Day 1
Arrive Dimapur · Transfer to Kohima
Welcome at Dimapur airport, scenic transfer through pine forest. Settle into our heritage Angami homestay in Kohima. Welcome dinner of smoked pork, axone bamboo-shoot and millet beer.
Destinations · India
Limited departures · 1–10 December 2026
Hornbill — Festival of Festivals.
Kohima, Nagaland 8 nights Max 12 guestsFrom ₹1,28,000 / person
Once a year, in the first week of December, sixteen Naga tribes set down their everyday lives — and walk back into a 200-year-old idea of who they are.
It happens at Kisama, a heritage village an hour outside Kohima where the morungs of the Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sumi, Lotha and eleven other tribes face one another across a single common ground. For ten days the air is thick with bamboo-wood smoke, fermented millet, log-drum salutes, the shrill of a hornbill horn and laughter that carries down the pine valleys.
This is not a performance. The tribes have danced these songs in their own villages for centuries; Hornbill is the moment they invite the world to listen. We take small groups — never more than twelve travellers — into the heart of it, with an Angami host family in Khonoma (India's first declared 'green village') as our base and an elder-led walk into the terraced rice fields where the no-firearms hunting compact of 1998 began.
16 tribes · 10 days
From opening-day log-drum salute to closing-fire ceremony — all of it.
Khonoma homestay
Two nights at India's first 'green village' with the Angami elders.
Carbon-neutral
110 % offset via Gold Standard; ILP paperwork included.
Share this journey
Day by day
Eight slow days, traced through the festival.
Day 2
Hornbill Festival · Opening Day
Curated 5:30 am photo-walk at Kisama before the public crowds. Front-row seats at the ceremonial opening — sixteen tribes in feathered headdress, log-drum salute, governor's welcome.
Day 3
Tribal pavilions · Living museum
Slow morning at each tribal morung — Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sumi. Lunch at the festival food court (rice-beer, naga-king-chilli pork, smoked river fish). Evening rock concert at the main stage.
Day 4
Khonoma · India's First Green Village
Transfer to Khonoma for a 2-night homestay. Walk the Angami terraced fields with a former village elder, learn the no-firearms hunting compact, and join a 200-year-old festival cooking demo.
Day 5
Khonoma walks · Dzukou Valley option
Optional pre-breakfast trek toward Dzukou Valley viewpoint (or rest day at the homestay). Afternoon storytelling session with the Khel elders.
Day 6
Return Kisama · Closing ceremonies
Back to Kohima for the festival's closing 'Tribal Talent' event — competitive bamboo-musical-instrument concert and the spectacular fire-and-spear closing march.
Day 7
Naga Heritage Museum · Kohima War Cemetery
Quieter day for context — the Naga Heritage Centre and the Commonwealth WWII War Cemetery (one of the most moving sites in the Northeast). Free evening for the festival night-market.
Day 8
Farewell · Transfer to Dimapur
Slow morning breakfast, gift exchange with the homestay family, scenic transfer back. Onward flights from Dimapur in the evening.
In plain terms
What's included — and what isn't.
Included
- 8 nights · Kohima 4n / Khonoma 2n / Kisama festival days 2n
- All meals · ILP permit · Inner-line transfers
- Front-row festival-ground seats · pre-public photo walks
- Khonoma elder-led terraced-field walk
- Naga War Cemetery + Heritage Centre access
Not included
- International / domestic airfare unless itinerated
- Visa fees and travel insurance
- Personal gratuities and shopping
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary
Common questions
Before you book Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.
When does the Hornbill Festival happen?
Every year from 1 to 10 December at the Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima, Nagaland. Our package times arrival for opening day and exits on day 8.
How do I get to Kohima?
Fly into Dimapur (the only commercial airport in Nagaland), then a curated 3-hour transfer up to Kohima through pine forests and Angami villages. We pre-book the airport pickup and the heritage homestay so guests skip the festival-week chaos.
Do I need an Inner Line Permit?
Yes — Indian citizens need an ILP to enter Nagaland. We arrange this on your behalf as part of the package, typically 2 working days.
What should I pack?
Kohima sits at 1,400 m and December nights drop to 4–8 °C — pack a fleece, a thin down layer and a wind-shell. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for the festival ground.
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Journeys and letters that belong together.
Reserve a place
Begin a quiet conversation about Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.
Tell us your dates and party size — we'll come back within 12 hours with available rooms, suggested flights from your departure city and the Inner-Line-Permit checklist.
Ready to reserve? Pay a deposit securely
Secure international checkout via PayPal (USD). Our concierge confirms your reservation within 24 hours.
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