lake built?
Wikipedia says it was built in 1894, planned by Sir William Ward and designed by Fitzwilliam Thomas Pollok.
Can you go boating at Ward's Lake?
Yes. Meghalaya Tourism recommends paddle boating; rates are not published on its page.
Information sources
Where the facts on this page come from, and what still needs confirming.
Information last checked 7 October 2026
Not yet confirmed
- Entry fee and boating rates (blog only)
- Closing time (6:30 pm vs 5:30 pm)
Not available yet
- official fee list
- Meghalaya Tourism – Ward's Lake Boating · Tourism board
- TrekGo – Ward's Lake Shillong · Travel site
- Wikipedia – Ward's Lake (Shillong) · Encyclopedia
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