How to Reach Kohima for the Hornbill Festival 2026

By Air — Dimapur Airport (DMU)

Dimapur is the only airport in Nagaland and the closest entry point to Kohima. It has daily flights from Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi, with seasonal connections to Imphal and Dibrugarh.

From Dimapur airport, Kohima is about 75 km — a 2.5 to 3 hour drive on NH-29, longer during festival season. We arrange a private cab from the airport as part of every package.

By Air — Guwahati Airport (GAU)

Guwahati in Assam is the largest airport in Northeast India and often has cheaper, more frequent flights from Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. From Guwahati, Kohima is about 350 km — a full day's drive (8–10 hours) or an overnight stop in Dimapur.

If you're combining the Hornbill Festival with Kaziranga or Majuli, Guwahati is the better entry point.

By Train

Dimapur railway station is on the main Northeast trunk line, with direct trains from Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi and Chennai. The Dibrugarh Rajdhani and Brahmaputra Mail are the most reliable. From Dimapur station, Kohima is the same 2.5–3 hour drive as from the airport.

By Road

NH-29 from Dimapur is the main approach. From Imphal (Manipur), Kohima is about 145 km via NH-2 — a winding 5-hour drive. We do not recommend self-driving unless you've driven in the Northeast before; mountain roads, hairpins and convoy traffic during the festival need a local driver.

Kohima to Kisama (the festival venue)

Kisama Heritage Village is 12 km south of Kohima on NH-2. During the festival (1–10 December), shared cabs and shuttles run all day from central Kohima for about ₹50–100 per seat. A private taxi for the day costs around ₹2,000–₹2,500.

Most of our guests stay in Kohima or Touphema and drive to Kisama each morning — the festival runs roughly 9 AM to evening, with night events on select days.