The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland is a vibrant, week-long celebration held every December (typically from the 1st to the 10th) in Kisama Heritage Village, just outside Kohima. Designed to preserve and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state’s 17+ tribes, it features dynamic tribal music and dance performances, a colorful array of traditional attire, local arts and crafts, indigenous cuisines, and interactive workshops. The festival also hosts a lively Naga wrestling showcase, indigenous sports, and storytelling sessions that bring tribal folklore to life. It’s often described as the “Festival of Festivals,” offering a joyful, immersive window into the heart of Northeastern India’s ethnic diversity—perfect for adding cultural depth to your itinerary.
Destinations
Days 1–2
Guwahati
Days 3-6
Kohima
Trip Highlights
Celebrate the vibrant Hornbill Festival in Kisama Heritage Village—Nagaland’s most iconic cultural event featuring tribal dances, music, crafts, and warrior traditions.
Embark on wildlife adventures with a jeep safari and elephant ride at Kaziranga National Park, home to the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros.
Explore the Kaziranga Orchid Park, a showcase of Northeast India’s exotic flora and traditional ecological beauty.
Cruise the Brahmaputra River at sunset, soaking in views of Guwahati’s sacred ghats and city skyline.
Discover Kohima’s rich history, with visits to the WWII Cemetery, State Museum, and optional eco-tour to the green warrior village of Khonoma.
Visit the sacred Kamakhya Temple, one of India's most revered Shakti shrines nestled atop Nilachal Hill.
Itinerary In Depth
Day 1: Guwahati Airport To Guwahati City - Arrival Transfer + Half Day City Tour (Suggest An Early Arrival Flight)
Approx Distance: 37 Km • Est. Travel Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Arrival at Guwahati airport, collect your bags and meet your driver outside the airport who will assist you with your transfer to your hotel.
After checking in and freshening up, you can begin your exploration of Guwahati.
Visit the most important Hindu pilgrim site and a major religious landmark of the city – Kamakhya Temple build in reverence of Goddess Kamakhya or Sati one of the various incarnations of Goddess Durga or Goddess Shakti.
If time permits, in the evening you can opt for a sunset river cruise on the Brahmaputra River. After the cruise, you will return to your hotel.
Dinner & overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Guwahati To Kaziranga National Park - Transfer And Sightseeing
Approx Distance: 211 Km • Est. Travel Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast, begin your journey towards Kaziranga National Park, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its population of the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. As you travel, you’ll be introduced to the breathtaking landscape of Kaziranga, characterized by its dense forests, tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, expansive marshes, and serene shallow pools. The park, officially declared a National Park in 1974, is a sanctuary for a diverse range of wildlife.
On arrival, check in at your resort.
Afternoon, we will go for a jeep safari in the park.
After the safari, you will return to your resort.
Dinner & overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Kaziranga National Park To Kohima – Transfer
Approx Distance: 220 Km • Est. Travel Time: 6 hours
In the early morning, you will embark on an elephant ride, which offers a unique and intimate way to experience the vibrant wildlife of Kaziranga National Park.
Later, return to the resort for breakfast.
After breakfast, set out for the capital of Nagaland – Kohima, the land of the Angami Naga tribe, located with an average elevation of 1261 meters. The name, Kohima, was officially given by the British as they could not pronounce the Angami name Kewhima or Kewhira (Tenyidie for “the land where the flower Kewhi grows”). It is called after the wild flowering plant Kewhi, found in the mountains. The town of Kohima is located on the top of a high ridge and the town serpentines along the top of the mountain ranges as is typical of most Naga settlements.
En-route stop to visit you will explore the Kaziranga Orchid Center, a place where you can admire a vast collection of orchids and other regional plants.
On arrival in Kohima, check into your hotel.
Dinner & overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Kohima – Sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast today, we will visit one of the most fascinating festivals of Nagaland – the Hornbill festival, where the various tribes of Nagaland get together to showcase their customs and traditions. Spend entire day spent at Kisama village – the location of Hornbill Festival (program as per festival schedule).
Evening we visit the Hornbill Night carnival (timing 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM). Colorful stalls adorned with sparkling lights; each one has something unique to offer.
It was in the year 2000, the State Government of Nagaland, desirous of promoting tourism, embarked upon an ambitious project to exploit the cultural assets of Nagaland, through a weeklong festival to coincide with the celebrations of Nagaland Statehood Day on 1 December. Thus, the inception of the Nagaland Hornbill Festival is so named is collective reverence to the bird enshrined in the cultural to espouse the spirit of unity in diversity. Today this festival has become one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior of Nagaland, where thousands of tourists from different counties are being attracted. Even if tremendous modernity has entered into their lives, but the well-preserved rich tradition, their unique heritage and customs, legacy, are being displayed in these 10 days converge of cultural, dance and sporting bash.
Day 5: Kohima – Sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast, we will visit the festival ground.
We will be visiting the 2nd World War Cemetery – constructed in memory of the officers and men who made supreme sacrifices during World War II. On each grave there are beautiful epitaphs engraved in bronze. The famous inscription written on the War Memorial stone reads “WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY, FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY”.
Also visit the Kohima State Museum – a platform that exhibits the vibrant culture of Nagaland through a collection of fascinating arts and artifacts. It is not only the major attraction of Kohima but also the entire state, because very few landmarks like the State Museum bring to limelight the culture of Nagas and their evolution through stages. (Closed on Monday and government holidays or may remain close without any prior information).
If time permits, go for an excursion to Khonoma – the green village. Khonoma is an Angami-tribe warrior village that is known for its battles with the English and for its leading role in the Naga freedom struggle. In recent years Khonoma has become famous for its community-based conservation projects and eco-friendly tourism initiatives.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Kohima To Dimapur Airport - Transfer
Est. Travel Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
After breakfast, drive to Dimapur Airport for onward journey.
Itinerary in Pictures
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