Japfü Peak – Second-Highest Peak in Nagaland

Nagaland India

Climb through a bamboo forest into cloud, and somewhere on these slopes stands a rhododendron so vast it holds a Guinness World Record — before the summit opens onto the whole Naga range unfurling beneath your boots.

Rising to 3,048 metres just south of Kohima, Japfü Peak is the second highest peak in Nagaland and one of the state's most rewarding day treks. The trail climbs steeply from Kigwema village past Japfü Christian College, through dense subtropical forest alive with birdsong and the calls of the rare Blyth's Tragopan. In spring the hillsides flush red and white with rhododendron — the range shelters the world's tallest rhododendron tree, over 100 feet high. Crest the ridge and you're rewarded with a sweeping panorama over the emerald Dzükou Valley and, on clear winter mornings, distant snow-tipped peaks. It's a stiff, exhilarating haul that few travellers attempt.

Best time to visit: November to April for clear treks and winter snow; March–April for rhododendron blooms. Avoid the June–September monsoon.

Traveller tip: Start before dawn and take a local guide from Kigwema — the trail is unmarked and easy to lose near the twin summits. Carry warm layers and water; there are no shops or shelters on the climb.

Plan your route and guide via Nagaland Tourism.

This trek is easily built into BreakBag Holidays' customised Nagaland tour packages, paired with Kohima and the Hornbill Festival.