Juliaca to San Borja, Bolivia is about 415 road miles (668 km): roughly 11 h 10 min at the wheel if you don't stop. 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: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
| Distance by road | 415 mi (668 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 10 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3S → F1 → F41 → F3 |
| Border crossing | about mile 120, Peru → Bolivia (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | Puno, La Paz, El Beni |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 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.
Driving Juliaca to San Borja: the shape of the trip
F3 (214 mi) and PE-3S (109 mi) carry about 78% of the 415 miles. The first 120 miles are in Peru; the last 295 are in Bolivia. It runs through 3 regions: Puno, La Paz, El Beni. Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Juliaca to San Borja
| 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 | 119–180 | 61 | Puno, La Paz |
| connecting roads | 180–181 | 1 | La Paz |
| F41 | 181–199 | 18 | La Paz |
| F3 | 199–413 | 214 | La Paz, El Beni |
| local roads | 413–415 | 2 | El Beni |
- Mile 120 of this route: Puno → La Paz (international border)
- Mile 359 of this route: La Paz → El Beni (region line)
Places worth a stop between Juliaca and San Borja
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Inca Uyo (mile 38), Molloko (mile 50), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 147), Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas (mile 188)
- Nature and outdoors: Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas (mile 188), Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 231)
- Museums and history: Inca Uyo (mile 38), Molloko (mile 50), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 147), Museo Litoral Boliviano (mile 183)
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.
Molloko
Molloko is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, about 5 kilometers south of the town of Acora, near the village of Molloco.
Tiwanaku
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.
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.
Museo Litoral Boliviano
Museo Litoral Boliviano in La Paz is dedicated to the War of the Pacific, in which Bolivia lost its coastline, and its hero, Colonel Eduardo Abaroa. Founded in 1978, it occupies a building catalogued as a heritage monument.
Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas
Siete Lagunas is a protected natural landscape in the Hampaturi area of La Paz municipality, set aside for preservation by a 2015 municipal ordinance.
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 San Borja
- Llallagua to San Borja
- Quillacollo to San Borja
- Cochabamba to San Borja
- Puno to San Borja, Bolivia
- Arica to San Borja, Bolivia
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 San Borja, Bolivia?
About 11 h 10 min of driving without stops, over 415 miles.
How far is San Borja, Bolivia from Juliaca by car?
About 415 miles (668 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 San Borja 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 San Borja 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.
Which highways go from Juliaca to San Borja?
In order: PE-3S, F1, F41 and F3. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Juliaca to San Borja?
Closest to the road: Inca Uyo (archaeological site, mile 38, 0.1 mi from the route); Molloko (archaeological site, mile 50, 0.7 mi from the route); Patrimonio natural paisajístico Siete Lagunas (protected area, mile 188, 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.