Plan on about 10 h 43 min of driving for the 432-mile (696 km) trip from La Paz, Bolivia to Iquique, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Bolivia into Chile at about mile 287.
Full advisory: Bolivia, Chile. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
- Chile: “There are minefields on Chile's borders with Peru and Bolivia, and Argentina in Patagonia. Stay on marked roads and trails in these areas.”
| Distance | 432 mi (696 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | F1 → F31 → F12 |
| Border crossing | about mile 287, Bolivia → Chile |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Oruro, Tarapacá |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Border crossing: what to bring for Chile
The route crosses at about mile 287, from Oruro into Tarapacá. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Chile (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for 90 days or less on a tourist passport; you get a Tourist Card valid for up to 90 days. Passport: must be valid for your whole stay. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Chile | A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. |
| 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 Chile | Foreign-plated cars entering Chile need SOAPEX, Chile's mandatory accident insurance for foreign vehicles, unless an international agreement covers the car. Keep the certificate with the car's papers. |
| 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, Chile (updated July 02, 2026); U.S. State Department, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); CMF Chile (financial regulator). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
What the drive from La Paz to Iquique is like
F12 (145 mi) and F1 (126 mi) carry about 63% of the 432 miles. The first 287 miles are in Bolivia; the last 145 are in Chile. It runs through 3 regions: La Paz, Oruro, Tarapacá. Of the 6 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
La Paz to Iquique: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 4–8 | 4 | La Paz |
| F1 | 8–134 | 126 | La Paz, Oruro |
| F31 | 134–139 | 5 | Oruro |
| F12 | 139–284 | 145 | Oruro |
| local roads | 284–432 | 148 | Oruro, Tarapacá |
- Mile 98 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 287 of this route: Oruro → Tarapacá (international border)
What to see on the way from La Paz to Iquique
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chacoma Tombs (mile 15), Arenales de Cochiraya (mile 135), Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (mile 140), Atacama Giant (mile 376), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (mile 401)
- Museums and history: Tama Chullpa (mile 77), Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (mile 140), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (mile 401)
Chacoma Tombs
Found in 2017 on the Altiplano near Chacoma and Mazo Cruz in Viacha municipality, the Chacoma Tombs (Tumbas de Chacoma) are a necropolis of underground, cave-like burial chambers, unlike the region's chullpa burial towers.
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.
Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas
Bolivia's national anthropology museum named for Eduardo López Rivas preserves, studies and shares the archaeological, ethnographic and folk heritage of the Altiplano region.
Atacama Giant
Etched into the Cerro Unita area of the Atacama Desert, the Atacama Giant is a human-shaped geoglyph about 119 meters long, the largest prehispanic figure of its kind.
Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
The Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works are two former saltpeter refineries in northern Chile, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 for the history of saltpeter mining.
Arriving in Iquique
Museo Regional de Iquique
Museo Regional de Iquique is a museum in the city of Iquique, Chile, run by the city's Municipal Corporation for Social Development since 1982.
Municipal Theatre of Iquique
A national monument facing Plaza Arturo Prat, the Municipal Theatre of Iquique was built and opened in 1889, during the boom years of the nitrate industry.
Faro Serrano
Also known as Faro Península Serrano or the old Iquique lighthouse, Faro Serrano is an active lighthouse on the Iquique roadstead in Chile's Tarapacá Region.
More drives to Iquique
- Arica to Iquique
- Antofagasta to Iquique
- Arequipa to Iquique, Chile
- Tacna to Iquique, Chile
- Juliaca to Iquique, Chile
- Cochabamba to Iquique, Chile
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 Iquique, Chile?
About 10 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 432 miles.
What is the driving distance from La Paz, Bolivia to Iquique, Chile?
About 432 miles (696 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 Iquique drive cross the border?
At about mile 287, from Bolivia into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from La Paz into Chile?
No visa needed for 90 days or less on a tourist passport; you get a Tourist Card valid for up to 90 days. Passport: must be valid for your whole stay. A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. (U.S. State Department, updated July 02, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the La Paz to Iquique drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from La Paz to Iquique?
In order: F1, F31 and F12. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from La Paz to Iquique?
Closest to the road: Chacoma Tombs (necropolis, mile 15, 0.7 mi from the route); Arenales de Cochiraya (municipal protected area, mile 135, 0.4 mi from the route); Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (historic site, mile 401, 0.3 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.