Plan on about 10 h 21 min of driving for the 416-mile (670 km) trip from Cochabamba to Arica, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Bolivia into Chile at about mile 293.
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: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
- 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 | 416 mi (670 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | F4 → F1 |
| Border crossing | about mile 293, Bolivia → Chile |
| Regions on the route | Cochabamba, Oruro, La Paz, Arica y Parinacota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Crossing from Bolivia into Chile
The route crosses at about mile 293, 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 Cochabamba to Arica
F4 (234 mi) and F1 (52 mi) carry about 69% of the 416 miles. The first 293 miles are in Bolivia; the last 123 are in Chile. It runs through 4 regions: Cochabamba, Oruro, La Paz, Arica y Parinacota. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cochabamba to Arica, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Cochabamba |
| F4 | 1–119 | 118 | Cochabamba, Oruro |
| connecting roads | 119–120 | 1 | Oruro |
| F1 | 120–172 | 52 | Oruro, La Paz |
| connecting roads | 172–175 | 3 | La Paz |
| F4 | 175–291 | 116 | La Paz, Oruro |
| local roads | 291–410 | 119 | Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| connecting roads | 410–413 | 3 | Arica y Parinacota |
| local roads | 413–416 | 3 | Arica y Parinacota |
- Mile 89 of this route: Cochabamba → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 136 of this route: Oruro → La Paz (region line)
- Mile 222 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 293 of this route: Oruro → Arica y Parinacota (international border)
Places worth a stop between Cochabamba and Arica
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tambo de Zapahuira (mile 351)
- Nature and outdoors: Tunari National Park (mile 11), Sajama National Park (mile 276), Chungará Lake (mile 299), Lauca National Park (mile 313)
- Museums and history: Inka Raqay (mile 17), Tama Chullpa (mile 156), Kuntur Amaya (mile 189), Tambo de Zapahuira (mile 351)
Tunari National Park
Tunari National Park is a protected national park located in the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia.
Inka Raqay
Inka Raqay is an archaeological site near the community of Linku in Sipe Sipe municipality, Quillacollo Province, Cochabamba Department.
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.
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.
Tambo de Zapahuira
Part of the Inca road (Qhapaq Ñan), the Inca-built Tambo de Zapahuira in Putre has a row of linked rectangular rooms and, 150 meters away, two adobe burial towers; it has been a National Monument since 1983.
When you get to Arica
Museo Histórico y de Armas del Morro de Arica
On top of the Morro de Arica, a Chilean national monument, this history and weapons museum recalls the War of the Pacific and the Chilean capture of the Morro on June 7, 1880.
Morro de Arica
Rising steeply from Arica and the sea to 139 meters above sea level, Morro de Arica is a headland with a gentler slope on its eastern side.
St. Mark's Cathedral, Arica
Arica's Saint Mark's Cathedral is a cast-iron Catholic church commissioned under Peruvian President José Balta from the United States, built so it could be shipped to Arica via the port of Ancón.
More drives to Arica
- Antofagasta to Arica
- Juliaca to Arica, Chile
- La Paz, Bolivia to Arica, Chile
- Sucre to Arica, Chile
- Oruro to Arica, Chile
More drives from Cochabamba
- Cochabamba to Challapata
- Cochabamba to Coroico
- Cochabamba to Chulumani
- Cochabamba to San Borja
- Cochabamba to Rurrenabaque
- Cochabamba to San Ignacio de Moxos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cochabamba to Arica, Chile?
About 10 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 416 miles.
How far is Arica, Chile from Cochabamba by car?
About 416 miles (670 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 Cochabamba to Arica drive cross the border?
At about mile 293, from Bolivia into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Cochabamba 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 Cochabamba to Arica, 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.
Which highways go from Cochabamba to Arica?
In order: F4 and F1. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cochabamba and Arica?
Closest to the road: Kuntur Amaya (archaeological site, mile 189, 1 mi from the route); Chungará Lake (lake, mile 299, 2 mi from the route); Tambo de Zapahuira (archaeological site, mile 351, 0.1 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.