The Wayro route from Tacna to Paucartambo is 536 miles (863 km), about 14 h 23 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Distance by road | 536 mi (863 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 14 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → TA-515 → TA-517 → TA-524 → TA-103 → PE-36A → PE-38A → PE-3S → CU-113 |
| Regions on the route | Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Tacna–Paucartambo drive in a few lines
PE-3S (256 mi) and PE-38A (51 mi) carry about 57% of the 536 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 Paucartambo: 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 | 234–490 | 256 | Puno, Cusco |
| connecting roads | 490–492 | 2 | Cusco |
| CU-113 | 492–536 | 44 | 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 Paucartambo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santuario del Señor de Locumba (mile 58), Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (mile 257), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Pucará (mile 334), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 334), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 415), Raqch'i (mile 435), Ninamarca (mile 521)
- Museums and history: Soro Mik'aya Patjxa (mile 223), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Pucará (mile 334), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 334), Raqch'i (mile 435), Ninamarca (mile 521)
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.
Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito
On the shore of Lake Titicaca in Chucuito, Puno, the Benedictine Monastery of the Resurrection belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict and is described as the highest Catholic monastery in the world, at 3,870 meters.
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.
Pucará
Above the highland town of Pucará, this pre-Inca complex of the Pucará culture centers on Kalasaya, a pyramid of stone monoliths with carved human heads jutting from its walls. The Museo Lítico Pucará stands on the main plaza.
Pukara Lithic Museum
Run by Peru's Ministry of Culture office in Puno, the Pukara Lithic Museum (Museo Lítico de Pukara) in the town of Pucará displays monoliths and stone sculptures of the ancient Pukara culture.
Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar»
Run by the National University of San Marcos, this astronomical observatory serves both educational and tourism purposes and sits at an altitude of 4,027 meters.
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.
Ninamarca
Near the village of Ninamaca, southeast of Colquepata in the Cusco Region's Paucartambo Province, Ninamarca is an archaeological site in Peru.
More drives to Paucartambo
- Cusco to Paucartambo
- Abancay to Paucartambo
- Andahuaylas to Paucartambo
- Ayacucho, Peru to Paucartambo
- Nazca to Paucartambo
- Ica to Paucartambo
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 does it take to drive from Tacna to Paucartambo?
About 14 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 536 miles.
How far is Paucartambo from Tacna by car?
About 536 miles (863 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 Paucartambo?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tacna to Paucartambo use?
In order: PE-1S, TA-515, TA-517, TA-524, TA-103, PE-36A, PE-38A, PE-3S and CU-113. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tacna to Paucartambo?
Closest to the road: Santuario del Señor de Locumba (sanctuary, mile 58, 0.1 mi from the route); Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (monastery, mile 257, 0.2 mi from the route); Pukara Lithic Museum (museum, mile 334, 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.