Magnetic Hill

Magnetic Hill is a stretch of the Leh to Kargil highway, about 27 km west of Leh in Ladakh, where vehicles left in neutral appear to roll uphill against gravity. Magnetic Hill is one of the best known roadside stops in Ladakh, and a painted box on the tarmac marks the place to stop and try it.

The popular story says the hill has a magnetic pull strong enough to draw cars upward, and even aircraft flying overhead. The real explanation is an optical illusion. The slopes around the road hide the true horizon, so a gentle downhill stretch looks like an uphill one, and a car rolling freely downhill appears to climb. Similar gravity hills are found in many countries. Whatever the science, it is a fun stop, and the setting is worth the pause on its own: bare brown mountains, a long straight road, and the Indus valley opening below. Magnetic Hill is usually visited on the same drive as the gurdwara and the river confluence.

What to see

• The marked box on the road where cars are left in neutral
• The signboard explaining the Magnetic Hill effect
• Views over the Indus valley and the long highway
• Bare, colourful mountain slopes on both sides
• Army convoys passing on the road to Kargil

What to wear

There is no dress code here. The road is at about 3,400 metres and very exposed, so wear sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen, and keep a windproof jacket handy. Sturdy shoes help if you walk along the verge. Traffic moves fast, so stay off the carriageway. In the villages along this road, older Ladakhis still wear the goncha, a long woollen robe tied with a bright sash.

Local food to try

There is little food at Magnetic Hill beyond a small tea stall at busy times. Plan a stop at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, where tea and prasad are served, or at the dhabas in Nimmu for thukpa noodle soup, skyu (a hearty stew of thumb-pressed wheat pasta and vegetables), momos, khambir flatbread with apricot jam, and salty butter tea. Vegetarian food is widely available along the route.

Good to know

• Best from May to October in daylight
• Open at all times, weather permitting
• Free
• Allow 15 to 20 minutes
• About 27 km west of Leh, 40 minutes by road
• Only try the effect with a driver and a clear, empty road

Nearby places

Magnetic Hill is a few kilometres from Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, and the Indus and Zanskar confluence lies further west near Nimmu. Likir Monastery is further on, about 60 km from Leh.