By road, La Paz, Bolivia and Maras, Peru are about 424 miles (683 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 20 min of driving. 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 | 424 mi (683 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | F1 → PE-3S → PE-28F |
| Border crossing | about mile 67, Bolivia → Peru (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.0 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 Maras
PE-3S (329 mi) and F1 (60 mi) carry about 92% of the 424 miles. The first 67 miles are in Bolivia; the last 357 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.
La Paz to Maras: the road sequence
| 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 | 401–408 | 7 | Cusco |
| PE-28F | 408–414 | 6 | Cusco |
| local roads | 414–424 | 10 | Cusco |
- Mile 67 of this route: La Paz → Puno (international border)
- Mile 289 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Places worth a stop between La Paz and Maras
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Pumapunku (mile 40), Molloko (mile 136), Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (mile 149), Pucará (mile 224), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 245), Raqch'i (mile 325), Ayamachay (mile 332), Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, Cusco (mile 400), Regional Historical Museum of Cusco (mile 400)
- Museums and history: Pumapunku (mile 40), Molloko (mile 136), Pucará (mile 224), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 245), Raqch'i (mile 325), Ayamachay (mile 332), Regional Historical Museum of Cusco (mile 400)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Templo de San Francisco de Asís
Facing Ayaviri's main square, the Templo de San Francisco de Asís is an Andean Baroque church more than three centuries old. Look for its columned facade and 18th-century religious paintings by Isidoro Francisco de Moncada.
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.
Ayamachay
Ayamachay is an archaeological site with rock paintings in the Combapata District of Cusco's Canchis Province, above the left bank of the Salcca River near the village of Oroscocha.
Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, Cusco
Built on the foundations of the Inca temple of Coricancha, the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo is a 17th-century colonial monastery in the historic center of Cusco.
Regional Historical Museum of Cusco
The Regional Historical Museum of Cusco occupies the house where chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega was born and lived, in the city of Cusco.
Once you reach Maras
Moray
About 50 km northwest of Cusco and just west of Maras, Moray sits on a plateau at roughly 3,500 meters. Its Inca ruins are mainly terraced circular depressions, the largest about 30 meters deep.
Quispiguanca
Quispiguanca, also written Q'espihuanca or Q'espiwanka, was a royal estate of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac.
Ayawayq'u
Ayawayq'u, also known as Yukay or Kapillayuq, is an archaeological site with rock paintings in the Yucay District of Urubamba Province, in Peru's Cusco Region.
More drives to Maras
- Abancay to Maras
- Andahuaylas to Maras
- Ayacucho, Peru to Maras
- Nazca to Maras
- Huancavelica to Maras
- Ica to Maras
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 is the drive from La Paz, Bolivia to Maras, Peru?
About 11 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 424 miles.
What is the driving distance from La Paz, Bolivia to Maras, Peru?
About 424 miles (683 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 Maras 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 Maras 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.
What roads does the drive from La Paz to Maras use?
In order: F1, PE-3S and PE-28F. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between La Paz and Maras?
Closest to the road: Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (monastery, mile 149, 0.2 mi from the route); Raqch'i (archaeological site, mile 325, 0.4 mi from the route); Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, Cusco (convent, mile 400, 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.