17 Places to Visit in Arunachal Pradesh (2026): Tourist Spots, Timings & Entry Fees
Most first trips to Arunachal Pradesh are the drive to Tawang: over Sela Pass at about 4,170 m, past Jaswant Garh and Nuranang falls, to India's largest monastery and the high lakes on the Bum La road. Ziro Valley, home of the Apatani people, is the other classic, and Mago, Chuna and Zemithang reward a longer stay.
1.Tawang Monastery
Tawang town
Tawang Monastery, Galden Namgey Lhatse, is India's largest monastery, founded in 1680–81 on a ridge at about 10,000 ft. It's the reason most people make the drive over Sela Pass.
- Timings
- Roughly 7am–5pm or 6pm; museum about 9am–5pm
- Entry fee
- Monastery free; museum about ₹30 (reported)
- Distance
- About 2–3 km from Tawang market
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Best time
- March–May and October–November
2.Sela Pass
Tawang–West Kameng border, on NH-13
Sela Pass crosses the range between Dirang and Tawang at about 13,700 ft, beside a sacred lake that freezes in winter. Since the Sela Tunnel opened in 2024 you can skip it, but most travellers still drive over. Here's why and when.
- Timings
- Drive across in daylight; avoid after about 3pm in winter
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 60–80 km from Tawang; 60 km from Dirang
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes stop
- Best time
- March–May and October–November; snow December–March
3.Bum La Pass
Indo-China border, 37 km from Tawang
Bum La is the India–China border pass 37 km above Tawang, at about 15,200 ft, where the 1962 war began in this sector and where border meetings are still held. Visiting needs a special permit from the DC's office and the army.
- Timings
- Early morning start; army-escorted visits on permitted days
- Entry fee
- Permit plus a small visitor fee (about ₹50 reported); 4x4 hire extra
- Distance
- About 37 km from Tawang, 2–3 hours each way
- Time needed
- A full morning from Tawang
- Best time
- April–June and October–November
4.Ziro Valley
Lower Subansiri district
Ziro is a high, flat valley of rice fields and pine hills, home to the Apatani people and on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list. Here is how to get there, what to see, the festivals and when to go.
- Timings
- Villages are open all day; ask before entering homes
- Entry fee
- None
- Distance
- About 110–115 km from Itanagar; 400 km from Guwahati
- Time needed
- 2–3 days
- Best time
- March–May and September–November
5.Nuranang (Jang) Falls
Near Jang, about 40 km from Tawang
Nuranang, or Jang Falls, is a 100-metre waterfall near Jang on the road down from Sela Pass to Tawang. It's a short detour and free to visit.
- Timings
- Daylight
- Entry fee
- No entry fee reported
- Distance
- About 39–40 km from Tawang, around 1.5 hours
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Best time
- May–October for the fullest flow
6.Sangetsar (Madhuri) Lake
On the Bumla road, about 35 km from Tawang
Sangetsar, nicknamed Madhuri Lake after a 1990s film shoot, is a high lake on the road to Bumla with dead tree trunks standing in the water. It's visited on the Bumla day from Tawang.
- Timings
- Day visits with the Bumla trip, in clear weather
- Entry fee
- None reported
- Distance
- About 35 km north of Tawang, 2–2.5 hours on a rough road
- Time needed
- Part of a 6–7 hour Bumla day
- Best time
- April–October
Sangetsar (Madhuri) Lake: full guide, how to reach and tips →
7.PT Tso Lake (Pankang Teng Tso)
Bum La road, above Tawang
PT Tso, short for Pankang Teng Tso, is a high lake about 16–18 km above Tawang on the road to Bum La, ringed by rhododendrons and often frozen in winter. It's the first big stop on the Bum La day.
- Timings
- Morning, as part of the Bum La day
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 16–18 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Best time
- March–May and October–November; frozen December–February
PT Tso Lake (Pankang Teng Tso): full guide, how to reach and tips →
8.Tawang War Memorial
Tawang town
Tawang War Memorial is a stupa-shaped memorial in town to the soldiers who died defending this sector in 1962, with their names in gold and an evening light and sound show.
- Timings
- Daytime roughly 7am–6pm; light and sound show in the evening (about 6:30pm reported)
- Entry fee
- Free by day; show about ₹50–100 (reported)
- Distance
- About 2–3 km from Tawang market
- Time needed
- 45 minutes; 1.5 hours with the show
- Best time
- March–May and October–November
9.Jaswant Garh War Memorial
On the Sela–Jang road, Tawang district
Jaswant Garh honours Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, who held off the Chinese advance near Nuranang in November 1962. The army still keeps his room, and serves free tea to travellers on the Tawang road.
- Timings
- Daylight
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- On the Sela–Jang stretch, roughly 1.5–2 hours before Tawang
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Best time
- March–May and October–November
Jaswant Garh War Memorial: full guide, how to reach and tips →
10.Bomdila Monastery
Bomdila, West Kameng
Bomdila Monastery, Gontse Gaden Rabgye Ling, was founded in 1965 as a replica of the Tsona Gontse monastery in Tibet. It's the natural first stop on the road to Tawang, with views over the Kameng hills.
- Timings
- Roughly 6am–6pm (morning prayers early)
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 3 km from Bomdila market; 160 km from Tezpur
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Best time
- March–May and October–November
11.Mago Valley
Thingbu circle, eastern Tawang district
Mago is a yak-herders' village at about 11,500 ft in the far east of Tawang district, with two hot springs, a river confluence and almost no tourists. Here is how to get there from Jang, the permits, the road and when to go.
- Timings
- Day trip from Tawang is very long; plan a night at Mago
- Entry fee
- Free; hot springs free
- Distance
- About 59 km from Jang, 85 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- 1–2 days with Chuna
- Best time
- April–June and October–November
12.Zemithang
Pangchen valley, western Tawang district
Zemithang is the last village before Tibet in the Pangchen valley, about 85–90 km from Tawang, where the Dalai Lama first entered India in 1959. It's home to the giant Gorsam Chorten and the Gorsam Kora festival.
- Timings
- Long day trip, better as an overnight
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 85–90 km from Tawang via Lumla
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Best time
- October–April; Gorsam Kora festival in spring
13.Bap Teng Kang Falls
Lumla–Zemithang road, Tawang district
Bap Teng Kang (BTK) Falls is a roaring 100 ft waterfall on the road from Lumla to Zemithang, about 80–85 km from Tawang. It's the best stop on the way to Gorsam Chorten.
- Timings
- Daylight
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 80–85 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Best time
- September–November (full falls, dry road)
14.Chumi Gyatse Falls (Holy Waterfalls)
Yangtse, north-east Tawang district
Chumi Gyatse, the 'holy waterfalls' of Tawang, are a curtain of streams said to number 108, falling from the Yangtse cliffs close to the Line of Actual Control. They're sacred to Guru Padmasambhava and need army clearance to visit.
- Timings
- Day visit, by army clearance
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 90–100 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- Full day from Tawang
- Best time
- May–October (road closed by snow in winter)
Chumi Gyatse Falls (Holy Waterfalls): full guide, how to reach and tips →
15.Chuna Valley
Above Mago, Thingbu circle, Tawang district
Chuna is a high, open valley about 12 km above Mago in eastern Tawang, at roughly 3,900 m, with yak pastures, an army camp and the rough road on to Gongkar La. It's as remote as a Tawang trip gets.
- Timings
- Visit in the morning; return to Mago or Tawang before dark
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 12 km from Mago, roughly 97 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- Half a day from Mago
- Best time
- May–June and October
16.Gongkar La Lake
Beyond Chuna, Thingbu circle, Tawang district
Gongkar La (also spelt Gonkarla) is a high pass at about 15,600 ft beyond Mago and Chuna, with a glacial lake below it. It's reached by a rough army road, open only some days, and it's the hardest drive in Tawang.
- Timings
- Mornings only; weather turns by noon
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- Beyond Chuna; a full day from Mago and back
- Time needed
- Full day from Mago
- Best time
- Late May–June and October
17.Gorsam Chorten
Zemithang, western Tawang district
Gorsam Chorten is a whitewashed stupa about 90 ft high near Zemithang, built by a local monk sometime between the 12th and 16th centuries on the model of Boudhanath in Kathmandu. It's the focus of the spring Gorsam Kora festival.
- Timings
- Open daylight hours
- Entry fee
- Free
- Distance
- About 90 km from Tawang
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Best time
- October–April; Gorsam Kora in spring
Best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh
October to April for clear skies on the Tawang route; expect snow at Sela, Bum La and the high lakes from December to March, which can close roads for a day or two. March to June is pleasant at lower altitudes. Ziro's music festival is usually in late September.
Arunachal Pradesh weather month by month →How to reach Arunachal Pradesh
Guwahati is the gateway. Tawang is about 450 km, usually split over two days via Bhalukpong, Dirang or Bomdila. Tezpur has the nearest airport for Tawang, and Ziro is reached via Itanagar or North Lakhimpur.
See Arunachal Pradesh with a local team
Private trips with a driver, hotels and permits arranged, built around the places above.
Arunachal Pradesh tour packages →Arunachal Pradesh: frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to visit Arunachal Pradesh?+
Yes. Indian travellers need an Inner Line Permit (ILP), which can be applied for online. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit. Bum La also needs an army permit, arranged in Tawang.
How many days are needed for a Tawang trip?+
Six to seven days from Guwahati, with two days of driving each way and two or three days in and around Tawang.
When is Sela Pass covered in snow?+
Usually from December to March. The road is kept open, but heavy snowfall can close it briefly.
Which places should I see in Arunachal on a first trip?+
Tawang Monastery, Sela Pass, Bum La, Sangetsar (Madhuri) Lake, Nuranang falls and the Tawang War Memorial, or Ziro Valley if you prefer a gentler trip.
More places to visit in Northeast India
- Places to visit in Darjeeling
- Places to visit in Meghalaya
- Places to visit in Sikkim
- Places to visit in Gangtok
- Places to visit in Assam
- Places to visit in Shillong
- Places to visit in Cherrapunji
- Places to visit in Tawang
- Places to visit in Pelling
- Places to visit in Guwahati
- Places to visit near Guwahati
- Places to visit in Northeast India
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- Places to visit in Gangtok and Darjeeling
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- Places to visit in South Sikkim
- Places to visit in Nagaland
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- All Northeast India attractions