Imphal is the capital of Manipur, nestled in the lap of an oval shaped valley. Traditionally it is believed that this place was founded in the 3^rd century BC, making it one of the oldest state capitals of India.

The Name Imphal is derived from the word 'YUMPHAM' meaning homestead this beautiful capital boasts of picturesque surroundings of green hills, crystal blue lakes and gushing mountain springs. In fact, the Loktak Lake which is Manipur's largest fresh-water lake, is located near Imphal and presents a beautiful sight to the tourists. Imphal is also important from the religious point of view as it houses quite a few well known temples prominent of these being the Vishnu Temple and the Shri Govindaji temple. Not- only this, Imphal also offer a numbers of other interesting destinations like Jengnoupal, Ukhrue, Thanga, Karag islets, the Konghampal orchidarium etc., which have lot of potential to attract large number of tourists.

This capital can be easily approached by road from Dimapur in Nagaland and by air either from Calcutta of Guwahati.

This is the golden temple of Imphal, which is an important Vaishnavait centre. This temple is dedicated is Lord Krishna also popularly called 'Govinda'.

Shri Govindaji temple is the house of four deities, who are actually common forms of the one and only- Lord Vishnu, Preserver of the Hindu trinity. Inside this temple a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu is placed, with those of Balaram and Krishna on one side, and of Lord Jagannath on the other side. Prayers and dances on the Krishna theme are held here regularly.

Structurally, this temple consists of two golden ceremonial domes and a huge raised hall. It is situated in the heart of the town adjoining an old palace, and is highly revered by the people of Manipur.

Langthaband: Langthabnand is an historic palace situated on the Indo-Burma road, in the hilly terrenes of Imphal. This ancient palace is nestled among formally planted pine and jack fruit trees and also houses a number of house and temples. Over looking the University of Imphal, this place is located at a distance of 8 km., from it.

Bishnupur is a quaint town situated at the foot of a hill, to the south west of Imphal. This town has been named after a famous and historical temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This Vishnu temple was in this town in the 15 century by King Kiyamba.

Architecturally, this temple has lot of significance since it is belived to have been influenced by the Chinese. This is evident from the fact that very thin bricks were used in its construction.

Bishnupur is also well known for its stoneware industry and is located at a distance of 27 Km. from Imphal.

Loktak Lake: Loktak lake is Manipur largest fresh water lake thickly covered with weeds and situated amidst picturesque surroundings. This lake also encompasses two beautiful islets known as Thanga and Karang. Tourists visit this place to have boat trips to either of these two islets, which in itself proves to be a wonderful experience Para Loktak lake is situated is the Bishnupur sub- division of Manipur.

Khwairambani Bazar: This bazar is also popularly known as the Ima market or Nupi Keithel. It is probably the largest womens market in India wheres as many as 3000 women are assemble and run the bazar. It is believed that the Ima Goddess supervises these women, hence the name Ima Market.

A wide range of products are available in this market, most famous of them being the handicraft and handloom goods besides these cosmetics, jeweller, fish, fruits vegetables and other foods stuffs are also easily available here. The women here pride themselves on serving only the best quality of fruits or vegetables and don’t believe in bargaining. Infact, they get offended if done so, or if somebody tries to pick through these foodstuffs.

The way the women run and maintain this market represents a form of family work-sharing where in the younger women stay at home to look after the family while the older women and grandmothers come to the market.

Khairamband bazar offers excellent opportunity to shop to heart's content and is definitely worth a visit.

Moirang is an important town located near Imphal, which holds lot of cultural as well as historical significance. The Manipuri folk–culture has flourished here since ancient times. This place is renowned for a traditional Manipuri folk dance form, which is believed to have been inspired by an ancient story love of two lovers Vhambha and Jhoibi. An old temple dedicated to the forest god Thankgjing, is situated here which houses garments of the 12^th centruy Moirang Kings.

This place was also an important centre during the World War II as it served as the head quarter of the Indian National Army (INA) for a brief period. It is believed that the Congress flag was raised hare as a symbol of national independence April 12th 1944. An INA war memorial and a war misery are also built here Moirang is situated at a distance of 45 km. from Imphal.

New Churachandpur: This is the local market near Imphal, which is dominated by the population of the Kuki tribe. This market is famous for its attractive handicrafts made by these tribal people.

New Churachandpur is also an ideal place for those who want to relax in a serene surrounding and enjoy nature. This place is at a distance of 59 km. from Imphal.

Koina is an important pilgrimage centre for the Hindus in the shape of a hillock, which stands at a height of 1000 feet above sea- land. This place has a temple dedicated to Shri Govindaji. It is believed that the Maharaja of Manipur Jai Singh who was a disciple of Shri Govindaji had a dream where in the Lord appeared and requested him to build a temple enshrining an image carved out of a jack fruit tree. Thus the temple got constructed and this famous dream is enacted in many ceremonial dances.

Koina is located at a distance of 29 km. from Imphal.

Ukhrul is the highest hill resort of Manipur, which is located amidst picturesque surroundings. The hills surrounding Ukhrul are popularly called Siroi Hills where a type of land lily grows in abundance. This lily gets its name from these hills and is hence called 'Siroi Lily'. Ukhrul is quite famous for these lilies, and is situated at a distance of 72 km. from Imphal.

Tengnoupal: Tengnoupal is a popular spot in Manipur, which is also the highest point on the Imphal Jamu road. This place gives a spectacular view of the entire valley of Manipur and presents a very beautiful sight. It is located at a distance of about 75 Km. from Imphal.

Konghampat Orchidarium: This is a well-known museum of Manipur where over 300 species of orchids are preserved, including the rare ones. Orchids are among the world’s most beautiful and exotic flowers and this Orchidarium is the only one of its kinds in Manipur. It is situated at distance of 7 Km. from Imphal along the National Highway 39.