Plan on about 13 h 8 min of driving for the 517-mile (832 km) trip from Huánuco to Nazca, before any stops.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance | 517 mi (832 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3N → PE-18 → LM-667 → PE-20C → PE-1N → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Huánuco, Pasco, Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Huánuco to Nazca: the shape of the trip
PE-1S (265 mi) and PE-18 (170 mi) carry about 84% of the 517 miles. It runs through 5 regions: Huánuco, Pasco, Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 7 are within a mile of the road.
Huánuco to Nazca: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Huánuco |
| PE-3N | 2–15 | 13 | Huánuco |
| PE-18 | 15–185 | 170 | Huánuco, Pasco, Lima |
| LM-667 | 185–197 | 12 | Lima |
| PE-20C | 197–205 | 8 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 205–249 | 44 | Lima, Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 249–480 | 231 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 480–483 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 483–517 | 34 | Ica |
- Mile 31 of this route: Huánuco → Pasco (region line)
- Mile 88 of this route: Pasco → Lima (region line)
- Mile 211 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 281 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 357 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Hatun Uchku (mile 15), Ancon (mile 221), Historic Centre of Lima (mile 243), La Centinela (mile 367), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 429), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 500), Nazca lines (mile 500)
- Nature and outdoors: Costa Verde (mile 242)
- Museums and history: Hatun Uchku (mile 15), Huaca Yarushpampa (mile 58), Ancon (mile 221), Historic Centre of Lima (mile 243), La Centinela (mile 367), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 429), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 500)
Hatun Uchku
Hatun Uchku is a cave in Peru that holds both archaeological and paleontological remains.
Huaca Yarushpampa
On the right bank of the Huarautambo River in Astobamba, Pasco region, Huaca Yarushpampa (Sitio arqueológico Yarushpampa) is an archaeological site.
Ancon
On the north side of Ancón Bay on Peru's central coast, Ancon is an archaeological site with a vast pre-Hispanic necropolis of countless burial sites.
Costa Verde
Stretching about 22.5 km through Lima and Callao, the Costa Verde is a coastal strip running from the La Punta peninsula to La Chira hill.
Historic Centre of Lima
Spread across the Lima and Rímac districts, the Historic Centre of Lima includes a World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO in 1988, its buildings marked with the black-and-white shield.
La Centinela
Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.
St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica
Also called Ica Cathedral, St. Jerome Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ica, Peru.
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
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.
Acueductos de Achaco
The Achaco Aqueducts form an archaeological landscape of aqueducts in Nasca Province, Ica Region, at about 548 meters above sea level.
More drives to Nazca
From Huánuco to other places in Peru
- Huánuco to Aguaytía
- Huánuco to Tocache
- Huánuco to Juanjuí
- Huánuco to Moyobamba
- Huánuco to Yurimaguas
- Huánuco to Cerro de Pasco
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Huánuco to Nazca?
About 13 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 517 miles.
How far is Nazca from Huánuco by car?
About 517 miles (832 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 Huánuco to Nazca?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Huánuco to Nazca use?
In order: PE-3N, PE-18, LM-667, PE-20C, PE-1N and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Huánuco to Nazca?
Closest to the road: Hatun Uchku (archaeological site, mile 15, 0.5 mi from the route); Historic Centre of Lima (historic center, mile 243, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 500, 0.3 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.