The main façade, the gateways and the lawns in front.
Mysore Palace grounds
Karnataka Tourism lists the palace at 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM with last entry at 5:00 PM, says photography inside is not permitted, and says the exterior, gardens and grounds can be photographed freely. The Mysore Palace Board's notice board calls the palace a no-drone area, and the Board closes entry at set hours on Dasara ritual days; its 2026 notice lists closures on 5, 11, 20 and 21 October and 19 November. Whether an organised shoot on the grounds needs written permission is the Board's decision, so ask its office before planning. The façade faces the morning, so the useful hour is early.
Sources: Karnataka Tourism: Mysuru Palace, updated 15 October 2026; Mysore Palace Board: notice board; Mysore Palace Board: palace entry closures for Dasara 2026. Checked 16 October 2026.
The steps up the hill, the Nandi statue, the view back over the city.
Chamundi Hills
A working temple hill, so dress, footwear and behaviour follow the temple rather than the shoot. Sunrise is the time: the city is still hazy below and the steps are quieter. Keep the crew small near the shrine. The Mysuru district administration's 2021 drone-zone proposal put the Chamundeshwari Temple in a yellow zone, where any flight needs air traffic control permission, so plan the morning without an aerial.
Sources: Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru District: proposed red, yellow and green drone zones, letter dated 16 September 2021; Press Information Bureau: The Drone Rules, 2021, published 28 January 2022. Checked 16 October 2026.
Terraced gardens and fountains below the Krishnarajasagar dam.
Brindavan Gardens, KRS
Karnataka Tourism lists the gardens at 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM, tickets at ₹50 for adults and ₹100 for foreign nationals, ₹20 for a still camera and ₹100 for a video camera, with the light show from 6:30 PM. A camera ticket is not shoot permission, so confirm an organised shoot with the garden management before planning. Early morning, before the evening crowd, is the quiet window, and a drone beside a dam is not something to improvise.
Source: Karnataka Tourism: Brindavan Gardens, updated 15 October 2026. Checked 16 October 2026.
The white palace at the foot of Chamundi Hills.
Lalitha Mahal Palace
A hotel, which makes it private property: any shoot there is agreed with the hotel, on its terms, and may be tied to a stay or a booking. Karnataka Tourism notes an entry fee for visitors who are not staying, and we found no published photoshoot rate on 16 October 2026, so ask the hotel for its figure in writing rather than arriving with a crew.
Source: Karnataka Tourism: Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, updated 15 October 2026. Checked 16 October 2026.
Twin spires, long nave, stained glass.
St Philomena's Church
An active church. Shoot the exterior from across the approach road in soft morning light, and ask the church office before photographing inside or during a service.
Lakeside paths, trees and water birds.
Karanji Lake
A calmer option when the heritage sites are crowded. It has entry timings, so confirm them and any camera rules at the gate before planning a sunrise slot.
The star-shaped Keshava temple, and the old island town on the Kaveri.
Somanathapura and Srirangapatna
Karnataka Tourism notes that the Archaeological Survey of India protects the Somanathapura temple, and at ASI monuments still photography is generally allowed while filming needs permission. Srirangapatna has river ghats and old fort walls. Pairing either with Mysuru city in one day means an early start, and the carving reads best in low side light.
Sources: Karnataka Tourism: Somanathapura temple, updated 15 October 2026; Archaeological Survey of India: Monuments. Checked 16 October 2026.