By road, Urubamba and Tiwanaku, Bolivia are about 389 miles (626 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 37 min of driving. You cross from Peru into Bolivia at about mile 360, at Desaguadero.
Full advisory: Peru, Bolivia. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; Bolivia August 18, 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.”
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
| Distance by road | 389 mi (626 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-28B → PE-3S → PU-117 → PE-34B → F1 |
| Border crossing | about mile 360, Peru → Bolivia (Desaguadero) |
| Regions on the route | Cusco, Puno, La Paz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Peru–Bolivia border
The route crosses at about mile 360, at Desaguadero, from Puno into La Paz. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| 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. |
| Entering Peru (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less; border officials set your length of stay. Passport: must be valid for at least 6 months after you enter; you need an entry record, such as a passport stamp, even at remote land crossings. |
| Driving in Peru | A U.S. license works for up to 180 days; an International Driving Permit is suggested. |
| 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, Bolivia (updated May 07, 2026); U.S. State Department, Peru (updated August 20, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
What the drive from Urubamba to Tiwanaku is like
PE-3S (282 mi) and PE-28B (42 mi) carry about 83% of the 389 miles. The first 360 miles are in Peru; the last 29 are in Bolivia. It runs through 3 regions: Cusco, Puno, La Paz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 7 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Urubamba to Tiwanaku
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Cusco |
| PE-28B | 1–43 | 42 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 43–199 | 156 | Cusco, Puno |
| connecting roads | 199–201 | 2 | Puno |
| PU-117 | 201–206 | 5 | Puno |
| local roads | 206–213 | 7 | Puno |
| PE-34B | 213–225 | 12 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 225–261 | 36 | Puno |
| local roads | 261–269 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 269–359 | 90 | Puno |
| connecting roads | 359–360 | 1 | Puno |
| F1 | 360–387 | 27 | La Paz |
| local roads | 387–389 | 2 | La Paz |
- Mile 135 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
- Mile 360 of this route: Puno → La Paz (international border)
Where to stop on the way to Tiwanaku
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Inkariy Museum (mile 11), Choquepuquio (mile 44), Raqch'i (mile 99), Pucará (mile 199), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 199), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 240), Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito (mile 279)
- Museums and history: Inkariy Museum (mile 11), Qhapaq Kancha (mile 21), Choquepuquio (mile 44), Raqch'i (mile 99), Pucará (mile 199), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 199)
Inkariy Museum
A private history museum in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Inkariy Museum lies in Calca district, in Peru's Cusco region.
Qhapaq Kancha
Qhapaq Kancha is an Inca-period archaeological site on top of a mountain of the same name in Coya District, Calca Province, Cusco Region.
Iglesia de la Recoleta
A Catholic church in Cusco, the Iglesia de la Recoleta has been part of the city's Monumental Zone, declared a Historical Monument of Peru, since 1972.
Choquepuquio
Choquepuquio is an extensive Wari archaeological site in the Cusco valley, in Lucre District near the village of Huacarpay and the lake of the same name.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When you get to Tiwanaku
Gate of the Sun
At the Tiwanaku site near Lake Titicaca and La Paz, the Gate of the Sun is a monolithic gateway built by the Tiwanaku culture, which thrived around AD 500–950.
Tiwanaku
Near Lake Titicaca, about 70 km from La Paz, Tiwanaku is a pre-Columbian archaeological site whose surface remains cover around 4 square kilometers, with monumental structures, megalithic blocks and decorated ceramics.
Akapana
At the pre-Columbian site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia's La Paz department, Akapana is an artificial platform mound built in seven levels held by carved sandstone walls.
More drives to Tiwanaku
- Coroico to Tiwanaku
- Chulumani to Tiwanaku
- San Borja to Tiwanaku
- Rurrenabaque to Tiwanaku
- Llallagua to Tiwanaku
- Quillacollo to Tiwanaku
More drives from Urubamba
- Urubamba to Paracas
- Urubamba to Andahuaylillas
- Urubamba to Kiteni
- Urubamba to Lampa
- Urubamba to Coroico, Bolivia
- Urubamba to Copacabana, Bolivia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Urubamba to Tiwanaku, Bolivia?
About 11 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 389 miles.
How far is Tiwanaku, Bolivia from Urubamba by car?
About 389 miles (626 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 Urubamba to Tiwanaku drive cross the border?
At about mile 360, from Peru into Bolivia, at Desaguadero.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Urubamba into Bolivia?
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. You need both an International Driving Permit and your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated May 07, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Urubamba to Tiwanaku drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Urubamba to Tiwanaku?
In order: PE-28B, PE-3S, PU-117, PE-34B and F1. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Urubamba and Tiwanaku?
Closest to the road: Inkariy Museum (museum, mile 11, 0.2 mi from the route); Pukara Lithic Museum (museum, mile 199, 0.2 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 240, 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.