Kohima and Hornbill travel guide

3 daysHow long to stay

Not confirmedRough cost

Couples, Friends, SoloWho it suits

NagalandNortheast India

Is this for you?

You come here for the Hornbill Festival, 1 to 10 December 2026, at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima, the hill capital of Nagaland and home of the Naga peoples. You need a permit for Nagaland, and the time to get one is very short. Alcohol is banned across the state. We haven't checked what to do here outside the festival, so skip it if you can't make those dates.

When to go

Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.

What to do

Hornbill Festival

A ten-day festival of Naga heritage, 1 to 10 December 2026. We couldn't find the detailed programme or the 2026 entry fee, so check both locally.

Naga Heritage Village, Kisama

Where the festival happens, about 12 km south of Kohima and 30 to 45 minutes by road.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Kohima homestays

The state tourism site lists homestays and paying-guest rooms, many in Kohima colonies such as Minister Hill. Kohima sells out first and rates rise during the festival, so book early.

What to eat

Naga food is smoke, fermented soybean and fierce chilli, and pork leads every table. Nagaland is officially a dry state, though rice beer is sold openly at the festival grounds, so check this year's rules. Vegetarians should ask at each stop.

Bamboo shoot fry

Fried bamboo shoot with chilli, and one of the easier vegetarian orders in town.

Vegetarian

Galho

A soft rice soup with leafy greens, often with meat. The right dinner for a cold Kohima night.

Smoked pork with axone

Pork slow-cooked with axone, a pungent fermented soybean. The Naga dish to order first, at a stall or a restaurant.

Smoked pork with bamboo shoot

Smoked pork cooked with sour bamboo shoot, on every festival menu. Have it with rice at lunch.

Where to go

Ao Rice HotelKohima

Smoked pork with perilla and axone. One listing only, so check first.

Cheap eats

Dream CafeKohima, overlooking the city

Pork with axone, or a simple meal with a view of town.

Cheap eats

Food FusionKezieke

Smoked pork with anishi, fermented yam leaves, plus bamboo shoot and axone.

Cheap eats

The Naga KitchenKohima

Smoked pork stew and pork ribs. A good first Naga meal if you're new to it.

Mid-range

A view from Kohima, showing the natural geography of Nagaland — Sharada Prasad CS, CC BY 2.0

Geography nature scenery Nagaland India — Sharada Prasad CS, CC BY 2.0

View of Naga Bazaar, Kohima (2024) from near Zame Masjid — Ly.n0m, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zeliang Naga Tribesmen of Nagaland, India rehearsing their traditional dance during Hornbill Festival on 10th Dec 2014. — Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hornbill Festival is an annual festival that takes place in Kohima, Nagaland. It celebrates and showcases the various cultural and tradition — Avantikac98, CC BY-SA 4.0

Naga Heritage village is the main arena for the festival. It‘a place where everything happens, folk dance, food, music, shows, art exhibitio — Aravind Manickam, CC BY-SA 4.0

A Church at Kisama Heritage Village, Kisama, Nagaland — JyotiPN, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Gateway to Kisama Heritage Village, Kisama, Nagaland — JyotiPN, CC BY-SA 4.0

Naga style smoked Pork ribs with bamboo shoots and rice at Little Lama Cafe, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand — Satdeep Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0

A local cuisine of Nagaland served with pork curry and local river fish curry — JyotiPN, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting there

Dimapur is the only airport and the usual rail stop, about 70 to 75 km from Kohima. The drive takes 2 to 3.5 hours, though one source says 4. A train from Guwahati to Dimapur takes about 4 to 5 hours. Kisama is 30 to 45 minutes from Kohima by road.

Where to stay

Kigwema and Kisama villages Villages near the festival site with tented camps, according to one guide. Book early.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Kohima The usual base, with an official list of homestays. It sells out first and rates jump during the festival.

Worth knowing

Rules

Register with the district Foreigners Registration Officer within 24 hours of arrival: ask your host how it's done in Kohima. Carry your passport, visa and PAP, your permit, at all times.

Permit

Get a Protected Area Permit (PAP) before you travel, on e-FRRO (indianfrro.gov.in) or the Su-Swagatam app: electronic only, none on arrival, and an e-Visa alone isn't enough. Embassies say allow 30 days from abroad, 15 within India; the UK says three months, so 1 December leaves almost no margin. We found no 2026 relaxation. Get the PAP, not an Inner Line Permit, which is for Indians. Citizens of Afghanistan, China or Pakistan, or with parents or grandparents from there, need Home Ministry approval first.

Safety

Australia's advice, updated 29 October 2026, says to reconsider your need to travel to Nagaland, and the US lists the Northeastern States at Level 3, reconsider travel. Australia also says travel insurance may not cover such areas. Read your own government's current advice, and check that your insurance covers Nagaland before you book.

2 more to know

Rules

Alcohol is prohibited in Nagaland. The UK government warns that breaking the law can mean arrest and 5 to 10 years in prison. Do not buy or drink alcohol anywhere in the state, even if you see it at a festival.

Safety

Bring warm layers. December in Kohima is cold, especially at night, and the festival is on an open hillside.

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