By road, Yucay and Copacabana, Bolivia are about 353 miles (568 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 37 min of driving. You cross from Peru into Bolivia at about mile 347, at Kasani.
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: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
- Bolivia: “Some vehicles are not well maintained and may not have lights working at night.”
| Distance by road | 353 mi (568 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-28B → PE-3S → PU-117 → PE-34B → PU-130 → F2 |
| Border crossing | about mile 347, Peru → Bolivia (Kasani) |
| Regions on the route | Cusco, Puno, La Paz |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Peru–Bolivia border
The route crosses at about mile 347, at Kasani, 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.
On the road from Yucay to Copacabana
PE-3S (259 mi) and PE-28B (41 mi) carry about 85% of the 353 miles. The first 347 miles are in Peru; the last 6 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.
Yucay to Copacabana: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE-28B | 0–41 | 41 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 41–197 | 156 | Cusco, Puno |
| connecting roads | 197–199 | 2 | Puno |
| PU-117 | 199–203 | 4 | Puno |
| local roads | 203–211 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-34B | 211–222 | 11 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 222–259 | 37 | Puno |
| local roads | 259–267 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 267–333 | 66 | Puno |
| PU-130 | 333–347 | 14 | Puno |
| F2 | 347–353 | 6 | La Paz |
- Mile 133 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
- Mile 347 of this route: Puno → La Paz (international border)
Where to stop on the way to Copacabana
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Inkariy Museum (mile 8), Urco (mile 9), Raqch'i (mile 96), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 196), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 238), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 265), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 265)
- Museums and history: Inkariy Museum (mile 8), Urco (mile 9), Raqch'i (mile 96), Pukara Lithic Museum (mile 196), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 265), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 265), Intini Uyu Pata (mile 346)
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.
Urco
Within the Vilcanota River valley, about 4.8 km from Calca in the Sacred Valley, Urco is an archaeological site occupied from the Late Intermediate Period through the Late Horizon.
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.
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.
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.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno
On Puno's Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo was built between 1669 and 1757, with a mestizo Baroque stone facade blending Andean and European art.
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.
Intini Uyu Pata
Sitting at about 3,867 meters in Peru's Puno Region, Intini Uyu Pata (Inti Uyu) is an archaeological site between the Ollaraya and Unicachi districts of Yunguyo Province.
In Copacabana itself
Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana
In the town of Copacabana, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana is a 17th-century Catholic shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Candles of Copacabana, patroness of Bolivia.
Pachat'aqa
Close to Lake Titicaca in the municipality of Copacabana, Pachat'aqa, often called the Inca Gallows, is a pre-Inca astronomical observatory built as a lintel of two parallel stone blocks.
More drives to Copacabana
- Arequipa to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Cusco to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Juliaca to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Puerto Maldonado to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Andahuaylas to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Abancay to Copacabana, Bolivia
More drives from Yucay
- Yucay to Paracas
- Yucay to Kiteni
- Yucay to Lampa
- Yucay to Desaguadero
- Yucay to Tiwanaku, Bolivia
- Yucay to Yumani, Bolivia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Yucay to Copacabana, Bolivia?
About 10 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 353 miles.
How far is Copacabana, Bolivia from Yucay by car?
About 353 miles (568 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 Yucay to Copacabana drive cross the border?
At about mile 347, from Peru into Bolivia, at Kasani.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Yucay 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.)
Is it safe to drive from Yucay to Copacabana, Bolivia?
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.
What roads does the drive from Yucay to Copacabana use?
In order: PE-28B, PE-3S, PU-117, PE-34B, PU-130 and F2. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Yucay to Copacabana?
Closest to the road: Inkariy Museum (museum, mile 8, 0.1 mi from the route); Pukara Lithic Museum (museum, mile 196, 0.2 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 238, 0.1 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.