Pasighat is the oldest town as well as the headquarters of East Siang District in the State of Arunachal Pradesh. The town is situated 155 metres above sea level and is also known as the ‘Gateway of Arunachal Pradesh.’ The town has derived its name from the tribes of the place namely ‘Pasis’. 

It is a place of great beauty and peace. Pasighat, on the banks of the mighty Siang River, the main tributary of Brahmaputra, is the oldest adminitrative centre of the erstwhile NEFA. This beautiful place is Arunachal's oldest town, founded in 1911 by the British as a gateway to administrative convenience of the greater Abor Hills. Primarily it was a settlement of Pasi and Minyong communities who still live in villages in and around Pasighat.

In the post-Independence era Pasighat had an airfield , it is bounded by snow-clad peaks, rocky mountains and a deep valley. Pasighat and the area around it , receive the highest rainfall in a year. Rains lash the area from May till September. This is beacuse the town is in a trough, and high hills on three sides block the clouds from the Assam plains, resulting in heavy precipitation.

A temperate climate during winters, making its winters the best time to visit the place. The vast river of Brahmaputra, also called the Siang, transcends down to this town from Tibet. The place is also a photographer’s delight for comprising abundant sceneries of nature.  

Agriculture is the main occupation of the local people of Pasighat and rice is the main foodcrop produced here. There are also several large tea gardens in the premises of the town, which attracts workers from all over the region. Lumbering was also a big industry in the town in the nineties. Agriculture, horticulture and tourism form the main part of the economy of this town.

The best time to visit the destination is from October to March.