Travel to the Hornbill Festival
Eight days in Nagaland in early December — a green Angami village at Khonoma, two days at the Hornbill Festival in Kohima, and the Ao villages around Mokokchung.
Nagaland is known as the land of festivals, and its people take them seriously. Each year in the first week of December, the state government holds the Hornbill Festival at Kisama, near Kohima, to bring all the tribes of Nagaland together. Named for the hornbill, a bird respected across the Naga Hills, the festival is a week of dances and ceremonies, traditional morungs, crafts, food fairs, archery and wrestling, flower shows, concerts and folk songs. This trip gives you two full days at the festival, but also time in the villages. It starts in Khonoma, the Angami village that banned hunting and logging and now protects its own forest, and ends in Mokokchung, home of the Ao Naga, with a day in their villages.
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At a Glance
Hornbill Festival
Two days at the great gathering of the tribes of Nagaland in Kohima.
Naga Hills
Quiet walks in the villages of the Naga Hills.
Tribal Cultures
Meet the Angami, Rengma and Ao peoples in their own villages.
Day by Day
Dimapur - Khonoma
Arrive at Dimapur airport and drive to Khonoma (2 hours), a historic Angami village known for its wars against the British in 1847 and 1879. The village feels very traditional, with flower gardens, pomelo trees, gourd vines and stone monuments. You stay at a family-run inn in the village.
Dimapur - Khonoma
Arrive at Dimapur airport and drive to Khonoma (2 hours), a historic Angami village known for its wars against the British in 1847 and 1879. The village feels very traditional, with flower gardens, pomelo trees, gourd vines and stone monuments. You stay at a family-run inn in the village.
Khonoma
Khonoma was the first village in Nagaland to ban hunting and logging, and it now calls itself a green village. Walk up to the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary, run by the village and one of the few places to see the rare Blyth’s tragopan, and spend time walking the village with your hosts.
Khonoma
Khonoma was the first village in Nagaland to ban hunting and logging, and it now calls itself a green village. Walk up to the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary, run by the village and one of the few places to see the rare Blyth’s tragopan, and spend time walking the village with your hosts.
Khonoma - Kohima
Drive to Kohima (1-2 hours), the state capital at 4,700 feet. Visit the World War II cemetery, the museum of Naga heritage, the crafts emporium and the local markets.
Khonoma - Kohima
Drive to Kohima (1-2 hours), the state capital at 4,700 feet. Visit the World War II cemetery, the museum of Naga heritage, the crafts emporium and the local markets.
Kohima
Two days at Kisama Heritage Village, the home of the Hornbill Festival, where all the tribes of Nagaland gather for dances, songs, ceremonies, crafts, food, games and traditional sports. In the evenings, visit the night markets and the music shows in town.
Kohima
Two days at Kisama Heritage Village, the home of the Hornbill Festival, where all the tribes of Nagaland gather for dances, songs, ceremonies, crafts, food, games and traditional sports. In the evenings, visit the night markets and the music shows in town.
Kohima - Mokokchung
Drive to the hill town of Mokokchung (6 hours), home of the Ao Naga, stopping at a Rengma village on the way to meet the people and visit their homes. Evening at leisure.
Kohima - Mokokchung
Drive to the hill town of Mokokchung (6 hours), home of the Ao Naga, stopping at a Rengma village on the way to meet the people and visit their homes. Evening at leisure.
Mokokchung
A day in the Ao villages of Impur, Aliba and Mopungchuket, seeing everyday life, and in the afternoon Ungma, the largest Ao village of all.
Mokokchung
A day in the Ao villages of Impur, Aliba and Mopungchuket, seeing everyday life, and in the afternoon Ungma, the largest Ao village of all.
Mokokchung - Jorhat
After an early breakfast, drive to Jorhat airport (3-4 hours) for your flight. End of tour.
Mokokchung - Jorhat
After an early breakfast, drive to Jorhat airport (3-4 hours) for your flight. End of tour.
Your Retreats
01Dovipie Inn
A family-run inn of six rooms in Khonoma village, run by Mr. Heika and his family with warm Naga hospitality. There is a restaurant on site, and the hosts arrange village walks with a local guide, bird and butterfly watching, traditional fishing and evenings of storytelling.
“Stone walls, a timber deck and the Khonoma hills all around.”
02The Heritage
Once the District Commissioner’s bungalow, now a small boutique hotel that has kept its early-20th-century raj-era character — high wooden ceilings, airy verandas, and armchairs set out for the view over Kohima. Accommodation is comfortable and straightforward.
“Old bones, warm rooms, and a veranda built for sitting.”
03Whispering Winds
A cozy, minimal guesthouse in the hills at Mokokchung, run by an enthusiastic local family. Rooms are clean with standard amenities, and there are good views over the hills from the building and from the rooms themselves.
“Small, quiet, and very welcome after a nine-hour drive.”
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