Best Road Trips in the Andes: 10 Routes, 5 Countries

The best road trips in the Andes are Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni Circuit, the Sacred Valley loop around Cusco in Peru, and Ecuador's Avenue of the Volcanoes. All three climb well above 3,000 metres through five countries' worth of salt flats, flamingo lagoons, and snow-capped volcanoes, and our top pick, the Salar de Uyuni Circuit, crosses the largest salt flat on Earth in three days. The ten drives below run from Ecuador to Patagonia, each with its real distance, season, and stops from our catalog.

Altitude shapes every one of them. Most climb past 3,000 metres and the Bolivian altiplano holds geysers at 5,000, so the dry months from about May to October are the driving window for the central Andes, and a day or two acclimatising in Cusco, Arequipa, or Quito matters more than any horsepower. We ranked these ten by scenery, access, and how much of the range each one shows you.

The best Andes road trips at a glance

1. Salar de Uyuni Circuit, Bolivia

Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni Circuit runs about 900 km over three days across the largest salt flat on Earth, 10,582 square kilometres of white hexagons that turn into a mirror of the sky after rain. From the town of Uyuni you cross to the cactus-covered Incahuasi Island, sleep at the salt-block Palacio de Sal, then climb south into the altiplano past Laguna Colorada and its pink flamingos to the Sol de Mañana geysers at 5,000 metres and the green water of Laguna Verde near the Chilean border at Hito Cajón. This is a hard, high 4WD trip, best run in the dry season from May to November.

2. Sacred Valley and Cusco, Peru

Around Cusco, the Sacred Valley loop links the Inca heartland in 320 km and four days, and any car can do it. The route threads terraced slopes and market towns from the ruins and craft market at Pisac to the salt pans of Maras and the circular agricultural terraces of Moray, finishing at Ollantaytambo, where most travellers catch the train on to Machu Picchu. It is the most accessible drive on this list and the easiest place to find your altitude legs before anything higher. The season runs May to September.

3. Avenue of the Volcanoes, Ecuador

From Quito, the Avenue of the Volcanoes follows the spine of the Andes for about 450 km toward Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest peak. Over five days it passes Cotopaxi National Park under its snow cone, the market town of Saquisilí, and the hot springs and waterfalls at Baños de Agua Santa before the farmland around Riobamba. Sealed roads and a moderate grade keep it manageable in any vehicle, best from June to September.

4. Colca Canyon to Lake Titicaca, Peru

In southern Peru, the drive from Arequipa to Lake Titicaca via Colca Canyon covers 560 km in five days, linking Arequipa's volcanic skyline with one of the world's deepest canyons and the high lake on the Bolivian border. Chivay opens the canyon, where the Mirador Cruz del Condor gives one of the surest places anywhere to watch Andean condors ride the morning thermals. From there the road climbs onto puna grassland and drops to Puno on the shore of Lake Titicaca. An SUV suits the rougher sections, and the window is April to October.

5. Arica to Lauca Altiplano, Chile

Few drives gain height as fast as Chile's Arica to Lauca, which leaves the Pacific at Arica and reaches the altiplano in 315 km. Over three days it follows the Lluta Valley past the Pukará de Copaquilla to the village of Putre, then enters Lauca National Park, where vicuñas graze the bofedales below the Parinacota volcano and Lake Chungará sits among the highest in the world. The altitude arrives quickly, so an SUV and a slow first day both help. Go between April and November.

6. Cordillera Blanca Loop, Peru

Huaraz anchors the Cordillera Blanca Loop, 420 km around the highest tropical mountain range on the planet. The five-day circuit runs on paved and rough roads past the turquoise glacial water of Laguna Llanganuco under Huascarán, the 3,000-year-old temple of Chavín de Huántar, and the villages of the Callejón de Huaylas. The rough sections and river crossings call for a 4WD, and the dry season from May to September is the time to go.

7. Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina

The gentlest drive here is Argentina's Quebrada de Humahuaca, 140 km up Ruta 9 through a narrow valley of coloured rock in the northwest. Three easy days take you from San Salvador de Jujuy past the striped Cerro de los Siete Colores at Purmamarca and the pre-Inca fort above Tilcara to the town of Humahuaca, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn at Huacalera on the way. The UNESCO-listed corridor is low-stress driving, open April to October.

8. Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador

Back in Ecuador, the Quilotoa Loop circles 200 km of back roads west of Latacunga to the crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa. The three-day route runs through the Thursday market at Saquisilí and the farming villages of Isinliví, Sigchos, and Chugchilán on a mix of paved and gravel surfaces with big swings in altitude. An SUV handles it comfortably, and June to September is driest.

9. Trans-Andean Highway, Chile

To cross the range itself, take Chile's Trans-Andean Highway from Santiago to Mendoza, about 365 km of switchbacks over four days. The road climbs past the Portillo ski area to the border tunnel at Los Libertadores, taking in the natural stone arch of Puente del Inca and the trailhead for 6,961-metre Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, before it drops through Uspallata to the vineyards around Mendoza. The high pass only clears in the southern summer, so plan for December to March.

10. Ruta 40, Argentina

For a month on the road, Ruta 40 traces about 5,200 km along the eastern flank of the Andes, from Cabo Vírgenes on the South Atlantic to the Bolivian border at La Quiaca. The full run passes the glaciers around El Calafate and El Chaltén, the ancient hand paintings of Cueva de las Manos, the lakes at Bariloche, and the wine country at Cafayate, crossing 18 major rivers and climbing 27 mountain passes. It is a hard 4WD expedition. The southern half drives best from November to March, the north from May to September.

If you only do one

Drive the Salar de Uyuni Circuit. Three days take you from the salt-block hotels at the edge of the flat to flamingo lagoons and 5,000-metre geysers in the far southwest, and the Chilean border at Hito Cajón drops you straight onto the Atacama for more. Run it in the dry season, from May to November, with a 4WD and a driver who knows the altiplano. If the high roads of Asia tempt you more, our guide to the best high-altitude road trips in Asia covers the Himalayan side.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time for an Andes road trip?

For most of the central Andes, from Peru through Bolivia to northern Chile and Argentina, the dry season from about May to October gives the clearest roads and skies. Patagonia and the southern passes flip to the southern summer, roughly November to March, when the Trans-Andean Highway and the south of Ruta 40 are open.

Which is the best road trip in the Andes?

The Salar de Uyuni Circuit in Bolivia, for the salt flat, the flamingo lagoons, and the 5,000-metre geysers packed into three days. Peru's Sacred Valley around Cusco is the best first drive if you want paved roads and a gentle altitude start.

Do you need a four-wheel drive in the Andes?

It depends on the route. The Salar de Uyuni, Cordillera Blanca, and Ruta 40 need a 4WD for salt, gravel, and river crossings. The Sacred Valley, the Avenue of the Volcanoes, and the summer Trans-Andean Highway are sealed enough for a normal car, while an SUV is the sensible middle ground for Colca Canyon, Arica to Lauca, and the Quilotoa Loop.

How do you handle the altitude on an Andes drive?

Spend a day or two in a town such as Cusco, Arequipa, Quito, or Putre before you take on anything higher, drink plenty of water, and climb gradually. Several of these routes cross 4,000 metres and the Bolivian altiplano reaches 5,000, so give your body time rather than racing to the top on day one.

Which Andes road trip is easiest for a first visit?

The Quebrada de Humahuaca in Argentina, graded easy over 140 km of sealed road, and the Sacred Valley loop in Peru, which any car can drive in four days. Both keep daily distances short and stay on good surfaces while still reaching classic high-Andes scenery.

Plan your Andes road trip

Every drive here is mapped stop by stop in our route guides, starting with the Salar de Uyuni Circuit. Open the interactive map to line up the dry seasons across the range, and compare the wider set through our Mountain Passes collection.