Jammu and Kashmir · 5 destinations & hidden spots
3 km from Sonamarg town, Ganderbal District, Kashmir
Lying at an altitude of 9,186 feet, Thajiwas Glacier is a perennial sheet of snow and ice framed by waterfalls cascading down jagged granite peaks. Visitors trek on foot or take pony rides through conifer forests to reach the snowline, where local sledging, snow biking, and snowball fights thrive year-round.
Srinagar-Leh Highway (NH 1), 25 km from Sonamarg
One of the most thrilling high-altitude highway passes in the Himalayas, Zoji La connects Kashmir's lush green valleys with the high-altitude cold deserts of Ladakh. The famous Zero Point beyond the pass features perennial snowfields, ice-tubing, and military historical monuments.
Hidden Gem
15 km north of Sonamarg on Leh Highway, Kashmir
Situated 15 km north of Sonamarg along the roaring Sindh River, Baltal is a dramatic canyon nestled beneath sheer crags. It serves as the shortest, most challenging route to the Amarnath Holy Cave (14 km via Domail and Sangam), as well as a scenic campsite with panoramic views of snow ridges.
Hidden Gem
Safapora, Ganderbal District, Kashmir (30 km from Srinagar)
Revered as the deepest lake in the Kashmir Valley (43 feet deep), Manasbal is renowned for its crystalline waters carpeted with floating pink lotus blossoms throughout July and August. On its shoreline sits the ruins of a 10th-century stone temple built during the reign of King Sankaravarman and Jaroka Bagh garden.
Tulmulla, Ganderbal District, Kashmir (25 km from Srinagar)
Constructed over a sacred hexagonal spring surrounded by ancient Chinar trees, Kheer Bhawani in Tulmulla is the most revered shrine for the Kashmiri Pandit community. Devotees offer milk and rice pudding (kheer). The spring water is believed to miraculously shift colors between pink, green, white, and blue.
