Nagaland travel guide 2026: the ILP online, Kohima, Dzükou Valley and the Hornbill Festival

How to apply online

By a government order of September 2024, all ILP applications have been online since 1 January 2025. The portal is ilp.nagaland.gov.in. Do not pay third-party sites or agents to do this for you.

1. Open the portal and choose Apply Now, then the domestic or foreigner option.
2. Enter your details exactly as they appear on your ID.
3. Add your entry and exit dates and the districts you plan to visit.
4. Upload a recent passport-size photo and one government photo ID, such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID or passport. Keep the files small (JPG or PNG, a few hundred KB).
5. Check everything, submit and pay by UPI, card or net banking.
6. Note your application ID. Once approved, download the ILP card as a PDF.

The official FAQ says an application made in working hours may be approved within four hours. In the last week of November everyone heading to Hornbill applies at once, and it can take a few days. Apply two to three weeks before you travel. Carry a printed copy and keep the PDF on your phone, because it is checked at Dimapur airport, Dimapur railway station and the road entry points.

Rules for foreign travellers

From 2011, foreign tourists could visit Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram without a Protected Area Permit. In December 2024 the Ministry of Home Affairs withdrew that relaxation, and the PAP is required again. Dimapur police said in February 2026 that foreigners were still arriving without one, so it is being checked.

Apply for the PAP before you travel, through the e-FRRO portal or an Indian mission abroad. Within Nagaland the Home Commissioner can also issue it. Then, within 24 hours of arriving, register with the Foreigners Registration Officer of the district you are in. Ask your hotel where that office is. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need prior clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Getting there

Dimapur is the gateway. It has the state's only commercial airport and its main railway station, with trains from Guwahati and beyond. From Dimapur it is about 70 km to Kohima, roughly two and a half to three hours by road depending on the roadworks. If you are coming from Guwahati by road, Dimapur is a long day's drive.

Where to go

Kohima

The capital is spread over a ridge and makes the natural base. The Kohima War Cemetery sits on the site of the 1944 battle, on what was the deputy commissioner's tennis court, and it is worth an unhurried hour. The local markets sell smoked meat, river fish, bamboo shoot and the fierce raja mircha chilli, and they are as good a look at daily life as anything planned.

Khonoma

About 20 km from Kohima, Khonoma is an Angami village known for its terraced fields and its decision to stop hunting and protect its forests. It is a good half day or an easy overnight in a homestay.

Dzükou Valley

Dzükou is a high grassy valley on the border between Nagaland and Manipur, reached on foot from Viswema or Jakhama, both on the road from Kohima to Imphal. The Viswema trail is longer and gentler, while the Jakhama trail is shorter and steeper. Most people walk up in three to five hours and stay the night in the basic rest house or camp. There is a small entry fee, paid locally. In June and July the valley flowers, including the Dzükou lily, but the trails are slippery then. October and November bring clear skies and cold nights.

Further afield

Touphema, about 40 km from Kohima, has a village-run tourist settlement of traditional huts. Mokokchung is the heart of the Ao Naga area. Mon district, home of the Konyak Naga, is a long trip to the northeast. Its village of Longwa sits on the border with Myanmar. In October and November, huge flocks of Amur falcons stop over around Pangti in Wokha district on their migration. For the remote districts, check locally whether you need more than the state ILP.

The Hornbill Festival

Hornbill runs every year from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village, about 12 km from Kohima. Each Naga tribe has its own morung (traditional house) at the venue, with dances, games, food and crafts through the day.

• The entry ticket is sold at the Kisama gate and is separate from your ILP. Camera passes can cost extra.
• Kohima's hotels and homestays fill up months ahead for festival week. Book your stay before you book flights.
• Apply for your ILP early, because approvals slow down in late November.

Local things worth knowing

• Sunday is a day of rest. Most shops and offices close and churches fill, so plan sightseeing rather than shopping, and avoid long drives that depend on a shop or garage being open.
• Nagaland has been a dry state since 1989, under its liquor prohibition law.
• Ask before you photograph people, and be especially careful in villages and during ceremonies.
• Carry cash. Cards and UPI work in Kohima and Dimapur, but less so in villages.
• Roads are slow. Count on 25 to 30 km an hour in the hills.

Best time to visit

October to May is the best stretch. December brings Hornbill and cold, clear days. February to April is pleasant and quiet. The monsoon, from June to September, makes roads and the Dzükou trails hard going, though it is the season for the valley's flowers.

Nagaland tours

Guests on our Nagaland trips arrive through Dimapur. The Kohima & Dzükou Valley trek (5 days), which starts in Kohima, includes Inner Line Permit assistance and the trek guide and permits. For the festival, look at the Nagaland Hornbill cultural trail (8 days) or the Nagaland tribal heritage & Hornbill tour (6 days), which includes Inner Line Permit assistance. The luxury Hornbill & Manipur tour includes the ILP for both states. You can also browse the Nagaland destination page.

A note on prices: the permit fees and festival charges in this guide are what the official sources listed when we wrote it in October 2026. Governments revise them without much warning, so check the official portal (ilp.nagaland.gov.in) for the current amount before you pay or travel.