Considering its geographic location, Guwahati, the capital of Assam State may be rightfully termed as the gateway to Tawang forthe majority of the tourists planning to visit Tawang. It is approximately 543 Kms. from Tawang and is well connected by Air with direct daily flights from New Delhi and Kolkata and single stop flights coming from Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur etc. which are operated by all the Airlines of the country like Air India, Indigo, Jet Airlines, Spice jet, Go Air etc. with more additions in number of flights and operators expected due to launch of new private airlines in the country.
Besides Air connectivity, Guwahati is also very well connected with other major cities like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jammu, Bangalore, Secundrabad etc. through the vast network of the Indian Railways
After reaching Guwahati, one can reach Tawang through the following alternative modes.
- By Helicopter:The Arunachal Pradesh Helicopter Service is operational from Guwahati Airport and presently the Helicopter services operate from Tawang to Guwahati and back on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. However due to the limited number of seats (on an average 10 – 12 only ) it is advisable that the tickets are pre-booked by calling the Counter at the Guwahati airportor the Aviation officer at Tawang and thereafter paying the ticket charges at the Counter as till now online booking of tickets has not been started by the State Government. The Helicopter journey to Tawang over Bhutan takes around 55 minutes and local transport at Tawang can be arranged by the concerned Hotel / Tour Operator.
- By Road:The 543 Kms. long Guwahati-Tawang road journey is quite long and takes around14-16 hours. The long duration of the journey makes it necessary to have a break in the form of night halt en-route. The suggested road travel plans are described below:
Passengers arriving at Guwahati on or before 12 P.M. and preferring to travel on the same day.
Option 1: Drive to Tezpur:Tourists may drive down to Tezpurwhich is around 198 Kms from Guwahati. The expected duration of the road journey to Tezpurfrom Guwahati Airport is around 3 and a half hours. Tezpur, being a major Army hub has a wide variety of good quality hotels and restaurants for the tourists.
Option 2: Drive toBhalukpong:Tourists may alternatively drive further down to Bhalukpong which is located approximately 260 Kms. from Guwahati with a travelling time of around 4 ½ hours. Compared to tezpur the stay and dining options at Bhalukpong are limited though the next day journey to Tawang is reduced by approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours. However, it is advisable to reach Bhalukpong in the evening before nightfall due to security advisory of the Government.
Tourists / visitors arriving Guwahati before 12 P.M. or starting their journey from Guwahati in the morning:
Option 1 : Drive to Bomdila:The tourists / visitors can opt to drive down to Bomdila( 390Kms), which is approximately an 8 hours drive from Guwahati. It has a good number of Tourist accommodation of the Govt. alongwith Private Hotels. Midway one can have refreshment / Lunch at either Tezpur or Bhalukpong. The next day’s journey to Tawang (188 Kms) takes approximately 5 ½ to 6 hours. The visitors may have a light break at either Baisakhi Brigade (2 and a half hours away) or JaswantGarh( 3 and a half hours away).
Option 2 : Drive to Dirang: The tourists / visitors can alternatively decide to take a night halt at Dirang (Approx. 430 Kms.) which is approximately a Nine hour drive from Guwahati. It has a few good hotels for stay. Midway the tourists can have refreshment / short break at either Tezpur or Bhalukpong. The next day journey to Tawang (Approx. 144 Kms) is around 4 to 5 hours long. The visitors may take a short break / refreshment at either the Baisakhi Brigade ( one and a half hours away) or Jang ( 3 and a half hours away).
With the gradual improvement in the road conditions enroute, it is expected that the abovementioned travel times would also gradually reduce.