Plan on about 12 h 1 min of driving for the 495-mile (796 km) trip from Sucre to Arica, Chile, before any stops. You cross from Bolivia into Chile at about mile 371.
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 | 495 mi (796 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | F6 → F1 → F12 → F27 → F4 |
| Border crossing | about mile 371, Bolivia → Chile |
| Regions on the route | Chuquisaca, Potosí, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.8 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 371, 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.
The Sucre–Arica drive in a few lines
F6 (176 mi) and F27 (85 mi) carry about 53% of the 495 miles. The first 371 miles are in Bolivia; the last 124 are in Chile. It runs through 4 regions: Chuquisaca, Potosí, Oruro, Arica y Parinacota. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Sucre to Arica, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Chuquisaca |
| F6 | 6–169 | 163 | Chuquisaca, Potosí, Oruro |
| local roads | 169–173 | 4 | Oruro |
| F6 | 173–186 | 13 | Oruro |
| F1 | 186–201 | 15 | Oruro |
| local roads | 201–204 | 3 | Oruro |
| F12 | 204–262 | 58 | Oruro |
| F27 | 262–347 | 85 | Oruro |
| F4 | 347–369 | 22 | Oruro |
| local roads | 369–488 | 119 | Oruro, Arica y Parinacota |
| connecting roads | 488–490 | 2 | Arica y Parinacota |
| local roads | 490–495 | 5 | Arica y Parinacota |
- Mile 32 of this route: Chuquisaca → Potosí (region line)
- Mile 157 of this route: Potosí → Oruro (region line)
- Mile 371 of this route: Oruro → Arica y Parinacota (international border)
Stops between Sucre and Arica
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (mile 204), Tambo de Zapahuira (mile 429)
- Nature and outdoors: Sajama National Park (mile 354), Chungará Lake (mile 377), Lauca National Park (mile 391)
- Museums and history: Inka Mach'ay (mile 18), Machacamarca Railway museum (mile 186), Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (mile 204), Basílica menor de Nuestra Señora del Socavón (mile 204), Tambo de Zapahuira (mile 429)
Inka Mach'ay
At about 3,510 meters in Sucre Municipality, Chuquisaca, Inka Mach'ay is an archaeological site in Bolivia's Oropeza Province.
Machacamarca Railway museum
The Machacamarca Railway Museum (Museo Ferroviario de Machacamarca) is a railway museum in the municipality of Machacamarca, in Bolivia's Oruro department.
Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas
Bolivia's national anthropology museum named for Eduardo López Rivas preserves, studies and shares the archaeological, ethnographic and folk heritage of the Altiplano region.
Basílica menor de Nuestra Señora del Socavón
On Pie de Gallo hill in Oruro, this Catholic basilica honors the Virgin of the Socavón, patron of the city's miners and the heart of the Oruro Carnival. Bolivia declared it national cultural heritage in 2013.
Sajama Lines
Near Sajama volcano in western Bolivia, the Sajama Lines are thousands of nearly straight paths etched into the Altiplano by Indigenous people over more than 3,000 years.
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.
Tambo de Zapahuira
Part of the Inca road (Qhapaq Ñan), the Inca-built Tambo de Zapahuira in Putre has a row of linked rectangular rooms and, 150 meters away, two adobe burial towers; it has been a National Monument since 1983.
Arriving in Arica
Morro de Arica
Rising steeply from Arica and the sea to 139 meters above sea level, Morro de Arica is a headland with a gentler slope on its eastern side.
Faro Península Alacrán
Part of Chile's lighthouse network, Faro Península Alacrán is an unmanned lighthouse on the Alacrán Peninsula in the city of Arica.
Museo Histórico y de Armas del Morro de Arica
On top of the Morro de Arica, a Chilean national monument, this history and weapons museum recalls the War of the Pacific and the Chilean capture of the Morro on June 7, 1880.
More drives to Arica
- Antofagasta to Arica
- Juliaca to Arica, Chile
- La Paz, Bolivia to Arica, Chile
- Cochabamba to Arica, Chile
- Oruro to Arica, Chile
More drives from Sucre
- Sucre to Quillacollo
- Sucre to Quime
- Sucre to Tiwanaku
- Sucre to Coroico
- Sucre to Chulumani
- Sucre to San Pedro de Quemes Canton
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Sucre to Arica, Chile?
About 12 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 495 miles.
How far is Arica, Chile from Sucre by car?
About 495 miles (796 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 Sucre to Arica drive cross the border?
At about mile 371, from Bolivia into Chile.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Sucre 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 Sucre to Arica, 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 Sucre to Arica?
In order: F6, F1, F12, F27 and F4. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Sucre to Arica?
Closest to the road: Inka Mach'ay (archaeological site, mile 18, 2 mi from the route); Museo Nacional Antropológico Eduardo López Rivas (ethnographic museum, mile 204, 0.6 mi from the route); Tambo de Zapahuira (archaeological site, mile 429, 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.