Tawang is a fabled destination located at an altitude 2,669 m above sea level. It’s not only a natural paradise it is a unique combination of Buddhist culture and Tibetan heritage. The road journey to Tawang from Guwahati is a destination itself which passes through gorgeous hills, lively deodorant forests and sprawling rivers. The road trip to Tawang is the most thrilling experience where you have to overcome uncertain weather conditions, unpredictable road. This is one of the most scenic road trips in entire India.
Roads
We can drive to Tawang from Guwahati in two ways. One is via Tezpur, Nameri, Bomdila, Dirang. And another is via Guwahati, Mangaldoi, Rowta, Orang/Bhairabkunda, Kalaktang, Shergaon, Rupa, Bomdila, Dirang.
Guwahati to Tawang Road Trip Route (via Kalaktang)
Guwahati → Mangaldai → Orang → Kalaktang → Shergaon → Rupa → Bomdila → Tawang
- Distance: 457 kilometres
The road to Bomdila via Kalaktang is in good shape. Very fewer people travelled by this road. This road was constructed recently and is known as Trans Himalayan Highway. You need to hire a private car to go to Tawang by this road. Once you enter Arunachal Pradesh the spellbound chain of hills welcome you and traverse you through the winding path that leads to Kalaktang. There is another road which goes to Kalaktang via Bhairabkunda which is located a few kilometres before reaching Orang. The road via Bhairabkunda passes through unmatched scenic landscape. After crossing Kakaltang the rod passes through white coloured ceramic hills of Rupa and then gorgeous Rupa valley and finally the road merge in the main highway near Bomdila.
Guwahati to Tawang Road Trip Route (via Bhalukpong)
Guwahati→ Tezpur → Nameri → Bhalukpong → Bomdila → Dirang → Tawang
- Distance: 509 kilometres
The road to Tawang via Tezpur is the old route and frequented by most vehicle. You can find shared Tata Sumos or Buses to Bomdila from Tezpur via this road. This is another road that leads to Tawang through scenic eastern Himalayans ranges. Feel the thrill as you drive with the series of hills on one side and the gushing rivers on the other.
After crossing Tezpur you have to go through the dense forest of Nameri tiger reserve. After Nameri the fascinating Kameng river accompanies you. Find more information in our travel guide which offers complete details and important information like travelling distance, basic facilities and accommodation along the way. Though construction is going on in this road still some part have bumpy stretches.
Map
Here is the overview of the route we followed in our Guwahati Tawang road trip.
When to visit Tawang
Tawang is a secular hilly region which can be visited at any time of the year. Most people prefer visiting Tawang in winter months to uncover its snowy mood. However, winter is not the best time for a road trip to Tawang. During winter months, starting from late December to February high snowfall in Sela Pass blocked the road transpiration and the roads would be slippery at times and vehicle tyre got stuck in snowfall.
If you want to be safe then best Time to Visit Tawang by a road trip is from September to mid of December. You can also choose to travel from April and May when there is not much rainfall in this reason.
It’s better to avoid monsoon season. During monsoon, the road got stuck for days due to heavy flood in the hills.
Read more about the perfect season for your Tawang trip on Best Time to Visit Tawang.
Eateries Locations in Guwahati – Tawang Road Trip
Very few eateries or roadside Dhabas are available on the road. So it’s better to have early lunch or pack your food in the hotel. A few roadside stalls are available along the road, which offers delicious Momo, Maggi or Roti Sabji etc. If you miss the roadside Dhabas, Indian Army canteen is your last rescue. One such canteen is available in the Sela Pass and Jaswant Garh. Stock up water as much as possible and drink enough water to keep yourself away from dehydration.
Expenses
The expenses depend on the kinds of hotels or lodge you choose to stay. Generally, hotels are not much costly in all the places you find standard accommodation in between Rs 3000 – Rs 4000. Besides accommodation and food, if you hire a self-drive car or hire a car from an agency expect to spend approximately INR 9,000 – 11,000 on fuel.
Vehicle
Nowadays you can take any vehicle to Tawang road trip. But for safe side SUV/ MUV is advisable or any sedan car with high GC is suitable for the road trip.
Precautions for vehicle:
- Very few petrol pumps are available along the road so full the tank in advance at Bomdila or Dirang.
- Check the vehicle condition and tyres before starting the trip.
- Take one extra stepney for your car is most necessary to drive in rough hilly roads.
Here’s a day by day breakdown of a road trip to Tawang from Guwahati:
Day 1: Driving from Guwahati to Bomdila
Driving from Guwahati to Bomdila via Kalaktang takes around 10 hrs. Though there are not many eateries available in the road so it’s better to full your stomach at NH 52 Dhaba in Mangaldai before entering the hills of Arunachal Pradesh.
Today we will cover Guwahati – Jalukbari – Kharupetia – Mangaldai – Orang – Kalaktang – Shergaon – Rupa – Bomdila
We left Guwahati at 6:00 am. Have breakfast early and drive towards Orang. This stretch of the road was not in good shape most of the road is bumpy and a lot of potholes in the road so it takes around 3 hours to reach Mangaldai. Later half of the road is quite good. Except for a few kilometres, the road is absolutely fine.
From Orang, we take the bifurcated rode which goes to Kalaktang. After some time we leave the plain of Assam and enter hills of Arunachal Pradesh. The weather and natural surrounding both are charming. After driving for a few kilometres through the windy hilly roads, we started noticing prayer flags as well as scenic vegetable firms. At around 3 pm we reach Kalaktang.
Crossing in white coloured limestone hills at Shergaon the mesmerizing gorges and stream of Rupa valley starting to appear. We were awestruck at the beauty of this place.
As the sun sets in the west and the dusk covered the small town of Bomdila we reached our guesthouse. It was quite cold till then we order some Indian vegetarian dish and headed to our cosy room.
Accommodation
The small town of Bomdila is dotted with many hotels and homestays at a very reasonable rate. Some best hotels are hotel Segal, Hotel Siphiyang Phong etc. We choose to stay away from the crowd and spend the night in the Bomdila monastery guest house known as Doe Gu Khil Guest House. The Guest House was very beautiful and decorated nicely with Tibetan architecture. The rooms were quite welcoming with a room heater and warm blankets.
Day 2: Bomdila to Tawang during Guwahati to Tawang Road Trip
Places covered: Sela pass, Jaswant Garh, Dirang Monastery, Dirang hot spring
After having early breakfast at the guest house we bid farewell to this beautiful guest house and Bomdila.
After driving for around 1.3 hrs we saw the wild stem flows through the scenic valley of Dirang guarded by Himalayan ranges on the North. It is an enchanting valley looks like a dream.
Where to eat
There were very few eateries or Dhaba along the road from Bomdila to Tawang. We stop for lunch in a small roadside Dhaba. Luckily apart from Maggi other non-vegetarian food items are also available in that Dhaba. This Roadside Dhaba was surprisingly neat and clean and well decorated. Food was very simple but delicious.
After crossing Dirang and moving through the twisty roads finally we reached Sela Pass. A proud feeling comes to our mind when we stop at Sela Pass, the high altitude motorable road in India. It was very cold and breezing though there was not much snow at that time. We saw tints of snow in the distant hills as snowfall for the season started before 2 – 3 days. We eat Momo and tea there and felt very refreshing and continue our journey. Our next stop was at Jaswant Garh. As the dusk approaches we enter the small town of Tawang.
Some of the places that are worth stopping on the way are Sela pass, Jaswant Garh, two picture perfect monasteries of Dirang TDL Monastery and LDL monastery , Dirang hot spring etc.
Accommodation
Small Town of Tawang has many hotels, lodges and homestays available for stay. You can find comfortable accommodation ranging from Rs 2000 – Rs 3500 in Tawang.
This time we choose to stay in a homestay known as Tenzin Homestay. This is one of the most comfortable accommodations in our stay at Tawang. Though it is far away from luxury hotels all basic amenities like room heater, home cooked meal and hot water are readily available. The warm hospitality and homely feeling received from our host were unbeatable.
Day 3: Driving around Tawang
We spent 3 nights at Tawang and explore the Tawang and its surroundings. It provided the perfect break from all that driving. Tawang is a surprisingly beautiful land different from the rest of India. Military activities and the influence of Tibetan Buddhism is seen everywhere in Tawang. We spend the first day by visiting the local tourist points around Tawang.
If you want to read more about top tourist places in Tawang .
There are loads of things to see in Tawang.
- Explore Tawang Monastery, the 2nd largest monastery in the world.
- Do visit Tawang War Memorial, Buddha Park and Nuranang Waterfalls.
- Ani Gompa, Urgelling Gompa and Taktsang Gompa may be interesting to you if you like Buddhist culture and philosophy.
- Spare one day to explore the mystic lakes of Tawang including Madhuri lake or Sangestar Tso lake, Pt Tso Lake and Bumla pass.
- Newly added attractions like Chumi Gyatse Falls is worth adding in your schedule.
Day 4: Local sightseeing in Tawang during Guwahati to Tawang Road Trip
Places covered: Lumla, Tara Devi temple, Chag-Zam suspension bridge
On day 4, we went to Lumla and visit the giant Tara Devi temple. On our return journey, we got to see the wonderful Chag-Zam iron chain suspension bridge constructed by Lama Chag-Zam Wangpo during the 14th century. The road to Lumla is well maintained and passes through adorable scenery on both sides of the road. Lumla is only 45 km away from Tawang. Start early and explores the small town at your own pace.
You may be interested in Top 10 offbeat places to visit in Arunachal Pradesh
Day 5: Driving to Bumla Pass and Madhuri lake during Guwahati Tawang Road Trip
On the last day of our Tawang Trip, we get permission to visit Bum La Pass and the Indo China border. Personal vehicle or any other vehicle from Assam is not allowed to take to Bum La Pass. So we hired local sumo. The driver was very friendly and eventually become our guide for the entire day.
The road to Madhuri lake and Bumla pass was terrible. There was no sign of road in some places. There was dubious road and almost complete stretch is bumpy. But our driver drives very tactfully and reach the Y junction after 1 hrs and 30 minutes. After taking Army consent we got permission to visit gorgeous Bumla pass and stunning Madhuri Lake and Nagula lake.
Our visit to Bumla pass and majestic lakes of Tawang spend gracefully and we returned back to Tawang in the evening. Check an essential guide to planning your trip to Tawang.
Where to eat in Tawang:
There are many eateries and restaurants available in Tawang which serve delicious Tibetan, Chinese and North Indian foods. Few best eateries in Tawang are hotel Mon valley, The Dragon etc. Few must-try dishes in Tawang are pork and Chicken dishes, Special Maggi, Butter tea, Momo, Pork Noodle etc.
Day 6: Tawang to Dirang: Drive down to Dirang during Guwahati Tawang Road Trip
Places covered: Nuranang Falls, Sangti Valley
Finally, the day has come to leave the Buddhist town of Arunachal. Today we decided to venture the Jang fall and Sangti valley on our return journey to Dirang. Jang fall is located 32 km away from Tawang in a place named Jang before reaching Sela Pass. Jang falls or Nuranang Falls a majestic waterfall plunge down from a height of 100 meters.
After crossing Sela Pass and Jaswant Gargh the stunning hills of Dirang valley begin to appear. Before reaching Dirang a gorgeous drive through picturesque pastures and hills takes one to Sangti valley. As we drive through the small alley that leads to Sangti valley meandering river accompany us. Charmic paddy fields and grazing cattle and small farms near the river make us stunned. This is one of the spectacular drives so far.
Accommodation in Dirang:
Dirang has loads of homestays and hotels to suit everyone. The hotels alongside the Kameng River offer an awesome view of the valley and foothill of Eastern Himalaya. We opted to stay at Awoo resort Dirang for the night. Awoo resort is located in a scenic location overlooking the Dirang valley and Himalayan ranges. Scenic surrounding and colourful flower on the pathway make this resort stunning. The quality of food and the comfort it offers is best suited to its price.
Day 7: Dirang to Guwahati: Last day of Guwahati Tawang Road Trip
Places covered: Chillipam Gompa, Gyuto monastery
On our last day, we followed the same route via Kalaktang. Today we stop over at Gyuto monastery(Tenzin Gang) and Chillipam Gompa(Rupa). Chillipam Gompa is just 15 km drive uphill from Rupa. It is one of the spectacular monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh. This Gompa is located in a picture perfect location from where a birds-eye view of the entire Rupa valley can be seen. You can also include a trip to newly inaugurated Buddha Heritage Park at Yokmuzor.
Majestic Architecture of Chillipam Gompa
Located in a stunning location on trans Himalayan highway Gyuto monastery is an important centre of the Buddhist religion. The age-old Tibetan style building inside the monastery complex is worth a glimpse. Finally, after 9 hrs of driving, we reached Guwahati in the evening. And our Tawang Guwahati road trip end with a happy note with loads of memories.
Check a complete guide to exploring the best of Mechuka
Trip Essentials for Guwahati – Tawang Road Trip
- Enough water bottle to keep you dehydrated
- Bring some packed food since food joints may not available in some stretch
- Lip balm
- Sunglasses
- Battery Pack
- DSLR
- Cash
- Documents and IDs
- Inner Line Permit.
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So that’s it from us on your Guwahati to Tawang road trip. If you have anything to ask, do write to us in the comments section.
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You can read more about Tawang in our Tawang Travel guide. If you wish to book a package tour for Tawang please drop us a mail at support@nexplore.org. We offer customized tour packages from Guwahati to Tawang.
