By road, Cajamarca and Chachapoyas are about 197 miles (317 km) apart, or roughly 5 h 19 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Distance | 197 mi (317 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-08B |
| Regions on the route | Cajamarca, Amazonas |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Cajamarca to Chachapoyas drive plays out
PE-08B (187 mi) carries about 95% of the 197 miles. It runs through 2 regions: Cajamarca, Amazonas. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Cajamarca |
| PE-08B | 4–191 | 187 | Cajamarca, Amazonas |
| local roads | 191–197 | 6 | Amazonas |
- Mile 93 of this route: Cajamarca → Amazonas (region line)
Places worth a stop between Cajamarca and Chachapoyas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Leimebamba museum (mile 145), Macro (mile 178)
- Museums and history: Museo Huauco (mile 59), La Congona (mile 137), Leimebamba museum (mile 145), Revash (mile 163), Sala de exposición Jalca Grande, Historia, Naturaleza y Cultura Viva (mile 165), Kuélap (mile 175), Macro (mile 178), Machu Pirqa (mile 181)
Museo Huauco
Museo Huauco is a museum on the main square of the Sucre district in Cajamarca, Peru.
La Congona
Built by the Chachapoyas culture, La Congona is an archaeological complex of carved stone laid out symmetrically and bound with mud mortar.
Leimebamba museum
Opened in June 2000, the Leimebamba Museum in Amazonas focuses on the Chachapoya culture, with three archaeology rooms, one ethnography room and one for outreach activities.
Revash
About 60 km south of Chachapoyas in Luya Province, the Revash funerary complex sits at 2,800 m above sea level in the Santo Tomás District.
Sala de exposición Jalca Grande, Historia, Naturaleza y Cultura Viva
In Chachapoyas province, the Sala de exposición Jalca Grande, Historia, Naturaleza y Cultura Viva is a museum dedicated to the Chachapoyas culture.
Kuélap
Built by the Chachapoyas culture in the 6th century AD, Kuélap is a walled settlement on a ridge above the Utcubamba Valley, near the towns of María and Tingo in Amazonas, Peru.
Macro
Built by the Chachapoyas culture around 1100 to 1300 AD, Macro covers three hectares of platforms and circular stone foundations.
Machu Pirqa
Machu Pirqa is a Chachapoyas culture archaeological site in Magdalena District, Chachapoyas Province, in Peru's Amazonas Region.
In Chachapoyas itself
Santa Ana Church, Amazonas
Built by the Spanish in 1569, Santa Ana Church stands on Chincha Alta street opposite Santa Ana's square and was the first church of its type in what is now Peru's Amazonas region.
Chachapoyas Cathedral
Chachapoyas Cathedral, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is a Catholic parish church and the seat of the Diocese of Chachapoyas.
Yalape
Yalape is an archaeological site of the Chachapoya culture in Levanto district, Chachapoyas province, in Peru's Amazonas department.
More drives to Chachapoyas
- Moyobamba to Chachapoyas
- Chota to Chachapoyas
- Tarapoto to Chachapoyas
- Juanjuí to Chachapoyas
- Chiclayo to Chachapoyas
- Yurimaguas to Chachapoyas
From Cajamarca to other places in Peru
- Cajamarca to Casma
- Cajamarca to Sullana
- Cajamarca to Moyobamba
- Cajamarca to Caraz
- Cajamarca to Huaraz
- Cajamarca to Máncora
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas?
About 5 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 197 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas?
About 197 miles (317 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.
Is it safe to drive from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Cajamarca and Chachapoyas?
Closest to the road: Leimebamba museum (museum, mile 145, 0.1 mi from the route); Macro (archaeological site, mile 178, 0.3 mi from the route); Machu Pirqa (archaeological site, mile 181, 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.