Ziro
The Apatani rice valley and its September music festival
Ziro is a broad, flat valley ringed by hills of pine and bamboo in Lower Subansiri district, central Arunachal Pradesh. For centuries it has been home to the Apatani, a people who turned a marshy plateau into one of the most productive farming systems in the eastern Himalaya: terraced wet rice fields irrigated by channels from the hills, with fish raised among the rice. The valley's cultural landscape is on India's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.
The Apatani live in large, tightly packed villages of bamboo and timber houses on stilts, with community platforms called lapangs and tall ritual poles called babos. Older women once wore large nose plugs and facial tattoos, a practice that ended in the 1970s; a few elderly women still carry them. Most Apatani today follow Donyi-Polo, the indigenous faith of sun and moon, alongside Christianity.
Visitors come for the villages, the landscape and the quiet. The valley changes through the year: green paddy in summer, gold rice in September, bare brown fields and frost in winter. In late September it fills with music for the Ziro Festival, one of India's best-known independent music festivals. Rooms are simple, so we keep stays to three or four nights.
Highlights
What Ziro does best
Hong, Hari, Hija and Bulla are large Apatani villages of stilted bamboo houses, ritual poles and raised community platforms. Walk them slowly with an Apatani guide, who can introduce you to families and explain the clan system that organises village life.
Apatani farmers raise fish among the rice in flooded terraces, an efficient system that feeds the valley without heavy machinery or chemicals. From June to September the paddy is green; by late September it turns gold before harvest.
Each September, the Ziro Festival brings independent musicians from India and abroad to a stage among the rice fields, over four days. It is relaxed, small and run with care for the valley, with campsites, local food and rice beer.
Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, about 30 km from Ziro, protects high forests of fir, bamboo and rhododendron, with orchids and clouded leopard habitat. Visits involve a rough drive and a walk, and require forest department permission.
The hills around Ziro are covered in blue pine and bamboo, managed by Apatani clans for timber and food. Short walks through the groves and along the irrigation channels show how carefully the valley has been tended.
Experiences
Four hours to plan around
Getting there
How to reach Ziro
Donyi Polo Airport at Hollongi (HGI), 14 km south of Itanagar, has flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati, and is about 4 hours from Ziro. Lilabari (IXI) at North Lakhimpur in Assam is another option, about 3.5 hours away. Routes change, so check current status before you travel.
Naharlagun station near Itanagar has trains from Guwahati and beyond, including overnight services. North Lakhimpur in Assam is also served. Both are about 3.5 to 4 hours from Ziro by road.
From Itanagar the road runs via Doimukh and Yazali to Ziro, about 115 km in 4 hours. From Guwahati it is about 440 km and a very long day, so we usually fly. Permits are checked at entry gates such as Banderdewa and Kimin. Roads can be damaged in the monsoon.
Where to stay
Rooms we book
Ziro has no luxury hotels. The best choices are a few comfortable small hotels in Hapoli, the valley's main town, and family homestays in or near the Apatani villages, some in traditional bamboo houses with private rooms. Homestays give the best sense of the valley and often the best food. During the music festival, rooms sell out early and many visitors stay in festival campsites; we book months ahead.
From our planners
Five things to know
- Indian citizens need an Arunachal eILP and foreigners a Protected Area Permit; check current status before you travel.
- Book Ziro Festival rooms by June; the valley has very little accommodation.
- Ask before photographing older Apatani women with facial tattoos and nose plugs, and accept a refusal gracefully.
- Nights from November to February drop close to 0 °C, so pack warm layers.
- Carry cash, as card payments are limited outside Hapoli.
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Ziro
Where is Ziro?
Ziro is in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, about 115 km north of Itanagar, the state capital. It is a high, flat valley at about 1,690 m, surrounded by pine and bamboo hills. The main town is Hapoli, with the Apatani villages spread around the valley.
How do I reach Ziro?
Fly to Donyi Polo Airport near Itanagar, then drive about 4 hours to Ziro. Alternatively fly to Lilabari in Assam, about 3.5 hours away, or take an overnight train to Naharlagun. Flight routes change, so check current status before you travel.
Do I need a permit for Ziro?
Yes. Indian citizens need an Arunachal eILP, applied for online for about ₹300 to ₹500. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit through a registered operator; solo permits are reported to be allowed for Ziro. Check current status before you travel.
What is the best time to visit Ziro?
March to May and September to November. Spring brings mild weather and the Myoko festival in March. Late September has golden rice fields and the music festival. Winter, from December to February, is cold but clear. June to August is the rainy season.
How many days do I need in Ziro?
Three nights is ideal for the villages, the paddy fields and a slow pace. Add a night for Talle Valley. For the music festival, four or five nights cover the four festival days with time to arrive and rest.
Are there good hotels in Ziro?
Ziro has no luxury hotels. The best options are a few comfortable small hotels in Hapoli and family homestays in Apatani villages, some in traditional houses. We choose for warmth, cleanliness and hospitality, and book early in festival season.
Is Ziro on the UNESCO World Heritage list?
The Apatani cultural landscape of the Ziro valley is on India's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status, recognising its sustainable farming and forest management. It has not been inscribed as a World Heritage Site. The tentative listing was made in 2014.
Can I combine Ziro with Tawang?
Yes, but they are far apart, about 400 km by road through Assam. A combined journey usually runs from Ziro down to the tea country near Tezpur and then up to Dirang and Tawang, taking at least 11 nights in total.
What festivals are celebrated in Ziro?
Myoko, the Apatani spring festival of friendship and prosperity, is held in March, and Dree, an agricultural festival, on 5 July. The Ziro Festival of Music takes place in late September. Dates for traditional festivals can vary between villages.
Journeys
Routes that stop in Ziro
Nearby
Pair it with
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India's largest monastery, high in the eastern Himalaya
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