Hornbill with Kaziranga Tour

• Do not enter Nagaland without the required ILP or applicable permit.
• At Kisama and Khonoma, avoid entering private homes, cultural spaces or ceremonial areas without permission.
• Ask before taking close-up photographs of residents, performers or ceremonies where permission is appropriate.
• Do not disrupt performances simply to pose for photographs.
• Inside Kaziranga, do not leave the authorised safari vehicle except where forest staff specifically permit it.
• Do not feed, call, chase or provoke wildlife, and keep noise low during safaris.
• Do not undertake unauthorised off-route safari movement; visits require the applicable park arrangements and forest guide.
• Do not litter in Kisama, Khonoma, Kaziranga or other natural/cultural sites.
• Photography is not permitted inside the Kamakhya temples.

Best fit: 1 - 10 December

This is the only true operating window for the itinerary as currently marketed, because the Hornbill Festival is the core experience. December also works well for Kaziranga wildlife tourism.

Also possible: November and January - April only with itinerary changes

Nagaland and Kaziranga can still be combined outside December, and Kaziranga's recommended travel season broadly runs November–April. However, without Hornbill Festival, this should be sold as a Nagaland cultural and Kaziranga wildlife tour, not as the Hornbill Festival package.

Avoid for this exact package: January - November

The exact programme should not be advertised outside the festival dates because the Hornbill Festival experience simply will not be available. May - September also falls outside Kaziranga's normal prime safari season.

• Domestic tourists from outside Nagaland require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) before entering the state. Applications can currently be made through the official Nagaland ILP portal.
• For domestic tourist applications, the current portal requires a recent photograph and accepted identification such as Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, bank passbook or ration card.
• Foreign visitors should check the current PAP/permit requirements separately. Do not assume that any permit relaxation announced for a previous Hornbill Festival automatically applies in 2026.
• The 2026 Hornbill Festival is scheduled from 1–10 December at Kisama, so travel dates should be built around this window.
• December is a peak-demand period in Kohima. Hotel rooms, vehicles and festival transfers should be confirmed well in advance.
• Road traffic between Kohima and Kisama can become heavy during the festival. Avoid overly tight timings.
• Festival programmes vary by day, so individual performances or activities should not be guaranteed unless the current day’s programme confirms them.
• Kohima can be quite cool in December, particularly mornings and evenings.
• Elephant safari seats at Kaziranga are limited and subject to Forest Department availability.
• The safari range may be allotted according to permits and operational conditions; do not guarantee a specific range unless booked.
• Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed, including rhinoceros or tiger sightings.
• Kamakhya darshan queues can be long, particularly on busy religious dates, so keep the Day 6 schedule flexible.
• Photography is prohibited inside the temples of the Kamakhya complex.
• The Brahmaputra cruise should remain subject to river, weather and operator schedules.