By road, Uyuni and Chulumani are about 408 miles (656 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 33 min of driving.
Full advisory: Bolivia. Advisory issued: Bolivia August 18, 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.”
| Distance by road | 408 mi (656 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 33 min |
| Main roads, in order | F30 → F1 → F3 → F25 |
| Departments on the route | Potosí, Oruro, La Paz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The Uyuni–Chulumani drive in a few lines
F1 (202 mi) and F30 (123 mi) carry about 80% of the 408 miles. It runs through 3 departments: Potosí, Oruro, La Paz. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Uyuni to Chulumani, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| F30 | 0–123 | 123 | Potosí, Oruro |
| F1 | 123–325 | 202 | Oruro, La Paz |
| connecting roads | 325–327 | 2 | La Paz |
| local roads | 327–339 | 12 | La Paz |
| F3 | 339–363 | 24 | La Paz |
| F25 | 363–408 | 45 | La Paz |
- Mile 78 of this route: Potosí → Oruro (department line)
- Mile 236 of this route: Oruro → La Paz (department line)
Places worth a stop between Uyuni and Chulumani
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Machacamarca Railway museum (mile 176), Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (mile 331), Casa de la Cultura Franz Tamayo (mile 334)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (mile 368)
- Museums and history: Machacamarca Railway museum (mile 176), Basílica menor de Nuestra Señora del Socavón (mile 195), Tama Chullpa (mile 256), Bolivian Air Force Museum (mile 330), Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (mile 331), Casa de la Cultura Franz Tamayo (mile 334)
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.
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.
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.
Bolivian Air Force Museum
Located at El Alto International Airport, the Bolivian Air Force Museum is an aviation museum in El Alto, La Paz.
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.
Casa de la Cultura Franz Tamayo
Set in the historic center of La Paz, the Casa de la Cultura Franz Tamayo is a cultural institution and an urban landmark in the city's central district.
Cerro Aruntaya
Cerro Aruntaya is a geological formation in a municipal protected area in southern La Paz, covering about 10.8 hectares of dry valley and puna landscape.
Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
Cotapata covers the north face of the Cordillera Real in the La Paz Yungas, about 20 km north of La Paz. The pre-Hispanic Choro Trail, still stone-paved in places, descends through it from near La Cumbre pass to the village of Chairo.
More drives to Chulumani
- Oruro to Chulumani
- Llallagua to Chulumani
- Quillacollo to Chulumani
- Villa Tunari to Chulumani
- Cochabamba to Chulumani
- Potosí to Chulumani
From Uyuni to other places in Bolivia
- Uyuni to Tarata
- Uyuni to Coroico
- Uyuni to Samaipata
- Uyuni to Chucuito, Peru
- Uyuni to Cafayate, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Uyuni to Chulumani?
About 10 h 33 min of driving without stops, over 408 miles.
What is the driving distance from Uyuni to Chulumani?
About 408 miles (656 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 Uyuni to Chulumani?
The U.S. State Department rates Bolivia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Uyuni to Chulumani use?
In order: F30, F1, F3 and F25. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Uyuni and Chulumani?
Closest to the road: Machacamarca Railway museum (railway museum, mile 176, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia (art museum, mile 331, 0.4 mi from the route); Casa de la Cultura Franz Tamayo (museum, mile 334, 0.5 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.