Arunachal Pradesh

Winters in Arunachal Pradesh are usually pleasant and cold. For the snow enthusiasts, this is the best season. Make sure to pack right - thermals, cas, woollens, gloves - put them all in! Check out the calendar of festivals during this time so you can experience them on your visit. September and October are the time to catch the Ziro Festival of Music. The Siang River festival is held in December, with not just music but shows, competitions, paragliding, hot air balloon rides. January is the time of the Pangsau Festival. In February, Arunachal Pradesh celebrates harvest festivals - Nyokum Yullo and Chalo Loku heralding the end of winter. For Skiing and hiking, head to Tawang or for a peaceful winter trek, try the Talle Valley near Ziro. Some areas get extremely chilly with temperatures dropping to freezing levels during part of the season. Roads might not be very conducive to travel during this time. It is advisable to check the weather forecast before heading out.

Monsoons season in Arunachal Pradesh are definitely a visual treat with amazing shades and hues of green, waterfalls swelling and splashing down mountains. This is also the season to experience the festivals of the local tribes. However traveling during thie time is accompanied by risks of roads being washed out, landslides due to heavy rainfall.

Summers are a good time to visit Arunachal Pradesh. The days are warm and evenings pleasant, making it an ideal weather for sightseeing. It is the right time to experience wildlife in the National Parks, enjoy the bounty of nature with treks and hikes. You can travel light this season sans winter and monsoon clothing. The peak of summer can be hot so make sure to stay hydrated.

Temperatures
Oct-Feb: 4-32°C
Mar-Jun: 10-31°C
Jul-Sep: 19-34°C

By Air: Arunachal Pradesh does not have an airport. Lilabari Airport in North Lakhimpur and Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, both in Assam, are the two options to reach Aruachal Pradesh by air. The one nearest to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, is Lilabari. Flights arrive there four days a week, usually from Kolkata and Guwahati. It takes two hours to travel the 72 kilometres between Lilabari Airport and Itanagar. Both taxis and state transport buses are readily available outside the airport. However, Guwahati Airport is a better choice if you're looking for better connectivity and more flight frequency. Flights from all the major metro cities land there.

By Road: Traveling by road through Arunachal Pradesh makes for a memorable experience. Scenes straight out of postcards are sure to be waiting at every twist and turn through the mountains and valleys. State-owned Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Service (APSTS) with its headquarters in Itanagar runs bus service to some major cities like Tezpur and Guwahati in Assam, Shillong in Meghalaya and Dimapur in Nagaland. Taxis and Self-drive options are also available. NH 52, NH 15 and NH 415 are national highways that pass through Arunachal Pradesh. You can reach Itanagar from Tezpur, Guwahati, Banderdewa and North Lakhimpur.

By Rail: The Naharlagun railway station is 15 km from Itanagar and handles few trains from New Delhi and Guwahati. There are state and private buses and taxis for local transport. The Harmuti Railway Station in Assam is 34 km from Itanagar. The train journeys are extremely picturesque and beautiful. You can also reach the Guwahati Railway station in Assam since it is best connected to the rest of the country. From here one can take a local transport to Itanagar.