By road, Puerto Maldonado and Yucay are about 436 miles (701 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 37 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance by road | 436 mi (701 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 12 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-30C → PE-34B → PU-100 → PE-3S → PE-28B |
| Regions on the route | Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
How the Puerto Maldonado to Yucay drive plays out
PE-30C (112 mi) and PE-3S (111 mi) carry about 51% of the 436 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco. Of the 7 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Puerto Maldonado to Yucay
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Madre de Dios |
| PE-30C | 2–114 | 112 | Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco |
| PE-34B | 114–220 | 106 | Cusco, Puno |
| PU-100 | 220–284 | 64 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 284–395 | 111 | Puno, Cusco |
| PE-28B | 395–436 | 41 | Cusco |
- Mile 99 of this route: Madre de Dios → Puno (region line)
- Mile 106 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
- Mile 116 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
- Mile 303 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Places worth a stop between Puerto Maldonado and Yucay
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 319), Raqch'i (mile 339), Inkariy Museum (mile 428)
- Museums and history: Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Raqch'i (mile 339), Qhapaq Kancha (mile 418), Inkariy Museum (mile 428)
Chichakuri
Stone tombs, walls, houses and squares make up Chichakuri, an archaeological site in Peru whose Quechua-Aymara name refers to the chigoe flea.
Mawk'allaqta, Melgar
Mawk'allaqta, a Quechua name meaning "ancient place" and also spelled Maucallacta, is an archaeological site in Nuñoa District, Melgar Province, in Peru's Puno Region.
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.
Iglesia de la Recoleta
A Catholic church in Cusco, the Iglesia de la Recoleta has been part of the city's Monumental Zone, declared a Historical Monument of Peru, since 1972.
Qhapaq Kancha
Qhapaq Kancha is an Inca-period archaeological site on top of a mountain of the same name in Coya District, Calca Province, Cusco Region.
Inkariy Museum
A private history museum in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Inkariy Museum lies in Calca district, in Peru's Cusco region.
When you get to Yucay
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.
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 Yucay
- Andahuaylas to Yucay
- Ayacucho, Peru to Yucay
- Nazca to Yucay
- Huancavelica to Yucay
- Huacachina to Yucay
- Huancayo to Yucay
From Puerto Maldonado to other places in Peru
- Puerto Maldonado to Lampa
- Puerto Maldonado to Chucuito
- Puerto Maldonado to Andahuaylillas
- Puerto Maldonado to Písac
- Puerto Maldonado to Chinchero
- Puerto Maldonado to Urubamba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Puerto Maldonado to Yucay?
About 12 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 436 miles.
How far is Yucay from Puerto Maldonado by car?
About 436 miles (701 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Puerto Maldonado to Yucay drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Puerto Maldonado to Yucay use?
In order: PE-30C, PE-34B, PU-100, PE-3S and PE-28B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Puerto Maldonado and Yucay?
Closest to the road: Chichakuri (archaeological site, mile 194, 0.2 mi from the route); Raqch'i (archaeological site, mile 339, 0.4 mi from the route); Inkariy Museum (museum, mile 428, 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.