About This Tour
Overview
This 13-night journey is the ultimate Northeast India experience, taking you from the tattooed headhunters of Nagaland to the one-horned rhinos of Kaziranga. Begin in Kohima during the spectacular Hornbill Festival — Nagaland's largest cultural celebration where all 16 tribes showcase their traditions. Travel through the tea gardens of Jorhat, then venture into Mon to meet the Konyak Nagas at the Indo-Myanmar border. Discover the ancient Ahom capital of Sibsagar with its towering Shiva Dol and Asia's oldest amphitheatre. Cross into Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro Valley to meet the Apatani tribe with their unique facial tattoo traditions. Explore Majuli, the world's largest river island, and conclude with wildlife safaris at Kaziranga National Park — home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses.
Duration
13 Nights / 14 Days
Tour Type
Multi State · Private · Package
States
Nagaland · Assam · Arunachal Pradesh
Festival
Hornbill Festival (1–10 Dec)
Wildlife
Kaziranga National Park · One-Horned Rhino
Language
English
Top Experiences
Highlights
Hornbill Festival
Nagaland's grandest cultural festival — all 16 tribes converge at Kisama Village for dance, music, traditional sports & the Hornbill Night Carnival
Khonoma & Kohima
The green warrior village of Khonoma, Kigwema WWII site, and the poignant Kohima War Cemetery
Mon — Konyak Tribe
The tattooed Konyak headhunters — visit Longwah where the chief's house straddles the India-Myanmar border
Ziro Valley
Arunachal's sequestered paradise — home to the Apatani tribe with their unique facial tattoo traditions
Kaziranga NP
UNESCO World Heritage Site — elephant rides & jeep safaris for one-horned rhinos, tigers & elephants
Majuli Island
The world's largest river island — Sattra monasteries, Mishing tribal villages & overnight in a traditional Chang Ghar
Visual Journey
Northeast Explorer at a Glance
Day by Day
Itinerary — 14 Days
DAY01
Dimapur → Kohima
70 km · 3 hrs
- Arrive at Dimapur Airport — greeted by your tour guide
- Take a short walk in the Dimapur market — there is nothing quite like the sensory experience of a local market; the sights, sounds and smells give a glimpse into how the locals live and interact in everyday life
- Lunch at a local restaurant in Dimapur town
- Proceed towards Kohima — the land of the Angami Naga tribe at 1,261 m elevation
- The name "Kohima" was given by the British who could not pronounce the Angami name "Kewhima" (Tenyidie for "the land where the flower Kewhi grows")
- Check into hotel; overnight in Kohima
DAY02
Kohima — Hornbill Festival
Kisama Village
🦅 Hornbill Festival Day
- Breakfast; visit and photograph one of the most fascinating festivals of Nagaland — the Hornbill Festival
- Spend the entire day at Kisama Village — the location of the Hornbill Festival — where the various tribes of Nagaland come together to showcase their customs and traditions (program as per festival schedule)
- The Hornbill Festival was started in the year 2000 by the State Government to promote tourism, coinciding with Nagaland Statehood Day on 1st December. Its name is a collective reverence to the bird enshrined in the cultural fabric of the Naga people.
- Today, this festival has become one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior culture of Nagaland, attracting thousands of tourists from different countries — a 10-day convergence of cultural dance, traditional sports, and a grand celebration
- Evening: visit the Hornbill Night Carnival (6:00 PM to 9:00 PM) — colourful stalls adorned with sparkling lights, each offering something unique
- Return to hotel; overnight in Kohima
DAY03
Kohima — WWII Sites & Khonoma
Nagaland Capital
🏛 Heritage & History Day
- Morning: visit the Hornbill Festival ground at Kisama Village
- Visit Kigwema — an Angami hilly village that once underwent an attack by Japanese troops on 4th April 1944 at exactly 3:30 PM. A simple stone memorial at the beginning of the village stands as a reminder of this brutality.
- World War Cemetery — constructed in memory of the officers and men who made supreme sacrifices during WWII. On each grave are beautiful epitaphs engraved in bronze. The famous inscription reads: "When You Go Home, Tell Them of Us and Say, For Your Tomorrow We Gave Our Today."
- Day trip to Khonoma — an Angami-tribe warrior village known for its battles with the English and its leading role in the Naga freedom struggle. In recent years, it has become famous for community-based conservation and eco-friendly tourism initiatives.
- Overnight in Kohima
DAY04
Kohima → Jorhat
220 km · 4 hrs
🍵 Tea Treasure House
- Breakfast; head to Jorhat — known as the tea treasure house. "Jor" means join and "hat" means market.
- Jorhat is known for having the oldest golf course in Asia and the third oldest in the world
- Watching tea growing in vast expanse is a treat to the eyes. Walk through the gardens and witness workers plucking tea leaves, cleaning the gardens, and nurturing plants.
- These beautiful tea gardens are complimented by imperial bungalows built during the British era
- Overnight in Jorhat
DAY05
Jorhat → Mon
170 km · 5 hrs
🗡 Into Konyak Territory
- Breakfast; drive to Nagaland's tribal destination — Mon
- The district of Mon is home to the Konyak Nagas, by far the largest of all Naga tribes and the most recognizable for their tattoos covering their face and hands
- Mon is located near the Indo-Myanmar border, reached via winding dust and gravel roads
- The Konyak are famous for their muzzle-loading guns and are descendants of the legendary head-hunters
- Overnight at a basic hotel in Mon
DAY06
Mon — Longwah Border Village
Indo-Myanmar Frontier
🛂 Border Village Day · Local guide mandatory
- Breakfast; check-out; drive to Longwah village in Mon district — one of the best places to see the unique diversity of the Naga people
- Located on the border of India and Myanmar — you do not need a Myanmar visa to visit this village
- Visit villages inhabited by the Konyak tribe
- The most fascinating feature: the Village Chief's house is located on the borderline of Indo-Myanmar, with the border passing through his house dividing it into two halves
- Longwa is a quiet and serene place with hospitable Naga people
- Return to Mon; overnight in Mon
DAY07
Mon → Sibsagar → Dibrugarh
140 km · 6–7 hrs
🏛 Ahom Heritage Day
- Early breakfast; check-out; drive towards Dibrugarh — the tea capital of Assam
- En-route, stop at Sibsagar — the ancient capital of the Ahom kingdom
- Visit Shiva Dol — built by the Ahoms, believed to be the tallest of all existing Hindu temples
- Rang Ghar — the largest and oldest amphitheatre in Asia, a remarkable landmark of Sivasagar's history
- Talat Ghar — a unique palace with three storeys underground (closed for tourists) and four above ground. The ground floor had store rooms, stables and servant quarters, while the upper floors were for the royal family.
- Continue to Dibrugarh; overnight at a heritage tea bungalow
DAY08
Dibrugarh → Ziro Valley
280 km · 7 hrs
🏔 Into Arunachal
- Early breakfast; set off for the northern state of Northeast India — Arunachal Pradesh
- The drive crosses the newly opened Bogibeel Bridge — the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India — crossing the mighty Brahmaputra River
- Arrive at Ziro — the "Sequestered Paradise" of Arunachal, located at 1,500 m
- Ziro's hills are beautifully covered with bamboo and pine trees, surrounded by paddy fields
- Home to the friendly Apatani tribe — women traditionally practised facial tattooing, believing they were so beautiful that they needed to be marked to prevent men from other tribes from stealing them away
- Overnight at a lodge in Ziro
DAY09
Ziro — Apatani Village Exploration
Arunachal Pradesh
🗿 Apatani Culture Day
- Breakfast; spend the day visiting Apatani villages — Hong, Dutta & Hari
- See houses of the Apatani adjoining each other; interact with locals, especially the tattooed elders who still live a very traditional life
- Visit the Apatani farms and the local market — learn about Apatani culture, customs, eating habits, attires, and ornaments
- Also visit the local winery in Ziro
- Overnight at the lodge in Ziro
DAY10
Ziro → Majuli Island
240 km · 5 hrs + 20 min ferry
🏝 River Island Arrival
- Breakfast; head towards Majuli — assumed to be the largest river island in the world and the cultural capital of Assam since the 16th century
- Use a ferry to cross a short stretch of the Brahmaputra River and reach the island
- Majuli is formed by the Brahmaputra in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti joined by the Subansiri in the north. Originally 1,256 sq km in 1991, now reduced to 875 sq km due to erosion.
- There are 22 Vaishnava Satras (monasteries) on the island, the first established in the 15th century by Sankaradeva, the father of Assamese culture
- Overnight in a Chang Ghar — a traditional Mishing tribal house built on stilts
DAY11
Majuli — Sattras & Village Life
Cultural Capital of Assam
🎭 Cultural Day
- Breakfast; explore the island by visiting the Auniati Sattra and Uttar-Kamalabari Sattra (monasteries). Interact with the monks and visit the monk's quarters.
- Visit a Mishing tribal village — a major inhabitant of the island
- Visit a pottery-making village and mask-making village
- Optional: A cultural dance in Majuli can be arranged at Uttar Kamalabari Monastery.
- Overnight in Chang Ghar on Majuli
DAY12
Majuli → Kaziranga National Park
1 hr ferry + 120 km · 2½ hrs
🦏 Arrival at Rhino Country
- Breakfast; ferry ride from Majuli back to Jorhat
- Straight drive to Kaziranga National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Kaziranga is famous for the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, with landscapes of sheer forest, tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes and shallow pools
- Declared a National Park in 1974, it is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by human presence
- Inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos, as well as tigers, elephants, panthers, bears, and thousands of birds
- Overnight at a resort near Kaziranga
DAY13
Kaziranga — Full Day Safari
Elephant Ride & Jeep Safari
🦏 Wildlife Day
- Early morning elephant ride — the best way to behold the vigour and charm of the enchanting wildlife of the park
- Return to resort for breakfast
- Mid-morning: explore a village inhabited by the Mishing tribe and visit the Kaziranga Orchid Centre
- Optional: visit a local house for a cooking class of traditional Assamese dishes followed by a traditional lunch. Also visit another house to experience the way of life of an Assamese family and see age-old utensils and traditional grinders.
- Afternoon: jeep safari in the western range of the park — the most preferred tourism zone, providing the opportunity for very close sightings of the one-horned rhino
- Evening: short cultural dance performance at the resort
- Overnight in Kaziranga
DAY14
Kaziranga → Guwahati (Departure)
250 km · 4½ hrs
- Breakfast at the resort
- Set off towards Guwahati Airport to board your flight
- Tour ends. Carry the spirit of the Northeast home with you.
Important Information
Permit Regulations for Foreign Nationals
Nagaland: Foreign tourists visiting Nagaland must register with the Foreigner's Registration Officer (FRO) of the District they visit or the nearest Police Station within 24 hours of their arrival. While travelling by air via Dimapur airport, passport and India Visa will be verified on immigration checking. While travelling by surface, passport and India Visa will be verified at the check post. Guests are requested to carry multiple copies of Passport and India Visa during the tour, as the same is required at different check posts.
Arunachal Pradesh: Foreign tourists require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for entry into Arunachal Pradesh. This can be arranged through your tour operator. You must provide copies of your passport and India visa at least 2 weeks prior to travel.
Full Route
Tour Map — 14 Days