Discover Arunachal Pradesh – Proverbial Tawang
A road trip into the Buddhist highlands of western Arunachal Pradesh — the forests of Nameri, the orchards of Dirang, Sela Pass and the monasteries of Tawang, and a day out toward the Tibet and Bhutan borders, and a night in the village of Shergaon.
Arunachal Pradesh is called the land of the dawn-lit mountains, and its western corner around Tawang, on the border with Bhutan, is the heartland of Tibetan Buddhism in India. The trip starts in the plains at Nameri National Park, then climbs to Dirang, a quiet mountain town of villages and orchards where you spend a slow day getting used to the altitude. From there the road crosses Sela Pass to Tawang, where the great Galden Namgey Lhatse monastery sits on the hill above town. Around it are some of the oldest religious sites in the region: the Urgelling Monastery, birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama; the Ani Gompa, the oldest nunnery in the area; and the Khinmey Monastery of the Nyingma school. Beyond Tawang the land opens into high peaks and pastures. Indian travelers can drive toward Bum La and its lakes, and foreign nationals toward Bhutan to the village of Zemithang and the great Gorsam Stupa. On the way back down you spend a night in the Sherdukpen village of Shergaon. The anthropologist Verrier Elwin described the people of this region well: “Gentle, friendly, courteous, industrious, good to animals, good to children, you see in the Monpas the influence of the compassionate Lord Buddha on the ordinary man.”
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At a Glance
Buddhist Highlands
The monasteries and nunneries of Tawang and the border country beyond.
Eastern Himalaya
A road trip over Sela Pass through remote and beautiful mountains.
Village Walks
Slow days in the villages and orchards of the Monpa people.
Day by Day
Guwahati - Nameri National Park
Arrive at Guwahati airport and drive to Nameri National Park (6 hours), one of the most scenic parks in India, with views of the Himalaya and many rare birds. Evening at leisure, with a bonfire if you like. You stay at Sonai Nameri, a tented camp at the edge of the park.
Guwahati - Nameri National Park
Arrive at Guwahati airport and drive to Nameri National Park (6 hours), one of the most scenic parks in India, with views of the Himalaya and many rare birds. Evening at leisure, with a bonfire if you like. You stay at Sonai Nameri, a tented camp at the edge of the park.
Nameri - Dirang
In winter, an early guided walk in the forest for birds, and with luck deer, elephant or gaur. After breakfast, drive to Dirang (7-8 hours), a small town in the Kameng valley, as the road climbs into the eastern Himalaya. Stop on the way at the Tipi Orchid Center. You stay at a riverside resort outside town.
Nameri - Dirang
In winter, an early guided walk in the forest for birds, and with luck deer, elephant or gaur. After breakfast, drive to Dirang (7-8 hours), a small town in the Kameng valley, as the road climbs into the eastern Himalaya. Stop on the way at the Tipi Orchid Center. You stay at a riverside resort outside town.
Dirang
A day around Dirang. Drive out to the Sangti valley to see village life and the kiwi farms, and visit the old Dirang Dzong fort and the local monastery. The slow day also helps you get used to the altitude before Tawang.
Dirang
A day around Dirang. Drive out to the Sangti valley to see village life and the kiwi farms, and visit the old Dirang Dzong fort and the local monastery. The slow day also helps you get used to the altitude before Tawang.
Dirang - Tawang
Drive to Tawang (7-9 hours) over Sela Pass at 13,000 feet, stopping at Jung Falls and the Jaswant Garh war memorial, with hot tea and snacks at the army camps on the way. Tawang is a holy Buddhist highland, and its great monastery sits on the hill above the town. You stay at a small boutique hotel in town.
Dirang - Tawang
Drive to Tawang (7-9 hours) over Sela Pass at 13,000 feet, stopping at Jung Falls and the Jaswant Garh war memorial, with hot tea and snacks at the army camps on the way. Tawang is a holy Buddhist highland, and its great monastery sits on the hill above the town. You stay at a small boutique hotel in town.
Tawang
A day for the monasteries and nunneries in and around Tawang: the Tawang Monastery, the 15th-century Urgelling Monastery where the 6th Dalai Lama was born, the Ani Gompa nunnery, reached by the new ropeway, and the Khinmey Monastery of the Nyingma school. Visit the markets and craft centers, and try hot Tibetan food in the evening.
Tawang
A day for the monasteries and nunneries in and around Tawang: the Tawang Monastery, the 15th-century Urgelling Monastery where the 6th Dalai Lama was born, the Ani Gompa nunnery, reached by the new ropeway, and the Khinmey Monastery of the Nyingma school. Visit the markets and craft centers, and try hot Tibetan food in the evening.
Tawang
A day out toward the border. Indian citizens drive to Sangetsar Lake and the high wetlands up to the Bum La army post on the border with Tibet. Foreign nationals drive to Zemithang, a Monpa village near the meeting point of India, Tibet and Bhutan, stopping at Jhamtse Gatsal, a community school for local children, and the great Gorsam Stupa. Back to Tawang for the evening.
Tawang
A day out toward the border. Indian citizens drive to Sangetsar Lake and the high wetlands up to the Bum La army post on the border with Tibet. Foreign nationals drive to Zemithang, a Monpa village near the meeting point of India, Tibet and Bhutan, stopping at Jhamtse Gatsal, a community school for local children, and the great Gorsam Stupa. Back to Tawang for the evening.
Tawang - Shergaon
Drive back over Sela Pass and down to Shergaon (7-8 hours), a quiet Sherdukpen village of wooden houses among orchards and pine forest, named one of India’s best tourism villages. Evening walk around the village. You stay at Chhoms Homestay with a Sherdukpen family.
Tawang - Shergaon
Drive back over Sela Pass and down to Shergaon (7-8 hours), a quiet Sherdukpen village of wooden houses among orchards and pine forest, named one of India’s best tourism villages. Evening walk around the village. You stay at Chhoms Homestay with a Sherdukpen family.
Shergaon - Guwahati
After breakfast, drive down to Guwahati airport (6-7 hours) for an evening flight. End of tour.
Shergaon - Guwahati
After breakfast, drive down to Guwahati airport (6-7 hours) for an evening flight. End of tour.
Your Retreats
01Sonai Nameri
Six tents with attached bathrooms, three of them air-conditioned, on the edge of Nameri at Sonaipam. The Jia Bhoroli river is close by for rafting, and the camp runs nature walks and visits to nearby villages.
“Fall asleep to the gentle rush of the Jia Bhoroli”
02Summit Rungkhung Village Resort
Part of Summit Hotels’ Signature Collection, the resort sits in Rungkhung village on the banks of the Kameng river, among kiwi and orange orchards below the hills of Dirang. Every room faces the valley and has its own balcony, with warm interiors, Wi-Fi and a tea and coffee maker.
“A balcony over the Kameng river, with orchards all around.”
03Timilo Boutique
A small boutique hotel of about ten rooms in Tawang, with a garden, terrace, restaurant and bar. Rooms look out over the mountains and have private sit-outs, heaters, electric blankets and heated bathroom floors.
“Prayer flags over the lawn, and heated floors for the cold nights.”
04Chhoms Homestay
A Sherdukpen family homestay in Shergaon, finished throughout in local timber — pine walls and floors, low seating, and a run of windows looking straight out at the hills. Meals are Sherdukpen home cooking. Staying in houses like this is the reason the village was named among India’s Best Tourism Villages in 2023.
“All wood inside, and the valley through the window wall.”
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