Sonamarg used to close for winter when the Srinagar-Leh highway shut at Zoji La. The Z-Morh (Sonamarg) Tunnel, open since January 2025, now gives the town itself all-weather road access - even though the Thajiwas Glacier trek beyond it stays closed until spring. Here's what that actually means for a winter visit.
chatPlan This Trip on WhatsApp - Reply in 2 HoursQuick Answer: Sonamarg (2,730m, 87km from Srinagar) used to be effectively cut off from December to March, when the old road beyond Gagangir closed under snow and avalanche risk. The Z-Morh Tunnel (also called the Sonamarg Tunnel), open since 13 January 2025, now gives the town all-weather road access year-round. What the tunnel does NOT change: the Thajiwas Glacier trek and Zero Point beyond the town stay closed in deep winter (December-February) - their official season is May-September, with a shoulder window in late October/early November. Winter Sonamarg now means a real, reachable, snow-quiet mountain town - not a glacier trekking trip.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 2,730m (8,960ft) |
| Distance from Srinagar | 87km, approximately 2.5 hours by road |
| Road status | All-weather since January 2025 via the Z-Morh (Sonamarg) Tunnel |
| Tunnel length | 6.5km, plus 6.05km of approach roads on both sides |
| Beyond Sonamarg (Zoji La, toward Leh) | Still closes in winter - this is a separate, higher, more exposed stretch the tunnel does not cover |
| Winter temperature | Day avg 0.7°C (Dec) to -1.1°C (Jan); night avg -11.8°C (Dec) to -12.2°C (Jan); record lows to -25.9°C |
| Thajiwas Glacier trek | Closed December-February (official season May-September); accessible in the late Oct/early Nov shoulder window only |
| What winter visitors actually do | See the snow-quiet town, short walks near the road, the mountain backdrop - not the glacier trek |
| Hotels currently listed | Via Kashmir lists 13 active Sonamarg hotels, Rs 2,640 to Rs 8,880/night |
| ViaKashmir link | viakashmir.in/hotels?location=Sonamarg, viakashmir.in/packages |
For years, the honest advice on Sonamarg in winter was simple: don't bother. The Srinagar-Leh highway, which Sonamarg sits on, used to close between Gagangir and Sonamarg from roughly December to March, cut off by heavy snowfall and avalanche risk on the approach to Zoji La. That changed on 13 January 2025, when the Z-Morh Tunnel opened - a 6.5km bore with 6.05km of approach roads, sitting at around 2,637m, built specifically to give Sonamarg all-weather connectivity independent of what Zoji La itself is doing further up the valley.
What this means practically: Sonamarg town is now reachable by road through the winter, something that was simply not true for most of the last several decades of Kashmir tourism. The stretch beyond Sonamarg, up toward Zoji La and eventually Leh, is a separate and much higher piece of road that still closes under snow in winter - the tunnel solves the Srinagar-to-Sonamarg problem, not the Sonamarg-to-Leh one. Kashmir Pulse is Via Kashmir's editorial channel - we're flagging this specifically because most existing Sonamarg guides online were written before January 2025 and still describe the town as winter-closed, which is now out of date.
Related reading: Gulmarg Snowfall News: Fresh Snow on Apharwat (October 2026) and What It Means for Your Trip
The tunnel gets you to Sonamarg town. It does not open the Thajiwas Glacier trek. That trail's official season runs May to September, and it stays closed through December, January and February - the snow load and avalanche risk on the trek itself, not road access, is what shuts it. The one exception is a shoulder window in late October or early November, after the main season ends but before deep winter sets in, when the glacier approach is sometimes still walkable with wooden sledge rides and pony access near the base. Visit Sonamarg in December through February for the snow-covered town and mountain views from the road - not for a glacier trek, which genuinely isn't operating.
Yes, with the right expectation set. A winter Sonamarg stop is now a real option on a Kashmir itinerary in a way it wasn't before 2025 - the drive from Srinagar is a legitimate half-day out-and-back or a stop en route toward Gulmarg/Pahalgam loops, and the town itself in deep snow, with far fewer visitors than it sees in summer, is genuinely worth seeing. Go in for the mountain backdrop and the quiet; don't go in expecting the glacier trek. Via Kashmir's viakashmir.in/cabs covers Srinagar-Sonamarg transfers on the new tunnel route.
Yes - the town itself has had all-weather road access since the Z-Morh (Sonamarg) Tunnel opened on 13 January 2025. This is a genuine change from the pre-2025 situation, when the road closed under snow for several months each winter.
No - the Thajiwas Glacier trek's official season is May to September, and the trail is closed through December, January and February regardless of the tunnel. A late October/early November shoulder window is sometimes accessible.
Sonamarg is genuinely cold - day temperatures average 0.7°C in December and -1.1°C in January, with nights averaging -11.8°C to -12.2°C (5-year historical average). Record lows have hit -25.9°C.
No - this is a separate, higher stretch of road beyond Sonamarg toward Zoji La that the Z-Morh Tunnel does not cover. It still closes in winter, typically reopening between late March and mid-April.
87km, approximately 2.5 hours by road via the Z-Morh Tunnel route. Via Kashmir covers this transfer at viakashmir.in/cabs.
Kashmir Pulse is Via Kashmir's editorial channel - written by locals, not agencies.
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