Incredible India
7 Things to Do in Tawang, India's Most Dramatic Border Town
Tucked into Arunachal Pradesh near the Bhutan and Tibet borders, Tawang holds India's largest monastery and some of the Himalayas' most dramatic scenery, with a fraction of Ladakh's crowds.
Sep 10, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Tawang, tucked into the far northwestern corner of Arunachal Pradesh near the Bhutan and Tibet borders, holds India's largest monastery and some of the country's most dramatic high-altitude scenery, with a fraction of Ladakh's crowds. Here are seven things to do, each with a direct map link.
1. Tawang Monastery
India's largest Buddhist monastery and the second-largest in the world after Lhasa's Potala Palace, home to around 500 monks and a centuries-old library of Tibetan scriptures, with the entire monastery town visible from the approach road below.
2. Sela Pass
A high mountain pass at over 4,100 metres on the road between Tawang and the rest of Arunachal Pradesh, often snow-covered and ringed by a small sacred lake, considered one of the most dramatic drives in the eastern Himalayas.
3. Madhuri Lake
A serene lake formed after a landslide dammed a mountain stream, named for a Bollywood film shot here, reachable by a scenic drive past Sela Pass and worth the detour for the surrounding pine forest alone.
4. Bumla Pass
A high-altitude pass on the India-China border, open to Indian nationals with prior permits, where Indian and Chinese soldiers have historically exchanged greetings on specific occasions, and the views alone justify the permit paperwork.
5. Tawang War Memorial
A memorial to Indian soldiers who died in the 1962 war with China, built in the shape of a chorten with an eternal flame, and a genuinely moving stop given the region's history along this exact border.
6. Nuranang Falls
A roughly 100-metre waterfall dropping through forest close to the main Tawang road, also known as Jang Falls, and one of the more accessible dramatic sights on the route in from Bomdila.
7. Local Monpa culture and cuisine
Tawang sits in Monpa tribal territory, and small local eateries in Tawang town serve thukpa and momos with a genuinely different character from the Tibetan versions found elsewhere in the Himalayas, worth seeking out over hotel restaurant food.
Traveller tips
- Indian nationals need an Inner Line Permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh; apply online well ahead of travel, and carry a physical copy.
- Bumla Pass and other border-adjacent sites require separate permits and are subject to last-minute closure; keep the itinerary flexible around them.
- The road from Guwahati or Tezpur to Tawang takes a full one to two days with an overnight in Bomdila; do not attempt it in a single push.
- Altitude affects Sela Pass and Bumla Pass; carry warm layers regardless of season and watch for signs of altitude sickness.
Where this is
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh