By road, Cusco and Chucuito are about 254 miles (408 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 48 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance by road | 254 mi (408 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 48 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3S → PU-117 → PE-34B |
| Regions on the route | Cusco, Puno |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
On the road from Cusco to Chucuito
PE-3S (212 mi) and PE-34B (12 mi) carry about 88% of the 254 miles. It runs through 2 regions: Cusco, Puno. Of the 8 stops listed below, 8 are within a mile of the road.
Cusco to Chucuito: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–8 | 8 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 8–174 | 166 | Cusco, Puno |
| connecting roads | 174–176 | 2 | Puno |
| PU-117 | 176–180 | 4 | Puno |
| local roads | 180–188 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-34B | 188–200 | 12 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 200–236 | 36 | Puno |
| local roads | 236–244 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 244–254 | 10 | Puno |
- Mile 110 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Cusco and Chucuito
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Sillkinchani (mile 8), Raqch'i (mile 73), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 93), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 153), Pucará (mile 173), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 173), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 242), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 242)
- Museums and history: Sillkinchani (mile 8), Raqch'i (mile 73), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 153), Pucará (mile 173), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 173), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 242), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 242)
Sillkinchani
About 7 km southeast of Cusco, on an east-facing slope between Saylla and San Jerónimo districts, Sillkinchani is an archaeological site occupied from the Late Intermediate Period through the Late Horizon.
Raqch'i
Raqch'i, in the Vilcanota valley of Cusco's Canchis province, preserves the Inca temple of Wiracocha, about 92 meters long, along with ceremonial spaces and 156 qolqas, or storehouses, built partly of volcanic stone.
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.
Templo de San Francisco de Asís
Facing Ayaviri's main square, the Templo de San Francisco de Asís is an Andean Baroque church more than three centuries old. Look for its columned facade and 18th-century religious paintings by Isidoro Francisco de Moncada.
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.
Pukara Lithic Museum
Run by Peru's Ministry of Culture office in Puno, the Pukara Lithic Museum (Museo Lítico de Pukara) in the town of Pucará displays monoliths and stone sculptures of the ancient Pukara culture.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno
On Puno's Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo was built between 1669 and 1757, with a mestizo Baroque stone facade blending Andean and European art.
Carlos Dreyer Museum
Puno's Carlos Dreyer Museum (Museo Carlos Dreyer) holds about 1,800 pieces and relics spanning the pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican eras, in a building declared part of Peru's national cultural heritage in 1980.
Arriving in Chucuito
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.
Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito
On the shore of Lake Titicaca in Chucuito, Puno, the Benedictine Monastery of the Resurrection belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict and is described as the highest Catholic monastery in the world, at 3,870 meters.
More drives to Chucuito
- Písac to Chucuito
- Chinchero to Chucuito
- Maras to Chucuito
- Paucartambo to Chucuito
- Ollantaytambo to Chucuito
- Mollepata to Chucuito
From Cusco to other places in Peru
- Cusco to Abancay
- Cusco to Andahuaylas
- Cusco to Nazca
- Cusco to Ayacucho, Peru
- Cusco to Huancavelica
- Cusco to Pisco
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cusco to Chucuito?
About 7 h 48 min of driving without stops, over 254 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cusco to Chucuito?
About 254 miles (408 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.
Is it safe to drive from Cusco to Chucuito?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cusco to Chucuito use?
In order: PE-3S, PU-117 and PE-34B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cusco to Chucuito?
Closest to the road: Sillkinchani (archaeological site, mile 8, 0.2 mi from the route); Templo de San Francisco de Asís (cathedral, mile 153, 0.2 mi from the route); Pukara Lithic Museum (museum, mile 173, 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.