Discover Arunachal Pradesh – The Tribal Lands
A road trip through the forested mountains of central Arunachal Pradesh, meeting the Adi, Galo, Tagin and Apatani peoples in their villages.
Arunachal Pradesh is called the land of the dawn-lit mountains. It lies wholly in the eastern Himalaya, with forests and wildlife that make it one of the richest places on the planet for nature. This road trip crosses the tribal belt in the center of the state, where most people follow Donyi-Polo, the worship of the Sun and Moon. In the Siang valley you meet the Adi, a warrior people who fought off the British more than once, build long bridges of cane and bamboo, and carve terraced fields into the hills. In the Subansiri valley live the Tagin, with their hand-carved pipes and cane hats. In the Ziro valley the Apatani still keep their old farming and customs, and the elderly women still wear facial tattoos and large nose plugs. You stay in homestays where possible, so the money goes straight to local families and guides.
Traveling with Greener Pastures means hassle-free, insightful journeys in the hands of passionate experts. All our naturalist guides are from the region and have deep knowledge of the local wildlife, terrain, and communities. Every tour can be tailored to your interests and fitness level.
At a Glance
Tribal Cultures
Meet the Adi, Galo, Tagin and Apatani peoples in their villages.
Eastern Himalaya
A road trip through mountains covered in subtropical forest.
Village Walks
Slow days on foot through the villages of each valley.
Day by Day
Dibrugarh - Pasighat
Arrive at Dibrugarh airport and drive to Pasighat (2-3 hours), crossing the Brahmaputra to where the mountains begin. Evening by the campfire.
Dibrugarh - Pasighat
Arrive at Dibrugarh airport and drive to Pasighat (2-3 hours), crossing the Brahmaputra to where the mountains begin. Evening by the campfire.
Pasighat - Aalo
Drive to Aalo (6-8 hours) up the valley of the Siang, as the Brahmaputra is called here. On the way, visit Adi Minyong villages such as Yaksi and Pangin, one of the largest, with more than five hundred houses and many women weaving at their looms.
Pasighat - Aalo
Drive to Aalo (6-8 hours) up the valley of the Siang, as the Brahmaputra is called here. On the way, visit Adi Minyong villages such as Yaksi and Pangin, one of the largest, with more than five hundred houses and many women weaving at their looms.
Aalo
A day in the Galo villages around Aalo, such as Kabu, Jirdin and Kaying. Visit homes, watch a Galo dance, and cross the cane hanging bridge at Kabu. End the day at Darka, one of the largest Galo villages.
Aalo
A day in the Galo villages around Aalo, such as Kabu, Jirdin and Kaying. Visit homes, watch a Galo dance, and cross the cane hanging bridge at Kabu. End the day at Darka, one of the largest Galo villages.
Aalo - Daporijo
A long drive on rough roads to Daporijo (7-8 hours), in the heart of the Subansiri valley where the Tagin live, with village stops on the way. Galo houses here are built on stone without nails.
Aalo - Daporijo
A long drive on rough roads to Daporijo (7-8 hours), in the heart of the Subansiri valley where the Tagin live, with village stops on the way. Galo houses here are built on stone without nails.
Daporijo
Drive upstream along the Subansiri river to Tagin villages to see how the people live.
Daporijo
Drive upstream along the Subansiri river to Tagin villages to see how the people live.
Daporijo - Ziro
Leave early for Ziro (8-9 hours), a wide valley of rice fields and pine forest and home of the Apatani, passing through tropical forest and small tribal settlements.
Daporijo - Ziro
Leave early for Ziro (8-9 hours), a wide valley of rice fields and pine forest and home of the Apatani, passing through tropical forest and small tribal settlements.
Ziro
Two days in the Apatani villages of Hong, Hari and Dutta, and a Nyishi village if time allows. The houses stand side by side, and the tattooed elders still live much as they always have. Take day hikes to more remote villages and farms, meet an Apatani shaman, and visit the market for local food, dress and crafts.
Ziro
Two days in the Apatani villages of Hong, Hari and Dutta, and a Nyishi village if time allows. The houses stand side by side, and the tattooed elders still live much as they always have. Take day hikes to more remote villages and farms, meet an Apatani shaman, and visit the market for local food, dress and crafts.
Ziro - Dibrugarh
Drive back down to the plains at Dibrugarh (7-8 hours), stopping at a Nyishi village on the way.
Ziro - Dibrugarh
Drive back down to the plains at Dibrugarh (7-8 hours), stopping at a Nyishi village on the way.
Dibrugarh
Transfer to Dibrugarh airport for your flight. End of tour.
Dibrugarh
Transfer to Dibrugarh airport for your flight. End of tour.
Your Retreats
01Hotel Migung
A comfortable modern hotel on the bank of the Siang at Pasighat, where the river comes down out of the mountains into the plains. Rooms are spacious and well kept, with river and mountain views from most of them.
“The Siang on one side, the first hills of Arunachal on the other.”
02Sipu Homestay
A homestay on the edge of Aalo run by a local Galo family, in a low house set back off the road with a lawn and covered verandas. Rooms are clean and comfortable, and meals are Galo home cooking — a good base for the villages around Aalo.
“A quiet lane, a lawn, and the hills closing in behind.”
03Hotel Singhik
In a town as remote as Daporijo, Hotel Singhik comes as a relief — a straightforward business hotel with clean modern rooms and standard amenities.
“Clean sheets and hot water, deep in the Subansiri valley.”
04Lempia Ude Homestay
Run by an Apatani family in Lempia, with a traditional fireplace in the rooms and a balcony over the valley. The kitchen cooks local — thukpa, bamboo shoot curry — and the family will teach you to weave a bamboo basket or throw Apatani pottery.
“Woodsmoke and the valley waking up below”
05The Gymkhana Clubhouse
With an open, small-town atmosphere, the Gymkhana Clubhouse in Dibrugarh is run by enthusiastic locals and has genuinely good modern rooms, plus a pool and a gym. The clubhouse, built in 1923, holds a restaurant and a well-stocked boutique bar.
“A 1923 clubhouse with a well-stocked bar and a small-town welcome.”
Why Travel With Greener Pastures?
Curated Experiences
Our itineraries are one of a kind, carefully detailed from our own personal travel experiences — from choosing the best logistically correct routes to the most interesting stay options.
Native Guides
With guides native to the region, you get an insider view of local life and culture.
Experts in the Region
You are in the hands of a team who know and are passionate about Northeast India.
“By choosing us, we share together a pledge towards responsible tourism, and a belief that travel has the power to positively transform local livelihoods, cultures, and the environment.”
— The Greener Pastures Promise
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