Escape to
Nagaland
Festivals, hill villages and sixteen-plus tribes.
- Capital
- Kohima
- Nearest airport
- Dimapur (74km from Kohima)
- Permit
- ILP for Indian nationals
- Best time
- Oct–May; Hornbill in Dec
Nagaland is a hill state of sixteen-plus tribes, each with its own language, dress and festival calendar. The capital Kohima sits on a ridge about 74km from Dimapur, the gateway airport and railhead. Most journeys here run through green hills, terrace fields and villages that still build their own houses.
Two things pull travellers back: the Hornbill Festival each December, when all the tribes gather at Kisama; and the quiet of villages like Khonoma, where tourism is still a conversation rather than an industry.
Where to go
Places in Nagaland
Highlights
What you're here for
Hornbill Festival
Ten days every December at Kisama — all tribes, one arena.
Kohima
Hill capital, WWII cemetery, markets and festival base.
Dzükou Valley
A two-day trek into open grassland above the clouds.
Khonoma
Asia’s first green village, 20km from Kohima.
Journal
Read before you go
Story · 4 min
A morning in Khonoma
Terraces, alder trees, and a village that stopped hunting — notes from a slow day twenty kilometres from Kohima.
Guide · 7 min
How to reach Hornbill Festival 2026
Flights and trains to Dimapur, the 3-hour road to Kohima, and what festival-week traffic does to your plan.
Guide · 5 min
Nagaland Inner Line Permit — the simple version
Who needs an ILP for Nagaland, how it works, and what we handle for booked travellers.
Story · 6 min
Ten days at Kisama
What the Hornbill Festival actually feels like — mornings in the arena, afternoons in the morungs, nights in town.
Guide · 4 min
What to pack for Hornbill Festival
A December packing list written by people who were cold so you don't have to be.
Guide · 5 min
Where to stay for Hornbill Festival
Kohima hotels, festival tents and homestays — what each option costs you in comfort and commute.
09 — Plan with us
Add Nagaland to a trip?
Tell us your dates — we'll build the route around it.
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