Driving from Arica to La Paz
La Paz lies 317 km (197 mi) north-east of Arica, -1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 4 h 50 min without stops, over roughly 386 km (240 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
| Arica | La Paz | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Chile | Bolivia |
| Population | 241,653 | 2 million |
| Elevation | 80 m (262 ft) | 3,782 m (12,408 ft) |
| Time now | UTC-3 (America/Santiago) | UTC-4 (America/La_Paz) |
Clocks in La Paz are 1 h behind Arica right now, so a 4 h 50 min journey lands only 3 h 50 min later by the destination clock.
What changes when you arrive in La Paz
Crossing from Chile into Bolivia: money changes from the Peso to the Boliviano (BOB); sockets are Euro, NEMA 1-15; the dialling code becomes +591; the emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648824.
Where to book car hire from Arica to La Paz
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in La Paz
Our booking partner lists 368 places to stay in La Paz. Of the 185 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (100), and 13 are five-star. Across 85 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.6 out of 10. Guests have left 39,258 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in La Paz
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is La Paz from Arica?
317 km (197 mi) in a straight line, north-east of Arica; by road roughly 386 km (240 mi).
How long does it take to get from Arica to La Paz by car?
About 4 h 50 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Arica and La Paz?
La Paz is 1 h behind at the moment (America/La_Paz against America/Santiago).
What currency do I need in La Paz?
The Boliviano (BOB).
Where can I stay in La Paz?
Our booking partner lists 368 places to stay in La Paz, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.