Bailey's survey
A British officer, Bailey, surveyed the route for map-making. Long before, Tibetan and Indo-Tibetan traders brought yak products down it to the markets of Assam.
After the pass · the almanac
The trek in four numbers
Bikat's Gorichen trek: six days on foot from the last road at Lagam to the Tawang valley.
4,980m
Tse La, the high point
69km
Walking, over 6 days
7,090m
Kangto, in view
10days
Guwahati to Guwahati
💪 Difficult (BRS 5)🪪 Inner Line Permit📵 No signal from Lagam
Day by day
Ten days, step by step
The Bikat Adventures plan. It gives no distance for each day, only 69 km in all.
How high you are on each kilometre
- Day 1Arrive in GuwahatiHotel🛏️ Guwahati
- Day 2Guwahati → BomdilaPermits at the Bhalukpong check gate300 km · 8–9 h🛏️ Bomdila · 2,400 m
- Day 3Bomdila → Lagam → Thungri55 km drive, then forest and streams+500 m⛺ Thungri · 3,200 m
- Day 4Thungri → ChanglaThick forest; 1962 bunkers⛺ Changla · 3,760 m
- Day 5Changla → Poshing La → Pangi La → NyangSteep to Pangi La, then rhododendron forestAbout +1,000 m⛺ Nyang 4,500 m or Potok 4,640 m
- Day 6Nyang → Tse La → LurthimThe high point and a revered alpine lake⛺ Lurthim · 4,350 m
- Day 7Lurthim → MagoCamp among yak shelters⛺ Mago · 3,600 m
- Day 8Mago → Thimbu Hydel → TawangAlong the Tawang Chu over suspension bridges, then drive via Jang🛏️ Tawang
- Day 9Tawang → BomdilaTawang Monastery, then the drive170 km · 6 h🛏️ Bomdila
- Day 10Bomdila → GuwahatiThe long drive back300 km · 8–9 h
Stories and nature
A trader's path
The war on the trail
In the 1962 war Chinese troops took the trail from Tulung La to Thembang. Army bunkers still stand between Thungri and Changla.
Gorichen and Kangto
Gorichen (6,538 m), Kangto (7,090 m), Nyegyi Kangsang and Tapka Shiri are "a constant" on this trek. It passes Monpa villages, oak and juniper forest and rhododendrons.
When to go
Either side of the monsoon
Bikat runs it from late April to June and in September and October.
Apr–Jun
Pre-monsoon.
Sep–Oct
Post-monsoon.
Cost
On request from Bikat, + 5% GST.
Plan your trip
Permits first
Indian visitors need an Arunachal Inner Line Permit (eilp.arunachal.gov.in); foreign visitors need a Protected Area Permit.
- Guwahati🚙 300 km
- Bomdila🚙 55 km
- Lagam🥾 69 km
- Thimbu → Tawang
Experience needed
Bikat asks for 7–10 days of Himalayan trekking and a previous trek above 3,700 m.
Altitude sickness
Headache, sickness or dizziness? Tell your leader, rest, and go down if it gets worse.
Good to know
The small things
Cash, signal, water, permits and help on the way. Checked October 2026; confirm with your operator.
Bring cash
There are no ATMs on the trek. Carry cash for your own expenses. Trekup India
Last signal
The network is patchy from Bomdila on, and gone from Lagam. Call home from Bomdila. Bikat Adventures
No electricity
There is no electricity or phone network on the trail. Bring a power bank or solar charger. UnExploredNorthEast
Last shops
Bomdila has a decent choice of shops for last-minute buys. Don't leave anything important to the last minute. Bikat Adventures
Weather
Days 13–18 °C, nights 0–7 °C, colder as you climb. Expect snow in the April–June season, little in September–October. Bikat Adventures
Camps and toilets
Tents for two or three, with a pit toilet tent at each camp. There is no bathing on the trek. Bikat Adventures
Food
Vegetarian meals, plus eggs. Lunch is packed on trekking days, so bring your own tiffin box and mug. Bikat Adventures
Offloading
A porter for your rucksack costs about ₹600–700 a bag, booked in advance, with at least 4 bags in the group. Banzaras
Getting to Bomdila
Banzaras starts at Bomdila at 1 p.m.; the drive from Guwahati or Tezpur is extra. Weather buffer days cost about ₹3,000 a day. Banzaras
Papers
Bikat needs your ID and a medical certificate: send soft copies ahead and carry the originals. Bikat Adventures
Evacuation
Bikat maps an evacuation plan for each region and carries oxygen in its first-aid kit. Bikat Adventures
What to pack
Your checklist
Tick items as you pack. Your ticks stay saved on this device.
Clothing
Shoes
Gear
Papers and money
Health
List from Bikat Adventures: trekking essentials checklist.
Rent or buy
Where to get gear
Many operators lend tents, sleeping bags and spikes. Ask yours before you rent.
Guwahati before you leave
Decathlon AzaraBuy · trekking shoes, fleece, rain jackets, puffer jackets, camping and hiking gearDag No. 656, Goalpara–Guwahati Road, near Rani Gate, Azara · Website
Shop details are from each shop's own page. Phone to confirm prices and stock.
Who runs it
Choose an operator
We found 7 companies offering the Bailey Trail in October 2026, but none shows a current price: most quote on request, and the two prices we saw are last season's or from a search snippet. Holiday Moods says its route is for Indian trekkers only.
Prices are base prices from each operator's own page (October 2026); most add 5% GST. Ratings are what each operator shows, not an independent audit. Names marked † show last season's price or one seen only in a search snippet.