Tribal Tour of Nagaland
Eleven days across the Naga Hills, east to west — from the tattooed Konyak elders of Mon to the pine-lined Angami valley of Dzuleke, sleeping in village guesthouses and family homestays the whole way.
Nagaland is one of the most fascinating states in Northeast India, and it has only recently opened up to outside visitors. Sixteen indigenous tribes live here, across remote hills at the eastern end of the Himalaya. Decades of conflict and slow development left the infrastructure basic — and left the culture and the landscape largely intact. Christianity is part of tribal life now, but the older customs hold, and you see them on village walks and at festivals. Most of the men in these villages were once warriors and headhunters. They farm now, they use very little, and they welcome guests generously. This trip crosses the state from the Patkai hills in the east to the base of Japfu Peak in the west. You start in Mon district, where the Konyak live — tattooed elders still walk the streets and gather at the chief’s court, and many families still live in traditional longhouses. You visit Longwa, a village split down the middle by the India–Myanmar border. Then Mokokchung, the cultural center of the Ao tribe, for old churches, morung dormitories, log drums, and villages where a few elders still carry chin tattoos. The last days are in Angami country — Kohima, Khonoma, and Dzuleke — visiting the World War II sites and staying with local families. It makes a solid first trip to Nagaland: real time with the people who live here, and an unvarnished look at both the traditional and the modern side of life in the Naga Hills.
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At a Glance
Konyak country at Mon
Three nights in the far northeast corner of the state, where tattooed elders still gather at the chief’s house and families live in palm-thatch longhouses.
Longwa, split by a border
A Konyak village that sits half in India and half in Myanmar. The Angh’s own house is divided by the line, and the family cooks on one side and sleeps on the other.
Village stays, not hotels
Family-run guesthouses, a raj-era bungalow in Kohima, and a community homestay in Dzuleke where the village council decides which family hosts you.
Day by Day
Arrive Dibrugarh
Arrive at Dibrugarh, an important tea town in Upper Assam. Check in at a city hotel or a tea clubhouse with modern amenities. The rest of the day is free — walk the local markets, visit the tea gardens on the edge of town, see the Hinayana Buddhist shrine, or take the sunset stroll along the Brahmaputra.
Arrive Dibrugarh
Arrive at Dibrugarh, an important tea town in Upper Assam. Check in at a city hotel or a tea clubhouse with modern amenities. The rest of the day is free — walk the local markets, visit the tea gardens on the edge of town, see the Hinayana Buddhist shrine, or take the sunset stroll along the Brahmaputra.
Dibrugarh to Mon
After breakfast, drive to Mon (7 hours) in the Patkai hills of northern Nagaland. Mon is one of the most remote districts in eastern India and the home of the Konyak, once headhunters, known for their tattooed faces, wood carving, and gunsmithing. The tattoos were earned on head-hunting expeditions — a practice banned only in the 1960s — and they still set the Konyak apart from the other Naga tribes. You stay in a family-run guesthouse with basic amenities.
Dibrugarh to Mon
After breakfast, drive to Mon (7 hours) in the Patkai hills of northern Nagaland. Mon is one of the most remote districts in eastern India and the home of the Konyak, once headhunters, known for their tattooed faces, wood carving, and gunsmithing. The tattoos were earned on head-hunting expeditions — a practice banned only in the 1960s — and they still set the Konyak apart from the other Naga tribes. You stay in a family-run guesthouse with basic amenities.
Longwa — the village on the border
Drive to Longwa (2 hours), in the far eastern corner of India, half of which falls in Myanmar. Visit the home of the Angh, the village chieftain, which the border runs straight through. Sit with the chief and other Konyak families and hear their history first-hand. See the crafts and war trophies kept in the morungs, the dormitories where young men were taught the traditions, and the big log drums used to call the village together. There are tribal ornaments and metalwork to buy directly from the makers. Walk out into the jhum fields, then return to Mon by evening.
Longwa — the village on the border
Drive to Longwa (2 hours), in the far eastern corner of India, half of which falls in Myanmar. Visit the home of the Angh, the village chieftain, which the border runs straight through. Sit with the chief and other Konyak families and hear their history first-hand. See the crafts and war trophies kept in the morungs, the dormitories where young men were taught the traditions, and the big log drums used to call the village together. There are tribal ornaments and metalwork to buy directly from the makers. Walk out into the jhum fields, then return to Mon by evening.
Konyak villages around Mon
Visit the nearby villages of Hongphoi, Wangla, and Old Mon. This is the day to watch Konyak life up close — the crafts, the daily work, the arts. In Hongphoi you will see elders with full facial tattoos. Visit the chiefs’ houses, hung with the skulls of wild buffalo and other hunted animals. Older villagers often gather at the chief’s house or sit making bamboo crafts in the morungs. The longhouses here are still built the old way, roofed in palm leaf, and many families still live much as they always have.
Konyak villages around Mon
Visit the nearby villages of Hongphoi, Wangla, and Old Mon. This is the day to watch Konyak life up close — the crafts, the daily work, the arts. In Hongphoi you will see elders with full facial tattoos. Visit the chiefs’ houses, hung with the skulls of wild buffalo and other hunted animals. Older villagers often gather at the chief’s house or sit making bamboo crafts in the morungs. The longhouses here are still built the old way, roofed in palm leaf, and many families still live much as they always have.
Mon to Mokokchung
A long drive south to Mokokchung (9 hours), one of the most important towns in Nagaland and the first the British established in the Naga Hills. It is the home of the Ao, known across the state for their arts and folklore. Rest for the night in a clean, comfortable hill guesthouse.
Mon to Mokokchung
A long drive south to Mokokchung (9 hours), one of the most important towns in Nagaland and the first the British established in the Naga Hills. It is the home of the Ao, known across the state for their arts and folklore. Rest for the night in a clean, comfortable hill guesthouse.
Ao villages around Mokokchung
Spend the day in the Ao villages. Mopungchuket is known for the story of Jina and Etiben, the Ao Romeo and Juliet; see the carved time pillar that records the tribe’s history, its legends, battles, and migrations, and the sacred lake nearby where rituals were performed before a war. There are old churches, log drums, dormitories, and a village museum with a good collection of artifacts and rare photographs. Visit Aliba, where in 1872 the Ao became the first Naga tribe to convert to Christianity. After lunch, on to Longkhum and Ungma, the largest Ao village, where a few elders still carry traditional tattoos, and the view over the Doyang dam from Longkhum.
Ao villages around Mokokchung
Spend the day in the Ao villages. Mopungchuket is known for the story of Jina and Etiben, the Ao Romeo and Juliet; see the carved time pillar that records the tribe’s history, its legends, battles, and migrations, and the sacred lake nearby where rituals were performed before a war. There are old churches, log drums, dormitories, and a village museum with a good collection of artifacts and rare photographs. Visit Aliba, where in 1872 the Ao became the first Naga tribe to convert to Christianity. After lunch, on to Longkhum and Ungma, the largest Ao village, where a few elders still carry traditional tattoos, and the view over the Doyang dam from Longkhum.
Mokokchung to Kohima
Drive south to Kohima (7 hours), the capital of Nagaland and the heart of Angami country — the Angami are one of the largest tribal communities in the state. The road runs through terraced hillsides and Angami villages, with stops along the way. Check in at The Heritage, the old District Commissioner’s bungalow above the town, and take the evening at leisure.
Mokokchung to Kohima
Drive south to Kohima (7 hours), the capital of Nagaland and the heart of Angami country — the Angami are one of the largest tribal communities in the state. The road runs through terraced hillsides and Angami villages, with stops along the way. Check in at The Heritage, the old District Commissioner’s bungalow above the town, and take the evening at leisure.
A full day in Kohima
A full day of sightseeing in Kohima, much of it around the Battle of Kohima in 1944. The World War II Cemetery sits at the center of town, on the battle site itself, and commemorates the British and Indian troops who held off the Japanese advance. Visit the Reconciliation Cathedral for its architecture, murals, and the view from Aradura hill; the State Museum, which holds a rare collection of artifacts from all sixteen tribes; and Kisama Heritage Village, home of the Hornbill Festival, with Naga tribal architecture and a World War II museum on site. Walk through Bara Basti, the old settlement of Kohima, and spend what is left of the evening in the town’s markets and cafes.
A full day in Kohima
A full day of sightseeing in Kohima, much of it around the Battle of Kohima in 1944. The World War II Cemetery sits at the center of town, on the battle site itself, and commemorates the British and Indian troops who held off the Japanese advance. Visit the Reconciliation Cathedral for its architecture, murals, and the view from Aradura hill; the State Museum, which holds a rare collection of artifacts from all sixteen tribes; and Kisama Heritage Village, home of the Hornbill Festival, with Naga tribal architecture and a World War II museum on site. Walk through Bara Basti, the old settlement of Kohima, and spend what is left of the evening in the town’s markets and cafes.
Kohima to Dzuleke
Drive on to Dzuleke (3 hours), another Angami village — a quiet one, ringed by pine forest and streams, where the village council runs a community ecotourism project. On the way, stop at Khonoma, well known for its forest conservation work and its ban on hunting, and for the sites where the villagers fought the British. The rest of the day is yours in the green of the Naga Hills. You stay in a village homestay with basic amenities.
Kohima to Dzuleke
Drive on to Dzuleke (3 hours), another Angami village — a quiet one, ringed by pine forest and streams, where the village council runs a community ecotourism project. On the way, stop at Khonoma, well known for its forest conservation work and its ban on hunting, and for the sites where the villagers fought the British. The rest of the day is yours in the green of the Naga Hills. You stay in a village homestay with basic amenities.
Day trip to Benreu
A day trip to Benreu (2 hours), a village of the Zeliangrong, at 6,200 feet at the base of Mt. Pauna, with short hikes from the village. See the morung at Benreu, one of the oldest standing structures in Nagaland. The Zeliangrong are made up of three clans — Zeme, Liangme, and Rongme — and some families still keep to the old animist beliefs. Try the bitter honey the village is known for, taken from the hive of the Teliane bee and used as medicine. Back to Dzuleke by dusk.
Day trip to Benreu
A day trip to Benreu (2 hours), a village of the Zeliangrong, at 6,200 feet at the base of Mt. Pauna, with short hikes from the village. See the morung at Benreu, one of the oldest standing structures in Nagaland. The Zeliangrong are made up of three clans — Zeme, Liangme, and Rongme — and some families still keep to the old animist beliefs. Try the bitter honey the village is known for, taken from the hive of the Teliane bee and used as medicine. Back to Dzuleke by dusk.
Dzuleke to Dimapur
An early start for the drive down to Dimapur airport (5 hours) and an afternoon departure. End of tour.
Dzuleke to Dimapur
An early start for the drive down to Dimapur airport (5 hours) and an afternoon departure. End of tour.
Your Retreats
01Konyak Tea Retreat
At Shiyong village, a short drive from Mon town, run by a Konyak woman who cares a great deal about responsible tourism and about her own culture. The property sits among green hills, villages, tea estates, and fruit orchards. Rooms are spacious, fairly modern, and finished with local decor.
“Tea gardens on one side, Konyak villages on the other.”
02Whispering 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.”
03The 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.”
04Dzuleke Village Homestay
Dzuleke is an Angami village set in lush hill scenery. The community here has long looked after its forests, and it now runs a responsible homestay project through the village council. Guests are placed with a different family in turn, so the income is shared around the village and you get Naga hospitality and daily life first-hand.
“Pine forest, a stream, and almost nobody else.”
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