Juliaca to Llallagua, Bolivia Road Trip: Route & Border

By admin, 13 October, 2026

Plan on about 9 h 59 min of driving for the 373-mile (600 km) trip from Juliaca to Llallagua, Bolivia, before any stops. You cross from Peru into Bolivia at about mile 120, at Desaguadero.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Peru — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Bolivia — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

Full advisory: Peru, Bolivia. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; Bolivia August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Peru: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
  • Bolivia: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
Inka TunuwiriMollokoPumapunkuTiwanakuMallasa national ParkTama ChullpaArenales de CochirayaConchupata LighthouseMuseo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López RivasPeru–Bolivia borderJuliacaLlallagua
Route from Juliaca to Llallagua with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate Peru–Bolivia border crossing (red square).
Total distance373 mi (600 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops9 h 59 min
Main roads, in orderPE-3S → F1 → F6
Border crossingabout mile 120, Peru → Bolivia (Desaguadero)
Regions on the routePuno, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

Border crossing: what to bring for Bolivia

The route crosses at about mile 120, at Desaguadero, from Puno into La Paz. 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 BoliviaYou need both an International Driving Permit and your U.S. license.
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 PeruA U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested.
Rental carCross 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, Peru (updated August 20, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.

The Juliaca–Llallagua drive in a few lines

F1 (204 mi) and PE-3S (109 mi) carry about 84% of the 373 miles. The first 120 miles are in Peru; the last 253 are in Bolivia. It runs through 4 regions: Puno, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect Juliaca and Llallagua

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miRegion
local roads0–11Puno
PE-3S1–2120Puno
local roads21–298Puno
PE-3S29–11889Puno
connecting roads118–1191Puno
F1119–17859Puno, La Paz
connecting roads178–1791La Paz
local roads179–1834La Paz
connecting roads183–1863La Paz
F1186–331145La Paz, Oruro
F6331–34413Oruro
local roads344–3484Oruro
F6348–37224Oruro, Potosí
local roads372–3731Potosí
  • Mile 120 of this route: Puno → La Paz (international border)
  • Mile 275 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
  • Mile 361 of this route: Oruro → Potosí (region line)

Places worth a stop between Juliaca and Llallagua

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Inka Tunuwiri (mile 34), Molloko (mile 50), Pumapunku (mile 146)
  • Nature and outdoors: Mallasa national Park (mile 184)
  • Museums and history: Inka Tunuwiri (mile 34), Molloko (mile 50), Pumapunku (mile 146), Tama Chullpa (mile 254), Conchupata Lighthouse (mile 315), Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (mile 316)

Inka Tunuwiri

Mile 34 · Archaeological site · 0.2 mi from the route

Inka Tunuwiri is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, located between the Chucuito and Puno districts, southeast of the village of Ichu.

Molloko

Mile 50 · Archaeological site · 0.7 mi from the route

Molloko is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, about 5 kilometers south of the town of Acora, near the village of Molloco.

Pumapunku

Mile 146 · Archaeological site · 0.7 mi from the route

Near Tiwanaku, Pumapunku is a 6th-century T-shaped terraced platform mound with a sunken court, part of the Tiwanaku archaeological complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tiwanaku

Mile 147 · Ancient city · 1 mi from the route

Near Lake Titicaca, about 70 km from La Paz, Tiwanaku is a pre-Columbian archaeological site whose surface remains cover around 4 square kilometers, with monumental structures, megalithic blocks and decorated ceramics.

Mallasa national Park

Mile 184 · Municipal protected area · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

South of La Paz's urban center, Mallasa (now a municipal protected area) is a gently sloping plateau full of eucalyptus trees, with green spaces for sports and outdoor recreation.

Tama Chullpa

Mile 254 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Arenales de Cochiraya

Mile 311 · Municipal protected area · 1 mi from the route

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.

Conchupata Lighthouse

Mile 315 · Lighthouse · 1 mi from the route

The Conchupata Lighthouse (Faro de Conchupata) is a lighthouse structure located in the Bolivian city of Oruro.

Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas

Mile 316 · Ethnographic museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Bolivia's national anthropology museum named for Eduardo López Rivas preserves, studies and shares the archaeological, ethnographic and folk heritage of the Altiplano region.

More drives to Llallagua

More drives from Juliaca

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Juliaca to Llallagua, Bolivia?

About 9 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 373 miles.

What is the driving distance from Juliaca to Llallagua, Bolivia?

About 373 miles (600 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 Llallagua drive cross the border?

At about mile 120, from Peru into Bolivia, at Desaguadero.

What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Juliaca 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 Juliaca to Llallagua drive?

The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Juliaca to Llallagua use?

In order: PE-3S, F1 and F6. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Juliaca to Llallagua?

Closest to the road: Inka Tunuwiri (archaeological site, mile 34, 0.2 mi from the route); Molloko (archaeological site, mile 50, 0.7 mi from the route); Pumapunku (archaeological site, mile 146, 0.7 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.