How to travel from Jaipur to Dirang

North East India is comparatively less explored. So I chose to go to Dirang for a bit. Based on my experience, here’s how to travel from Jaipur to Dirang.

Jaipur is part of Northwest India and Dirang is in the North East, so needless to say that it is a looonnnnggggg journey. 1632 km long.

Since I knew that I wanted to be in the Northeast, I chose to skip the train and fly directly from Jaipur to Guwahati. Where I had to stay over for a night.

If my initial plan was still on, I would have taken the train, made a couple of stops on the way before reaching Dirang. Or just taken the road, made stops every 5-6 hours explored where I was and continued on. Maybe hitchhiked too to save some money.

Now to travel from Guwahati to Dirang, there are three ways

1. From Guwahati get to Tezpur, then take a ride to Bomdila or Dirang Directly.
2. Take a Sumo from Guwahati directly to Dirang that takes 10 hours to reach. It’s a very uncomfortable and long journey and costs INR 800/person. This is the one that I chose, and I am telling you, take two tickets if you have a bag that you want to keep with you at all times. Like a camera bag. Or, break your journey into 5-hour chunks. Sumo takes 11 passengers at a time – 3 in the front (including the driver), 4 in the middle seat and 4 in the back seat. So yes, Sumo Journeys are super crowded.
3. So, rather you can take a bus to Bomdila, take a break, stay overnight and leave again in the morning. There are Sumos that will take you to Dirang from Bomdila. Even to Tawang.

Sumo rides can get very crowded and you don’t get enough shoulder space to sit comfortably. And sitting cramped up for 10 hours is quite a task. Some might even lose patience. It is not impossible, but it can get annoying.

So to sum it up, in order to travel from Jaipur to Dirang, you need to;

1. Book a Train or a Flight from Jaipur to Guwahati.
2. Ride a bus or sumo to Tezpur/Bomdila/Dirang
3. Or, Take a Sumo directly to Dirang

Only Sumos go to Dirang. No buses or trains.

Some things to keep in mind while booking a Sumo;

• Sumo have fixed times, mostly early in the morning around 6.00 am or 6.30 am. So don’t forget to check with them as soon as you get to Paltan Bazaar, Bus stand Guwahati. That is where their Kiosk is.
• Sumos for Dirang, Tawang, and Bomdila leave from Paltan Bazaar Bus stand Guwahati. You can take an AC bus from the airport to Paltan Bazaar for INR 90/person. The tickets for the same are available at the airport next to the luggage belt.
• There are many accommodation options available all through the market where the bus stand is.
• Try to carry minimum luggage. You can always keep your luggage above the Sumo in the carrier but it is difficult to hold anything in the hands while sitting cramped up with three more passengers next to you.

Carrying minimum luggage while backpacking is anyways a good idea. Here’s how to do it.

Do remember that life in east is a little different. So try to blend in as much as possible.

Have any questions? Ask me in the comments below, promise I’ll respond right away. Try me!

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