Nagaland and Kaziranga National Park Tour

Welcome to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, where our representative will assist and escort you by air-conditioned car to the pre-booked hotel. During check-in, all required documents related to the tour will be handed over to you, and you will receive a detailed travel briefing with assistance for any queries concerning the tour and services. Kolkata, the Gateway to Eastern India, grew from mangrove swamps around the Hooghly River, with shipping playing an important role in its history. The wider region is also known for Vishnupur's 17th and 18th-century terracotta temples, classical music, the Bankura horse, Belur Math and Dakshineshwar Temple. The evening is free for visiting the local market, rest and relaxation. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive to the airport to board the scheduled flight for Dimapur. On arrival, drive to Khonoma Village, home to the Western Angami tribes. Khonoma is known for its community-based village life and its distinctive agricultural landscape carved into the surrounding hills. The drive introduces you to the tribal character of Nagaland before reaching the village. On arrival, settle into the village homestay and spend the evening at leisure for relaxation and individual activities. Dinner and overnight at the village homestay.

After breakfast, explore Khonoma Village on foot and get an insight into traditional local agricultural methods. The village is known for its fallow management of Adler trees and its impressive terraces carved into the hill slopes, where more than 40 varieties of paddy are grown at different elevations. Further afield is the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Trogopan Sanctuary (KNCTS), part of the Khonoma Green Village Project and managed by the Village Tourism Board as a community-conserved area. The project works to protect the Blyth's Tragopan, an endangered pheasant of the state, along with other endemic, endangered, vulnerable and rare plants and animals. In the afternoon, participate in the local game of Kene and join your hosts for a cultural gathering. Dinner and overnight at the village homestay.

After breakfast, check out and explore Khonoma Village on foot, with morning being the best time to encounter the villagers as they go about their daily activities. Afterwards drive towards Jakhama Village, en route visiting Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland. Explore the local market, where insects and a variety of food products regarded by the Nagas as delicacies are sold. Visit the Second World War Cemetery and Memorial, associated with the famous Tennis Court Battle, described by many historians as one of the bloodiest battles of the campaign and the point where the Japanese invasion of India was halted. Also visit the Handicraft Emporium and State Museum. Continue to Touphema Village, a northern Angami tribal village resort operated with strong community involvement. Accommodation is in traditional Naga huts with modern toilets. Dinner and overnight at the village resort.

After breakfast, explore Touphema Village and trek to the neighbouring Angami tribal village of Gariphema. The trail involves soft trekking and takes approximately 3.30 hrs to reach the village. On arrival, take a tour of Gariphema and experience its village setting and local way of life. The walk provides an opportunity to observe the surrounding landscape and the communities of the Angami region at a slower pace, away from the main roads. In the evening, enjoy traditional folk songs and dancing, followed by dinner. Overnight at the village resort.

Early morning check out and drive to Longkhum, a village in Mokokchung district and a vanguard village of the Ao tribe during the days of head hunting. According to Ao belief, Longkhum is the resting place of the spirit of a dead soul on its onward journey to paradise. The approach road is lined with cherry trees, making the drive particularly interesting. En route visit Lotha tribal villages and Wokha Market, home of the Lotha tribe. Longkhum is strategically located at an altitude of 1,846 m, and on a clear day the snow ranges of distant Arunachal Pradesh can be seen. Rhododendrons bloom here during February and March. Locally made handicrafts and handloom items can also be purchased. Dinner and overnight at the village homestay.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Jorhat, en route visiting Ungma Village and Mokokchung Bazar. Enjoy a picnic around the foothills of Nagaland near the border with Assam before crossing into Assam and continuing to Jorhat, a major hub of the tea industry. The region is known for its historic Raj-era tea bungalows, and staying in one of these heritage properties within a tea garden offers an opportunity to experience the setting once associated with British tea planters. Dinner and overnight stay at the selected homestay, according to your accommodation preference.

Today proceed towards Neemati Ghat, where you will take a shared ferry across the mighty Brahmaputra River to Majauli, one of the biggest river islands in the world and an important centre of Assamese culture. Explore the island and its role as a centre of Vaishnava culture in Assam. The great 15th-century Assamese reformer and saint Shankardeva came here and established satras, or Vaishnavite monasteries, to promote culture and religion. Visit these satras and interact with the monks and local people. In the afternoon visit a Mishing tribal village. The Mishing tribes migrated from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh and settled around the island's outer rim and near rivers and water bodies. They are skilled fishermen and are known for navigating the ever-changing sandbanks of the Brahmaputra. Return to Jorhat in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the bamboo hut.

After breakfast, transfer to Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spread over approximately 858 sq. kms across the floodplains on both sides of the Brahmaputra. The park is home to two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceros and is divided into five ranges: Central, with entry at Kohora; Western, at Bagori; Eastern, at Agratoli; Western-most Burha Pahar, at Ghorakati; and Northern. The first four ranges lie south of the river, while the Northern Range is on the northern bank. Kaziranga is also home to nine of the 14 primate species found across Northeast India, the purest breed of Asiatic water buffalo and one of the largest herds of Asian elephants. In the evening, visit a Tea Garden, Orchid Garden and Coffee Garden. Dinner and overnight at Kaziranga.

Early morning at around 5 AM, proceed for an Elephant Safari, subject to availability, offering an early opportunity to explore the park's grasslands and wildlife habitat. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards proceed for a Jeep Safari in the Central Range of Kaziranga National Park. The Central Range, accessed from Kohora, is one of the principal safari areas of the park and provides opportunities to explore its varied landscape and observe its wildlife. The remainder of the evening is free for relaxation at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

Early morning, an additional Elephant Ride in Kaziranga National Park can be arranged at extra cost, subject to availability. After breakfast, transfer to Shillong. En route visit the holy Maa Kamakhya Temple, one of the important Hindu pilgrimage sites of Assam, and later enjoy the scenic setting of Umiam Lake near Barapani. On arrival in Shillong, check into the hotel. The city derives its name from Leishyllong, described as the Superpower or God believed to reside on Shillong Peak overlooking the city. Meghalaya was also historically referred to as the Scotland of the East because of the perceived similarity of its landscape to the Scottish Highlands. Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, drive to Cherrapunjee, situated at approximately 1,300 m, and explore its surrounding areas of cool springs, dense green forests, mountain streams and waterfalls plunging into deep gorges. During the monsoon months, the clouds lift over the valley for fleeting views of the landscape. Cherrapunjee is renowned for its exceptional rainfall and dramatic monsoon landscape. Explore the Mawsmai and Mawmluh Caves, described as the longest limestone caves in India and formed over approximately 3,500 years, making them a destination for cavers and adventure enthusiasts. Other attractions include Cherrapunjee View Point, Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sister Falls and Eco Park. Return to Shillong. Dinner and overnight at Shillong.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive to Guwahati. On arrival, transfer to the hotel and, after refreshment, take a sightseeing tour of the city. Visit the Kamakhya Temple, one of Assam's best-known Hindu pilgrimage sites, followed by the Umananda Temple, located on Umananda Island in the Brahmaputra, and the Navagraha Temple, associated with the nine celestial bodies of Hindu tradition and its astronomical character. In the evening, the time is free for visiting the local market and exploring the city at leisure. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, transfer to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, to board the scheduled flight for Kolkata. On arrival, take the connecting flight for your onward journey or hometown. On departure, the tour concludes with happy memories.