Overview
About Sonmarg
Sonmarg, the 'meadow of gold', sits at 2,730 metres in Ganderbal district on the Srinagar-Leh highway, roughly 80 kilometres from Srinagar. It was historically a staging post on the old Silk Route into Tibet, and today marks the last major Kashmiri town before the road climbs over Zojila Pass into Ladakh.
Glacier-fed streams, alpine meadows and trout-stocked rivers surround the town, and it also serves as the trailhead for high-altitude treks such as the Kashmir Great Lakes.
Good to know
Visitor essentials
Meadow
On the ground
What to look for
- Thajiwas Glacier
- Zojila Pass road toward Ladakh
- Trailhead for the Kashmir Great Lakes trek
Best time
When to go
In season now
Best months: May–Sep.
Getting there
From Srinagar
- Nearest town
- Kangan
- Road ends at
- Sonmarg (Thajiwas Glacier reached by pony/walk from here)
Location
On the map
Around here
Nearby
APR – OCTANANTNAG · 29 KM AWAY
Betaab Valley
Pine-forested valley on the Lidder, a short drive from Pahalgam
APR – OCTANANTNAG · 34 KM AWAY
Pahalgam
Riverside hill town on the Lidder, and the traditional start of the Amarnath Yatra
Distances are straight-line, not by road.