By road, Concepción, Chile and Colonia Suiza, Argentina are about 490 miles (789 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 26 min of driving. You cross from Chile into Argentina at about mile 400, at Paso Cardenal Samoré.
Full advisory: Chile, Argentina. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- 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.”
- Argentina: “Drivers should prepare in advance when taking long road trips and make sure to have adequate insurance coverage.”
| Distance by road | 490 mi (789 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | T-87 → T-981-U → RN231 → RN40 → RP237 → RP79 |
| Border crossing | about mile 400, Chile → Argentina (Paso Cardenal Samoré) |
| Regions on the route | Bío-Bío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, Neuquén, Río Negro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The border on the way to Colonia Suiza
The route crosses at about mile 400, at Paso Cardenal Samoré, from Los Lagos into Neuquén. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| 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. |
| The car, entering Argentina | Argentine customs (ARCA) registers the car's temporary entry. Bring the title or registration, liability insurance valid in Argentina and, if you don't own the car, a power of attorney signed before a notary. A rental car needs the rental company's MERCOSUR circulation authorization (ACM), and the company must be registered with Argentine customs. |
| 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, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026); U.S. State Department, Chile (updated July 02, 2026); ARCA (Argentine customs). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Concepción–Colonia Suiza drive in a few lines
RN40 (54 mi) and T-981-U (21 mi) carry about 15% of the 490 miles. The first 400 miles are in Chile; the last 90 are in Argentina. It runs through 6 regions: Bío-Bío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, Neuquén, Río Negro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Concepción to Colonia Suiza
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–319 | 319 | Bío-Bío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos |
| T-87 | 319–334 | 15 | Los Ríos |
| T-981-U | 334–355 | 21 | Los Ríos, Los Lagos |
| connecting roads | 355–356 | 1 | Los Lagos |
| local roads | 356–400 | 44 | Los Lagos, Los Ríos |
| RN231 | 400–419 | 19 | Neuquén |
| RN40 | 419–473 | 54 | Neuquén, Río Negro |
| RP237 | 473–483 | 10 | Río Negro |
| RP79 | 483–490 | 7 | Río Negro |
- Mile 112 of this route: Bío-Bío → La Araucanía (region line)
- Mile 259 of this route: La Araucanía → Los Ríos (region line)
- Mile 354 of this route: Los Ríos → Los Lagos (region line)
- Mile 378 of this route: Los Lagos → Los Ríos (region line)
- Mile 388 of this route: Los Ríos → Los Lagos (region line)
- Mile 400 of this route: Los Lagos → Neuquén (international border)
- Mile 466 of this route: Neuquén → Río Negro (region line)
Places worth a stop between Concepción and Colonia Suiza
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Laja Falls (mile 59), Teatro Municipal de Collipulli (mile 121), Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument (mile 180), Puente Collilelfu (mile 281), Puente Chirre (mile 346), Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia (mile 477)
- Nature and outdoors: Nonguén National Park (mile 11), Laja Falls (mile 59), Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument (mile 180), Puyehue National Park (mile 388), Los Arrayanes National Park (mile 433)
- Museums and history: Puente Collilelfu (mile 281), Puente Chirre (mile 346), Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia (mile 477)
Nonguén National Park
Southeast of the city of Concepción in the Bío Bío Region, Nonguén National Park is a protected area in central Chile.
Laja Falls
Beside Ruta 5 about 25 km from Los Ángeles, the Laja River pours over four cascades up to roughly 35 meters high, cut into basalt left by ancient lava flows from the Antuco volcano.
Teatro Municipal de Collipulli
Opened in 1942, the Teatro Municipal de Collipulli is a public cultural venue in this Malleco Province town in northern La Araucanía, and one of the commune's main architectural and cultural landmarks.
Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument
Inside the city of Temuco, Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument protects a hill that rises to 335 meters, the highest point in the city, in Chile's Araucanía Region.
Puente Collilelfu
Puente Collilelfu is a bridge in the Los Lagos commune of Valdivia province, in Chile's Los Ríos Region.
Puente Chirre
Built in reinforced concrete between 1940 and 1945 as a railroad bridge, Puente Chirre in Río Bueno now carries road traffic and was declared a National Monument in 2017.
Puyehue National Park
In the Andes across the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions, Puyehue National Park takes in hot springs, volcanoes and evergreen forests. It was expanded in 1950 and 1981.
Los Arrayanes National Park
Covering the Quetrihué Peninsula on Nahuel Huapi Lake, 3 km from Villa La Angostura in Neuquén, Los Arrayanes National Park protects 17.53 square kilometers.
Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia
Set in the Civic Center of Bariloche, the Francisco P. Moreno Museum of Patagonia covers natural history and cultural anthropology.
In Colonia Suiza itself
Lago Moreno
Lago Moreno is a lake of glacial origin in the Bariloche department of Río Negro Province, Argentina.
Parque municipal Llao Llao
Located in the Bariloche department of Río Negro, the Llao Llao municipal park protects the area's natural landscape and the region's genetic diversity.
Laguna Negra
Inside Nahuel Huapi National Park, high in the Andes, Laguna Negra is a lake of about 13 hectares that lies under a thick layer of snow in winter.
More drives to Colonia Suiza
- San Martín de los Andes to Colonia Suiza
- Villa El Chocón to Colonia Suiza
- Neuquén to Colonia Suiza
- San Antonio Oeste to Colonia Suiza
- Viedma to Colonia Suiza
- Rawson to Colonia Suiza
More drives from Concepción
- Concepción, Chile to Curicó
- Concepción, Chile to Santa Cruz, Chile
- Concepción, Chile to Pichilemu
- Concepción, Chile to El Colorado
- Concepción, Chile to Valle Nevado
- Concepción, Chile to Los Andes
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Concepción, Chile to Colonia Suiza, Argentina?
About 10 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 490 miles.
How far is Colonia Suiza, Argentina from Concepción, Chile by car?
About 490 miles (789 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 Concepción to Colonia Suiza drive cross the border?
At about mile 400, from Chile into Argentina, at Paso Cardenal Samoré.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Concepción into Argentina?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. (U.S. State Department, updated July 16, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Concepción, Chile to Colonia Suiza, Argentina?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Concepción to Colonia Suiza use?
In order: T-87, T-981-U, RN231, RN40, RP237 and RP79. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Concepción to Colonia Suiza?
Closest to the road: Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument (nature area, mile 180, 0.2 mi from the route); Puente Chirre (historic bridge, mile 346, 0.3 mi from the route); Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia (museum, mile 477, 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.