Tawang Travel Guide: 5 Iconic Places You Must Visit in Arunachal Pradesh

Perched at 10,000 ft in the Eastern Himalayas, Tawang mixes dramatic high-altitude scenery with deep Buddhist heritage. If you’re mapping out the perfect route, let this Tawang travel guide walk you through the five headline attractions—and show you how to bundle them into one smooth trip.

Tawang Monastery

1. Jung Waterfall (Nuranang Falls)

Thundering 100 m Cascade

• Just 35 km before Tawang town on NH-13

• Fed by glacier melt from Sela Pass, plunging into emerald pools

• Film-location famous—carry a rain cover for that mist-spray photo

  
  

2. Sela Pass

The High Gate to Your Tawang Travel Guide

• Elevation: 13,700 ft (4,170 m)—often snow-capped even in April

• Sela Lake turns turquoise in summer, glass-ice in winter

• Stop for yak-butter tea at the army canteen and acclimatize slowly

  
  

3. Bum La Pass

Borderline Adventure at 15,200 ft

• 37 km from Tawang; special permit & army escort required

• Wind-scoured plateau marking the Indo-China frontier

• Celebrate peace at the Heap of Stones memorial—add your own rock for luck

  
  

4. Madhuri Lake (Sangetsar Tso)

Glacial Lake of Fallen Pines

• Formed in 1950 after a massive quake; dead tree trunks pierce cobalt water

• Nicknamed for Bollywood’s Madhuri Dixit (scene from Koyla)

• Yak rides and steaming thukpa stalls right on the shore

  
  

5. Tawang Monastery

Spiritual Heartbeat of This Tawang Travel Guide

• Founded 1680 CE; largest monastery in India, second-largest in the world

• 18-m gilded Buddha statue, 65 residential gompas and a library of 400-year-old scriptures

• Reach before 7 a.m. to hear monks’ morning chants echo across the valley

  
  

How to See It All—Stress-Free

Cut the red tape on permits, transport and high-altitude stays. Book the curated 6-Day / 5-Night Tawang Tour Package by Northeast Advisor—everything from ILP paperwork to oxygen support is sorted. 👉 Check the full itinerary.

Quick FAQs for Your Tawang Travel Guide

Topic	Details
Best seasons	Mar–Jun (mild), Oct–Nov (clear skies); Dec–Feb for snow
Permits	ILP for all Indians; PAP for foreigners (apply 15+ days ahead)
Altitude tips	Hydrate, ascend slowly, carry Diamox if prone to AMS
Connectivity	4G patchy; Airtel works best; carry cash
Responsible travel	Pack out plastic, respect monastery rules, no drones without permission

Final Word

From the prayer-flagged heights of Sela to the silent pines of Madhuri Lake, Tawang is where raw Himalayan power meets timeless Buddhist calm. Use this Tawang travel guide as your roadmap—then go feel the mountain soul for yourself.