This post explains what a trip to Arunachal Pradesh costs, and why. It uses the prices of the trips we sell, from a two-night valley stay to eight days on the Tawang road.
It also covers what you pay on the day, the permit fee, what makes a trip cost more, and how a family is priced.
The short answer
Our Tawang and the Western Passes trip runs for 7 nights and 8 days, from Guwahati and back. For four people travelling together, it starts from ₹27,000 per person.
For two people, the same trip starts from ₹41,500 per person.
Both prices are indicative, not quotes. They are land only, so flights and trains are extra. We confirm them against live hotel and car rates on the day you ask.
Why four people pay much less than two
The road to Tawang is long. Two of the eight days are mountain drives of nine to ten hours: Guwahati to Dirang on the way in, and Sangti to Guwahati on the way out.
So you need one private car and one driver for every day of the trip. That car costs the same whether two people sit in it or four.
With four of you, its cost is split four ways. With two, it is split two ways. That one fact explains most of the gap between ₹27,000 and ₹41,500.
If you are two and want to pay less, the best saving is to travel with another couple or family. The second-best is a shorter trip.
What the Tawang price covers
Seven nights of stays. That means 3-star hotels in Guwahati and a mountain-view hotel in Tawang. In Dirang and Sangti, you stay with Monpa families, because here the homestays are better than the hotels.
Breakfast every day, and three dinners: in Dirang, in Sangti and one in Tawang.
A private car with a driver for the whole trip, including fuel, tolls, parking and the driver's allowance. Pickup and drop at Guwahati airport or railway station.
Your Inner Line Permit, applied for and paid by us, and handed to you on the first evening.
What you pay on the day
Some costs are paid in Tawang itself, and they are not in the package price.
Bum La and Madhuri Lake are reached only in local union vehicles, not in your own car. That charge is paid directly on the day. So is the Bum La permit, where it is charged separately.
Entry fees at monasteries, museums and monuments are also paid on the spot, as are lunches.
If you would rather have the Bum La day arranged in advance, our Bumla Pass and Madhuri Lake day starts from ₹4,500 per person. That covers the union vehicle, the army permits and a packed lunch.
The permit and what it costs
Every Indian visitor needs an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh. You apply online on the state's eILP portal.
The tourist eILP costs ₹300 for a stay of up to 3 days, and ₹500 for a stay of 4 to 14 days. We checked these fees on the portal itself in late October 2026. For a stay longer than 14 days, you need a provisional ILP instead.
On our packages the ILP is included. If you are travelling on your own and want us to handle it, our permit service starts from ₹1,500 per person, with the government fee at actuals.
Foreign nationals, including OCI cardholders, cannot use the ILP. They need a Protected Area Permit, applied through an approved local tour operator, with a royalty of USD 30 per person. It takes longer, so tell us early. Our permits guide explains both.
Shorter trips and their prices
Not every Arunachal trip is eight days. These are our shorter trips, each priced per person and all indicative.
Tawang, 3 nights with stays, the Sela and Bum La runs and permits: from ₹24,000.
Shergaon and Sangti, 2 nights of farm stays, meals and valley transport: from ₹13,000.
Ziro Valley, 2 nights in an Apatani homestay with village walks, ILP and transport: from ₹11,000.
Mechuka, 3 nights with stays, permits and 4x4 transport from Aalo: from ₹19,000.
Namdapha, 3 nights in the forest rest house with permits, boatman and guide: from ₹16,000.
Rafting the Siang at Pasighat, 2 days with camp and meals: from ₹8,500.
What makes it cost more
Fewer people. Two travellers pay much more per head than four, because of the car.
Peak months. Spring and autumn are the best times to go, and rooms in Tawang and Dirang are few. Late bookings in those months can mean dearer rooms, or no rooms.
Bigger hotels. Our price is built on 3-star hotels and family stays. A boutique hotel in Tawang costs a lot more.
Spare days. In winter we add a buffer day for snow on the road, and every extra day means another day of the car and another night's stay.
How to keep it down
Travel as four, in one car. It is the biggest single saving.
Book early for spring and autumn, so you get rooms at normal rates.
Say yes to the homestays in Dirang and Sangti. They cost less than hotels, and most guests like them more.
Keep Bum La to one day, and build the rest of the trip around the valleys rather than the passes.
What the season does to the price
March to June and September to November are the best months for Tawang. The skies are clear and the passes are open. They are also the months when rooms run short, so book early.
July and August are the monsoon. Landslides can close the road for hours or days. We plan slack into any trip in these months, and that slack costs a night or two.
December to February is winter. The Sela Tunnel keeps the road open most of the time, but snow can still hold it up. We add a spare day, and the pass and the lake at the top may be shut.
Our prices are the same idea all year: real rates on your dates. What changes is how many nights the trip needs to be safe.
What to send us for an exact quote
Tell us how many people are travelling, and the ages of any children. Tell us the month, and how many days you have.
Tell us where you will start: Guwahati for Tawang and the west, or Dibrugarh for the east. And tell us the kind of stay you want: homestays, 3-star hotels or something better.
With that, we send a day-by-day plan with the exact price. We reply within 24 hours.
A family of four
For four adults travelling together, the Tawang trip starts from ₹27,000 each. That is about ₹1,08,000 for the group, land only.
With children, the price depends on their ages and whether they need their own bed. We do not publish a child rate, because it changes with the hotels on your dates. Tell us the ages and we will quote it properly.
Think about the altitude too. Sela Pass is at about 13,700 feet and Bum La at about 15,200 feet. Anyone with heart, blood-pressure or breathing trouble should ask their doctor before you book.
Read next
Our Arunachal Pradesh travel guide covers where to go, how many days you need and when to go.
Before the long drive, read Guwahati to Tawang. Before Bum La, read what nobody tells you.
For the quieter side of the west, see the valleys most visitors drive past.
