Region

Imphal Valley

Base yourself in Imphal city and explore the valley's lakes, national park and villages on day trips. 3–4 nights cover the core sights.

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Key facts · India

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Imphal Valley is the cultural and geographic heart of Manipur, known for the floating Loktak Lake, the world's only floating national park (Keibul Lamjao), and the traditional villages of Thanga, Andro and Moirang. The valley is compact — most sights are within an hour of Imphal — so you can sleep in one place and day-trip.

Where to sleep

1 place in this region

ImphalCity guide
The only city with hotels, restaurants and flight connections. All day trips start from here.
Best Feb–Mar, Oct–Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Imphal →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Day 1: Imphal city (war cemeteries, Ima Keithel market, Kangla Fort). Day 2: Loktak Lake + Keibul Lamjao National Park. Day 3: Thanga village + Andro village.
4 nights: Add Moirang (INA museum) or Kakching on day 4.

The Protected Area Permit (PAP) is mandatory for foreign nationals. Apply at least 2–3 weeks before travel.
Roads in the valley are narrow and can be congested; hire a car with a driver for day trips.
Loktak Lake boat safaris depend on weather; check conditions the day before.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Keibul Lamjao National Park	Imphal	75 min	unknown	Boat safari on the floating park; best in the morning. Check park opening days.
Thanga	Imphal	60 min	unknown	Island village on Loktak Lake; homestays and boat rides.
Moirang	Imphal	60 min	unknown	INA Museum and the temple of Lord Thangjing.
Andro	Imphal	45 min	unknown	Traditional pottery village and the Andro Cultural Complex.
Kakching	Imphal	50 min	unknown	Temple town with the Shri Govindajee Temple and local markets.
Bishnupur	Imphal	55 min	unknown	Old capital with the Vishnu Temple and the Bishnupur Fort ruins.
Lamphelpat	Imphal	25 min	unknown	Wetland and bird sanctuary; half-day trip.
Porompat	Imphal	20 min	unknown	Historic town with the Manipur State Museum annex.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding is not available in Imphal Valley. Carry your bags; taxis and buses have limited space.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Imphal	ok	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Imphal ValleyCentral Manipur, 790 m elevation	cool	cool	ok	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	cool	cool

ok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Imphal Valley: Summer (Apr–May) reaches 32 °C (90 °F); monsoon (Jun–Sep) brings heavy rain and occasional landslides. Winter (Dec–Feb) is dry and cool, 4–20 °C (39–68 °F).Summer (Apr–May) reaches 90 °F (32 °C); monsoon (Jun–Sep) brings heavy rain and occasional landslides. Winter (Dec–Feb) is dry and cool, 39–68 °F (4–20 °C).

The best months are October–March: dry, clear and comfortable. Monsoon can disrupt road travel.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Imphal International Airport (IMF)	Imphal city centre	Taxi or pre-paid cab	~20 min	Flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Silchar. The airport is 8 km (5 mi) from the city.Flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Silchar. The airport is 5 mi (8 km) from the city.
Guwahati	Imphal	Bus or shared taxi via NH 37	~8 h	Buses leave from Guwahati's ISBT; overnight buses available. The road passes through Nagaland.
Dimapur (Nagaland)	Imphal	Bus or shared taxi	~5 h	Dimapur has the nearest railhead with connections to Guwahati and Delhi.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Protected Area Permit (PAP)

buy

Mandatory for foreign nationals. Apply online via the FRRO portal or get it on arrival at Imphal Airport. Allow 2–3 weeks.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Eromba	Imphal city restaurants	A fermented fish and vegetable stew; the staple of Manipuri cuisine. Spicy.
Singju	Imphal city restaurants	A salad of shredded vegetables, herbs and fermented fish; often served as a side.
Chamthong	Imphal city restaurants	A vegetable and fish stew with ginger and chilli; mild and comforting.
Kangshoi	Imphal city restaurants	A broth of seasonal vegetables and fish; eaten with rice.
Morok Metpa	Imphal city restaurants	A chilli chutney made with roasted green chillies and fermented fish.

Go next

Explore Manipur

planned

Road from Imphal

The state has more to see: the Dzükou Valley, Ukhrul and the border towns.

Nagaland

Road via Dimapur

The Hornbill Festival in Kohima (December) is a major draw.

Mizoram

Road via Aizawl

A scenic drive through the hills; permits required.

Assam Hills

Road via Silchar

Tea gardens and wildlife in the Barak Valley.

North-Eastern India

Various

A broader trip covering the seven sisters.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 8, 20 min to 1 h 15
Nights suggested: 3–4 nights
Ways in: 3 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Manipur Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialManipur Tourism
officialImphal Airport
officialFRRO – Protected Area Permit
secondaryWikivoyage: Imphal Valley, revision 5210681 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Imphal Valley

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