La Paz, Bolivia to Cachora, Peru is about 503 road miles (809 km): roughly 14 h 6 min at the wheel if you don't stop. You cross from Bolivia into Peru at about mile 67, at Desaguadero.
Full advisory: Bolivia, Peru. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Most highways do not have shoulders, fences, or barriers, and there are few lane markings.”
- Peru: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Distance by road | 503 mi (809 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 14 h 6 min |
| Main roads, in order | F1 → PE-3S → CU-606 → AP-116 |
| Border crossing | about mile 67, Bolivia → Peru (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Puno, Cusco, Apurímac |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Bolivia–Peru border
The route crosses at about mile 67, at Desaguadero, from La Paz into Puno. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| The car, entering Peru | Register the car online first (SUNAT's advance registration for tourist vehicles, valid 10 days), then get the Temporary Entry Certificate (CIT) from customs at the border. |
| 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, Peru (updated August 20, 2026); U.S. State Department, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); Government of Peru (gob.pe). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from La Paz to Cachora
PE-3S (375 mi) and F1 (60 mi) carry about 86% of the 503 miles. The first 67 miles are in Bolivia; the last 436 are in Peru. It runs through 4 regions: La Paz, Puno, Cusco, Apurímac. Of the 9 stops listed below, 7 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from La Paz to Cachora
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 4–6 | 2 | La Paz |
| F1 | 6–66 | 60 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 66–68 | 2 | La Paz, Puno |
| PE-3S | 68–390 | 322 | Puno, Cusco |
| local roads | 390–398 | 8 | Cusco |
| connecting roads | 398–401 | 3 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 401–427 | 26 | Cusco |
| local roads | 427–432 | 5 | Cusco |
| CU-606 | 432–450 | 18 | Cusco |
| local roads | 450–459 | 9 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 459–486 | 27 | Cusco, Apurímac |
| AP-116 | 486–500 | 14 | Apurímac |
| local roads | 500–503 | 3 | Apurímac |
- Mile 67 of this route: La Paz → Puno (international border)
- Mile 289 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
- Mile 473 of this route: Cusco → Apurímac (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between La Paz and Cachora
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Pumapunku (mile 40), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 160), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 186), Pucará (mile 224), Raqch'i (mile 325), Inka Museum (mile 400)
- Museums and history: Pumapunku (mile 40), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 160), Pucará (mile 224), Raqch'i (mile 325), Tipón (mile 385), Inka Museum (mile 400), Salonniyoq (mile 403)
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.
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.
Convento Franciscano de Juliaca
Juliaca's Franciscan convent, also called the Convent of Santa Bárbara, sits on Santa Bárbara hill (Hatun Rumi) about 40 meters from the Plaza de Armas. Its architecture is essentially Romanesque in style.
Pucará
Above the highland town of Pucará, this pre-Inca complex of the Pucará culture centers on Kalasaya, a pyramid of stone monoliths with carved human heads jutting from its walls. The Museo Lítico Pucará stands on the main plaza.
Raqch'i
Raqch'i, in the Vilcanota valley of Cusco's Canchis province, preserves the Inca temple of Wiracocha, about 92 meters long, along with ceremonial spaces and 156 qolqas, or storehouses, built partly of volcanic stone.
Tipón
About 22 km southeast of Cusco near the village of Tipón, this early 15th-century Inca site spreads between 3,250 and 3,960 meters and is enclosed by a defensive wall about 6 km long.
Inka Museum
Housed by the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco, the Inka Museum is the university's archaeological museum, formerly called the Archaeological Museum of the University of Cusco.
Salonniyoq
Inside the Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park in Cusco, the Salonniyoq archaeological site spreads across mostly flat ground on both banks of the Chakán River at the foot of a hill.
In Cachora itself
Inka Raqay, Apurímac
Inka Raqay (Inkaraqay) is a small archaeological complex in Cachora District, Abancay Province, in Peru's Apurímac Region.
Sayhuite
About 47 kilometers east of Abancay in Peru's Apurímac region, Sayhuite is an archaeological site considered a center of Inca religious worship focused on water.
More drives to Cachora
- Andahuaylas to Cachora
- Ayacucho, Peru to Cachora
- Nazca to Cachora
- Ica to Cachora
- Huacachina to Cachora
- Huancayo to Cachora
More drives from La Paz
- La Paz, Bolivia to Coroico
- La Paz, Bolivia to Llallagua
- La Paz, Bolivia to Challapata
- La Paz, Bolivia to Quillacollo
- La Paz, Bolivia to Villa Tunari
- La Paz, Bolivia to Cochabamba
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from La Paz, Bolivia to Cachora, Peru?
About 14 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 503 miles.
How far is Cachora, Peru from La Paz, Bolivia by car?
About 503 miles (809 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 La Paz to Cachora drive cross the border?
At about mile 67, from Bolivia into Peru, at Desaguadero.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from La Paz into Peru?
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. A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. (U.S. State Department, updated August 20, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from La Paz, Bolivia to Cachora, Peru?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from La Paz to Cachora?
In order: F1, PE-3S, CU-606 and AP-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from La Paz to Cachora?
Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (cathedral, mile 160, 0.4 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 186, 0.2 mi from the route); Raqch'i (archaeological site, mile 325, 0.4 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.