Plan on about 11 h 12 min of driving for the 424-mile (682 km) trip from La Paz, Bolivia to Urubamba, Peru, before any 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: “Most highways do not have shoulders, fences, or barriers, and there are few lane markings.”
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Total distance | 424 mi (682 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | F1 → PE-3S → PE-28B |
| Border crossing | about mile 67, Bolivia → Peru (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | La Paz, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.9 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.
How the La Paz to Urubamba drive plays out
PE-3S (312 mi) and F1 (60 mi) carry about 88% 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, 8 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: La Paz to Urubamba
| 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 | 68–380 | 312 | Puno, Cusco |
| PE-28B | 380–423 | 43 | Cusco |
| local roads | 423–424 | 1 | Cusco |
- Mile 67 of this route: La Paz → Puno (international border)
- Mile 289 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Urubamba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Molloko (mile 136), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 160), Pucará (mile 224), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 245), Raqch'i (mile 325), Ayamachay (mile 332), Urco (mile 413)
- Museums and history: Tiwanaku Site Museum (mile 40), Molloko (mile 136), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 160), Pucará (mile 224), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 245), Raqch'i (mile 325), Ayamachay (mile 332), Urco (mile 413)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Urco
Within the Vilcanota River valley, about 4.8 km from Calca in the Sacred Valley, Urco is an archaeological site occupied from the Late Intermediate Period through the Late Horizon.
In Urubamba itself
Kellococha
Kellococha is a lake in the Huayllabamba District of Urubamba Province, Cusco Region, known for its polylepis woods, which also grow at neighboring Yanacocha lake.
Yanacocha
Sitting at about 3,951 meters in the Urubamba Province of Cusco, Yanacocha is a lake roughly 240 meters long and 14 meters deep.
Chupani
Chupani is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the Urubamba district north of Cusco, declared national cultural heritage in 2011 and covering about 23 hectares.
More drives to Urubamba
- Ayacucho, Peru to Urubamba
- Huancavelica to Urubamba
- Huancayo to Urubamba
- Jauja to Urubamba
- Paucartambo to Urubamba
- Quillabamba to Urubamba
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 Urubamba, Peru?
About 11 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 424 miles.
How far is Urubamba, Peru from La Paz, Bolivia by car?
About 424 miles (682 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 Urubamba 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 Urubamba 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 Urubamba use?
In order: F1, PE-3S and PE-28B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between La Paz and Urubamba?
Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (cathedral, mile 160, 0.4 mi from the route); Raqch'i (archaeological site, mile 325, 0.4 mi from the route); Urco (archaeological site, mile 413, 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.