Pasighat
Arunachal's oldest town where the Siang spreads into the plains
Best time to visit Pasighat
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March to April and September to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: May to August
Pasighat season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is dry at 10-26 C with clear Siang water, the only sane season for rafting and Daying Ering birding.
Summer March to May Shoulder
March-April is warm and workable, but from May the Siang browns up and the pre-monsoon rain arrives in earnest.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jun-Aug this is one of the wettest corners of India, the Siang is unraftable and the approach roads slide often.
Autumn October to November Prime time
September brings Solung and the first clear days; October is quietly excellent once the river drops and settles.
What Pasighat is actually like
Relaxed Adi town with cheap lodges and a riverside promenade, a soft landing for a first Arunachal trip
Getting to Pasighat
ILP for Indians, PAP for foreigners; small airport with Guwahati flights; Murkongselek railhead 35 km
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 161 m
- State
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 28.0590, 95.3325
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Pasighat?
November to February is peak season in Pasighat. March to April and September to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to August. September brings Solung and the first clear days; October is quietly excellent once the river drops and settles.
How many days do you need in Pasighat?
2 days is the usual stay. Relaxed Adi town with cheap lodges and a riverside promenade, a soft landing for a first Arunachal trip.
How do you get to Pasighat?
ILP for Indians, PAP for foreigners; small airport with Guwahati flights; Murkongselek railhead 35 km. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Pasighat expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Pasighat?
Sep: Solung (Adi agrarian festival). Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Roing & Mayudia Pass
Arunachal Pradesh
Idu Mishmi valley below a 2,600 m pass that really does get snow
70 km from Pasighat, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat)
Assam
Feral horses and river-island birding on the upper Brahmaputra
70 km from Pasighat, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Basar
Arunachal Pradesh
Galo valley of rice terraces, cane bridges and clean villages
90 km from Pasighat, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Anini (Dibang Valley)
Arunachal Pradesh
Road-end Idu Mishmi outpost under the snows of Dibang Valley
150 km from Pasighat, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Namdapha National Park (Miao & Deban)
Arunachal Pradesh
Rainforest reserve climbing from 200 m riverbank to 4,571 m peaks
160 km from Pasighat, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Mechuka (Menchukha)
Arunachal Pradesh
Hidden Himalayan valley near the China border
200 km from Pasighat, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Sivasagar
Assam
Ahom capital of oval amphitheatres and tank-side temples
180 km from Pasighat, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Longwa (Mon district)
Nagaland
Konyak village whose chief's house sits astride the frontier
230 km from Pasighat, roughly about 6 h by road
More places to visit in Arunachal Pradesh
- Anini (Dibang Valley) Arunachal Pradesh
- Basar Arunachal Pradesh
- Dirang Arunachal Pradesh
- Mechuka (Menchukha) Arunachal Pradesh
- Namdapha National Park (Miao & Deban) Arunachal Pradesh
- Roing & Mayudia Pass Arunachal Pradesh
- Tawang Arunachal Pradesh
- Ziro Valley Arunachal Pradesh