By road, Huancayo and Nazca are about 355 miles (571 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 46 min of driving.
- 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: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
| Total distance | 355 mi (571 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 46 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3S → PE-26 → PE-26B → HV-116 → PE-28A → HV-121 → HV-710 → HV-120 → AY-113 → I-C-109 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Junín, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
The Huancayo–Nazca drive in a few lines
PE-26 (45 mi) and PE-26B (43 mi) carry about 25% of the 355 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Junín, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Huancayo and Nazca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Junín |
| PE-3S | 1–41 | 40 | Junín, Huancavelica |
| PE-26 | 41–86 | 45 | Huancavelica |
| PE-26B | 86–129 | 43 | Huancavelica |
| HV-116 | 129–170 | 41 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho |
| PE-28A | 170–204 | 34 | Ayacucho, Huancavelica |
| HV-121 | 204–247 | 43 | Huancavelica |
| HV-710 | 247–254 | 7 | Huancavelica |
| HV-120 | 254–281 | 27 | Huancavelica |
| AY-113 | 281–295 | 14 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica |
| I-C-109 | 295–322 | 27 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 322–354 | 32 | Ica |
| local roads | 354–355 | 1 | Ica |
- Mile 18 of this route: Junín → Huancavelica (region line)
- Mile 168 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 180 of this route: Ayacucho → Huancavelica (region line)
- Mile 286 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 294 of this route: Ayacucho → Ica (region line)
What to see on the way from Huancayo to Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Iskuqucha (mile 41), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 338), Nazca lines (mile 339)
- Museums and history: Iskuqucha (mile 41), Ranrapata (mile 55), Uchkus Inkañan (mile 75), Museo Regional Daniel Hernández Morillo (mile 86), Pernil Alto (mile 320), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 338)
Iskuqucha
Iskuqucha is an archaeological site in Peru's Junín Region, in the La Oroya District of Yauli Province.
Ranrapata
Ranrapata, Quechua for "stony slope uphill," is a pre-Inca archaeological complex in Acoria district, Huancavelica, with evidence dating from the Early Intermediate Period to the Late Horizon.
Uchkus Inkañan
Uchkus Inkañan is an archaeological site in Peru's Huancavelica Region, located in Yauli District of Huancavelica Province.
Museo Regional Daniel Hernández Morillo
Near the small plaza and church of San Juan de Dios in Huancavelica, Museo Regional Daniel Hernández Morillo sits at an altitude of 3,676 meters.
Pernil Alto
At Pernil Alto, in the Río Grande District of Palpa province, archaeologists have traced how the site's inhabitants took up agriculture between about 3800 and 3000 BCE.
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.
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.
When you get to Nazca
Los Paredones
Near Nazca, Los Paredones is an Inca site that served as an administrative control center between coast and highlands under Túpac Yupanqui, built of adobe on carved stone bases.
Museo Arqueológico Antonini
On Avenida de la Cultura in Nazca, the Museo Arqueológico Antonini holds many of the finds recovered by the Italian archaeological mission Proyecto Nasca (1982–2011).
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.
More drives to Nazca
From Huancayo to other places in Peru
- Huancayo to Tarma
- Huancayo to Cerro de Pasco
- Huancayo to Oxapampa
- Huancayo to Huánuco
- Huancayo to Churin
- Huancayo to Huaral
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Huancayo to Nazca?
About 9 h 46 min of driving without stops, over 355 miles.
How far is Nazca from Huancayo by car?
About 355 miles (571 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 Huancayo to Nazca?
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.
Which highways go from Huancayo to Nazca?
In order: PE-3S, PE-26, PE-26B, HV-116, PE-28A, HV-121, HV-710, HV-120, AY-113, I-C-109 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Huancayo and Nazca?
Closest to the road: Iskuqucha (archaeological site, mile 41, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 338, 0.3 mi from the route); Nazca lines (geoglyph, mile 339, 0.9 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.