Six Things to Do in Sonamarg, Kashmir - Scenic Hill Town with Amazing Scenery
Sonamarg was our second stop during the Kashmir Visit in June 2022 and was a great way of continuing our journey after the houseboat experience in Srinagar. We stayed only for a night here before continuing our journey to Gulmarg. However, that one night was so memorable as we collected lovely memories and unique experiences throughout our stay. What was more special was the 3rd birthday celebrations of Rishik in Sonamarg amidst the beauty of the Himalayas.
If you want to read more of our entire Kasmir Visit summary, please read the article. In fact, there are some good learnings to take away from the article and will help you plan your trip better.
Kashmir Trip in a Nutshell – Itinerary, Experiences, & Learnings
Overview
Sonamarg is a small hill town in the Kashmir Valley located about 2200 meters above sea level. The name of the town means "Meadows of Gold" in Hindi and is a perfect description of the town which is no less than a jewel. It is a picturesque town surrounded by snow-capped mountains, deep valleys, and raw natural beauty. The town is also a gateway for Ladakh through the Zozilla Pass and has a number of great treks for adventure lovers. We spent two days in this town and loved every moment of the stay.
First Experience of Visit - Journey to Sonamarg
The primary reason to visit hills is to see the natural scenery and (unlike cities) not specific destinations. While there are specific destinations and sightseeing points, the most important part of the trip is the journey. The raw views and the less rush that you see on the way is far from the "touristy viewpoints". Hence on any of our trips, we take enough buffer in our travel times to take breaks. These breaks help us to enjoy our journey (and take pictures) rather than rushing to the destination.
Sonamarg is well connected to Srinagar and is located about 70 kilometers from Srinagar. Srinagar is further connected to all major cities of India via road and air. The journey from Srinagar to Sonamarg takes about 2 hours and goes through a scenic path. A large part of the route is along the Sind River which gives a very pleasant experience through the journey.
There are various small restaurants on the route for taking a break. Some of these are situated along the river and have good viewpoints. You also get an opportunity to engage with the gushing water of the Sind River at some of these. We ended up stopping for quite a few breaks to take pictures and absorb the scenery.
Our Experience and Things to Enjoy in Sonamarg
Sonamarg provides mesmerizing views of the Himalayas and has the potential to engage you even if you do not do anything. However, there are a few things you should explore if you have the time and the energy. Here is our step-by-step experience in the town. Except for the fifth step (which is a bit more personal), you should enjoy the uniqueness of each experience. The first was obviously the journey itself to Sonamarg. Since it is covered above, we will start with the second 😃
We reached Sonamarg early for our check-in. Since it was their busy(est) season there were limited opportunities for early check-in. To their credit, they did allow us to use one of the rooms to freshen up. As we stepped out to take a breath of fresh air, our driver was already busy getting us references for the next steps.
Second - The Journey to Thajiwas Glacier
In Kashmir, there is a very systematic way of commissions and you will realize it pretty soon. Our driver had arranged pony operators for us to take a trip to Thajiwas Glacier. Ponies are the only way to go to the glacier. They do not allow you to take cars though there is a road built (very convenient!). They started by quoting simply obnoxious rates. What is more interesting is how they try to tempt the kiddo for obvious reasons. However, we made it clear that we were on a budget and were ready to forego the trip (you need to sound convincing). After enough heft, we were able to negotiate an acceptable price. We later found that folks did the same trip for double the price.
We got two ponies and one support staff to help with the kid. Pony did not look like a good way to carry the kid. As we began the journey, we were mesmerized by the views. As we went uphill, the views simply became better. However, this was our first pony ride and the ride was adventurous as well. The pony was almost riding on the edge of the cliff for the most part. To add to the "fun", it was unsupervised most of the time - there was one attendant between the two ponies. If you are with kids small enough to not be alone on their own pony, it may be challenging. A kid and an adult on a pony is definitely not possible - however hard they sell.
Third - By the River and Snow at Thajiwas Glacier
It took us about an hour-long pony ride through a scenic valley to reach the glacier. They have a pony stand where you can see almost a couple of hundred ponies at one time. They disembark you at the stand and then you need to cover the rest of the journey on foot or sledges. It was pretty chilly out there and we weren't really prepared for the weather. As we disembarked, our first stop was the tea stall. There are a number of tea and snack joints in makeshift tents. Once we were recharged and warmed up, we proceeded to explore the surrounding.
Thajiwas Glacier is located at about 3000 meters above sea level and is one of the few glaciers which are easy to approach. The entire area is an expansive clearing with an abundance of green meadows and snow-capped mountains. The entire scenery is embellished by the slow and steady flow of a tributary of the Sind River. The spot is sometimes called the "hidden jewel of Kashmir" because of the views and the "feel" of the place. We spent some time by the water taking pictures and unwinding. Later we took an attempt at the hike to the glacier and tried sledging. Again, the prices are bumped up so you may want to negotiate well.
Fourth - Unwinding and Exploring the Sonamarg Town
Sonamarg is a beautiful countryside town in itself. While there are tourist sightseeing points but the beauty of mountains is not restricted to specific sites. The scenery is everywhere. After our return from the glacier, we spent our entire evening unwinding around our hotel. The aim was to not have any destination and wander around. We met a few folks who were doing the same and made good friends. On most of our trips, we do keep some slots to do absolutely nothing because these are the times when we create the best of memories.
We were staying at Hotel Village Walk (our TripAdvisor Review) and it has wonderful scenery all around. The hotel is located at a slight height giving unhindered views of the valley and mountains. You may want to take a walk to the main market area but there is nothing much to do in terms of exploration. Sonamarg is a relatively small town with a few eateries serving snacks and meals. There are a few shops for the locals but nothing that may interest you. We recommend strolling around and absorbing the pristine environment and enjoying banter with no hurry to reach anywhere.
Fifth - Celebrating Rishik's 3rd Birthday
This is an experience that made this visit a special one. We had planned to celebrate the kiddo's birthday right in the middle of the trip to create more memories. Rishik woke up on the morning of June 20th to a room decorated (though minimally) to ring in his birthday. The views from the window across the decoration simply added to the celebration. We spent the entire morning making the start of the day special to him with a cake cutting, photo session, and gifts.
While we could not resist putting this experience as part of this blog, it may not be of significance to other travelers. However, the takeaway is that Kashmir is a beautiful destination to celebrate any important milestones in your life or special days that you want to sneak away for.
Sixth - Visiting the Zozilla Pass and Snow Point
The next day, we had planned a visit to the Zozilla Pass and Snow Point before heading to our next destination - Gulmarg. Zozilla Pass is a pass in the Himalayas that connects Kashmir Valley with valleys on the other side. Like all such passes, it is situated at a pretty high altitude. The place is also called Zero Point. It takes about an hour to reach the pass from Sonamarg. We stayed there to embrace the beauty of the natural structure and then returned some way to stop at Snow Point.
Snow Point is a tourist point developed for indulging in some snow fun. It is at a site of a snow-capped mountain and a small setup has come there to support tourist activities. The setup includes a few eateries, snow scooters, and sledge operators. While it is not one of the cleanest snow locations we have been to, it is still decent in higher reaches and provides a good opportunity to enjoy. A ride uphill on the snow scooters is definitely fun! We spent about an hour at this spot enjoying snow and snacks and then started for our next destination.
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