Plan on about 12 h 30 min of driving for the 480-mile (773 km) trip from Rurrenabaque to Putre, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Bolivia into Chile at about mile 442.
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: “Most highways do not have shoulders, fences, or barriers, and there are few lane markings.”
- 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 by road | 480 mi (773 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 30 min |
| Main roads, in order | F8 → F3 → F1 → F4 → A-149 |
| Border crossing | about mile 442, Bolivia → Chile |
| Regions on the route | El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Border crossing: what to bring for Chile
The route crosses at about mile 442, from Oruro into Arica y Parinacota. 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 Rurrenabaque to Putre is like
F3 (194 mi) and F4 (117 mi) carry about 65% of the 480 miles. The first 442 miles are in Bolivia; the last 38 are in Chile. It runs through 4 regions: El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Rurrenabaque to Putre
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | El Beni |
| F8 | 1–64 | 63 | El Beni |
| F3 | 64–258 | 194 | El Beni, La Paz |
| local roads | 258–268 | 10 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 268–272 | 4 | La Paz |
| F1 | 272–322 | 50 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 322–323 | 1 | La Paz |
| F4 | 323–440 | 117 | La Paz, Oruro |
| local roads | 440–476 | 36 | Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| A-149 | 476–479 | 3 | Arica y Parinacota |
| local roads | 479–480 | 1 | Arica y Parinacota |
- Mile 90 of this route: El Beni → La Paz (region line)
- Mile 371 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 442 of this route: Oruro → Arica y Parinacota (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Rurrenabaque and Putre
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Municipal de La Paz (mile 262)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 216), Sajama National Park (mile 424), Chungará Lake (mile 448), Lauca National Park (mile 462)
- Museums and history: Bolivian Air Force Museum (mile 268), Kuntur Amaya (mile 337)
Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
Cotapata covers the north face of the Cordillera Real in the La Paz Yungas, about 20 km north of La Paz. The pre-Hispanic Choro Trail, still stone-paved in places, descends through it from near La Cumbre pass to the village of Chairo.
Cerro Aruntaya
Cerro Aruntaya is a geological formation in a municipal protected area in southern La Paz, covering about 10.8 hectares of dry valley and puna landscape.
Teatro Municipal de La Paz
Also called Teatro Municipal Alberto Saavedra Pérez, La Paz's municipal theater is the city's main stage for concerts, plays, ballet and opera.
Max Schreier Planetarium
Run by the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, the Max Schreier Planetarium in La Paz shares knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics with the public.
Bolivian Air Force Museum
Located at El Alto International Airport, the Bolivian Air Force Museum is an aviation museum in El Alto, La Paz.
Kuntur Amaya
Kuntur Amaya is an archaeological site in Bolivia's La Paz Department, located in Aroma Province within Umala Municipality, near the community of Wayllani.
Sajama National Park
In Bolivia's Oruro Department, Sajama National Park is a protected area that shares a border with Chile's Lauca National Park.
Chungará Lake
At 4,517 meters on the Altiplano of the Arica y Parinacota Region, Chungará Lake lies inside Lauca National Park and covers about 22 square kilometers.
Lauca National Park
In Chile's Norte Grande, Lauca National Park covers 1,379 km² of Andean altiplano and mountains, most of them large volcanoes.
More drives to Putre
- Iquique to Putre
- Calama to Putre
- Antofagasta to Putre
- Arequipa to Putre, Chile
- Quillacollo to Putre, Chile
- Llallagua to Putre, Chile
More drives from Rurrenabaque
- Rurrenabaque to Tiwanaku
- Rurrenabaque to Sorata
- Rurrenabaque to Quime
- Rurrenabaque to Challapata
- Rurrenabaque to Chucuito, Peru
- Rurrenabaque to Lampa, Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Rurrenabaque to Putre, Chile?
About 12 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 480 miles.
How far is Putre, Chile from Rurrenabaque by car?
About 480 miles (773 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 Rurrenabaque to Putre drive cross the border?
At about mile 442, from Bolivia into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Rurrenabaque 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.)
Is it safe to drive from Rurrenabaque to Putre, Chile?
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 Rurrenabaque to Putre?
In order: F8, F3, F1, F4 and A-149. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Rurrenabaque to Putre?
Closest to the road: Teatro Municipal de La Paz (theater, mile 262, 0.5 mi from the route); Max Schreier Planetarium (planetarium, mile 264, 1 mi from the route); Kuntur Amaya (archaeological site, mile 337, 1 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.