By road, Juliaca and Arica, Chile are about 329 miles (530 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 17 min of driving. You cross from Peru into Chile at about mile 318.
Full advisory: Peru, Chile. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
- 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 | 329 mi (530 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 17 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3S → PE-38A → PE-36A → TA-103 → TA-524 → TA-517 → TA-515 → PE-1S |
| Border crossing | about mile 318, Peru → Chile |
| Regions on the route | Puno, Moquegua, Tacna, Arica y Parinacota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Getting across the Peru–Chile border
The route crosses at about mile 318, from Tacna 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 Peru (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less; border officials set your length of stay. Passport: must be valid for at least 6 months after you enter; you need an entry record, such as a passport stamp, even at remote land crossings. |
| Driving in Peru | A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. |
| 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, Peru (updated August 20, 2026); CMF Chile (financial regulator). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Juliaca–Arica drive in a few lines
PE-1S (73 mi) and PE-3S (52 mi) carry about 38% of the 329 miles. The first 318 miles are in Peru; the last 11 are in Chile. It runs through 4 regions: Puno, Moquegua, Tacna, Arica y Parinacota. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Juliaca to Arica
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 1–21 | 20 | Puno |
| local roads | 21–29 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 29–61 | 32 | Puno |
| connecting roads | 61–62 | 1 | Puno |
| PE-38A | 62–112 | 50 | Puno |
| PE-36A | 112–157 | 45 | Puno, Moquegua |
| TA-103 | 157–184 | 27 | Moquegua, Tacna |
| connecting roads | 184–185 | 1 | Tacna |
| TA-524 | 185–190 | 5 | Tacna |
| connecting roads | 190–192 | 2 | Tacna |
| TA-517 | 192–201 | 9 | Tacna |
| TA-515 | 201–245 | 44 | Tacna |
| PE-1S | 245–318 | 73 | Tacna |
| local roads | 318–329 | 11 | Arica y Parinacota |
- Mile 149 of this route: Puno → Moquegua (region line)
- Mile 158 of this route: Moquegua → Tacna (region line)
- Mile 318 of this route: Tacna → Arica y Parinacota (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Juliaca and Arica
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 26), Inca Uyo (mile 38), Santuario del Señor de Locumba (mile 237)
- Museums and history: Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 26), Inca Uyo (mile 38), Soro Mik'aya Patjxa (mile 73), Alto de la Alianza Museum (mile 293), Museo de Sitio Las Peañas (mile 294), Faro Concordia (mile 319)
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.
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.
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa is a high-altitude archaeological site in the Ilave Basin, about 30 km west of Lake Titicaca's shore, used seasonally by hunter-gatherers for more than a thousand years.
Santuario del Señor de Locumba
Also known as the minor basilica of the Señor de los Pies Quemados, this church in Locumba venerates the Señor de Locumba, an effigy of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
Alto de la Alianza Museum
Set within the Alto de la Alianza Monumental Complex near Tacna, this war museum opened on May 26, 1982.
Museo de Sitio Las Peañas
Excavated in 1981–82, the area around Museo de Sitio Las Peañas in Tacna now holds an archaeological museum covering some 8,000 years, up to the colonial viceroyalty.
Faro Concordia
In Chile's far north in the Arica y Parinacota Region, Faro Concordia is a border lighthouse with a pyramid-shaped metal tower painted in red and white bands.
Once you reach Arica
Faro Península Alacrán
Part of Chile's lighthouse network, Faro Península Alacrán is an unmanned lighthouse on the Alacrán Peninsula in the city of Arica.
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
- La Paz, Bolivia to Arica, Chile
- Cochabamba to Arica, Chile
- Sucre to Arica, Chile
- Oruro to Arica, Chile
More drives from Juliaca
- Juliaca to Písac
- Juliaca to Chinchero
- Juliaca to Yucay
- Juliaca to Urubamba
- Juliaca to Maras
- Juliaca to Mollepata
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Juliaca to Arica, Chile?
About 9 h 17 min of driving without stops, over 329 miles.
What is the driving distance from Juliaca to Arica, Chile?
About 329 miles (530 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 Juliaca to Arica drive cross the border?
At about mile 318, from Peru into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Juliaca 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 Juliaca to Arica, Chile?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Juliaca to Arica use?
In order: PE-3S, PE-38A, PE-36A, TA-103, TA-524, TA-517, TA-515 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Juliaca and Arica?
Closest to the road: Carlos Dreyer Museum (museum, mile 26, 0.4 mi from the route); Inca Uyo (archaeological site, mile 38, 0.1 mi from the route); Santuario del Señor de Locumba (sanctuary, mile 237, 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.