I
4 Nights / 5 Days
Hornbill Festival Short Trip
Dimapur · Kohima · Kisama · Khonoma
A focused festival trip with two full days at Kisama, a walk through Kohima and a quiet afternoon in Khonoma village.
Kisama Heritage Village · Kohima · Nagaland
Hornbill Festival
Nagaland 2026
Ten days. Seventeen Naga tribes. One festival you'll remember for years.
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About the Festival
The Festival of Festivals, in the Naga hills.
Every December, all 17 major Naga tribes come together at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima. Each tribe sets up its morung — a traditional wooden hut — and over ten days you'll see warrior dances, folk songs, wrestling, indigenous games, food stalls, craft markets and long evenings around the fire.
It's loud, colourful and deeply rooted. Less a show, more a gathering. The kind of place where, by day two, you're being pulled into a dance circle by someone you met an hour ago.
Why Travel With Us
A small team that knows the festival well
01
Festival Specialists
We focus on the Hornbill Festival and Naga culture — not a long catalogue of unrelated trips.
02
Real Cultural Access
Time with Naga elders, dancers and artisans, beyond the main festival arena.
03
Honest Stay Options
From deluxe hotels in Kohima to comfortable standard properties closer to Kisama.
04
Local Guides
Native Naga guides who actually live the culture you're coming to see.
05
Flexible Itineraries
Short festival trips or longer journeys through the Naga hills — your pace, your interests.
06
Always Reachable
A direct WhatsApp line, seven days a week, during planning and on the ground.
Travel Guide
Hornbill Festival 2026 — A Quick Travel Guide
The Hornbill Festival takes place from 1st to 10th December 2026 at Kisama Heritage Village, about 12 km from Kohima. It's the largest cultural festival in Nagaland, and one of the most important in Northeast India.
The easiest way to plan a Hornbill Festival tour is to give yourself at least four to five days. Two to three days at Kisama for the festival itself, one day for Kohima — the WWII cemetery, the local market, the old churches — and a day for a nearby village like Khonoma or Touphema.
If you have more time, longer Nagaland cultural tours can take you up to Mon to meet the Konyak elders, or pair the festival with Kaziranga and Majuli in Assam. The journeys below are a starting point — every itinerary is adjusted to your dates, pace and interests.
For Hornbill Festival accommodation, Kohima fills up quickly in December. Booking early matters more than booking expensive. We work with a range of properties from deluxe hotels in Kohima to comfortable standard stays closer to Kisama.
Suggested Festival Journeys
Itineraries around the Hornbill Festival
Short trips focused on the festival, or longer journeys that pair Kisama with the wider Naga hills and Assam.
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5 Nights / 6 Days
Festival & Naga Villages
Dimapur · Kohima · Kisama · Touphema · Khonoma
Festival mornings at Kisama paired with evenings in traditional Naga villages and a night at a heritage homestay.
III
7 Nights / 8 Days
Konyak Country & Hornbill Festival
Dibrugarh · Mon · Mokokchung · Kohima · Kisama
Meet the tattooed Konyak elders in Mon, travel through Mokokchung, and end with festival days at Kisama.
IV
7 Nights / 8 Days
Assam, Nagaland & the Festival
Guwahati · Kaziranga · Majuli · Kohima · Kisama
Wildlife in Kaziranga, a slow day on Majuli island, and a cultural finish at the Hornbill Festival in Kisama.
Where You'll Stay
Accommodation during the festival
There are several stay options available in and around Kohima during the festival season, ranging from deluxe hotels to comfortable standard accommodations.
We'll suggest the right fit based on your dates, budget and how close to Kisama you'd like to be. Rooms fill up quickly in December, so it's best to confirm a few months ahead.
Gallery
The festival, in frames
Frequently Asked
Before you travel
The Hornbill Festival is held every year from 1st to 10th December at Kisama Heritage Village, around 12 km from Kohima, Nagaland.
Plan Your Trip
Let's plan your
Hornbill Festival trip
Send us a message on WhatsApp or give us a call. We'll get back to you personally and help you put together an itinerary that works for your dates.
Available 7 days a week