One day in Kohima — the war cemetery, the state museum and the Kisama Heritage Village
The essential day in Kohima: the Kohima War Cemetery, where the Battle of Kohima turned in 1944; the Nagaland State Museum, with the crafts and dress of the state's peoples; and the Kisama Heritage Village, where each of those peoples has its own morung. All three are within 22 minutes of the centre on our routing. Add Khonoma with the two-day plan.
Photos: Shyamal (CC BY-SA 4.0) · PP Yoonus (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Ganesh Mohan T (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
First-time visitors, history readers and anyone with a single day in the capital, best from October to February.
Day by day
Day 1The battle, the peoples and the heritage village
3 stops · 35 min on the road
The battle, the peoples and the heritage village
The city's history in the morning, its peoples in the afternoon.
- 08:30Kohima War CemeteryOn Garrison Hill in the middle of the city, where the 1944 siege was fought across the Deputy Commissioner's tennis court, now marked in white lines. 1,420 Commonwealth burials and a memorial to 917 soldiers who were cremated.
- ↓ 5 min by road · 3 km10:00Nagaland State MuseumOn Bayavü Hill, about 7 minutes away. Sculpture, dress and other artefacts from across Nagaland, run by the Department of Art and Culture since 1970. We have no verified opening hours; ask in the city.
- ↓ 30 min by road · 14 km13:00Kisama Heritage VillageAbout 22 minutes south of the centre: a morung of each of Nagaland's 17 ethnic groups, laid out as an old Naga village, and the venue of the Hornbill Festival every December.
Getting there
Fly or take the train to Dimapur, about 105 minutes below Kohima on our routing, and carry your Inner Line Permit. See how to reach Kohima.
Where to stay
In Kohima. We have no verified lodging or prices; in Hornbill week, book early.
Know before you go
- Indian citizens from outside Nagaland need the Inner Line Permit; the tourist permit is valid for 15 days, applied for online.
- The cemetery is a place of remembrance; keep your voice low and do not walk on the graves.
- Ask before photographing people, homes and morungs.
Places on this route
Going together
No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Other ways to do it
All Kohima itineraries →
More places nearby
All of Kohima →
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Questions people ask
What can I see in Kohima in one day?
The Kohima War Cemetery, 2 minutes from the centre on our routing, the Nagaland State Museum, about 7 minutes away, and the Kisama Heritage Village, about 22 minutes south. That covers the 1944 battle, the crafts of Nagaland's peoples and the morungs of all 17 ethnic groups.
Is the Kisama Heritage Village open outside the Hornbill Festival?
The heritage village stands all year, with its morungs, but we have no verified opening hours or entry rules outside the festival. Ask in Kohima before you go. From 1 to 10 December it is the busy main venue of the Hornbill Festival, with dances, crafts, food and games.
How long should I spend at the Kohima War Cemetery?
About an hour is enough to walk the terraces up Garrison Hill, find the tennis court marked in white lines and read the memorials, including the 2nd British Division's with the Kohima Epitaph. It is close to the centre, so you can return in the evening light if you wish.