Photography · location

Photography Guide to Manali

Pine forests, Beas river, snow peaks and old wooden temples — a shooter's playground

October–March (clear skies, snow), May–June (blooms)Sunrise 05:45–06:30 · Sunset 17:30–18:30 · Blue hour: 30 min post-sunset
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Overview

Manali offers a full range of subjects within 30 km — alpine snow at Rohtang, deodar forests at Old Manali, riverscapes on the Beas, and heritage architecture at Hadimba and Manu temples. Ideal for landscape, travel and street photography year-round.

Weather & timing

Best season

October–March (clear skies, snow), May–June (blooms)

Best time of day

Sunrise 05:45–06:30 · Sunset 17:30–18:30 · Blue hour: 30 min post-sunset

Weather notes

Winter −5 to 12°C · Summer 12–28°C · Monsoon: haze, avoid Jul–Aug for landscapes

Camera settings

ScenarioISOApertureShutter

Snowy peaks at sunrise

+1 EV to keep snow white

100f/81/125

Deodar forest interior

Tripod recommended

400f/41/60

Beas river long exposure

6-stop ND + tripod

100f/112–6s

Hadimba Temple low light

800f/2.81/80

Spots & GPS map

Solang Valley viewpoint

32.3167°N, 77.1553°E

Best: Sunrise

Snow peaks + paragliders

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Hadimba Devi Temple

32.2492°N, 77.1849°E

Best: Golden hour

Cedar canopy backlight

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Old Manali bridge & river

32.2571°N, 77.1815°E

Best: Late afternoon

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Rohtang Pass (May–Oct)

32.3717°N, 77.2467°E

Best: 07:00–09:00

Permit required

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Jogini Falls

32.2603°N, 77.1974°E

Best: 10:00–14:00

Direct light hits falls

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Naggar Castle terrace

32.1178°N, 77.1747°E

Best: Sunset

Valley panorama

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Pro tips

  • Shoot Rohtang before 09:00 — clouds build after
  • Old Manali cafes offer rooftop street angles
  • Keep gear in ziplocks when moving from cold outdoors to warm rooms (condensation)

Permits & rules

  • Rohtang Pass: online permit via rohtangpermits.nic.in — ₹550/vehicle, closed Tuesdays

FAQs

Are drones allowed in Manali?

Recreational drones need DGCA registration + Digital Sky permission. Rohtang, Solang and army areas are no-fly zones.

Best month for snow photography in Manali?

Late December to mid-February — reliable snow at Solang and Old Manali, clear post-storm skies.