The Wayro route from Chulumani to Samaipata is 533 miles (857 km), about 14 h 33 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Bolivia. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
| Distance by road | 533 mi (857 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 14 h 33 min |
| Main roads, in order | F25 → F3 → F1 → F4 → D4303 → F48 → F7 |
| Departments on the route | La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Chulumani to Samaipata: the shape of the trip
F7 (225 mi) and F1 (106 mi) carry about 62% of the 533 miles. It runs through 4 departments: La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chulumani to Samaipata, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 83–189 | 106 | La Paz, Oruro |
| connecting roads | 189–190 | 1 | Oruro |
| F4 | 190–209 | 19 | Oruro |
| local roads | 209–218 | 9 | Oruro |
| F4 | 218–286 | 68 | Cochabamba |
| D4303 | 286–291 | 5 | Cochabamba |
| connecting roads | 291–295 | 4 | Cochabamba |
| F48 | 295–307 | 12 | Cochabamba |
| F7 | 307–532 | 225 | Cochabamba, Santa Cruz |
| local roads | 532–533 | 1 | Santa Cruz |
- Mile 173 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (department line)
- Mile 218 of this route: Oruro → Cochabamba (department line)
- Mile 444 of this route: Cochabamba → Santa Cruz (department line)
Stops between Chulumani and Samaipata
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Pre-Columbian Precious Metals Museum (mile 72), Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (mile 78), Silos de Tukipaya (mile 457)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 40), Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas (mile 70), Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco (mile 313)
- Museums and history: Pre-Columbian Precious Metals Museum (mile 72), Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (mile 78), Bolivian Air Force Museum (mile 78), Tama Chullpa (mile 152), Silos de Tukipaya (mile 457)
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.
Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas
Siete Lagunas is a protected natural landscape in the Hampaturi area of La Paz municipality, set aside for preservation by a 2015 municipal ordinance.
Pre-Columbian Precious Metals Museum
Opened in 1984, the Pre-Columbian Precious Metals Museum is a museum in the city of La Paz, Bolivia.
Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia
Opened in 2002 in El Alto, Bolivia, the Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia holds works of art along with a library of thousands of books.
Bolivian Air Force Museum
Located at El Alto International Airport, the Bolivian Air Force Museum is an aviation museum in El Alto, La Paz.
Tama Chullpa
On the Bolivian Altiplano near the community of Culli Culli Alto, Tama Chullpa is a necropolis of funerary towers, or chullpas, attributed to the pre-Inca Pacajes culture of the Late Intermediate period.
Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco
Known for its leafy, old carob trees, the Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco is a municipal protected area in Arbieto, Cochabamba, where the traditional Wallunk'a and Mast'aku celebrations take place.
Silos de Tukipaya
About 2 km northwest of Comarapa in Santa Cruz department, the Silos de Tukipaya are an archaeological site at the edge of the Comarapa valley, on old routes toward Pocona and Mizque.
In Samaipata itself
El Fuerte de Samaipata
El Fuerte de Samaipata is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Andean foothills of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia.
More drives to Samaipata
- Quillacollo to Samaipata
- Villa Tunari to Samaipata
- Potosí to Samaipata
- Llallagua to Samaipata
- Trinidad, Bolivia to Samaipata
- Uyuni to Samaipata
From Chulumani to other places in Bolivia
- 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 does it take to drive from Chulumani to Samaipata?
About 14 h 33 min of driving without stops, over 533 miles.
How far is Samaipata from Chulumani by car?
About 533 miles (857 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Chulumani to Samaipata drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Chulumani to Samaipata?
In order: F25, F3, F1, F4, D4303, F48 and F7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Chulumani to Samaipata?
Closest to the road: Pre-Columbian Precious Metals Museum (museum, mile 72, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (art museum, mile 78, 0.5 mi from the route); Silos de Tukipaya (archaeological site, mile 457, 0.2 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.