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Major city · India

Imphalꯏꯝꯐꯥꯜ

Give Imphal 2 nights: Kangla Fort, Ima Keithel and the state museum in a day, then use it as a base for the valley. Skip the rural outskirts after dark.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
INR
Best months
Oct–Mar
avoid Jun–Aug (monsoon peak), and national days 26 Jan and 15 Aug for movement outside the centre
Airport
IMF
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
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 is the capital of Manipur, a small city at about 800 m in a valley ringed by hills, and the practical gateway to the state: almost everyone arrives by air, because no railway reaches it yet. Two nights covers Kangla Fort, the women-run Ima Keithel market and the state museum, plus one valley day trip. The city itself is calm; the surrounding hills are not, and travel beyond the valley needs a current check.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Imphal, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealTea (chai) at a stall₹10–20 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,200 (≈ US$6–14)
  • Museum or sight ticketKangla Fort entry₹10 (≈ under US$1) Indians₹50 (≈ under US$1) foreigners
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person₹400 (≈ US$5)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room₹3,000 (≈ US$35)
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room₹7,000 (≈ US$80)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₹1,500 (≈ US$18) · Mid ₹3,500 (≈ US$40) · High ₹8,000 (≈ US$95)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Kangla FortIma Keithel women's marketManipuri polo heritageWorld War II Battle of Imphal sites
Airports
IMF Bir Tikendrajit International Airport (About 8 km south of the centre; prepaid taxi or app cab into town, 20–30 min)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Imphal: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

23°C

5°C

2 rd

Feb

25°C

8°C

4 rd

Mar

28°C

13°C

7 rd

Apr

29°C

16°C

11 rd

May

29°C

19°C

15 rd

Jun

30°C

22°C

19 rd

Jul

30°C

23°C

21 rd

Aug

30°C

22°C

19 rd

Sep

30°C

21°C

15 rd

Oct

29°C

18°C

8 rd

Nov

26°C

12°C

3 rd

Dec

23°C

7°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Minivans run fixed routes around the city and to nearby villages; tuk-tuks are everywhere and a short hop should cost ₹10–20, though drivers often open at ₹100 — agree the fare first. App cabs exist but are thin on the ground. For the valley, hire a car with driver for the day rather than relying on buses.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lamphelpat

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min

Auto or minivan from the centre, short run south-west

Suburban half-day; pair it with the museum rather than making it the whole plan.

Andro

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Car with driver east of Imphal, about 25 km

Village with a pottery tradition and a small heritage site; go in daylight and return before dusk.

Kakching

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Car or bus south through the valley

Valley town; check the road and local situation the day before.

Moirang

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Car south-west, about 45 km

Loktak Lake and the INA museum; a full day, back before dark.

Thoubal

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Car or bus south-east, about 25 km

Khongjom war memorial is out this way; check access first.

Bishnupur, Manipur

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Car south-west along the valley road

Temple town near Loktak; combine with Moirang in one day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Central Imphal (MG Avenue / Paona Bazar)

Walk to Ima Keithel, Paona market and Kangla's west gate; most budget hotels and the bus stop are here.

North AOC

Quieter, mid-range and upmarket hotels, a short auto ride from the centre.

Near Kangla / Thangmeiband

Close to the fort and the state museum; good for a short stay without a car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₹1,200–2,500 (≈ US$14–30) excl. bed
Mid
₹2,500–5,000 (≈ US$30–60) excl. bed
High
₹5,000 (≈ US$60)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid-range hotel1 × 2 nights × ₹3,000₹6,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ₹3,500₹14,000
Car with driver, one valley day1 × ₹3,500 · check₹3,500
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₹900₹1,800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₹2,530
Trip total≈ ₹6,960 per person per day, bed included₹27,830≈ US$350

2026 estimate in rupees; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Tea (chai) at a stall₹10–20 (≈ under US$1)
Thali or rice meal at a budget restaurant₹80–200 (≈ US$1–3)
Bamboo-shoot dish with rice₹150–350 (≈ US$2–4)
Kangla Fort entry₹10 (≈ under US$1) Indians / ₹50 (≈ under US$1) foreigners
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,200 (≈ US$6–14)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Imphal city is calm enough for normal travel; the risk sits outside it. Stay in the valley, be back before dark, avoid national days and elections for rural movement, and treat any road blockade as a reason to change plans, not push through.
  • Manipur has had long-running armed conflict. Imphal city is generally fine for travellers, but the rural and hill areas around it are not; do not go out there at night, and police may turn you back.
  • Risk of violence rises on Indian national days (26 Jan, 15 Aug) and around elections — keep city plans flexible then.
  • Alcohol is officially banned in Manipur. It is sold quietly at inflated prices; buying it is a legal risk, not a bargain.
  • Road access from Nagaland and Assam can be cut by blockades or landslides: confirm the route is open before you commit to a bus.
  • Mobile internet shutdowns have been used in the state; download offline maps and keep cash before you travel.

Emergency numbers

All services (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Police
100
Ambulance
108

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Imphalꯏꯝꯐꯥꯜ

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ꯃꯁꯤꯒꯤ ꯃꯐꯝꯗ ꯄꯨꯕꯤꯌꯨTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112
  • Police100
  • Ambulance108

Embassy

No embassies in Imphal; the nearest consulates and embassies are in Kolkata or New Delhi — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • IMF airport → city centre, taxi: ₹400–700 (≈ US$5–8), 20–30 min
  • Car with driver, valley day: about ₹3,000–4,000 (≈ US$35–50)

Say or show

  • ꯈꯨꯔꯨꯝꯖꯔꯤ — Hello (khurumjari)
  • ꯊꯥꯒꯠꯆꯔꯤ — Thank you (thagatchari)
  • ꯀꯌꯥꯝ ꯐꯤ? — How much is it? (kayam phi)
  • ꯇꯣꯏꯂꯦꯠ ꯀꯗꯥꯏꯗ ꯂꯩ? — Where is the toilet? (toilet kadaida lei)

Meitei (Manipuri) is the local language; English is widely understood in the city.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Imphal. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Mar · avoid Jun–Aug (monsoon peak), and national days 26 Jan and 15 Aug for movement outside the centre · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for IMF: prepaid taxi desk hours, app-cab fallback, first-night rung near MG Avenue.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Kangla and the museum, Ima Keithel and Paona Bazar, North AOC, Thangmeiband.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Kangla Fort, Manipur State Museum, Shree Govindajee Temple, Ima Keithel) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Valley day-trip fixtures with a road-status check and a daylight-return rule, so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to India

Sources