Plan on about 8 h 20 min of driving for the 358-mile (576 km) trip from San Juan, Argentina to Valparaíso, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Chile at about mile 231, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
Full advisory: Argentina, Chile. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
- Chile: “Use caution when walking or driving at night, especially if alone.”
| Distance by road | 358 mi (576 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN40 → RP87 → RP84 → RN7 |
| Border crossing | about mile 231, Argentina → Chile (the Cristo Redentor crossing) |
| Regions on the route | San Juan, Mendoza, Valparaíso |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Argentina into Chile
The route crosses at about mile 231, at the Cristo Redentor crossing, from Mendoza into Valparaíso. 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 Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| 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, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026); CMF Chile (financial regulator). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving San Juan to Valparaíso: the shape of the trip
RN40 (112 mi) and RN7 (103 mi) carry about 60% of the 358 miles. The first 231 miles are in Argentina; the last 127 are in Chile. It runs through 3 regions: San Juan, Mendoza, Valparaíso. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from San Juan to Valparaíso, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | San Juan |
| RN40 | 2–114 | 112 | San Juan, Mendoza |
| connecting roads | 114–116 | 2 | Mendoza |
| RP87 | 116–121 | 5 | Mendoza |
| RP84 | 121–126 | 5 | Mendoza |
| RN7 | 126–229 | 103 | Mendoza |
| local roads | 229–358 | 129 | Mendoza, Valparaíso |
- Mile 52 of this route: San Juan → Mendoza (region line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Mendoza → Valparaíso (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between San Juan and Valparaíso
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo del Área Fundacional (mile 103), Mendoza Cathedral (mile 104), Puente del Inca (mile 218), Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (mile 230), St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 283)
- Nature and outdoors: Cacheuta Spa (mile 135), La Campana National Park (mile 308)
- Museums and history: Museo del Área Fundacional (mile 103), Mendoza Cathedral (mile 104), Museo Regional Americanista (mile 112), Puente del Inca (mile 218), St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 283)
Museo del Área Fundacional
Founded in 1993, this museum in the city of Mendoza displays items of historical and archaeological value from the surrounding region.
Mendoza Cathedral
Dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto, Mendoza Cathedral began as a 19th-century chapel and was built as an interim cathedral in 1934.
Museo Regional Americanista
You'll find the Museo Regional Americanista on Sáenz Peña street in the Luján de Cuyo department of Mendoza Province, Argentina.
Cacheuta Spa
At Cacheuta, on the Mendoza River in the Andes foothills, Cacheuta Spa is a bathing complex built around natural hot springs, along the old road from Mendoza toward the Uspallata Pass and Chile.
Puente del Inca
Puente del Inca is a natural rock arch spanning the Las Cuevas River, a tributary of the Mendoza River. It stands beside the village of the same name in Las Heras Department, Mendoza Province.
Christ the Redeemer of the Andes
High in the Andes at 3,832 meters on the Argentina–Chile border, Christ the Redeemer of the Andes was unveiled on March 13, 1904, to mark the peaceful settlement of a border dispute between the two countries.
St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe
San Felipe Cathedral, dedicated to St. Philip, is a Catholic parish in San Felipe, Valparaíso Region, and serves as the cathedral of the Diocese of San Felipe de Aconcagua.
La Campana National Park
In Chile's coastal range northwest of Santiago, La Campana National Park protects the Chilean palm that Charles Darwin studied on his 1834 visit. Trails climb toward Cerro La Campana, and the park also holds petroglyphs and the Salto La Cortadera waterfall.
Teatro Pompeya
Teatro Pompeya is a theater on Paseo Latorre in the city of Villa Alemana, in Chile's Valparaíso Region.
Arriving in Valparaíso
Museo Marítimo Nacional
Valparaíso's Museo Marítimo Nacional occupies the former Naval School building on Cerro Artillería; its founding date is taken as April 30, 1915, when the Navy began museum work.
Monument to the Heroes of Iquique
At the center of Plaza Sotomayor in Valparaíso, between Prat Pier and the Navy headquarters, this monument honors those who fought in the naval battles of Iquique and Punta Gruesa on May 21, 1879.
La Sebastiana, Valparaíso
Up on Cerro Bellavista in Valparaíso, La Sebastiana is one of poet Pablo Neruda's three houses, along with La Chascona and Isla Negra, and looks out over the bay.
More drives to Valparaíso
More drives from San Juan
- San Juan, Argentina to Tunuyán
- San Juan, Argentina to San Rafael
- San Juan, Argentina to Villa Carlos Paz
- San Juan, Argentina to Amaicha del Valle
- San Juan, Argentina to Tafí Viejo
- San Juan, Argentina to Viña del Mar, Chile
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from San Juan, Argentina to Valparaíso, Chile?
About 8 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 358 miles.
What is the driving distance from San Juan, Argentina to Valparaíso, Chile?
About 358 miles (576 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 San Juan to Valparaíso drive cross the border?
At about mile 231, from Argentina into Chile, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from San Juan 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 San Juan to Valparaíso drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from San Juan to Valparaíso use?
In order: RN40, RP87, RP84 and RN7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Juan and Valparaíso?
Closest to the road: Museo del Área Fundacional (museum, mile 103, 0.1 mi from the route); Mendoza Cathedral (cathedral, mile 104, 0.7 mi from the route); Puente del Inca (historic bridge, mile 218, 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.