The Wayro route from La Paz, Bolivia to Cusco, Peru is 399 miles (642 km), about 10 h 32 min of driving without stops. 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: “Many drivers ignore traffic signs and rules.”
- Peru: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
| Distance by road | 399 mi (642 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 32 min |
| Main roads, in order | F1 → PE-3S |
| Border crossing | about mile 67, Bolivia → Peru (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Bolivia into Peru
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 Cusco
PE-3S (322 mi) and F1 (60 mi) carry about 96% of the 399 miles. The first 67 miles are in Bolivia; the last 332 are in Peru. It runs through 3 regions: La Paz, Puno, Cusco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 9 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: La Paz to Cusco
| 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 | 390–399 | 9 | Cusco |
- Mile 67 of this route: La Paz → Puno (international border)
- Mile 289 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
What to see on the way from La Paz to Cusco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Pumapunku (mile 40), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (mile 149), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 160), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 186), Pucará (mile 224), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 305), Raqch'i (mile 325), Sillkinchani (mile 391)
- Museums and history: Pumapunku (mile 40), Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 160), Pucará (mile 224), Raqch'i (mile 325), Sillkinchani (mile 391)
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.
Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito
On the shore of Lake Titicaca in Chucuito, Puno, the Benedictine Monastery of the Resurrection belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict and is described as the highest Catholic monastery in the world, at 3,870 meters.
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.
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.
Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar»
Run by the National University of San Marcos, this astronomical observatory serves both educational and tourism purposes and sits at an altitude of 4,027 meters.
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.
Sillkinchani
About 7 km southeast of Cusco, on an east-facing slope between Saylla and San Jerónimo districts, Sillkinchani is an archaeological site occupied from the Late Intermediate Period through the Late Horizon.
When you get to Cusco
Iglesia del Triunfo
Beside the Cathedral on Cusco's Plaza de Armas, the Catholic Iglesia del Triunfo forms the cathedral complex together with the Cathedral and the Church of the Sagrada Familia.
Historic Centre of Cusco
Cusco's historic core, once capital of the Inca Empire, includes a Monumental Zone set up by Peru in 1972 and, within it, the area UNESCO listed in 1983 as the City of Cuzco.
Casa Concha
Casa Concha is a colonial-era house in Cusco, named after one of its former owners, possibly a governor of Cusco around 1812 or one of the Concha family.
More drives to Cusco
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 Cusco, Peru?
About 10 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 399 miles.
How far is Cusco, Peru from La Paz, Bolivia by car?
About 399 miles (642 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 Cusco 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the La Paz to Cusco drive?
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 Cusco?
In order: F1 and PE-3S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between La Paz and Cusco?
Closest to the road: Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (monastery, mile 149, 0.2 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 186, 0.2 mi from the route); Sillkinchani (archaeological site, mile 391, 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.