Nagaland Discovery with Hornbill Festival : Dec 5th to Dec 13th' 2026
Get an in-depth insight into the heritage, culture, and lifestyles of the different Naga tribes in this very experiential one-of-a-kind journey. This trip is packed with experiences from exploring Kohima town, visiting the cultural heartland of Mokokchung, exploring the villages of the tattooed former headhunters of the Konyak tribe in Longwa and Mon, trying out different naga cuisines, and last but not the least having the unique experience of witnessing the Hornbill Festival, an extravaganza which showcases the culture, heritage, cuisines, art and dance forms of the different Naga tribes.
This is an immersive and offbeat Nagaland journey for travelers seeking authentic experiences and deeper exploration, going far beyond the typical Hornbill Festival trip.
Essential Info
Cost: Rs 47500/- per person
Country: India
Start: Dimapur
End: Dibrugarh
Start Date: 5th Dec’ 2026
End Date: 13th Dec’ 2026
Duration: 9 Days
Group Size : Min 5 | Max 15
Theme: Culture, Adventure, Experience
Highlights
– Witness the art and dance forms of the different naga tribes dresses in their traditional attire at the Hornbill Festival
– Meet some of the last surviving face tattoed Konyak Headhunters
– See the natural beauty of Nagaland during the drives from the south to the north.
– Try the cuisines of the different Naga tribes
– Visit Longwa village straddled between India and Myanmar
– Visit Mon, the wild east of Nagaland
– Visit Mokokchung ( and surrounding villages )the cultural hub of Nagaland
ITINERARY
Day 1 : Dec 5th – Saturday : Dimapur
Arrive in Dimapur and transfer to hotel. Evening free to walk around the markets.
Overnight at Dimapur.
Day 2 : Dec 6th – Sunday : Dimapur – Kigwema ( 90 kms / 3 hrs )
After breakfast leave for Kigwema, the main venue of the Hornbill festival. We stay at a beautiful homestay near the festival venue. On the way we stop at Kohima War Cemetery, Kohima Market and Museum.
Reach by late afternoon and watch the evening music programs at the festival.
Overnight at Kigwema.
Day 3 : Dec 7th – Monday : Kigwema ( Hornbill Festival )
After breakfast, we spend the whole day at the festival witnessing the different cultural events, music festivals, art, and handicraft shows and exploring the different food stalls from the different tribes.
Overnight at Kigwema.
Day 4 : Dec 8th – Tuesday : Kigwema – Khonoma – Kigwema
After breakfast head out to explore Khonoma, about an hours drive from Kigwema. Khonoma is a beautiful Angami village and the first green village in India. After exploring the village we head back to Kigwema to catch up on some of the afternoon and evening activities at the festival.
Overnight at Kigwema.
Day 5 : Dec 9th – Wednesday: Kigwema – Mokokchung ( 160 kms / 6 hrs )
After breakfast, we start for Mokokchung located at 4600 feet and the cultural nerve center of Nagaland. Mokokchung is also considered are the town of pioneers in Nagaland, largely inhabited by the enterprising Ao tribe. See the views of the beautiful Wokha district on the way and enjoy local dishes at our stops. Arrive Mokokchung by afternoon and explore the town and rest.
Overnight at Mokokchung.
Day 6 : Dec 10th – Thursday: Mokokchung – Longwa ( 190 kms / 7 hours )
We start early to visit Longkhum: The vanguard village at 6056 feet. As an old Naga saying goes, “a single visit to Longkhum is not enough, for your soul stays behind the first time and you have to return there once for more to get it back”. This saying springs from the fact that Rhododendrons adorn the hillocks and the precipices surrounding it, providing an astounding sight during full bloom. An animist religion called Limapur still exists in this village, where a few families worship a God called LonglanpaTsungrem.
Later leave for Longwa and reach around late afternoon.
Overnight in Longwa.
Day 7 : Dec 11th – Friday : Longwa ( Myanmar Border )
Mon district is the wild east of Nagaland and is the land of the Konyak tribes who have been head hunters in the recent past. Today we stay and explore Longwa village in Mon district. Longwa is a beautiful little village overlooking the fields of Myanmar and the people living on the Myanmar side are also of the Konyak tribe and have the same language. Stay in a traditional Konyak house, explore the villages of Longwa, visit the Ang ( chief), meet some of the last remaining face-tattooed headhunters and witness the traditional song and dance of the Konyak tribe.
Overnight at Longwa.
Day 8 : Dec 12th – Saturday : Longwa – Mon – Dibrugarh ( 185 kms / 6 hrs )
After breakfast start for the journey to Dibrugarh. Reach by late afternoon and evening free to explore Dibrugarh town, market and the Brahmaputra Riverside..
Overnight in Dibrugarh
Day 9 : Dec 13th – Sunday : Dibrugarh ( Departure )
After breakfast transfer to the airport. End of tour.
Trip Info
Dimapur
Kohima
Kigwema
Khonoma
Mokokchung
Mon
Longwa
Dibrugarh
INCLUDED
– 1 night stay at Dimapur, 3 nights stay at Kigwema, 1 night stay at Mokokchung, 2 nights stay at Longwa, 1 night stay at Dibrugarh ( double / twin / triple sharing )
– Breakfast on all days
– All land transfers and transportation in SUV
– Service charges
– Taxes
EXCLUDED
– Flight Charges ( ONWARD – Dimapur and RETURN – Dibrugarh )
– Any extra excursions and tours other than those mentioned
– Entry tickets & Camera charges at sightseeing points ( wherever applicable )
– Dinner & Lunch
– Other than those mentione
- Rs 2500/- Discount ( For repeat travelers )
- Rs 1500/- Discount ( For 3 to 4 person booking together )
- Rs 2500/- Discount ( For 5 or more people booking together )
- Stay will be in Standard category hotels and Bed n Breakfast places with good reviews on double/triple sharing basis. * Due to shortage of rooms / hotels at Kigwama / Kohima during the festival time Kigwama stay will be triple sharing while other places will be double sharing.
- Indian and local food is available at all places.
- Breakfast ( Included ) will be mostly Indian breakfast.
- Transportation and transfers will be in SUV.
For this trip
Our Offbeat Nagaland tour is designed for experience-seeking exploring travelers who are interested in experiencing offbeat places and cultures with basic to standard level of comfort and long-distance drives. This is one of our most unique trips and not many organizers in India do this route.
For all our trips
Our small group tours also allow enough time for yourself ( mostly in the evenings ) and the group leaders will assist you too if you need to do your own thing.
Stay and the food is a big part of the travel and we make sure you are made comfortable and therefore we choose some of the best-reviewed places to stay and eat.
We try to incorporate more local experiences on our tours with the help of our experienced tour leader and local guides to make your experience even more memorable.
Our tours are not standard sightseeing package tours, it’s more experience-oriented so as to give a real travel value to the guests.
Who are we?
Exotic Expeditions is an experiential based travel company founded in 2010. We are based out of Bangalore and Mumbai and we create uniquely designed tours that have high travel value. We include activities, local interactions, and offbeat destinations so that the guests go back with experiences to remember for a long time.
What are all included in our tours?
A comprehensive list of inclusions and exclusions is mentioned on the respective trip page, but across all our trips, we have these in common: private transfers, breakfast on all days, good accommodation, unique experiences, expert guides and an experienced trip leader who’s there to assist you around the clock.
Are flights & visas included in your costs?
No.We don’t include flights and visa costs in our prices unless specified. We, however, will help you with booking flights and getting the visa done.
What is the typical group size?
We believe that a small group is can enjoy the journey better and have closer interactions with the group members, therefore, we restrict our group size to a maximum of 15. Group size typically between 5 and 15. Our travelers are
friendly, open-minded, well traveled and we have a good gender mix on our tours.
Who can join this trip?
Anyone above 18 years of age can join our trips. Participants below the age of 18 must be accompanied by an elder.
Which cities do travelers come from?
Our travelers come from all over India. Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Calcutta are represented the most.
What are the payment options?
You can make payments through credit and debit cards, net-banking, cash or cheque. Installment options are also available.
Can solo travelers join one of the tours?
Yes. On most of our tours, we have a high turnout of solo travelers seeking a different travel experience. Many of them even end up becoming friends after the tour.
How safe is it to travel with you?
Your safety is our number one priority and we design our travel journeys keeping this in mind.
- You can contact us at contact@exoticexpeditions.org / exoticexpeditions@gmail.com
- Call / whatsapp us at 9986450370
- Bookings can be done by online bank transfer / cash/ cheque or credit / debit card
- Installment options are also available
