5N / 6D
6N / 7D
High Himalaya & Monasteries
Arunachal Pradesh · Assam
Tawang & Arunachal
Package ID: TG-MS-001046
Guwahati · Dirang · Tawang — One of India's most remote and rewarding mountain journeys — up from the Assam plains through Bomdila and Dirang to Tawang, home of the great 17th-century monastery and the birthplace region of the 6th Dalai Lama, high in the eastern Himalaya near the Tibet and Bhutan borders. It is long, high and genuinely demanding: a permit (Inner Line Permit) is mandatory, the roads are slow and weather-sensitive, and the Sela Pass at over 4,100 m can close at short notice. We plan and brief it as the serious border-country journey it is, and lead with those honest caveats. The reward is monasteries, high lakes and a Buddhist mountain culture few travellers reach.
Package IDTG-MS-001046
Duration6N / 7D
StartsGuwahati
EndsGuwahati
Best seasonMarch to October
Ideal forAdventurous travellers · Buddhist-culture & mountain lovers
- Duration
- 6N / 7D
- Cities
- Bomdila, Dirang, Tawang
- States
- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
- Distance
- ~1,100 km eastern-Himalayan roads
- Start → End
- Guwahati → Guwahati
- Transport
- Private SUV (high-altitude, hill-driven)
- Hotels
- 2★ / 3★ hotels & homestays
- Meals
- Breakfast & dinner (MAP)
- Best season
- March to October
- Ideal for
- Adventurous travellers · Buddhist-culture & mountain lovers
Day by day
Complete itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Drive distances and times are realistic approximations, stated up front and traffic-dependent — never hidden.
Day 1 Guwahati → Bhalukpong / DirangGuwahati → Dirang
- Route
- Guwahati → Dirang
- Distance
- ~290 km
- Travel time
- ~9 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private SUV (permit at Bhalukpong)
- Depart
- 06:00 AM
- Arrive
- 04:00 PM
- Alternative
- Inner Line Permit checked at Bhalukpong
- Early start from Guwahati
- Enter Arunachal at Bhalukpong (permit check)
- Arrive Dirang & check-in
A long first day from the Assam plains up into Arunachal — the Inner Line Permit is checked as you enter at Bhalukpong. You climb gradually to Dirang, a pretty valley town, which begins the acclimatisation for the high passes ahead. Honestly a travelling day, and the first taste of just how remote this corner is.
✓ Enter Arunachal✓ Bhalukpong✓ Dirang valley
🛏 Overnight: Dirang
Day 2 Dirang → TawangSela Pass → Tawang
- Route
- Dirang → Tawang
- Distance
- ~135 km
- Travel time
- ~6–7 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private SUV over Sela Pass
- Depart
- 07:00 AM
- Arrive
- 02:30 PM
- Alternative
- Sela Pass ~4,170 m — weather-dependent
- Depart for the high crossing
- Sela Pass (~4,170 m) & Sela Lake
- Jaswant Garh war memorial
- Arrive Tawang
The great crossing. The road climbs to the Sela Pass at over 4,100 m, past the often-frozen Sela Lake and prayer flags, then the moving Jaswant Garh memorial to a 1962-war soldier, before dropping to Tawang. The pass is entirely weather-dependent and can close with snow at short notice — we plan around that honestly.
✓ Sela Pass✓ Sela Lake✓ Jaswant Garh
🛏 Overnight: Tawang
Day 3 Tawang Monastery & townMonastery → Craft centre
- Tawang Monastery — the largest in India
- Tawang War Memorial & museum
- Lunch
- Craft centre & Ani Gompa (nunnery)
Tawang Monastery, founded in the 17th century and the largest in India, is a working Gelugpa institution of monks, murals and a towering gilded Buddha — genuinely one of the great sights of the Himalaya. The war memorial recalls the 1962 conflict fought in these mountains; the nunnery and craft centre round out the day.
✓ Tawang Monastery✓ War Memorial✓ Ani Gompa
🛏 Overnight: Tawang
Day 4 Bumla / Madhuri Lake excursionHigh lakes (permit)
- Permit day trip toward the high lakes (weather & army permitting)
- Sangetsar (Madhuri) Lake
- PTSO Lake & the high meadows
- Return to Tawang
A high-altitude excursion (permit and army clearance required, weather permitting) toward the border lakes — Sangetsar, known as Madhuri Lake, and the pristine PTSO, ringed by snow. This is genuinely dependent on conditions and permissions near a sensitive border; if it is closed we substitute Tawang-area monasteries and viewpoints, and we're upfront about the odds.
✓ Madhuri Lake✓ PTSO Lake✓ High border meadows
🛏 Overnight: Tawang
Day 5 Tawang → BomdilaTawang → Bomdila
- Route
- Tawang → Bomdila
- Distance
- ~180 km
- Travel time
- ~7 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private SUV over Sela Pass
- Depart
- 07:00 AM
- Arrive
- 02:30 PM
- Alternative
- Nuranang Falls stop
- Recross Sela Pass
- Nuranang (Jang) Falls
- Arrive Bomdila
- Bomdila Monastery & apple-orchard viewpoints
Back over the Sela Pass, stopping at the powerful Nuranang Falls, to Bomdila — a quieter monastery town with fine Buddhist gompas and views to the eastern Himalayan snows. The descent begins in earnest, breaking the long return to the plains.
✓ Nuranang Falls✓ Bomdila Monastery✓ Himalayan views
🛏 Overnight: Bomdila
Day 6 Bomdila → Guwahati / NameriDescend → Assam
- Route
- Bomdila → Nameri / Tezpur
- Distance
- ~180 km
- Travel time
- ~7 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private SUV
- Depart
- 08:00 AM
- Arrive
- Afternoon
- Alternative
- Optional Nameri National Park / Tezpur
- Descend out of Arunachal to the Assam plains
- Arrive Nameri / Tezpur — riverside evening
Down out of the mountains to the warm Assam plains and a night near Nameri or Tezpur — an optional stop at Nameri National Park for its birdlife and river. A gentler day after the high passes, breaking the run back to Guwahati.
✓ Descent to Assam✓ Nameri / Tezpur
🛏 Overnight: Nameri / Tezpur
Day 7 Departure→ Guwahati Airport
- Route
- Nameri / Tezpur → Guwahati Airport (GAU)
- Distance
- ~180 km
- Travel time
- ~5 hrs (approx.)
- Mode
- Private car
- Depart
- Early
- Arrive
- —
- Alternative
- Early start for afternoon flights
- Breakfast & drive to Guwahati
- Transfer to the airport for your onward flight
The final run to Guwahati airport — an early start given the distance. A demanding, spectacular journey to one of the most remote corners of the country comes to a close.
✓ Onward transfer
Where you stay
Hotels
| Destination | Nights | Category | Meal plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirang | 1 | 2★ / 3★ / homestay | Breakfast + dinner |
| Tawang | 3 | 2★ / 3★ | Breakfast + dinner |
| Bomdila | 1 | 2★ / 3★ | Breakfast + dinner |
| Nameri / Tezpur | 1 | 2★ / 3★ / eco-camp | Breakfast + dinner |
Specific hotels are confirmed against your dates and budget at quotation — we never claim a named property is included unless your package explicitly specifies it.
Meals
What's included, day by day
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 · Guwahati → Bhalukpong / Dirang | — | Optional | Optional |
| Day 2 · Dirang → Tawang | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 3 · Tawang Monastery & town | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 4 · Bumla / Madhuri Lake excursion | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 5 · Tawang → Bomdila | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 6 · Bomdila → Guwahati / Nameri | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 7 · Departure | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
✓ Included · Optional add-on · — not included. Meal plan (CP / MAP / AP) is configurable per booking.
Inclusions
What's in the price
- ✓Accommodation on twin sharing
- ✓Breakfast & dinner (MAP)
- ✓Private SUV with hill-experienced driver
- ✓Inner Line Permit assistance
- ✓Applicable taxes (GST)
Exclusions
Not included
- ✕Flights
- ✕High-lake excursion permits & army-area charges
- ✕Monastery entry & camera fees
- ✕Lunches & personal expenses
- ✕Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- ✕Anything not listed under inclusions
Good to know
Important information
- •An Inner Line Permit is mandatory for Arunachal (foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit); we arrange these — apply well ahead and carry ID.
- •This is a long, high, remote journey — the Sela Pass (~4,170 m) and border-lake excursions are weather- and army-permission dependent and can close at short notice.
- •Roads are slow and rough; drives of 7–9 hours are normal here. Buffer time is wise.
- •Accommodation is basic (2★/homestay grade) — comfort expectations should be honest, especially at altitude.
- •Carry warm layers year-round and consider altitude precautions; connectivity, fuel and ATMs are scarce beyond Guwahati.
Who is this for
Ideal travellers
👨👩👧Family
💑Honeymoon
👴Seniors
👥Friends
🏢Corporate
🧳Solo
Make it yours
Customize this trip
Change hotel category · add or remove nights · extend the route · upgrade transport · add flights, activities, meals or travel insurance. This is the default; almost everything is configurable.
Pricing
Starting from
Figures on enquiry · priced for your dates
On enquiry / per person · twin sharing
We price the real configuration — your exact party, dates, hotel category and inclusions — rather than publish an average that changes the moment you ask.
| Occupancy | Price / person |
|---|---|
| Single occupancy | — |
| Double / twin sharing (per person) | — |
| Triple sharing (per person) | — |
| Child with bed | — |
| Child without bed | — |
Price varies with travel dates, hotel availability, season, number of travellers and selected inclusions. The occupancy grid above is the live structure; figures populate from configurable pricing fields — never hard-coded.
Questions
Package FAQs
Do we need a permit for Arunachal?
Yes — an Inner Line Permit for Indian nationals (a Protected Area Permit for foreign nationals), which we arrange. Apply well in advance; you carry ID and the permit throughout.
Will the Sela Pass and border lakes be open?
Not guaranteed — the Sela Pass can close with snow, and the high border lakes (Madhuri, PTSO, Bumla) need army clearance and clear weather. We plan around this and substitute alternatives honestly if they are shut.
How demanding is the trip?
Genuinely — long daily drives on rough mountain roads, high altitude and basic stays over a week. It suits adventurous travellers; those wanting comfort and short days should look elsewhere. We'll advise honestly.
When is the best time?
March–October, with April–June and September–October the most reliable. Winter brings heavy snow and pass closures; the monsoon raises landslide risk on these roads.
How do I get a price?
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