Kaziranga is only 40km from Tezpur, so you could easily fit it in but like most national parks and tiger reserves in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it remains closed till October 31. Otherwise, mid-October is a good time to go. The rains are over and winter hasn’t arrived yet.
You don’t mention where you are based, but I’m assuming that you will be arriving from Guwahati or Jorhat, both of which are well-connected by air, rail and road. Although described by Arunachal Tourism as the Tezpur-Bhalukpong-Bomdila-Tawang circuit, the neater way to do this trip would be to journey from Jorhat to Bhalukpong (five hours) and halt for the night. It’s at Bhalukpongthat you cross the state borders to enter Arunachal Pradesh. If you have time enough, you can try rafting on the Kameng river here.
Drive the next morning toDirang (7-8 hours) with stops at an ancient Nag Mandir and the famous Tippi Orchidarium en route. On the third morning, visit theSangti Valley, wintering ground for a small population of black-necked cranes. Hit the road again for a particularly packed day with en route stops at the dzong (fortress) and Kalachakra monastery in Dirang; theSe La passand the sparkling blue lake of the same name near it; and the Jung waterfalls. You can reach and stay at Tawang on this night.
Tawangis doubtless the pinnacle of your itinerary and you will need a couple of days here. The valley is culturally and naturally beguiling, its monastery an architecturally magnificent seat of Mahayana Buddhism. Visits to the Ptso Lake andBum La pass, and the Serhu Monpa tribal village, are the other highlights in Tawang.
Begin your return journey by driving toBomdila(6-7hrs). The apple and kiwi orchards here are pretty, and you might like to visit the National Yak Research and Breeding Centre nearby.
Head for Tezpur the next day and sight-see a bit there—the ruins of the Bamuni Hills and the Da Parbatia gate, for one.
On your last day, reach Guwahati (in five hours) or Jorhat (four) to fly out.
This journey is better made on an SUV and will also suit your group size. Such a vehicle will cost Rs 4,500 per day, inclusive of fuel, driver’s allowance etc.Help Tourism (helptourism.com) is a reliable tour operator for travel in the Northeast.
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