Region

Manipur

Base yourself in Imphal Valley (2–3 nights); use it for Loktak Lake and cultural sites, then take day‑trips to the hills (Ukhrul, Chandel).

Explore Imphal Valley Plan a trip

More: share, save offline, report a correction

Key facts · India

Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov
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.

Manipur is a state of contrasts: the flat Imphal Valley holds the world's only floating national park, an ancient polo ground, and a market run entirely by women; the surrounding hills (Ukhrul, Chandel) offer trekking and rare flora. The 2023 ethnic clashes have calmed but check current travel advisories before planning a hill trip.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

ImphalCity guide
Main hub for flights, buses and permits; 2–3 nights recommended.
Best Feb–Mar, Oct–Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Imphal →

Day trip

UkhrulCity guide
Sirohi National Park (Shirui lily); road may be slow in monsoon.
Best May, Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ukhrul →
MoirangCity guide
Boat rides from Thanga jetty to Loktak Lake's floating phumdis.
Best Oct–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Moirang →

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: Imphal 3 – day 1: Imphal Polo Ground, Ima Keithel; day 2: Loktak Lake & Keibul Lamjao; day 3: Moirang or Ukhrul day-trip.
5 nights: Imphal 3 + Ukhrul 2 – add a night in Ukhrul for Sirohi National Park and hill trekking.

Curfews and restrictions continue in parts of Manipur following violent ethnic clashes that broke out in 2023. Intermittent violence continues, including during May to July 2025. Many countries advise against all or all non-essential travel to Manipur.
Hill districts (Ukhrul, Chandel) may have roadblocks and extortion by tribal militias – visit only with good local information.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Ukhrul hills	Imphal	180 min	unknown	Road may be slow in monsoon; check local conditions.
Moirang (Thanga island)	Imphal	120 min	unknown	Boat rides from Thanga jetty to phumdi islands.

Bags between cities

check

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
Ukhrul	go	go	go	ok	go	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Moirang	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	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 plain	cool	cool	ok	best	best	wet	wet	wet	storm	best	best	cool
Hill districtsUkhrul, Chandel, etc.	cool	cool	ok	best	best	wet	wet	wet	storm	best	best	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greywet: daily rainstorm: typhoon or flood risk

Imphal Valley: Cooler, dry season Oct–Mar; monsoon June–Sept can disrupt road travel.
Hill districts: Cooler year-round; heavy rain June–Sept, landslides possible.

Best months Oct–Mar are also the peak for festivals (Lai Haraoba, Manipur Sangai Festival).

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Imphal Airport (IMF)	Imphal city	Taxi or pre-booked car	~15 min door	Air India flies from Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata; IndiGo from major metros (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, etc.).
Assam (Jiribam Highway)	Imphal	Road (NH 37)	~4 h door	Main entry from west; ILP counter at Mao Gate.
Nagaland (Dimapur Highway)	Imphal	Road (NH 29)	~5 h door	Daily bus from Kohima departs 07:30 AM; no advance booking.Daily bus from Kohima departs 7:30 AM AM; no advance booking.
Jiribam railway station	Imphal	Taxi or bus	~3 h door	Jiribam is the only railhead in Manipur; connects to the national network.

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
Chamthong (vegetable stew with ngari)	Imphal Valley	Soupy, eaten with rice; check for fish stock.
Eromba (mashed vegetables with chillies and ngari)	Imphal Valley	Spicy, fermented fish flavour; check for fish.
Singju (salad with ngari and seasonal vegetables)	Imphal Valley	Crunchy, tangy; check for fish.
Pork dishes (tribal cuisine)	Hill districts	Common among Naga and Kuki communities; check availability.
Pineapple and orange juices	Statewide	Manipur is a major producer; fruit festivals popular.

Go next

North-Eastern India region guide

Explore Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, etc.

Region overview.

Travel to India

Overview of visas, entry, and main routes.

Country guide.

Imphal Valley guide

planned

Detailed itinerary for the valley.

Planned.

Manipur Hills travel guide

planned

Focus on Ukhrul, Chandel and hill trekking.

Planned.

Assam region guide

planned

Neighbouring state with tea gardens and wildlife.

Region guide.

Mizoram travel guide

Southern neighbour with hill towns.

Region guide.

Nagaland travel guide

Northern neighbour with Hornbill Festival.

Region guide.

Meghalaya travel guide

planned

Western neighbour with living root bridges.

Region guide.

Visit Arunachal Pradesh

Eastern neighbour with monasteries.

Region guide.

Visit Tripura

Southern neighbour with palaces.

Region guide.

Show all 10 placesShow fewer

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: 2, 2 h to 3 h
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Oct, Nov (all zones)

Going in…

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

Pick a month.

Explore Imphal Valley Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialManipur government official site
secondaryWikivoyage: Manipur, revision 5335270 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Manipur

Loading…

Was this useful?