By road, Sorata and Samaipata are about 538 miles (866 km) apart, or roughly 14 h 36 min of driving.
Full advisory: Bolivia. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
| Distance | 538 mi (866 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 14 h 36 min |
| Main roads, in order | F16 → F2 → F1 → F4 → D4303 → F48 → F7 |
| Departments on the route | La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Sorata to Samaipata is like
F7 (225 mi) and F1 (106 mi) carry about 62% of the 538 miles. It runs through 4 departments: La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Sorata to Samaipata
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–33 | 33 | La Paz |
| F16 | 33–45 | 12 | La Paz |
| F2 | 45–80 | 35 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 80–81 | 1 | La Paz |
| local roads | 81–86 | 5 | La Paz |
| connecting roads | 86–88 | 2 | La Paz |
| F1 | 88–194 | 106 | La Paz, Oruro |
| F4 | 194–214 | 20 | Oruro |
| local roads | 214–223 | 9 | Oruro, Cochabamba |
| F4 | 223–291 | 68 | Cochabamba |
| D4303 | 291–297 | 6 | Cochabamba |
| connecting roads | 297–300 | 3 | Cochabamba |
| F48 | 300–312 | 12 | Cochabamba |
| F7 | 312–537 | 225 | Cochabamba, Santa Cruz |
| local roads | 537–538 | 1 | Santa Cruz |
- Mile 178 of this route: La Paz → Oruro (department line)
- Mile 222 of this route: Oruro → Cochabamba (department line)
- Mile 449 of this route: Cochabamba → Santa Cruz (department line)
Stops between Sorata and Samaipata
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chacoma Tombs (mile 95), Silos de Tukipaya (mile 462)
- Nature and outdoors: Mallasa national Park (mile 86), Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco (mile 318)
- Museums and history: Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (mile 86), Tama Chullpa (mile 158), Silos de Tukipaya (mile 462)
Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia
Opened in 2002 in El Alto, Bolivia, the Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia holds works of art along with a library of thousands of books.
Mallasa national Park
South of La Paz's urban center, Mallasa (now a municipal protected area) is a gently sloping plateau full of eucalyptus trees, with green spaces for sports and outdoor recreation.
Chacoma Tombs
Found in 2017 on the Altiplano near Chacoma and Mazo Cruz in Viacha municipality, the Chacoma Tombs (Tumbas de Chacoma) are a necropolis of underground, cave-like burial chambers, unlike the region's chullpa burial towers.
Tama Chullpa
On the Bolivian Altiplano near the community of Culli Culli Alto, Tama Chullpa is a necropolis of funerary towers, or chullpas, attributed to the pre-Inca Pacajes culture of the Late Intermediate period.
Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco
Known for its leafy, old carob trees, the Bosque de Algarrobos de Tiataco is a municipal protected area in Arbieto, Cochabamba, where the traditional Wallunk'a and Mast'aku celebrations take place.
Silos de Tukipaya
About 2 km northwest of Comarapa in Santa Cruz department, the Silos de Tukipaya are an archaeological site at the edge of the Comarapa valley, on old routes toward Pocona and Mizque.
Arriving in Samaipata
El Fuerte de Samaipata
El Fuerte de Samaipata is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Andean foothills of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia.
More drives to Samaipata
- Quillacollo to Samaipata
- Villa Tunari to Samaipata
- Potosí to Samaipata
- Llallagua to Samaipata
- Trinidad, Bolivia to Samaipata
- Uyuni to Samaipata
From Sorata to other places in Bolivia
- Sorata to Quime
- Sorata to Challapata
- Sorata to San Juan, Bolivia
- Sorata to San Pedro de Quemes Canton
- Sorata to Maras, Peru
- Sorata to Mollepata, Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Sorata to Samaipata?
About 14 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 538 miles.
How far is Samaipata from Sorata by car?
About 538 miles (866 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.
Is it safe to drive from Sorata to Samaipata?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Sorata to Samaipata?
In order: F16, F2, F1, F4, D4303, F48 and F7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Sorata to Samaipata?
Closest to the road: Chacoma Tombs (necropolis, mile 95, 0.7 mi from the route); Tama Chullpa (archaeological site, mile 158, 3 mi from the route); Silos de Tukipaya (archaeological site, mile 462, 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.