Plan on about 14 h 18 min of driving for the 529-mile (851 km) trip from Tacna to Chinchero, before any stops.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance by road | 529 mi (851 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 14 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → TA-515 → TA-517 → TA-524 → TA-103 → PE-36A → PE-38A → PE-3S → PE-28F |
| Regions on the route | Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Tacna to Chinchero
PE-3S (273 mi) and PE-38A (51 mi) carry about 61% of the 529 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Cusco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 8 are within a mile of the road.
Tacna to Chinchero: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tacna |
| PE-1S | 1–50 | 49 | Tacna |
| TA-515 | 50–95 | 45 | Tacna |
| local roads | 95–99 | 4 | Tacna |
| TA-517 | 99–104 | 5 | Tacna |
| connecting roads | 104–106 | 2 | Tacna |
| TA-524 | 106–111 | 5 | Tacna |
| TA-103 | 111–139 | 28 | Tacna, Moquegua |
| PE-36A | 139–183 | 44 | Moquegua, Puno |
| PE-38A | 183–234 | 51 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 234–500 | 266 | Puno, Cusco |
| local roads | 500–508 | 8 | Cusco |
| connecting roads | 508–510 | 2 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 510–517 | 7 | Cusco |
| PE-28F | 517–528 | 11 | Cusco |
| local roads | 528–529 | 1 | Cusco |
- Mile 137 of this route: Tacna → Moquegua (region line)
- Mile 147 of this route: Moquegua → Puno (region line)
- Mile 399 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Places worth a stop between Tacna and Chinchero
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santuario del Señor de Locumba (mile 58), Molloko (mile 245), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 296), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 354), Raqch'i (mile 435), Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco (mile 509), Iglesia y monasterio de Santa Teresa (mile 509)
- Museums and history: Soro Mik'aya Patjxa (mile 223), Molloko (mile 245), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Templo de San Francisco de Asís (mile 354), Raqch'i (mile 435), Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco (mile 509)
Santuario del Señor de Locumba
Also known as the minor basilica of the Señor de los Pies Quemados, this church in Locumba venerates the Señor de Locumba, an effigy of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa is a high-altitude archaeological site in the Ilave Basin, about 30 km west of Lake Titicaca's shore, used seasonally by hunter-gatherers for more than a thousand years.
Molloko
Molloko is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, about 5 kilometers south of the town of Acora, near the village of Molloco.
Carlos Dreyer Museum
Puno's Carlos Dreyer Museum (Museo Carlos Dreyer) holds about 1,800 pieces and relics spanning the pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican eras, in a building declared part of Peru's national cultural heritage in 1980.
Convento Franciscano de Juliaca
Juliaca's Franciscan convent, also called the Convent of Santa Bárbara, sits on Santa Bárbara hill (Hatun Rumi) about 40 meters from the Plaza de Armas. Its architecture is essentially Romanesque in style.
Templo de San Francisco de Asís
Facing Ayaviri's main square, the Templo de San Francisco de Asís is an Andean Baroque church more than three centuries old. Look for its columned facade and 18th-century religious paintings by Isidoro Francisco de Moncada.
Raqch'i
Raqch'i, in the Vilcanota valley of Cusco's Canchis province, preserves the Inca temple of Wiracocha, about 92 meters long, along with ceremonial spaces and 156 qolqas, or storehouses, built partly of volcanic stone.
Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco
On Plazoleta de las Nazarenas in Cusco's San Blas district, this museum displays some 450 pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from across Peru, drawn from the Larco Museum collection in Lima.
Iglesia y monasterio de Santa Teresa
The Discalced Carmelite Monastery of San José y Santa Teresa, known locally as the Convento de Santa Teresa, is a religious complex in Cusco that keeps a cloistered convent and a church.
Once you reach Chinchero
Lake Piuray
Lake Piuray (Laguna Piuray) lies in the Chinchero district of Cusco, in the Vilcanota range. Its deep blue water is fed by several streams, including the Pongobamba and Huila Huila.
Machu Colca
A few minutes outside Chinchero, Machu Colca (Machu Qollqa) is an archaeological site in Huayllabamba District, Urubamba Province, Cusco Region.
More drives to Chinchero
- Písac to Chinchero
- Abancay to Chinchero
- Andahuaylas to Chinchero
- Ayacucho, Peru to Chinchero
- Nazca to Chinchero
- Ica to Chinchero
From Tacna to other places in Peru
- Tacna to Chucuito
- Tacna to Puno
- Tacna to Juliaca
- Tacna to Lampa
- Tacna to La Rinconada
- Tacna to Andahuaylillas
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tacna to Chinchero?
About 14 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 529 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tacna to Chinchero?
About 529 miles (851 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 Tacna to Chinchero?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tacna to Chinchero?
In order: PE-1S, TA-515, TA-517, TA-524, TA-103, PE-36A, PE-38A, PE-3S and PE-28F. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tacna and Chinchero?
Closest to the road: Santuario del Señor de Locumba (sanctuary, mile 58, 0.1 mi from the route); Carlos Dreyer Museum (museum, mile 269, 0.3 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 296, 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.