Manipur · India
Imphal travel guide
Imphal is a city in Manipur, India, home to about 268,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- IMF9 km · Bir Tikendrajit International Airport
- Currency
- INRIndian rupee
- Time zone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Language
- English, Hindi
About
About Imphal
Imphal (UK: IM-fahl, US: IMP-hul; Meitei: [impʰal]) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a moat.
With an average elevation of nearly 800 m, Imphal has a cooler and more pleasant climate than most places of India. It can drop below freezing in the winter. The summers are much wetter and more humid with the monsoon rains at their peak in June and July. October is an ideal time to visit as the rains turn the whole town a lush green. Some tourists pass straight through but it's worth staying a day, if only to see Kangla fort, buy supplies and recover from long bus rides.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Imphal
See
- Manipur State Museum
- Kangla Fort
- Ema Panthoibi Shanglen
Do
- Khongjom War Memorial
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Imphal
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Grande,a Member of Radisson | 0.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Imphal
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Imphal are November to March. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; June is the wettest, with about 289 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Imphal: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bir Tikendrajit International Airport (IMF), about 8.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Silchar Airport (IXS, 99 km) and Dimapur Airport (DMU, 120 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Imphal city is one of the most important cities in India, and is to be the most important city in eastern side of India, as the "Imphal-Mandalay-Bangkok" Route of 1,813 km is being constructed to enable Indian trade (focusing on Imphal) with Myanmar (focusing on Mandalay), Thailand (focusing on Bangkok) and other ASEAN nations.
Getting around
Minivans take common routes around the city and to neighbouring villages, tuk tuks are common and should cost ₹10-20 for short trips (though they frequently ask ₹100).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
IMF · Bir Tikendrajit International Airport
IXS · Silchar Airport
DMU · Dimapur Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Imphal
Eat
Preparations of bamboo shoots are delicacies here, along with other common dishes of northeastern India. Try out the local variety of hot chilly (locally known as "Umorok"). There are many budget restaurants in Imphal, most of which are near the bus stop.
Drink
Alcohol is banned but you can still buy some of you ask hotel staff or in some small restaurants behind the polo ground in an alley. Don't hang out there at night. You pay double the list price.
Stay safe
For over 30 years Manipur has been and is being affected by internal and international armed conflict. Imphal city is safe for travellers but it becomes dangerous to venture out on the outskirts and in the rural and mountainous areas surrounding the city; especially at night. Police may forcibly send you back to the centre of the city if you venture or try to hitchhike in these areas. The presence of "underground groups" (A mix of activists, rebels, Mafia, drug traffickers and terrorists) is large here and though tourists are generally safe you should avoid involvement and walk away if anything strange is happening.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Imphal: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Imphal?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Imphal are November to March. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; June is the wettest, with about 289 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Imphal?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bir Tikendrajit International Airport (IMF), about 8.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Silchar Airport (IXS, 99 km) and Dimapur Airport (DMU, 120 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Imphal?
Indian rupee (INR).
Nearby
Destinations near Imphal
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.