Sonamarg, literally the ‘golden meadow’, is set at an altitude of 2740 meters. It has brilliant forests of sycamore and alpine flowers, silver birch, fir and pine. It is a place of enthralling beauty - three lakes, namely, the Kishensar, Vishensar and Gangabal, can be viewed from Nichnai Pass.
Twenty km east of Sonamarg is the Zoji-La Pass, the gateway to Ladakh at an altitude of 3540 meters, which leads into the Ladakh Plateau.