Can someone tell me the time it takes to ride from La Paz Bolivia to Cusco, Peru? Two days including the border crossing?

Yes, two days is a good time. I roded one day La Paz-Juliaca and one day Juliaca-Cuzco including cross border, pics, chat with locals, to eat, etc

Thanks Rauleloy. Im guessing two days from the Argentina/Bolivia border to La Pas as well?

Are you going in aeroplane? As far as I know to be 3 cross border AR-BO: from west to east, La Quiaca-Villazon, Aguas Blancas-Bermejo and Salvador Mazza-Yacuiba. You can choice between arid mountain in Villazon o wet forest in Yacuiba. I don´t know the first route, the other one is nice, Santa Cruz, Samaipata (next to Vallegrande, grave for Mister Guevara), Cochabamba, La Paz. For me were 6 days, remember the bolivian routes are not alway in very good condition. Sorry, my English is not very fluent, if you speak Spanish I can add details

My question is WHY?? Take your time! Give yourself 5 days to La Paz. Then go La Paz to Copacabana one day, border to Juliaca one day, then to Cuzco one day (tho that is the booring way... MUCH better to go to Arequipa / Colca Canyon then north to Cuzco... taking your time. SOOO much to see!

Cheers! Toby

There's a road from La Paz to Arequipa/Colcannon Canyon that bypasses Juliaca? I don't see it on the map.

There's a road from La Paz to Arequipa/Colcannon Canyon that bypasses Juliaca? I don't see it on the map.

There are lots of them if you are not dependent on pavement!

I'm riding solo on a R1150GS so it's not a light bike,especially in a crash but I rode up Ruta 40 so I'm comfortable riding on the dirt long as it's not too bad. What route would you suggest?

When will you be passing thru Peru? The route has two small river crossings which WON'T be small if you are into December!

I like to stick to the dirt, but you might want to at least ride to Arequipa on the blacktop.

Then swing towards the coast then north to the Colca Canyon to Cabanaconde. Catch the condors soaring just east of town 15 km (8:30 am) the cruise up (55 km) to Chivay for the night.

Rest up cause the next day is long, but VERY beautiful! Chivay-Sibayo-La Angostura (near the Calloma mine)-Tres Canyones-Yauri(Espinar)-Lago Langui-Sicuani. Take a few moments to ride down to the lake.. quite spectacular! Very little traffic, but often a mining pickup will go by to lend assistance should you have a problem.

Next day head northeast towards Cuzco, but then turn off to Lago Azul-Acomayo-Rondocan-San Jeronimo which brings you back to the same road, now only 18 km from Cuzco. SOO much better than staying on the traffic ridden pavement going to Cuzco!

Cheers! Toby

Whatever you decide to do, don't stay in Juliaca - it is a grade 1 dump. Copa to Cusco is perfectly doable in a day - I've done it twice without rushing. 530km rings a bell.

I tried to take Ruta 6 as a short cut to Sucre when traveling up to Santa Cruz Bolivia on Ruta 9 yesterday and it was nearly a disaster. I made it about 30 minutes on the dirt road and the road deteriorated with deep sand making it very difficult to ride. After nearly crashing several times I turned back and took the paved road up to Santa Cruz.

I've come to realize a R1150 GS is just to big and heavy for someone my age to be riding on poor roads. I can hardly pick it up! There's no river crossings in my future after yesterday's experience.

Can you recommend a route that has dirt roads that are not filled with sand?

As always, thanks for your help.

It seems like the rainy season has come early this year, so unless you are an enduro rider on an enduro bike, I recommend (now) sticking to main roads... Too late in the year!

If you really want to hit Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, pavement it down to Arequipa from Puno, head out and back to the Colca from there, then down to the coast at Camana, north to Nazca, then back East to Cuzco. Don't try to do Nazca to Cuzco all in one day. It goes high (all pavement), then back down again 4 times and will wear you out! Be ready for anything weather wise, leave early, and shoot for the halfway point in Chalhuanca. There is a nice place to stay there.

What riders don't realize when they plan their days in the Peruvian (and pretty much the Bolivian) Andes is that although it may be balmy and a warm 65 to 70 degrees even at 15,000+ ft, by early afternoon the winds pick up and the sun goes behind a cloud, or a rain squall comes up so that last 4 hours of daylight you counted on become somewhat dangerous! leave early and keep it under 300 km a day in the Andes. arrive at your destination early afternoon and you will enjoy your rides SO much more!

Stay away from Lima! It is hell for the motorcyclist. And the Panam with the speeding buses and trucks that respect no one, much less the laws... The coast is where the crime is and gas is more expensive.

Come down the center of Peru (rt 3), at least as far as Huaraz (with you bike). It is virtually all paved now but for three 30 km sections (one just after Abancay, one just after Chincheros, and one just after Huanta. And those are all good shale sections, so even if you are riding on Anakees, you should be good.

Come visit Sara & I in Huanuco and stay at our B&B. We have good internet and secure parking too and a resident mechanic (my driver/mechanic for my Moto Adventure Tour business here). Just had two BMWs here 2 weeks ago (Adrian and Lauren from AU on a 1200, and Jeremy ( jeyworldtour.com ) from FR on an 800) as they headed south down the center of Peru. Maybe you have run across them recently!

Cheers! Toby

Hotel & Restaurante Tampumayu (Chalhuanca, Peru) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

is the place to stay in Chalhuanca.

I jusr did it yesterday.
1.La Paz is very fifficult to navigate. Garmin has no maps and I havent found any others. I got lost. BMW dealer is ornamental. Leave town on Ave, Juan Pablo Il
2. 1.5 hrs to Desaguadero border. The motorcycle crossing is in the heart of the city and not where the trucks go.The entrance to the city is a broad dirt road which leads to the border bridge. Imigration and Aduana are jn the same building.
3.Cross the bridge and park in front of the Peruvian police. The Imigration is across the street.Then go to Senat the aduana fir your TIP.After that you go to yhe Police who may search you snd your bike. The complete process took about 1.5 hours.
4. The drive to Cusco is very scenic. It took me 11 hours.I arrived in Cusco ar dark. It is a surprisingly difficult town to navigate.
5.In hindsight I'd take 1.75 days and spend some time in Puno perhaps.