The Wayro route from Chinchero to Paracas is 546 miles (879 km), about 14 h 52 min of driving without stops.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Peru: Abancay, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huancayo within the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín.
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance | 546 mi (879 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 14 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-28F → PE-3S → CU-606 → AP-650 → PE-30A → PE-1S → PE-28 |
| Regions on the route | Cusco, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Chinchero to Paracas is like
PE-30A (277 mi) and PE-1S (120 mi) carry about 73% of the 546 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Cusco, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chinchero to Paracas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Cusco |
| PE-28F | 1–11 | 10 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 11–29 | 18 | Cusco |
| local roads | 29–35 | 6 | Cusco |
| CU-606 | 35–52 | 17 | Cusco |
| local roads | 52–62 | 10 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 62–129 | 67 | Cusco, Apurímac |
| connecting roads | 129–132 | 3 | Apurímac |
| AP-650 | 132–137 | 5 | Apurímac |
| PE-30A | 137–414 | 277 | Apurímac, Ayacucho, Ica |
| PE-1S | 414–449 | 35 | Ica |
| local roads | 449–452 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 452–537 | 85 | Ica |
| connecting roads | 537–538 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-28 | 538–546 | 8 | Ica |
- Mile 76 of this route: Cusco → Apurímac (region line)
- Mile 247 of this route: Apurímac → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 390 of this route: Ayacucho → Ica (region line)
Places worth a stop between Chinchero and Paracas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Sayhuite (mile 104), Virgin of the Rosary Cathedral, Abancay (mile 130), Cantalloc Aqueducts (mile 412), Nazca lines (mile 431), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 432), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 503)
- Nature and outdoors: Pampa Galeras – Barbara D'Achille National Reserve (mile 357)
- Museums and history: Casa Concha (mile 11), Sayhuite (mile 104), Virgin of the Rosary Cathedral, Abancay (mile 130), Cantalloc Aqueducts (mile 412), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 432), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 503)
Casa Concha
Casa Concha is a colonial-era house in Cusco, named after one of its former owners, possibly a governor of Cusco around 1812 or one of the Concha family.
Historic Centre of Cusco
Cusco's historic core, once capital of the Inca Empire, includes a Monumental Zone set up by Peru in 1972 and, within it, the area UNESCO listed in 1983 as the City of Cuzco.
Sayhuite
About 47 kilometers east of Abancay in Peru's Apurímac region, Sayhuite is an archaeological site considered a center of Inca religious worship focused on water.
Virgin of the Rosary Cathedral, Abancay
Abancay Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, is a Catholic church in Abancay, Apurímac, whose construction probably began around 1645 during the colonial era.
Pampa Galeras – Barbara D'Achille National Reserve
Set in the Lucanas Province of Ayacucho, Pampa Galeras – Barbara D'Achille National Reserve exists mainly to protect the habitat of the vicuña.
Cantalloc Aqueducts
About 3 km east of Nazca, the Cantalloc Aqueducts are part of a system of more than 40 aqueducts built by the Nazca culture and used year-round.
Nazca lines
Scratched into the Nazca Desert of southern Peru between 500 BC and 500 AD, the Nazca lines are geoglyphs made by removing surface pebbles to expose different-colored ground.
Museo Maria Reiche
Opened in 1994, Museo Maria Reiche (Casa Museo Maria Reiche) is a house museum at kilometer 421.3 of the Pan-American Highway South in El Ingenio district, about 27.5 km from Nasca and 21.3 km from Palpa.
Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins"
Ica's regional archaeological museum, named for Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins, focuses on the different Indigenous cultures that lived in Peru.
When you get to Paracas
Paracas Candelabra
Carved into the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula on Pisco Bay, the Paracas Candelabra is a prehistoric geoglyph; nearby pottery dates to about 200 BCE.
Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello
Inside the Paracas National Reserve, the Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello opened in 1964 and is named for the archaeologist who studied the Paracas culture.
More drives to Paracas
- Lima to Paracas
- Huaral to Paracas
- Huancayo to Paracas
- Huancavelica to Paracas
- Jauja to Paracas
- Barranca to Paracas
From Chinchero to other places in Peru
- Chinchero to Mollepata
- Chinchero to Cachora
- Chinchero to Huacachina
- Chinchero to Andahuaylillas
- Chinchero to Lampa
- Chinchero to Chucuito
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chinchero to Paracas?
About 14 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 546 miles.
What is the driving distance from Chinchero to Paracas?
About 546 miles (879 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Chinchero to Paracas drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Peru: Abancay, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huancayo within the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chinchero to Paracas use?
In order: PE-28F, PE-3S, CU-606, AP-650, PE-30A, PE-1S and PE-28. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Chinchero and Paracas?
Closest to the road: Sayhuite (archaeological site, mile 104, 0.3 mi from the route); Cantalloc Aqueducts (archaeological site, mile 412, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 432, 0.2 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.