Crossing into Chile

The border with Chile, about 40 km (25 miles) from Tacna or 440 km (273 miles) from Arequipa, is open daily and very easy to cross. All you need is your passport with a minimum validity of six months. From Tacna, scores of colectivos will give you a ride to the other side for about S/40, or you can take a bus headed to Arica from Tacna, departing hourly.

Typically, drivers will help with border formalities, even the colectivo drivers. The road journey takes about an hour. Any train aficionado would enjoy the slow, somewhat bumpy but beautiful train ride from Tacna to Arica, which takes more than an hour, leaves twice a day (8:30 am and 5:30 pm; 9 am and 7 pm from Arica to Tacna), and costs S/15.