Quick answer
The Hornbill Festival runs every year from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village, about 12 km from Kohima in Nagaland. The major Naga tribes perform dances, games and rituals around their morungs through the day, with music and a night market in Kohima. Three or four days is ideal. Book Kohima stays by September and get your Inner Line Permit online.
Highlights
- Dances, songs and mock battles from the major Naga tribes in the Kisama arena
- Tribal morungs serving smoked pork, bamboo-shoot dishes and rice beer
- Naga king chilli eating contest and traditional games
- Night market and concerts in Kohima town
- Kohima War Cemetery and a day trip to Khonoma village
What happens at Kisama
Hornbill is the Nagaland government's showcase of Naga culture, held in a purpose-built heritage village at Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima on the Imphal road. Each of the major tribes, including the Angami, Ao, Konyak, Sumi and Lotha, has a morung (a traditional house) around the main arena. From about 10 am, troupes take turns in the arena with dances, songs, mock battles and folk games, and the morungs serve local food: smoked pork with bamboo shoot, axone, sticky rice and rice beer. Afternoons bring craft stalls and the chilli-eating contest. Evenings move to Kohima for the night market and concerts.
Best days to go
The opening day, 1 December, is also Nagaland Statehood Day and brings speeches, VIPs and tight security. Days two to six usually have the fullest programme with the least ceremony. Three or four days is plenty; add a day for Khonoma village and the Kohima War Cemetery.
Where to stay and how early to book
Kohima has limited rooms and they go by September. Homestays start around ₹2,000–3,500 a night and mid-range hotels ₹4,500–8,000, both well above normal rates. Kigwema village, next to Kisama, has homestays and festival campsites (about ₹2,500–5,000 a tent) within walking distance of the venue. Dimapur, the nearest airport and railhead, is 75 km and about three hours away, so do not plan to commute from there.
Permits, crowds and safety
Indian visitors from outside Nagaland need an Inner Line Permit, applied for online before you travel. Nagaland is calm and welcoming. The main hassle is the afternoon traffic between Kisama and Kohima; leave before 3 pm or after 5 pm. Nagaland is officially a dry state, though rice beer is served at the morungs.
Photography and what to wear
Performers are used to cameras, but ask before close portraits, especially of elders in ceremonial dress, and never step into the arena during a performance. December days are about 18°C and nights drop to 4–6°C. Carry layers, a warm jacket and good shoes for the steep paths.
Combining Hornbill with the North-East
Most people fly into Dimapur or Guwahati. A seven- or eight-day trip can add Kaziranga for rhino safaris, or Shillong and the root bridges of Meghalaya. See our December ideas and the full festival calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Hornbill Festival in 2026?
Do Indians need a permit for the Hornbill Festival?
How do I get to Kohima for Hornbill?
Is the Hornbill Festival good for vegetarians?
How we checked this page
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Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
