How to Reach Kisama (Hornbill Festival Venue) from Dimapur and Kohima

Quick answer: Kisama, the home of the Hornbill Festival, is about 12 km from Kohima on the national highway, and taxis are available from Kohima. The nearest airport and railway station are both in Dimapur, which Kohima's district website puts at roughly 74 km from Kohima. So the usual route is Dimapur, then Kohima, then Kisama.

Key takeaways

• Venue: Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, in Kohima district. The Hornbill Festival runs there from 1 to 10 December 2026.
• From Kohima: about 12 km. Sources give roughly 10 to 12 km, so confirm locally.
• From Dimapur: Dimapur has the nearest airport and railway station. It is roughly 74 km from Kohima, and Kisama is a little further along the same road.
• Getting around: the Kohima district site lists Nagaland State Road Transport buses, private buses and taxis between Dimapur and Kohima. Taxis run from Kohima to Kisama.
• Before you travel: most visitors from outside Nagaland need an Inner Line Permit. See our ILP guide.

Last checked: 11 October 2026. Transport options and timings change, especially in festival week, so confirm locally.

Where Kisama is

Kisama is the site of the Naga Heritage Village, built by the Government of Nagaland and used as the permanent venue of the Hornbill Festival. The Directorate of Tourism says the name comes from Kigwema (Ki) and Phesama (Sa), the two villages on whose land it was built, with "ma" meaning village. It lies in Kohima district, close to Kohima town.

Quick facts

Step 1: Reach Dimapur

Most people from outside Nagaland arrive through Dimapur. The Kohima district website says Dimapur Airport is the nearest domestic airport, with connections to major cities such as Delhi and Kolkata, and that the nearest railway station is also in Dimapur, with connections to Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. Check current flight and train schedules with the operators, as we do not list timings here.

Step 2: Dimapur to Kohima

From Dimapur, travel to Kohima by road. According to the Kohima district website, Nagaland State Road Transport buses run between Dimapur and Kohima, and private luxury buses and taxis also operate. The distance is roughly 74 km. We have not verified journey times or fares, so ask your driver or the bus counter, and allow extra time in festival week when traffic is heavier.

Step 3: Kohima to Kisama

Kisama is about 12 km from Kohima on the national highway. Taxis are available from Kohima. Fares and any festival-day shuttles are not confirmed in the sources we checked, so agree a price before you set off and ask your hotel or the tourism office about shuttles.

Staying near Kohima

Many visitors stay in Kohima and travel to Kisama each day. Book early for early December, because demand rises around the festival. See our homestays for local options. Listings are submitted by owners and checked by us before they appear, so confirm details directly.

Before you go

1. Permit: apply for your ILP on ilp.nagaland.gov.in only. Read our step by step ILP guide.
2. Plan your days: the first-timer guide covers what to bring and how to plan.
3. Other festivals: see the Nagaland festival calendar 2026-27.
4. Confirm locally: festival-week transport, entry arrangements and timings are decided by the organisers. Check the Department of Tourism close to your date.

A simple plan for the journey

Because the sources we checked give distances but not times, build slack into the plan instead of relying on a fixed schedule:

• Arrive in Dimapur a day early if you can, so a delayed flight or train does not cost you a festival day.
• Travel Dimapur to Kohima in daylight where possible, and confirm the road conditions with your driver or hotel before you leave.
• Decide your Kisama days in advance. The festival runs ten days, and many visitors choose two to four. Our first-timer guide explains how to choose.
• Carry your ILP on your phone and a printed copy, along with a photo ID, as the portal instructs.
• Keep cash and a charged phone, but do not rely on a single payment method. We have not verified what payment options are available at the venue.
• Dress for cold evenings. December nights in the hills can be cold, so pack layers.

Questions to ask before you book

Ask your hotel, taxi driver or the tourism office these questions, since we could not verify the answers from an official page:

1. Is there a festival shuttle between Kohima and Kisama, and where does it leave from?
2. What are the entry arrangements and any ticket costs for the day you plan to visit?
3. What time does the venue open and close, and when is the last return transport?
4. Are there road diversions or parking limits in festival week?

What we left out

We have not included bus fares, taxi fares, journey times, shuttle timetables or ticket prices, because we could not verify them from an official page. We will add them when we can.

Sources

• Naga Heritage Village, Directorate of Tourism, Nagaland: https://tourism.nagaland.gov.in/naga-heritage-village/
• Directorate of Tourism, Nagaland: https://tourism.nagaland.gov.in
• How to reach Kohima, Kohima District, Government of Nagaland: https://kohima.nic.in/how-to-reach/
• Official Inner Line Permit portal: https://ilp.nagaland.gov.in

Drawn from public sources, written and checked with AI assistance. Spot a mistake? Tell us at hornbillaistudio@gmail.com.