City of Tawang

High in the far west of Arunachal Pradesh, reached by a thrilling road that crosses lofty mountain passes, Tawang sits in a remote Himalayan world of snow peaks, alpine lakes and prayer flags fluttering against an immense sky. It is a place of profound stillness and spiritual depth, where the air is thin, the views are vast and the culture is unmistakably Buddhist.

The town is crowned by the magnificent Tawang Monastery, one of the largest of its kind, a centuries-old centre of Tibetan Buddhist learning that houses monks, ancient scriptures and a towering golden Buddha. The journey here passes the dramatic Sela Pass and the serene high-altitude lakes that scatter the surrounding ranges, each more striking than the last.

The landscape is one of grand, austere beauty, with forested slopes giving way to bare ridges, glacial valleys and distant summits. The Monpa people who live here bring warmth to this rugged setting, with their distinctive dress, handwoven crafts and deep devotion shaping daily life around the monastery's rhythms.

A visit to Tawang is a journey in the truest sense, demanding time and patience but repaying it many times over. Mornings begin with the low resonance of monastic chants, and days unfold among gompas, mountain viewpoints and quiet lakeshores where the silence is almost complete.

We include Tawang for travellers who wish to reach the wilder, higher reaches of the Northeast, far beyond the usual trail. Its combination of spectacular Himalayan scenery and living Buddhist heritage makes it a rare and deeply rewarding destination, a fitting climax to any ambitious Arunachal adventure.