Iquique to Chulumani, Bolivia is about 509 road miles (819 km): roughly 12 h 52 min at the wheel if you don't stop. You cross from Chile into Bolivia at about mile 147.
Full advisory: Chile, Bolivia. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; Bolivia August 18, 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.”
- Bolivia: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
| Total distance | 509 mi (819 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 12 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | F12 → F1 → F3 → F25 |
| Border crossing | about mile 147, Chile → Bolivia |
| Regions on the route | Tarapacá, Oruro, La Paz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Getting across the Chile–Bolivia border
The route crosses at about mile 147, from Tarapacá into Oruro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); U.S. State Department, Chile (updated July 02, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Iquique–Chulumani drive in a few lines
F12 (145 mi) and F1 (126 mi) carry about 53% of the 509 miles. The first 147 miles are in Chile; the last 362 are in Bolivia. It runs through 3 regions: Tarapacá, Oruro, La Paz. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Iquique to Chulumani, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–149 | 149 | Tarapacá, Oruro |
| F12 | 149–294 | 145 | Oruro |
| local roads | 294–300 | 6 | Oruro |
| F1 | 300–426 | 126 | Oruro, La Paz |
| connecting roads | 426–428 | 2 | La Paz |
| local roads | 428–441 | 13 | La Paz |
| F3 | 441–464 | 23 | La Paz |
| F25 | 464–508 | 44 | La Paz |
| local roads | 508–509 | 1 | La Paz |
- Mile 147 of this route: Tarapacá → Oruro (international border)
- Mile 337 of this route: Oruro → La Paz (region line)
Places worth a stop between Iquique and Chulumani
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (mile 32), Atacama Giant (mile 58), Arenales de Cochiraya (mile 298), National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (mile 437)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 469)
- Museums and history: Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (mile 32), Tama Chullpa (mile 357), Bolivian Air Force Museum (mile 431), National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (mile 437)
Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works are two former saltpeter refineries in northern Chile, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 for the history of saltpeter mining.
Atacama Giant
Etched into the Cerro Unita area of the Atacama Desert, the Atacama Giant is a human-shaped geoglyph about 119 meters long, the largest prehispanic figure of its kind.
Arenales de Cochiraya
Northwest of Oruro, the Arenales de Cochiraya are 150 hectares of sand formations at the foot of Cerro San Pedro, protected as cultural and landscape heritage and home to a sand sculpture festival since 2004.
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.
Bolivian Air Force Museum
Located at El Alto International Airport, the Bolivian Air Force Museum is an aviation museum in El Alto, La Paz.
National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore
With roots in the ethnography department created in 1925 for Bolivia's centennial, the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore) presents the country's ethnography.
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.
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.
More drives to Chulumani
- Oruro to Chulumani
- Llallagua to Chulumani
- Quillacollo to Chulumani
- Villa Tunari to Chulumani
- Cochabamba to Chulumani
- Potosí to Chulumani
More drives from Iquique
- Iquique to Putre
- Iquique to Caldera
- Iquique to Chucuito, Peru
- Iquique to Lampa, Peru
- Iquique to Quillacollo, Bolivia
- Iquique to Villa Tunari, Bolivia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Iquique to Chulumani, Bolivia?
About 12 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 509 miles.
How far is Chulumani, Bolivia from Iquique by car?
About 509 miles (819 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 Iquique to Chulumani drive cross the border?
At about mile 147, from Chile into Bolivia.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Iquique into Bolivia?
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. You need both an International Driving Permit and your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated May 07, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Iquique to Chulumani drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Iquique to Chulumani use?
In order: F12, F1, F3 and F25. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Iquique to Chulumani?
Closest to the road: Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (historic site, mile 32, 0.3 mi from the route); Arenales de Cochiraya (municipal protected area, mile 298, 0.3 mi from the route); National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (museum, mile 437, 0.6 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.