Kisama Heritage Village – Home of the Hornbill Festival

Every December, seventeen Naga tribes gather on a hillside near Kohima, and for ten days the air fills with war cries, log-drum beats, and the smoke of smouldering bamboo kitchens.

Set on a gentle slope about 12 km from Kohima, Kisama Heritage Village is a living recreation of an ancient Naga settlement, where each tribe keeps its own morung — a carved wooden hut hung with mithun skulls and hornbill motifs. This is the beating heart of the Hornbill Festival Nagaland, fittingly called the Festival of Festivals Nagaland. Wander the Naga Heritage Village Kisama and you'll catch throaty folk songs, watch stone-pulling and Naga wrestling, sip smoky rice beer, and taste smoked pork with bamboo shoot straight off the fire. Beyond the festival, the Naga tribes' morung at Kisama and sweeping valley views make it worth the visit year-round.

Best time to visit: Early December — the Hornbill Festival 2026 dates run from 1 to 10 December.

Traveller tip: Arrive by 9 a.m. to beat the Kohima–Kisama traffic jams, and always ask before photographing tribal elders or handling ceremonial weapons inside a morung. Kisama Heritage Village entry is straightforward, but book Kohima stays months ahead during festival week.

Plan the official way to reach and explore via Nagaland Tourism.

This attraction is easily covered in BreakBag Holidays' customised Nagaland tour packages, timed perfectly around the Hornbill Festival.