Torgya Festival.

Going for this? Tawang in January

Getting there

Where to stay in Tawang

• Dragon Guest House

  ₹600-1200/night
  homestay · Near Craft Centre, Tawang

  Budget guesthouse run by a Monpa family who treat guests like relatives. Simple rooms but blankets are thick and the home-cooked Monpa meals (yak butter tea, zan) are incredible. The grandmother tells stories of old Tawang. Book through Tawang tourism office.

• Tawang Monastery Guesthouse

  ₹300-600/night
  guesthouse · Monastery complex

  Stay inside India's largest monastery. Basic rooms but the 4 AM prayer chanting wakes you — and you'll be grateful. The spiritual immersion is something no hotel can offer.

• Tawang Inn

  ₹1500-3000/night
  hotel · Near Tawang Monastery

  Clean mid-range hotel with the closest access to the monastery. Rooms are warm and the restaurant serves decent Monpa and North Indian food. The owner is Monpa and shares fascinating local history. Essential to book heating in winter — it drops to -10°C.

All stays in Tawang →

Where to eat

• The Dragon Restaurant

  Legendary
  Old Market, Tawang · ₹₹

  Signaturechicken thukpa

  Order before sightseeing, not after — kitchen turnaround is slow because nothing is pre-cooked. The fried momos hold heat better than steamed if you're carrying food back to the hotel.

• Taste of Tawang

  Old Market, Tawang · ₹

  SignatureShirkyong-pa with Tingmo (Monpa stew with steamed bread)

  Order the chilli paneer with their red chilli chutney — even the meat-eaters take it home. Cash only, signal patchy for UPI.

• Orange Restaurant & Lounge Bar

  Tawang HO · ₹₹

  Signaturethenthuk

  The sha phaley (pan-fried meat-stuffed bread) is the dish to order; the broader Indian-Chinese menu is ordinary by comparison. Bar shuts ~10pm, before the kitchen.

• Hotel Mon Valley Restaurant

  Nehru Market, Tawang · ₹₹

  Signaturezan (Monpa millet porridge)

  If you've never had zan before, ask the kitchen for a half-portion — it's a heavy millet porridge meant for high-altitude work, not a starter. Pair with the chilli-bamboo accompaniment they bring out for free.

All eateries in Tawang →

What else to see in Tawang

• Tawang Monastery

  Largest monastery in India and second-largest in the world after Lhasa. 400-year-old Gelug sect gompa at 10,000 ft.

  monastery

  2-3 hours

• Madhuri Lake (Sangetsar Tso)

  Beautiful lake formed by the 1950 earthquake. Named after Bollywood actress who shot a song here.

  lake

  1-2 hours

• Nuranang Falls (Bong Bong Falls)

  100-meter waterfall near Tawang. Featured in the Bollywood movie "Koyla". Hydroelectric project at base.

  waterfall

  1 hour

• Sela Pass

  Mountain pass at 13,700 ft with Sela Lake. Snow-covered for most of the year with stunning views.

  viewpoint

  1 hour

• Tawang War Memorial

  Memorial honoring soldiers who died in the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Museum with war artifacts and gallery.

  monument

  1 hour

Other festivals in Tawang

• Losar (Monpa New Year)February–March

Other festivals in January, elsewhere

• Jaipur Literature FestivalLate January (5 days)
• Republic Day ParadeJanuary 26
• Bikaner Camel FestivalJanuary 13-14
• Auli Winter CarnivalJanuary (varies)
• Uttarayani FairJanuary 14 (Makar Sankranti)
• Patnitop Winter CarnivalJanuary (varies)

See every festival in January →