When and where is the Hornbill Festival 2026?

1 to 10 December 2026, at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima, Nagaland. This is the 27th edition. Check the official Nagaland Tourism page closer to the date for the programme and any change.

Do I need a permit to visit Nagaland for the festival?

Most visitors do. The Nagaland government's ILP portal says anyone who is not an indigenous inhabitant of the state needs an Inner Line Permit. For a domestic tourist it lists Rs 200 per person for 30 days, applied for online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in. Fees and rules have changed in recent years and the position for foreign visitors is not consistent across official pages, so confirm on the portal before you travel.

How far is Kohima from Guwahati?

Sources put the road distance at about 330 to 355 km. Time estimates range from about 4 hours on a map app to 7 or 8 hours from taxi operators. Plan for the longer figure, then add about 12 km to reach Kisama.

Is there a train from Guwahati to Dimapur?

Yes. RailYatri lists 12 daily trains over about 249 km, with scheduled times from roughly 4 hours to 5 hours 35 minutes. Older reports describe long delays on this line, so do not book a tight onward connection. Dimapur is the railhead for Kohima.

Should I stay in Guwahati during the festival?

No. Kohima is a long way from Guwahati and the festival ground is further still. Stay near Kisama or in Kohima for the festival days. Use Guwahati for the night you land, the night before you fly home, and as a place to leave heavy bags.

Does Hotel Shiny Grand offer an airport transfer and luggage storage?

Direct bookings include one complimentary one-way airport transfer (pickup or drop), either a pickup or a drop, not both. Guests can also leave luggage with us free of charge while they travel and come back for it. We do not run trips to Nagaland, so arrange the onward journey separately.

How cold is Kohima in December?

Cold, especially at night. Weather sites we checked show daytime highs around 19 to 24 degrees Celsius and nights around 8 to 13, with a report of 6 degrees at night in one cold spell. Rain hit the festival in 2023. Pack a warm jacket, a hat and gloves, and a rain layer.

Home › Blog › Hornbill Festival Guide

Hornbill Festival 2026 from Guwahati: Travel & Stay Guide

By Hotel Shiny Grand · Published 24 October 2026

The Hornbill Festival runs from 1 to 10 December 2026 at Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. If you are coming from outside the Northeast, there is a good chance your trip passes through Guwahati.

We run a hotel 1.7 km from Guwahati airport, so let us say the awkward part first. Kohima is a long way from us. We are not a hotel for the festival. We are useful for the night you land in Guwahati, the night before you fly home, and as a safe place to leave your big bags while you go up.

Quick facts

Event: Hornbill Festival 2026, the 27th edition, held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama (some sources call it Kisama Heritage Village)
Dates: 1 to 10 December 2026. 1 December is also Nagaland's Statehood Day.
Venue: about 12 km south of Kohima, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by road according to travel write-ups
Entry: Time Out India lists tickets at ₹50 to ₹100 and says they can be bought on site. Prices can change, so check Nagaland Tourism before you go.
Music: a Hornbill music festival runs alongside the main event. We found no sourced 2026 lineup, so check the official page for performers and times.
Cold: December in Kohima is cold at night, with rain possible

Permits: the Inner Line Permit

Nagaland is an Inner Line Permit state. The state's ILP portal says anyone who is not an indigenous inhabitant must hold one to enter, and that covers Indian and foreign nationals. Do not assume you can sort it out at the border.

Indian visitors: the portal lists a domestic tourist ILP at Rs 200 per person, valid for 30 days, plus payment gateway charges. You apply online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in with a phone number and an OTP. The portal says approval can take about 4 hours in working hours, and you get an SMS when it is approved.
Foreign visitors: this is where the official pages disagree. The ILP portal lists a foreign tourist permit at Rs 500 for 30 days and also refers to a Protected Area Permit. The Nagaland police page says foreign tourists can enter without a permit but must register with the district Foreigners Registration Officer or the nearest police station within 24 hours. Confirm with the portal and your own embassy or travel agent before you book.
Dimapur: some travel guides say Dimapur district is exempt. We could not confirm that, and a July 2026 report says the Gauhati High Court upheld ILP notifications that cover Dimapur. Apply before you travel.

The fee has changed over the last couple of years and different pages show different numbers. Treat Rs 200 as what the portal showed when we checked, and confirm on the day you apply.

Getting there from Guwahati

The nearest airport and railway station to Kohima are both at Dimapur, so most routes go through there, or along the highway from Guwahati. Here is how the three options compare on the numbers we could source.

Option	Guwahati to Dimapur or Kohima	Then	Worth knowing
Train	Guwahati to Dimapur, about 249 km. 12 daily trains, scheduled from about 4 hours to 5 hours 35 minutes (RailYatri).	Dimapur to Kohima by taxi or bus. Time Out India puts station to Kisama at about 3 hours.	Fares not checked. Older reports describe long delays on this line, so keep the afternoon free. The nearest station is Dimapur.
Road	Guwahati to Kohima, about 330 to 355 km. Estimates run from about 4 hours (map app) to 7 or 8 hours (taxi operators).	Kisama is about 12 km past Kohima.	Plan for the longer figure. A pre-booked car lets you leave straight from the hotel. Check a live map on the day.
Flight via Dimapur	Guwahati to Dimapur. Air India Express and IndiGo have flown this sector (HappyFares). We did not find a sourced flight time or 2026 schedule.	Dimapur airport to Kohima is about 74 km, quoted at 2 to 3 hours by road. Then 12 km to Kisama.	Shortest in the air, but festival-week seats are scarce. Check the airline, and book early.

On the Dimapur to Kohima leg, sources quote 2 to 3 hours. A four-lane upgrade of part of that road was meant to shorten it, so treat the figure as a ceiling and look at a live map. Door to door from Guwahati, plan for most of a day by any option.

Need to reach the railway station from the airport side? Our guide to getting from Guwahati airport to the railway station covers it, and hotels near the station lists the alternatives if a train is your main plan.

Guwahati as your base: two plans

Plan A: fly into Guwahati, then go up

Land at Guwahati (LGBI) and be at the hotel in about five minutes. Many more flights reach Guwahati than Dimapur, which is why people end up here first. Rest properly and start for Dimapur or Kohima in daylight. If you booked direct, use the one complimentary one-way transfer (pickup or drop) for this pickup or keep it for the way out.
Train to Dimapur, or hire a car for the whole way to Kohima. Leave your big bags with us. Luggage storage is free while you travel and come back.
Stay near Kisama or in Kohima for the festival days. Book early. We have no figure on how full Kohima gets, so do not leave it late.
Come back to Guwahati the day before your flight, not the same day. The road and the trains can both run late, so leave a buffer.
Sleep at the hotel, take breakfast, check out late (free, up to 3 hours past the normal 11:00 AM, so 2:00 PM) and use the one-way transfer to the terminal. The airport is 450 m from Terminal 1 and about 5 minutes by road from Terminal 2.

Plan B: fly direct to Dimapur

If a Dimapur flight fits your dates and budget, skip Guwahati. It saves the long leg and a night.
Use Guwahati only if routing needs it: your connection lands here, Dimapur seats are sold out, or you want a night before an early onward flight. Our early flight guide and stopover hotel guide cover those cases.

Short on time? Land in Guwahati, rest one night, head up the next morning, spend a day or two at the festival and return. Leave a full day of buffer before any flight home.

Cold weather in Kohima

Kohima sits in the hills and December nights are cold. Weather sites show daytime highs around 19 to 24 degrees Celsius and nights around 8 to 13, with one report of 6 degrees in a cold spell. Rain disrupted the festival in 2023. Pack a warm jacket, a hat, gloves and a rain layer. Guwahati is noticeably warmer, so you will feel the drop. These are rough figures from different years, so check the India Meteorological Department forecast before you go.

Where to stay: Guwahati or Kohima

For the festival days, stay in or near Kohima. Kisama is 12 km out, and you do not want a long drive after an evening of dancing. We cannot help with that part.

Where we do help is the Guwahati end of the trip:

The arrival night, if you land in the afternoon or evening and would rather travel in the morning.
The night before you fly home, so the road or the rails are behind you and the terminal is five minutes away.
Any early flight, since the front desk is open 24 hours.
Storing luggage free of charge while you are away.

Hotel Shiny Grand is in Shyam Nagar, VIP, Borjhar. It is a 3-star hotel with 35 rooms, free Wi-Fi, free parking and an in-house kitchen. Guests rate us 4.8/5 on Google. Normal check-in is 12:00 PM and check-out is 11:00 AM. Early check-in is chargeable and depends on availability.

Direct rates

Booking direct gets you free breakfast, one complimentary one-way airport transfer (pickup or drop) (a pickup or a drop, not both) and save up to ₹2,000 per stay on direct bookings. These are the direct rates per night:

Room	Occupancy	Rate per night
Single Executive	Single occupancy	₹2,500 + 5% GST
Deluxe Queen	1 person	₹3,000 + 5% GST
Executive King	1 person	₹3,500 + 5% GST
Superior Triple	3 people	₹5,000 + 5% GST

Every rate includes free breakfast and one complimentary one-way airport transfer (pickup or drop). Late checkout of up to 3 hours is free. Check availability for your dates on our direct booking page.

What else is nearby

Coming through Guwahati for Meghalaya too? See our Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival guide.
Flying in for the Guns N' Roses show? Read our Guwahati stay guide for the concert.
Want to know how late checkout works? See late check-out at hotels.
New to the airport? Our LGBI complete guide covers terminals and transport.

FAQ

When and where is the Hornbill Festival 2026?: 1 to 10 December 2026, at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima, Nagaland. This is the 27th edition. Check the official Nagaland Tourism page closer to the date for the programme and any change.
Do I need a permit to visit Nagaland for the festival?: Most visitors do. The Nagaland government's ILP portal says anyone who is not an indigenous inhabitant of the state needs an Inner Line Permit. For a domestic tourist it lists Rs 200 per person for 30 days, applied for online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in. Fees and rules have changed in recent years and the position for foreign visitors is not consistent across official pages, so confirm on the portal before you travel.
How far is Kohima from Guwahati?: Sources put the road distance at about 330 to 355 km. Time estimates range from about 4 hours on a map app to 7 or 8 hours from taxi operators. Plan for the longer figure, then add about 12 km to reach Kisama.
Is there a train from Guwahati to Dimapur?: Yes. RailYatri lists 12 daily trains over about 249 km, with scheduled times from roughly 4 hours to 5 hours 35 minutes. Older reports describe long delays on this line, so do not book a tight onward connection. Dimapur is the railhead for Kohima.
Should I stay in Guwahati during the festival?: No. Kohima is a long way from Guwahati and the festival ground is further still. Stay near Kisama or in Kohima for the festival days. Use Guwahati for the night you land, the night before you fly home, and as a place to leave heavy bags.
Does Hotel Shiny Grand offer an airport transfer and luggage storage?: Direct bookings include one complimentary one-way airport transfer (pickup or drop), either a pickup or a drop, not both. Guests can also leave luggage with us free of charge while they travel and come back for it. We do not run trips to Nagaland, so arrange the onward journey separately.
How cold is Kohima in December?: Cold, especially at night. Weather sites we checked show daytime highs around 19 to 24 degrees Celsius and nights around 8 to 13, with a report of 6 degrees at night in one cold spell. Rain hit the festival in 2023. Pack a warm jacket, a hat and gloves, and a rain layer.

Routing through Guwahati for Hornbill?

Rest near the terminal on the night you land and the night before you fly home. Direct bookings include free breakfast, one complimentary one-way airport transfer (pickup or drop) and free late checkout of up to 3 hours.

See direct rates and book

Hotel Shiny Grand is not affiliated with the Hornbill Festival or the Government of Nagaland. Details were checked on 24 October 2026 and can change. Confirm dates, permits and fees on the official pages before you travel.

Sources: Sentinel Assam, Time Out India, Nagaland ILP portal FAQ, Nagaland Police entry permits, LiveLaw, RailYatri, Indian Holiday, Wanderlog, HappyFares, Nagaland Tourism, EastMojo.