Places to Visit in Sonamarg: Thajiwas, Zero Point, Zoji La, Weather and Taxi Rates (2026-27)

The places worth your time in Sonamarg

Sonamarg means "meadow of gold". It sits at about 2,730 m on the Sindh river in Ganderbal district, the last town before the road climbs over Zoji La into Ladakh. For most visitors it is a day of meadows, a walk or pony ride to the Thajiwas Glacier, and a drive towards Zero Point for snow. For trekkers it is the start of the high lakes. Since the Z-Morh tunnel opened in January 2025, it is also a winter trip.

Getting to Sonamarg from Srinagar

Sonamarg is about 80 to 87 km from Srinagar, a drive of under three hours. The road runs north-east through Ganderbal district and up the Sindh valley, and from Gagangir it goes through the Z-Morh tunnel into Sonamarg. For much of the way the road follows the Sindh river up its valley.

• By taxi: the easiest way, and it works well as a day trip. Your Srinagar taxi can drop you in Sonamarg, but trips on to Zero Point and Baltal are done by local union taxis.
• By shared taxi: cheaper and slower, changing at Kangan, for about ₹150 to ₹200 a person.
• Entry fee: the Sonamarg Development Authority charges a fixed entry fee per vehicle, not per person: ₹50 for taxis and tourist vehicles, ₹30 for private cars and ₹100 for minibuses. It was made uniform in January 2026 to stop overcharging, so ask for the receipt.

Flights, trains and the highway into the valley are covered in our guide on how to reach Kashmir.

The Z-Morh tunnel changed Sonamarg

Until 2025, Sonamarg closed for months each winter when snow buried the road. On 13 January 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Z-Morh tunnel, also called the Sonamarg tunnel: 6.5 km long, 12.55 km with its approach roads, running from Gagangir to Sonamarg. It keeps Sonamarg reachable through the winter, and visitors came almost at once: Sonamarg had 56,010 visitors in January 2025 alone.

The tunnel only takes you to Sonamarg. Beyond it, the road over Zoji La to Ladakh is a separate question, and a second, much longer Zojila tunnel is still being built (see below).

Reaching Sonamarg from Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere

There is no airport or railway station in Sonamarg. Fly or take the train to Srinagar first: flights land at Srinagar airport from most Indian cities, and the Vande Bharat trains now run from Katra and Jammu to Srinagar. From Srinagar, Sonamarg is a road trip of under three hours, so you can land in the morning and still see Sonamarg the next day after a night in the city at lower altitude.

The train, with timings and fares, is in our guide to the Delhi to Srinagar train.

Is Sonamarg safe to visit now?

Sonamarg is open and receiving visitors. After the attack at Baisaran near Pahalgam on 22 April 2025, 48 of 87 tourist destinations in Kashmir were closed on 29 April 2025. Sonamarg was not named in that list, but Thajiwas and Hung Park appear among the 14 spots reopened in February 2026. The main risks here in 2026 are natural ones: avalanche warnings after heavy snow, the glacier ice, road closures on Zoji La, and altitude.

For the full picture across the valley, see the safety section of our Kashmir travel guide.

Sonamarg taxi union rules and rates

As in Pahalgam and Gulmarg, local sightseeing in Sonamarg is done by local union taxis. Operators and travel sites report that a Srinagar taxi can bring you to Sonamarg, but not on to Zero Point, Baltal and similar spots. We have not found an official order stating this, but plan for it.

Thajiwas Glacier

Thajiwas is the glacier valley just above Sonamarg, and it is what most people come for. From the town it is about 3 km (one tourism page says 7 km), usually 90 minutes to 2 hours each way on foot, or less on a pony. In summer the path goes through meadows and past streams to the glacier's snout; in winter and spring there is snow for sledging, which is sold at the glacier.

• Status: Thajiwas and Hung Park were among the 14 tourist spots reopened in February 2026.
• Ponies: peak-season prices of about ₹700 to ₹1,500 a pony are reported, and ₹600 to ₹800 off season. Posted government rates are said to be lower, so ask to see the board first.
• Stay off the ice: on 2 June 2024 part of the glacier collapsed, killing one labourer; three tourists were rescued. Admire the glacier from the snow and meadow, not from under overhanging ice.

Zero Point and Zoji La

Zoji La is the high pass, about 3,500 m (reported as 11,500 to 11,643 ft), about 15 km beyond Sonamarg on the road to Ladakh. Zero Point, about 24 to 25 km from Sonamarg, is the snow point beyond it that tourists visit, reached by Sonamarg union taxi.

• When it is open: Zoji La has usually closed for part of each winter: in 2025 it closed on 27 February and reopened on 1 April. In the 2025-26 winter, the Border Roads Organisation kept it open through the season for the first time, with only short closures after heavy snow, including a six-day closure that ended on 15 March 2026. Check the J&K Traffic Police advisory the day before.
• The Zojila tunnel: a new tunnel under the pass is being built to keep Ladakh connected all year. Its excavation broke through in June 2026, and completion is targeted for February 2028.
• Altitude: Zero Point is much higher than Srinagar. Spend your first night in Srinagar, go up gradually, and come back down if anyone feels unwell.

Short walks: Sarbal and Table Top

If you have a few hours left after Thajiwas, two short outings stay close to town and away from most of the crowds.

• Sarbal: a village about 2 km from Sonamarg by the Sindh. Cross the market and, just before the road starts to climb towards Zoji La, turn right off the highway.
• Table Top: a flat shoulder on the mountainside with a view over the whole Sonamarg valley, about an hour's walk up. There are bears in the forest here, so go with a local guide.

Beyond Zoji La: Dras and the Kargil War Memorial

When Zoji La is open, a long day from Sonamarg can take you over the pass into Ladakh. Dras, about 60 km from Sonamarg or 2 to 3 hours by road, is often called the coldest inhabited place in India, with winter lows reported around -23°C. It is home to the Kargil War Memorial, built for the soldiers who died in the 1999 Kargil War. It is a long, high drive and entirely dependent on the pass, so plan it only with a spare day and an early start, and check the Zoji La status the evening before.

Baltal and the Amarnath Yatra

Baltal, about 15 km east of Sonamarg, is the base camp for the shorter, 14 km route to the Amarnath cave. In 2026 the yatra ran from 3 July to 28 August. During the yatra, the J&K Traffic Police advised travel in the valley only between 7 am and 6 pm from 2 July to 28 August, and no vehicles from Sonamarg towards Srinagar after 4 pm. If you are visiting Sonamarg in these weeks, leave early and plan to be heading back by mid-afternoon.

The Sindh river, Nilagrad and trout

The Sindh runs about 108 km from the Machoi glacier to the Jhelum at Shadipora, and Sonamarg sits on its upper reaches. Its waters hold brown and rainbow trout.

• Trout fishing: angling needs a J&K Fisheries Department permit; the department's permit page lists ₹1,000 a day for Indian anglers and ₹2,000 for foreigners, but it is old, so check the current fee when you book.
• Rafting: rafting runs on the Sindh, with the longest stretch from Baltal down to the Shutkari bridge. In July and August, high water after rain can stop it, so ask on the day.
• Nilagrad: a stream whose water runs reddish from the minerals in its bed. Local people come to bathe in it on Sundays.

Naranag temples, on the way

Near Kangan, a detour off the Sonamarg road leads to Naranag and the Wangath temple complex: 17 temples from the 8th century, linked to King Lalitaditya and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The site reopened on 20 June 2026 after 14 months, and Naranag is also the starting point of the trek to Gangabal lake, at about 3,576 m, around 15 km away. The annual Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra set off from here on 18 September 2026.

Treks and the high lakes

Sonamarg is the start of the Kashmir Great Lakes trek: about 72 km over 8 days from Shitkadi near Sonamarg to Naranag, crossing Gadsar Pass at about 13,750 ft and passing a chain of alpine lakes. July to September is the season, and a Forest Department permit is needed.

Important for 2026: the Great Lakes routes have stayed closed. Reports in June 2026 described the trekking community asking for them to reopen, and in early September 2026 they were still shut, with some trek operators suspending departures. Separately, the Naranag to Gangabal route was reported reopened in late August 2026. Check the status with the Forest Department or a licensed operator before you book anything.

Sonamarg weather and temperature, month by month

Sonamarg is colder than Pahalgam and Gulmarg for most of the year: summer days are mild and winters are severe, with the average temperature well below freezing from December to February. The wettest months are March and April; June to November is much drier.

These are averages of day and night together, so summer afternoons feel warmer and nights colder. Climate models for Sonamarg differ, and there is no IMD station series for it, so treat them as a guide: the practical point is to bring a warm layer in any month and full winter clothing from November to March.

Sonamarg in winter

Snow usually lies in Sonamarg from about November to April, heaviest in January and February. With the tunnel open, winter Sonamarg has become a real destination: the meadows are white, Thajiwas is a sledging slope, and events have started. The 10th National SnowShoe Championship was held here in February 2026, and the first Sonamarg Snow Sports Festival followed in mid-February 2026.

Heavy snow brings avalanche risk. In one spell in late January 2026 Sonamarg got about 12 inches of fresh snow overnight and an avalanche hit a Sonamarg resort, so follow warnings from the J&K Disaster Management Authority and your hotel.

For when and where snow falls across Kashmir, see our guide to snowfall in Kashmir.

The best time to visit Sonamarg

For every place month by month, see the best time to visit Kashmir.

Sonamarg, Gulmarg or Pahalgam?

Planning Pahalgam too? See our places to visit in Pahalgam.

Where to stay in Sonamarg

Most people visit Sonamarg as a day trip from Srinagar, but a night lets you see the valley early and late, when the day crowds have gone.

• Sonamarg town: hotels and guest houses around the main market, closest to Thajiwas and the taxi stand.
• Gagangir and Kullan: quieter options 10 to 15 km before Sonamarg, on the river, reported from about ₹1,200 to ₹3,000 a night.
• JKTDC: the J&K Tourism Development Corporation runs the Sonamarg Resort, Hotel Kongposh, huts of one to four bedrooms and a Yatri Niwas dormitory, bookable on its website.

In winter, ask exactly how the room is heated; in the yatra weeks, book well ahead.

A day in Sonamarg

1. Leave Srinagar by 7 or 8 am; stop at Naranag on the way only if you have a full day.
2. Reach Sonamarg by mid-morning, pay the vehicle entry fee, and head for Thajiwas on foot or by pony.
3. After lunch, take a union taxi towards Zero Point if Zoji La is open, or walk by the Sindh and Nilagrad.
4. Start back by mid-afternoon, and earlier during the yatra, when vehicles towards Srinagar stop at 4 pm.

Practical tips for Sonamarg

• Check the road first: the J&K Traffic Police updates road status for the Srinagar to Sonamarg road and Zoji La.
• Carry cash and ID: for union taxis, ponies, sledges and small stalls.
• Agree prices first: for ponies, sledges and taxis, agree the route, the time and the price, and ask to see the posted rates.
• Dress for the cold: bring waterproof shoes and a warm layer in every season, and gloves and a cap from October to April.

For the full planning checklist, see our Kashmir travel guide.