By road, Chulumani and Paucartambo, Peru are about 499 miles (803 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 14 min of driving. You cross from Bolivia into Peru at about mile 140, at Desaguadero.
Full advisory: Bolivia, Peru. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance | 499 mi (803 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 14 min |
| Main roads, in order | F25 → F3 → F41 → F1 → PE-3S → CU-113 |
| Border crossing | about mile 140, Bolivia → Peru (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Bolivia–Peru border
The route crosses at about mile 140, at Desaguadero, from La Paz into Puno. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Peru (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less; border officials set your length of stay. Passport: must be valid for at least 6 months after you enter; you need an entry record, such as a passport stamp, even at remote land crossings. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Peru | A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. |
| Entering Bolivia (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for tourism or business if you stay less than 90 days in a year. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
| Driving in Bolivia | You need both an International Driving Permit and your U.S. license. |
| The car, entering Peru | Register the car online first (SUNAT's advance registration for tourist vehicles, valid 10 days), then get the Temporary Entry Certificate (CIT) from customs at the border. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Peru (updated August 20, 2026); U.S. State Department, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); Government of Peru (gob.pe). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving Chulumani to Paucartambo: the shape of the trip
PE-3S (313 mi) and F1 (61 mi) carry about 75% of the 499 miles. The first 140 miles are in Bolivia; the last 359 are in Peru. It runs through 3 regions: La Paz, Puno, Cusco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Chulumani to Paucartambo: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | La Paz |
| F25 | 1–45 | 44 | La Paz |
| F3 | 45–58 | 13 | La Paz |
| F41 | 58–77 | 19 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 77–78 | 1 | La Paz |
| F1 | 78–139 | 61 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 139–140 | 1 | La Paz |
| PE-3S | 140–453 | 313 | Puno, Cusco |
| connecting roads | 453–455 | 2 | Cusco |
| CU-113 | 455–498 | 43 | Cusco |
| local roads | 498–499 | 1 | Cusco |
- Mile 140 of this route: La Paz → Puno (international border)
- Mile 362 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Chulumani and Paucartambo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Inca Uyo (mile 220), Inka Tunuwiri (mile 224), Pucará (mile 296), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 378), Ayamachay (mile 405), Ninamarca (mile 485)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 40)
- Museums and history: Museo Litoral Boliviano (mile 75), Inca Uyo (mile 220), Inka Tunuwiri (mile 224), Pucará (mile 296), Ayamachay (mile 405), Ninamarca (mile 485)
Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
Cotapata covers the north face of the Cordillera Real in the La Paz Yungas, about 20 km north of La Paz. The pre-Hispanic Choro Trail, still stone-paved in places, descends through it from near La Cumbre pass to the village of Chairo.
Museo Litoral Boliviano
Museo Litoral Boliviano in La Paz is dedicated to the War of the Pacific, in which Bolivia lost its coastline, and its hero, Colonel Eduardo Abaroa. Founded in 1978, it occupies a building catalogued as a heritage monument.
Tiwanaku
Near Lake Titicaca, about 70 km from La Paz, Tiwanaku is a pre-Columbian archaeological site whose surface remains cover around 4 square kilometers, with monumental structures, megalithic blocks and decorated ceramics.
Inca Uyo
Near the Church of Santo Domingo in lakeside Chucuito, Inca Uyo is a rectangular walled enclosure of cut stone holding carved, mushroom-shaped stones. Its original purpose is still debated; Peru declared it national cultural heritage in 2001.
Inka Tunuwiri
Inka Tunuwiri is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, located between the Chucuito and Puno districts, southeast of the village of Ichu.
Pucará
Above the highland town of Pucará, this pre-Inca complex of the Pucará culture centers on Kalasaya, a pyramid of stone monoliths with carved human heads jutting from its walls. The Museo Lítico Pucará stands on the main plaza.
Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar»
Run by the National University of San Marcos, this astronomical observatory serves both educational and tourism purposes and sits at an altitude of 4,027 meters.
Ayamachay
Ayamachay is an archaeological site with rock paintings in the Combapata District of Cusco's Canchis Province, above the left bank of the Salcca River near the village of Oroscocha.
Ninamarca
Near the village of Ninamaca, southeast of Colquepata in the Cusco Region's Paucartambo Province, Ninamarca is an archaeological site in Peru.
More drives to Paucartambo
- Cusco to Paucartambo
- Abancay to Paucartambo
- Andahuaylas to Paucartambo
- Ayacucho, Peru to Paucartambo
- Nazca to Paucartambo
- Ica to Paucartambo
More drives from Chulumani
- Chulumani to Tiwanaku
- Chulumani to Challapata
- Chulumani to Tarata
- Chulumani to Tarabuco
- Chulumani to Atocha
- Chulumani to San Pedro de Quemes Canton
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chulumani to Paucartambo, Peru?
About 13 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 499 miles.
How far is Paucartambo, Peru from Chulumani by car?
About 499 miles (803 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Where does the Chulumani to Paucartambo drive cross the border?
At about mile 140, from Bolivia into Peru, at Desaguadero.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Chulumani into Peru?
No visa needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less; border officials set your length of stay. Passport: must be valid for at least 6 months after you enter; you need an entry record, such as a passport stamp, even at remote land crossings. A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. (U.S. State Department, updated August 20, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Chulumani to Paucartambo, Peru?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chulumani to Paucartambo use?
In order: F25, F3, F41, F1, PE-3S and CU-113. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Chulumani and Paucartambo?
Closest to the road: Inca Uyo (archaeological site, mile 220, 0.1 mi from the route); Inka Tunuwiri (archaeological site, mile 224, 0.2 mi from the route); Ninamarca (archaeological site, mile 485, 0.3 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.