Deep valleys, a 4,170-metre pass, and one of the largest monasteries in the world — a ride through the remotest state in India.
Arunachal Pradesh is the least-travelled state in India, and Tawang — tucked into the far northwest corner near the Tibetan and Bhutanese borders — is its crown. Getting there means crossing the Sela Pass at 4,170 metres, and the journey is every bit the point.
The road up
From the Assam plains the road climbs through Bomdila and the apple valley of Dirang, gaining height slowly through forest and monastery towns. Permits are essential for Arunachal, and we handle every one of them before you arrive.
The Sela and Tawang
The big day crosses the Sela — a high lake, prayer flags snapping in the wind, and the Jaswantgarh war memorial. Beyond it lies Tawang: its vast 400-year-old monastery, the high Madhuri lake, and quiet frontier villages where the Himalaya feels genuinely remote.
Few places in India feel this far from everything. That's exactly why you go.
Best March to October. Challenging, cold at the pass, and unforgettable.
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