Plan on about 9 h 1 min of driving for the 424-mile (682 km) trip from San Luis to Quintay, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Chile at about mile 277, 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.”
| Total distance | 424 mi (682 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN7 → F-800 |
| Border crossing | about mile 277, Argentina → Chile (the Cristo Redentor crossing) |
| Regions on the route | San Luis, Mendoza, Valparaíso |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Argentina into Chile
The route crosses at about mile 277, 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 Luis to Quintay: the shape of the trip
RN7 (271 mi) and F-800 (14 mi) carry about 67% of the 424 miles. The first 277 miles are in Argentina; the last 147 are in Chile. It runs through 3 regions: San Luis, Mendoza, Valparaíso. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: San Luis to Quintay
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | San Luis |
| RN7 | 6–277 | 271 | San Luis, Mendoza |
| local roads | 277–360 | 83 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 360–361 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 361–408 | 47 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 408–409 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| F-800 | 409–423 | 14 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 423–424 | 1 | Valparaíso |
- Mile 51 of this route: San Luis → Mendoza (region line)
- Mile 277 of this route: Mendoza → Valparaíso (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between San Luis and Quintay
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Puente del Inca (mile 265), St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 329), Museo Histórico de Placilla (mile 404)
- Nature and outdoors: Cacheuta Spa (mile 182), La Campana National Park (mile 354), Balneario Las Salinas (mile 398), Lago Peñuelas National Reserve (mile 408)
- Museums and history: Puente del Inca (mile 265), St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 329), Museo Histórico de Placilla (mile 404)
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.
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 Municipal Juan Bustos Ramírez
Quilpué's municipal theater opened on December 7, 1940, as Teatro Velarde; the city bought it in 2012 for reconstruction, and it reopened as Teatro Municipal Juan Bustos Ramírez in 2017.
Teatro Municipal
Teatro Municipal de Viña del Mar is a heritage building in Viña del Mar, in Chile's Valparaíso Region, facing Plaza Vergara.
Balneario Las Salinas
Balneario Las Salinas is a beach in Viña del Mar, in Chile's Valparaíso Region, lying just north of the neighborhood of the same name.
Museo Histórico de Placilla
About 14 km from Valparaíso, the Museo Histórico de Placilla opened in August 2009 under the Placilla Cultural Center and is the only museum in the Placilla de Peñuelas area.
Lago Peñuelas National Reserve
Chile's Lago Peñuelas National Reserve surrounds Peñuelas Lake, a freshwater reservoir that supplies drinking water to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
More drives to Quintay
- Reñaca to Quintay
- Coquimbo to Quintay
- La Serena to Quintay
- Vicuña to Quintay
- Punta de Choros to Quintay
- Copiapó to Quintay
More drives from San Luis
- San Luis to Villa Carlos Paz
- San Luis to Capilla del Monte
- San Luis to Luján
- San Luis to Adrogué
- San Luis to Berisso
- San Luis to Magdalena
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from San Luis to Quintay, Chile?
About 9 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 424 miles.
How far is Quintay, Chile from San Luis 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 San Luis to Quintay drive cross the border?
At about mile 277, from Argentina into Chile, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from San Luis 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 San Luis to Quintay, Chile?
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 Luis to Quintay use?
In order: RN7 and F-800. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Luis and Quintay?
Closest to the road: Puente del Inca (historic bridge, mile 265, 0.2 mi from the route); St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (cathedral, mile 329, 0.9 mi from the route); Museo Histórico de Placilla (archaeological museum, mile 404, 0.8 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.