Featured Cultural Expedition
Nagaland Tribal & Cultural Expedition
21 Days · Nagaland · Assam
Expedition overview
A deep cultural journey through the tribal heartland of Nagaland combining Angami, Ao, Lotha, Khiamniungan and Konyak communities with mountain landscapes, heritage villages, indigenous traditions, festivals and wildlife.
Why choose this expedition
- Spend time inside five distinct Naga tribal communities — not a drive-by visit.
- Witness Sekrenyi, the Angami purification festival, in its home villages.
- Trek Dzukou Valley and Mt. Pauna for the high-altitude grasslands of Nagaland.
- Cross into Konyak country at Longwa, where the chief's house straddles India and Myanmar.
- End in the floodplains of Kaziranga and Manas — a wildlife counterpoint to the hills.
Itinerary highlights
- Benreu Village
- Mt. Pauna Trek
- Khonoma Green Village
- Sekrenyi Festival
- Kohima
- Dzukou Valley
- Touphema Tourist Village
- Ungma Village
- Longkhum Village
- Mopungchuket
- Tuensang
- Noklak
- Mon
- Longwa
- Shangnyu
- Chui
- Jorhat
- Kaziranga National Park
- Manas National Park
- Barpeta Holi Festival
Cultural highlights
- Khonoma — Asia's first Green Village and an Angami warrior stronghold
- Touphema heritage huts and Angami foodways
- Ao villages of Ungma, Longkhum and Mopungchuket
- Khiamniungan log-drum houses in Noklak
- Konyak headhunter heritage in Longwa, Shangnyu and Chui
- Barpeta Satra Holi — Vaishnavite spring celebration in Assam
Tribal communities encountered
- Angami
- Ao
- Lotha
- Khiamniungan
- Konyak
- Zeliang
Wildlife & nature
- Kaziranga National Park — one-horned rhinoceros, swamp deer, tigers
- Manas National Park — UNESCO site, golden langur, pygmy hog
- Dzukou Valley alpine flora
- Birding around Benreu and the Barail foothills
Photography opportunities
- Konyak elders with facial tattoos and brass headhunter pendants
- Sekrenyi ritual portraits in Angami villages
- Dzukou Valley in bloom
- Aerial-style ridge drives between Tuensang, Noklak and Mon
- Riverine landscapes of Kaziranga at dawn
Festival experiences
- Sekrenyi (Angami, Feb)
- Aoleang (Konyak, Apr)
- Barpeta Holi (Mar)
Day-wise itinerary
Days 1–2
Guwahati to Benreu
Arrive in Assam and journey into the Zeliang hills on this Nagaland tribal tour, where mist-clad ridges and bamboo groves mark the transition from plains to Nagaland's southern tribal heartland.
Days 3–4
Mt. Pauna & Benreu Village
Trek through alpine meadows to Mt. Pauna and settle into Benreu on this Nagaland cultural tour, a hilltop village celebrated for panoramic Himalayan views and deeply rooted Zeliang cultural traditions.
Days 5–6
Khonoma & Dzukou Valley
Walk Khonoma's pioneering terraced fields, an enduring model of sustainable Angami agriculture, then ascend into Dzukou Valley on this unforgettable Dzukou Valley trek through sweeping grasslands alive with seasonal wildflowers and mountain silence.
Day 7
Kohima & Sekrenyi
Join the Angami community during Sekrenyi purification ceremonies — a rare window into Naga spiritual life on this Nagaland tribal tour, marked by ritual song, traditional dance and communal feasting.
Days 8–9
Touphema & Ungma
Experience Angami heritage architecture in Touphema before driving north to Ungma, the ancient Ao village that anchors Nagaland's eastern tribal identity on this immersive Nagaland cultural tour.
Days 10–11
Longkhum & Mopungchuket
Discover stone megaliths and vibrant weaving traditions in Longkhum and Mopungchuket, two of the most culturally intact Ao settlements that have preserved their heritage for generations on this Nagaland tribal tour.
Days 12–13
Tuensang & Noklak
Cross the eastern ridges into Khiamniungan territory, staying in Noklak beneath towering log-drum houses and discovering the resilience of life on this remote frontier of Northeast India.
Days 14–16
Mon, Longwa, Shangnyu, Chui
Enter Konyak country at Longwa on this Konyak tribe expedition, where the chief's house spans the India–Myanmar border, and spend time with tattooed elders in Shangnyu and Chui.
Days 17–18
Jorhat & Kaziranga
Descend from Nagaland's forested hills into Assam's wide Brahmaputra floodplains for a Kaziranga National Park safari through celebrated rhino-grassland ecosystems, rich with wildlife and birdlife.
Days 19–20
Manas National Park
Explore Manas National Park, a UNESCO-listed riverine wilderness home to golden langurs, wild elephants and some of India's most pristine subtropical forest on the Bhutan border.
Day 21
Barpeta Holi & departure
Celebrate Holi at Barpeta Satra, a centuries-old Vaishnavite centre of music and devotion, before departing from Guwahati after a colourful morning of prayer and song on this Northeast India tour.
Responsible travel notes
- Ask before photographing elders, ritual objects and sacred sites.
- Buy directly from village weavers and carvers when possible.
- Carry out all non-biodegradable waste from Dzukou and Mt. Pauna.
- Dress modestly when visiting morungs, churches and satras.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to do this expedition?
- Late October to April. Sekrenyi falls in late February; the Hornbill Festival window in early December is an alternative anchor.
- What permits are required?
- Indian citizens need an Inner Line Permit for Nagaland; foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit. We handle both.
- How physical is the trip?
- Moderate. Expect long mountain drives and two light-to-moderate treks (Mt. Pauna and Dzukou Valley).
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Travel with us
Living Roots Expeditions designs each journey with handpicked village hosts, local guides and ethical partners.
Email us at hello@livingrootsexpeditions.com