Best Photography spots in Spiti Valley

Spiti Trip Packages can guide you to plan your Spti getaway this summer far from the madding crowd to these famous photography spots. Spiti Valley attracts adventurers and explorers from around the globe. For photographers, it presents a canvas of unparalleled beauty waiting to be captured through their lens. In this guide, we will take you through the valleys and peaks of Spiti, uncovering its best spots for photography.

Almost the entire valley of Spiti screams with scenic beauty and picturesque vistas. Wherever you look you will find treasure troves for a photographer.  This unique topography provides an incredible canvas for photographers looking to capture the raw beauty of nature.

One of the most captivating aspects of Spiti Valley is its play of light and shadow. The high-altitude sun casts sharp, well-defined shadows, creating striking contrasts that highlight the valley’s dramatic features. Early mornings and late afternoons, often referred to as the golden hours, are absolutely magical. The soft, warm light during these times adds depth and dimension to photographs, making the landscapes come alive with vibrant hues.

Spiti Valley, with its stark landscapes and Tibetan culture, offers numerous picturesque spots for photography enthusiasts. The high-altitude desert environment is punctuated by deep gorges, crystal-clear rivers, and pristine lakes. Its unique landscapes, ancient monasteries, and rich cultural heritage provide endless opportunities for photographers to capture images that are both breathtaking and deeply evocative. Whether you’re an amateur photographer looking to hone your skills or a seasoned professional in search of new vistas, Spiti Valley offers a canvas that is as challenging as it is rewarding.

Some of the most mesmerising and picturesque photography spots in Spiti Valley are listed below:

• Balari Top, Demul Village

Balari Top is located at an altitude of 4,953 m. This is the highest vantage point and it will offer you a bird’s eye view of the entire valley of Spiti Valley. From the top, you also get to see the surrounding peaks like Kanamo Peak, Chou Chou Kang Nilda Peak, Mount Kuwa, and Shilla Pass. 

This is the best thing to do around Demul Village. From here, you can view all the 18 villages of Spiti Valley, the confluence of Spiti, Pin, and Lingti rivers, Dhankar Gompa and a view that you will never forget.

The trek from Demul Village to Balari Top takes about 3 hours. The ascent is gradual but the long walk can be tiring, but the reward far surpasses the challenges of the trek and is one of the famous photography spots in Spiti Valley.

• Chandratal Lake

Chandratal is the famous magical-looking crescent-shaped lake set situated at an altitude of 4300 m near Kunzum Pass. Chandratal meaning ‘moon lake’ was given this name owing to its unique shape. The best part of the lake is that it keeps changing its colour in tune with the changing rays of the sun.

Chandratal Lake is one of the Best photography spots in Spiti Valley. Its turquoise waters reflect the surrounding mountains, creating a mirror-like effect that is simply mesmerising. The lake, surrounded by meadows of wildflowers, offers a tranquil setting that contrasts beautifully with the ruggedness of the valley.

For those who enjoy night photography, Spiti’s clear skies, free from any light or air pollution, are perfect for capturing the Milky Way and Star gazing in Spiti Valley. The cold desert climate ensures minimal cloud cover, providing ideal conditions for astrophotography. Camping by Chandratal Lake and photographing the night sky is an experience that is etched in the minds of the photographer forever.

• Losar Village

Losar village in Spiti Valley is located adjacent to the Indo-Chinese border at an altitude of 4,085 m above sea level. It is located at the extreme end of the Spiti Valley, which is very similar to Ladakh in appearance. There are magnificent mountains, stunning rivers, and breathtaking vistas in Losar Village that can spellbound any tourist with its unparalleled beauty and one of the photography places to visit in Spiti Valley.

This place is relatively unexplored, with various scenic spots and each has a uniqueness of its own. The ardent travellers, especially the trekkers and photographers love to explore this cold desert, which is surrounded by many natural splendours.

• Key Monastery

Key Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located on a picturesque hilltop at an altitude of 4,166 m, close to the Spiti River, in the Spiti Valley, India. The monastery has the distinction of being the oldest and the biggest in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh and a religious training centre for lamas. Key Monastery is also home to around 300 lamas who receive their religious education here.

These monasteries, perched on cliffs and ridges, offer a glimpse into the region’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Key Monastery, the largest in Spiti, is an architectural marvel with its whitewashed walls and tiered structure that seems to cascade down the mountain. Capturing the monastery against the backdrop of the stark, barren landscape is a sight to behold.

• Dhankar Monastery 

Located at an altitude of 12700 feet, Dhankar Monastery looks impressive from a distance. The monastery is built on a high mountain ridge overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers as they crisscross the valley below.It is believed to have been built in the 1100s by a monk known as Lha-‘od. One can witness a golden glow on the cliff on which Dhankar Monastery is perched and the entire Dhankar Village glows with a soft golden light.It is indeed a sight to behold and one can only believe the mesmerising view when one witnesses it. It just looks ethereal! 

• Langza Village

The small village of Langza is set at the base of Chau Chau Kang Nilda mountain, also known as the Princess Mountain. This pretty little Spitian village is set on two hills and is divided into upper and lower parts. Over the past few years, Langza Village has gained popularity amongst travellers for myriad reasons, one of them being for its rare fossil sightings all around the village.

Situated at an altitude of 4400 m, there was a time when Langza (Spiti) was submerged under the Tethys Sea, some millions of years ago! It provides photographers with idyllic spots for capturing rare scenic beauty in the valleys of Spiti.

• Komic Village

Komic village is situated at a height of 4587 m and is titled as the “Highest Village in the world connected with a motorable road”. 

Komic Village is a very high-altitude village in Spiti Valley and therefore it offers one of the best vantage point for photographic interest. It is a very beautiful place and a heaven for nature and peace lovers. 

One of the few places to enjoy the panoramic view of Spiti Valley and truly experience the Himalayas.

• Kibber Village

A cold desert, situated at a height of 4270 m, Kibber Village is surrounded by picturesque mountains, barren landscapes, and green meadows, it is a mecca for photographers and often is the centre of all tourists because this also serves as a pitstop for everyone visiting Spiti Valley, be it for trekking, Spiti Valley Bike Trip, Spiti Valley Solo Trip, this village has something for everyone.

• Tabo Village

Tabo is a small town located about 50 km from Kaza on the banks of the Spiti River. It lies on the road between Reckong Peo and Kaza, around a monastery that is believed to be over a thousand years old

At an altitude of 3,280 m, Tabo Village has been serving as a pit stop for people travelling to or from Kaza. Apart from its natural beauty and the Tabo Monastery, it is also known for Tabo Caves which is located just above the monastery in the hills. The Tabo Monastery and the Tabo Caves along with the many apple orchards dotted along the village, provide ample subject to photographers and is one of the Top photography spots in Spiti Valley.

• Nako Village

A truly unique getaway in Spiti Valley, Nako Village is another scenic remote village which has a mesmerising Lake in the midst of the Village by the same name, Nako Lake. Flanked by willow and poplar trees it, it is an idyllic Photography Spot in Spiti Valley and definitely worth a visit if you want to capture some of the rarest nature trails in Spiti Valley.