By road, Juliaca and Potosí, Bolivia are about 509 miles (819 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 8 min of driving. You cross from Peru into Bolivia at about mile 120, at Desaguadero.
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: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
| Total distance | 509 mi (819 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 13 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3S → F1 |
| Border crossing | about mile 120, Peru → Bolivia (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | Puno, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Getting across the Peru–Bolivia border
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 Bolivia | You 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 Peru | A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. |
| 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, Peru (updated August 20, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
How the Juliaca to Potosí drive plays out
F1 (381 mi) and PE-3S (109 mi) carry about 96% of the 509 miles. The first 120 miles are in Peru; the last 389 are in Bolivia. It runs through 4 regions: Puno, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí. Of the 8 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Juliaca to Potosí
| 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 | 29–118 | 89 | Puno |
| connecting roads | 118–119 | 1 | Puno |
| F1 | 119–178 | 59 | Puno, La Paz |
| connecting roads | 178–179 | 1 | La Paz |
| local roads | 179–183 | 4 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 183–186 | 3 | La Paz |
| F1 | 186–508 | 322 | La Paz, Oruro, Potosí |
| local roads | 508–509 | 1 | Potosí |
- Mile 120 of this route: Puno → La Paz (international border)
- Mile 275 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 460 of this route: Oruro → Potosí (region line)
Stops between Juliaca and Potosí
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 26), Inka Tunuwiri (mile 34), Inca Uyo (mile 38), Pumapunku (mile 146), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 147)
- Nature and outdoors: Mallasa national Park (mile 183)
- Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 26), Inka Tunuwiri (mile 34), Inca Uyo (mile 38), Pumapunku (mile 146), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 147), Tama Chullpa (mile 254)
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.
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.
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.
Pumapunku
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 Site Museum
Next to the Tiwanaku pre-Columbian archaeological site in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, the Tiwanaku Site Museum holds funerary artifacts, ceramic pieces and stone sculptures.
Mallasa national Park
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
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
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.
In Potosí itself
National Mint of Bolivia
The former Mint of Potosí struck much of the silver that crossed the Spanish Main as coins of the Spanish dollar, once a major world currency.
Cathedral Basilica of Potosí
On Plaza 10 de Noviembre in central Potosí, the Cathedral Basilica of Potosí is a minor basilica with baroque and neoclassical colonial influences and a stone facade.
Iglesia – Convento y Museo de Santa Teresa
Dating from the 17th century, this church, convent and museum in Potosí was declared a National Monument of Bolivia in 1930.
More drives to Potosí
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 does it take to drive from Juliaca to Potosí, Bolivia?
About 13 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 509 miles.
How far is Potosí, Bolivia from Juliaca 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 Juliaca to Potosí 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.)
Is it safe to drive from Juliaca to Potosí, Bolivia?
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 Potosí use?
In order: PE-3S and F1. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Juliaca and Potosí?
Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (cathedral, mile 26, 0.4 mi from the route); Inka Tunuwiri (archaeological site, mile 34, 0.2 mi from the route); Inca Uyo (archaeological site, mile 38, 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.