Siang River Rafting

Expedition-grade white water on the upper Brahmaputra, through remote gorges to Pasighat.

At a glance

Difficulty: Challenging
Duration: 1 day (short section) to 8–10 days (expedition)
Best season: November – February
Base: Pasighat / Tuting (Upper Siang & East Siang)
Permits: Arunachal ILP (Indians) or PAP (foreigners) required. Verify before travel. Expedition permissions arranged by the operator.

About this experience

The Siang — known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and the Brahmaputra in Assam — is one of the world's great big-volume rivers and offers expedition-style white-water rafting through wild, roadless gorges. The classic run descends from Tuting near the Tibetan border down to Pasighat over around a week, through powerful Class III–V rapids, deep forest, and Adi villages linked to the outside world by cane bridges.

This is a serious adventure for experienced rafters, run only by specialist operators in a narrow window, typically in late autumn and winter when water levels drop. Each day mixes intense rapids with calm stretches, riverside camps on white sand beaches, and encounters with villagers and wildlife.

For those who want a taste of the Siang without the full expedition, shorter sections near Pasighat and the lower Siang can be rafted in a day in suitable conditions. Water levels and safety always come first, and operators may change routes or cancel at short notice.