Magnetic Hill
A famous 'gravity mystery' stretch on the Leh–Kargil highway, where cars in neutral seem to roll uphill. It is actually an optical illusion caused by the terrain.
Magnetic Hill is about 30 km west of Leh, beside National Highway 1. The road is marked with a white box, and a sign claims that a car stopped inside the box in neutral will be pulled uphill by 'magnetism'. In fact, this is an optical illusion created by the surrounding hills, and the downhill slope appears to go uphill. It is a gimmick, but almost every one-day trip west of Leh stops here. It is often combined with Sacred Tree Valley and the Indus–Zanskar confluence. Entry is free, and a stop of about 15 minutes is enough.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Indus–Zanskar Confluence (Sangam)
- Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
- Basgo Monastery
- Phyang Monastery
- Spituk Monastery
- Likir Monastery
- Alchi Monastery
- Hall of Fame, Leh