By road, Chulumani and Putre, Chile are about 291 miles (468 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 26 min of driving. You cross from Bolivia into Chile at about mile 252.
Full advisory: Bolivia, Chile. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
- Chile: “There are minefields on Chile's borders with Peru and Bolivia, and Argentina in Patagonia. Stay on marked roads and trails in these areas.”
| Total distance | 291 mi (468 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | F25 → F3 → F1 → F4 → A-149 |
| Border crossing | about mile 252, Bolivia → Chile |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The border on the way to Putre
The route crosses at about mile 252, from Oruro into Arica y Parinacota. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Chile (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for 90 days or less on a tourist passport; you get a Tourist Card valid for up to 90 days. Passport: must be valid for your whole stay. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Chile | A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. |
| 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 Chile | Foreign-plated cars entering Chile need SOAPEX, Chile's mandatory accident insurance for foreign vehicles, unless an international agreement covers the car. Keep the certificate with the car's papers. |
| 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, Chile (updated July 02, 2026); U.S. State Department, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); CMF Chile (financial regulator). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Chulumani to Putre
F4 (116 mi) and F1 (51 mi) carry about 57% of the 291 miles. The first 252 miles are in Bolivia; the last 39 are in Chile. It runs through 3 regions: La Paz, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Chulumani to Putre
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | La Paz |
| F25 | 1–45 | 44 | La Paz |
| F3 | 45–68 | 23 | La Paz |
| local roads | 68–78 | 10 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 78–83 | 5 | La Paz |
| F1 | 83–134 | 51 | La Paz |
| F4 | 134–250 | 116 | La Paz, Oruro |
| local roads | 250–286 | 36 | Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| A-149 | 286–290 | 4 | Arica y Parinacota |
| local roads | 290–291 | 1 | Arica y Parinacota |
- Mile 181 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 252 of this route: Oruro → Arica y Parinacota (international border)
What to see on the way from Chulumani to Putre
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Plaza La Paz (mile 75), Chacoma Tombs (mile 89)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 40), Sajama National Park (mile 234), Chungará Lake (mile 258), Lauca National Park (mile 272)
- Museums and history: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Plaza La Paz (mile 75), Kuntur Amaya (mile 148)
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.
Cerro Aruntaya
Cerro Aruntaya is a geological formation in a municipal protected area in southern La Paz, covering about 10.8 hectares of dry valley and puna landscape.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Plaza La Paz
In La Paz, this contemporary art museum displays paintings, sculpture and ceramics by Bolivian and foreign artists spanning the last 500 years.
Chacoma Tombs
Found in 2017 on the Altiplano near Chacoma and Mazo Cruz in Viacha municipality, the Chacoma Tombs (Tumbas de Chacoma) are a necropolis of underground, cave-like burial chambers, unlike the region's chullpa burial towers.
Kuntur Amaya
Kuntur Amaya is an archaeological site in Bolivia's La Paz Department, located in Aroma Province within Umala Municipality, near the community of Wayllani.
Sajama National Park
In Bolivia's Oruro Department, Sajama National Park is a protected area that shares a border with Chile's Lauca National Park.
Chungará Lake
At 4,517 meters on the Altiplano of the Arica y Parinacota Region, Chungará Lake lies inside Lauca National Park and covers about 22 square kilometers.
Lauca National Park
In Chile's Norte Grande, Lauca National Park covers 1,379 km² of Andean altiplano and mountains, most of them large volcanoes.
More drives to Putre
- Iquique to Putre
- Calama to Putre
- Antofagasta to Putre
- Arequipa to Putre, Chile
- Quillacollo to Putre, Chile
- Llallagua to Putre, Chile
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 Putre, Chile?
About 7 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 291 miles.
What is the driving distance from Chulumani to Putre, Chile?
About 291 miles (468 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 Putre drive cross the border?
At about mile 252, from Bolivia into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Chulumani into Chile?
No visa needed for 90 days or less on a tourist passport; you get a Tourist Card valid for up to 90 days. Passport: must be valid for your whole stay. A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. (U.S. State Department, updated July 02, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Chulumani to Putre, Chile?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chulumani to Putre use?
In order: F25, F3, F1, F4 and A-149. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Chulumani and Putre?
Closest to the road: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Plaza La Paz (art museum, mile 75, 0.8 mi from the route); Chacoma Tombs (necropolis, mile 89, 0.7 mi from the route); Kuntur Amaya (archaeological site, mile 148, 1 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.