Travel Guide · Updated February 2026
Hornbill Festival 2026 Itinerary — 4 Days in Kohima & Kisama
Four days is the sweet spot for first-time Hornbill Festival travellers — enough to see the festival properly without rushing in and out. Here is the exact itinerary we run for most guests in early December 2026.
Day 1 — Arrive Dimapur, drive to Kohima
Fly into Dimapur (DMU) by mid-afternoon and drive 75 km / 3 hours up to Kohima on NH-29. Check into the hotel, walk down to the Hornbill Night Carnival in town for food stalls and live music. Early night — the next day starts at 7 AM.
Day 2 — Full festival day at Kisama
Drive 12 km south to Kisama Heritage Village by 8:30 AM, before the parking fills. Front-row seats for the morning tribal performances, then walk through the morungs of all 17 Naga tribes for one-on-one time with elders. Lunch at the Naga food court — smoked pork, axone, sticky rice. Afternoon: indigenous games, craft bazaar, World War II Museum on site. Back in Kohima by 6 PM for the Rock Contest at IG Stadium.
Day 3 — Khonoma & Kohima War Cemetery
Morning drive 20 km to Khonoma, Asia's first green village — village walk, Angami homestay lunch, terraced fields. Afternoon back in Kohima for the World War II War Cemetery (one of the most moving sites in the Northeast) and the Nagaland State Museum. Evening free for the night carnival.
Day 4 — Half day at Kisama, depart
Optional second morning at Kisama to catch tribes you missed, or a short drive to Touphema heritage village. Lunch in Kohima, then 3-hour drive back to Dimapur for an evening flight out.
What this 4-day trip costs
Per-person twin-share, including hotel, private cab, guide, festival entry, breakfasts and one homestay lunch: roughly ₹28,000–₹38,000 depending on hotel category. Flights to Dimapur extra. Solo travellers add about 30%.
Planning a trip? See our Hornbill Festival tour packages or message us on WhatsApp +91 60019 80680.