A week in Nagaland : Day-wise itinerary for Nagaland

We spent an entire week roaming and exploring Nagaland and each day left us spellbound.

Read PLANNING A TRIP TO NAGALAND: YOUR ONE STOP GUIDE for everything you need to know for planning a trip to this beautiful North Eastern State of India.

Here is day wise breakdown of our trip to Nagaland.

Table of Contents

Day 1 : Dimapur

The highlight of Dimapur, for us, was the Hornbill Music Festival, one of the biggest music events in India. Performances by famous bands of Nagaland, exciting Naga dishes and multi-cuisine menus at numerous food stalls, make this festival something to watch out for.

Hornbill Music Festival in Dimapur — **One of the food stalls at Hornbill Music festival in Dimapur**

It’s organized in Dimapur and Kohima as part of the Hornbill Festival.

In Dimapur there are places like Medieval Ruins of the Kachari Kingdom, Rangapahar Reserve Forest, etc., but we kept the day a bit relaxed and in the evening went to the Hornbill Music Festival. Hong Kong Market in Dimapur is also something to explore, but we landed on Sunday in Dimapur and it’s closed on Sundays.

Note: We landed in Dimapur on Sunday. The whole of Nagaland is closed on Sundays. Make sure you have a prior booking at the hotel, especially when you are landing in Nagaland on Sunday.

Accommodation in Dimapur

We stayed at the Hotel Royal Star in Dimapur. This budget hotel has spacious rooms, clean bathrooms and has a great location- right next to the Hong Kong Market in Dimapur. The tariff is INR 1500 per night for a room.

Also Tourist lodge Dimapur has a dormitory and they charge around INR 600 per bed for a night. We came to know about it while roaming in Dimapur. It’s also a good option for budget travelers. It’s where we had fried rice, vegetable soup, and noodles for our dinner in Nagaland.

Budget and luxury stays are widely available in Dimapur. We recommend booking online.

Day 2 : Khonoma

Khonoma Village — **You know, Khonoma is Asia’s first green village!!!**

Around 3 – 3:30 hours drive from Dimapur, its mountainous terrain and rice terraces are sure to attract you but get ready to walk a lot in Khonoma if you want to explore its actual beauty.

Khonoma Forts

The view from Mehroma fort in Khonoma — **The view from Mehroma fort**

Forts of Khonoma are where the last battle against the British was fought. There are 3 forts which can be seen by walking between the small village streets. The path to these forts and the view from there are both spectacular.

What you will find during this walk are cobbled pathways that go past wooden houses with flowering gardens, playing children who will greet you with their warm smiles and women working, weaving local stuff.

Semoma Fort in Khonoma — **It was lovely to greet locals Nearby Semoma Fort**

Thevoma Fort in Khonoma — **These forts seems basic structures but the way to reach them and views from there are spectacular**

Naga womffen weaving local stu — **Naga Women weaving local stuff in Khonoma Village**

Paddy fields in Khonoma

Overlooking hills, the rice terraces of Khonoma are a sight to behold. There is a rivulet that goes through the fields. Sit there for a while and admire the natural beauty.

Heritage Museum

Khonoma is a village of Naga warriors and the tools and weapons used by the warriors are preserved in this museum. The major highlight for us was the café on the ground floor of the museum.

**We tasted Nagaland’s local drink- Jobs tear with millet snacks, interacted with locals and danced with the children.**

Uku Café in Khonoma

This café owner makes delicious samosa and other vegetarian dishes. So, we had our breakfast with a great view of this beautiful café in Khonoma.

Uku Cafe Khonoma — **View of Rice terraces of Khonoma from Uku Cafe**

We recommend hiring a guide for a day in Khonoma. They charge around INR 1000 – INR 1500 for a day.

Accommodation in Khonoma

We stayed in Aze’s Home in Khonoma. View of the mountains, beautiful flower garden, a sumptuous vegetarian meal, and a warm host are its specialty. Booking of this homestay is not available online. You can call the guide (Visa) at 8118954239 or the owner (Aze) 7085812321 for the bookings.

To have a local experience, we suggest spending a night in homestay in Khonoma. The rooms are simple but the experience of staying with locals is a treat in itself.

They charge around INR 1500 per bed for a night. (Including breakfast and dinner.)

Day 3 : Dzuleke

Have you ever been to a village with around 32 households and just 156 people only? Dzuleke famously known as the undisturbed village should not be missed while in Nagaland. It takes around 1 – 1:30 hour to reach here from Khonoma.

Jungle trail in Dzuleke

Paddy Fields in Dzuleke

Accommodation in Dzuleke

There are no hotels so homestays are the only option. We stayed in Anisie’s Homestay. The homestay is no less than beauty in itself. You will feel like sitting here for hours looking at the mountains inhaling the freshest of the air. You can book this homestay by contacting Vizo at 9402055209.

**Vegetarian Breakfast at Anisie Homestay**

Day 4 : Hornbill Festival in Kigwema

One of the main reasons for visiting Nagaland was undoubtedly the Hornbill Festival. Kisama Heritage village is the site of the Hornbill festival and one of the nearest place to stay is in Kigwema village.

It takes around 2:30 hours to reach Kigwema from Dzuleke by car.

**One of the Tribes in Hornbill Festival**

There are 16 major tribes and their 16 Morungs. A Morung is like a dormitory for the young where they used to live and learn. At the site of the Hornbill festival, each of these Morung showcases the specialty of the tribe they represent. You can taste the food of the tribe, see the tribe performing their dances. You can also buy their handicrafts. Men and women are dressed up in colorful tribal attires adorned with weapons and shields. There are cultural events, wrestling, dances, food, and band performances. The energy of the place is entirely different.

Tribal people in Hornbill Festival — **Look at these lovely people of Nagaland**

**Rice beer, especially from Angami Morung(one of the 16 tribes) is a must-try.**

Accommodation for Hornbill Festival

We stayed in ABI Home Stay in Kigwema. The property is humble but the major highlight is its location (15-20 minutes walk from the festival location.) and the food served by its host. Book at 08732023263.

ABI homestay in Nagaland — **ABI homestay is famous among Indians and foreigners due to the hospitality of its host!!!**

One option is to stay in Kohima (12 km from Kisama heritage village) but the travel to the Hornbill festival site from Kohima can be chaotic due to the traffic.

Day 5-6 : Dzukou Valley trek

Emerald green rolling hills, flowing streams makes Dzukou, a valley of eternal charm. The Dzükou Valley is a valley located on the borders of Nagaland and Manipur in north-east India.

Frozen Dzukou Valley — **The valley is frozen in the morning**

Visiting Dzukou valley early in the morning is one of the best experiences. It’s covered with frost which shines like anything when the first rays of sun falls on them.
We recommend spending a night at Dzukou Base camp/rest house.
Dzukou valley trek has two routes. One starts with Viswema village and second starts from Jakhama. We suggest doing it from Viswema village considering the gradual pace of the trek and the stunning views while the Jakhama route is full of stairs and dense jungle plus it’s more rigorous than the Viswema route. We went up through Viswema route and came down via Jakhama.
It takes around 2-3 hours to trek up to Dzukou Base Camp (place of stay) and a further half an hour to Dzukou valley.
You can book this trek from the trekking agency or do it yourself by paying some registration amount, staying and food charges. There is a dormitory at Dzukou base camp which provides beddings, blankets for INR 300-500. There is a kitchen where you get food and also you can cook your own with the help of your guide.

View of Dzukou valley from Base camp — **You just can’t get over this view!!! Dzukou valley view from the base camp!!!**

How to book the Dzukou Valley Trek

We booked it with the Nagaland Tourism Company. They picked us from our homestay in Kigwema village, arranged for our night stay at the base camp in Dzukou valley, provided the meals and dropped us back to our homestay in Kigwema. The charge is around INR 2500-3000 per person.

Day 7 : Kohima

Kohima is the capital city of Nagaland. Besides its natural beauty, Kohima is a place of historical significance.

If you are coming from Kigwema, stop at Kohima Cathedral. This is the largest cathedral in Asia.

Arrive at your place of stay, freshen up and head to your next stop- World War II Memorial. The Memorial was made in honor of those soldiers and officers who were killed during the victorious battle against the Japanese.

Next, you can head to Kohima Museum that holds many artifacts related to tribes of the region. We skipped this.

If you are going to Kohima at the time of the Hornbill festival i.e. from 1st to 10th Dec, the Hornbill Night Market in Kohima is not to be missed. I have never seen such a carnival of street food. Here you can savor local delicacies and indulge in street shopping in an eclectic atmosphere. It’s from 6:00 PM till 10:00 PM.

There are several options for lunch in Kohima if you are vegetarian head to Yaotsu’s vegetarian restaurant.

Accommodation in Kohima

Morung Home stay in Kohima — **Morung Lodge in Kohima is such an organised and beautiful homestay**

We stayed at Morung Lodge in Kohima. This is a well-organized homestay with all amenities. It is located within a walking distance from the main attractions of the city. It costs us around INR 1000 per bed per night including breakfast.

Nagaland is one of our favorite travel destination!!! Whats yours?

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