The Wayro route from Huaraz to Nazca is 522 miles (840 km), about 12 h 5 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: 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.”
| Total distance | 522 mi (840 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3N → PE-16 → PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Áncash, Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Huaraz to Nazca is like
PE-1S (265 mi) and PE-1N (120 mi) carry about 74% of the 522 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Áncash, Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Huaraz to Nazca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Áncash |
| PE-3N | 1–50 | 49 | Áncash |
| PE-16 | 50–126 | 76 | Áncash, Lima |
| PE-1N | 126–154 | 28 | Lima |
| connecting roads | 154–155 | 1 | Lima |
| LM-101 | 155–162 | 7 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 162–254 | 92 | Lima, Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 254–485 | 231 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 485–488 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 488–522 | 34 | Ica |
- Mile 104 of this route: Áncash → Lima (region line)
- Mile 216 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 286 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 361 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Stops between Huaraz and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Choquerecuay (mile 15), Teatro Segura (mile 248), Museo Arqueológico Josefina Ramos de Cox (mile 248), La Centinela (mile 371), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 434), Nazca lines (mile 506)
- Nature and outdoors: Albufera El Paraíso (mile 168), La Pampilla (mile 259)
- Museums and history: Choquerecuay (mile 15), Monumental Zone of Ancón (mile 226), Museo Arqueológico Josefina Ramos de Cox (mile 248), La Centinela (mile 371), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 434)
Choquerecuay
Choquerecuay, also called Pueblo Viejo, is an Inca archaeological site in Recuay Province, Áncash, notable for a ceremonial pyramid known as an ushnu.
Albufera El Paraíso
In Huaura Province, in the Lima region, Albufera El Paraíso is a saltwater lagoon where crabs, lizards, great egrets and flamingos live.
Monumental Zone of Ancón
The Monumental Zone of Ancón (Zona Monumental de Ancón) is the historic quarter of Ancón district, in the Province of Lima, Peru.
Teatro Segura
On Jirón Huancavelica in Lima, the Teatro Manuel Ascencio Segura is a theater and concert hall first built in 1615.
Museo Arqueológico Josefina Ramos de Cox
Founded in 1971 by Josefina Ramos de Cox, this university archaeology museum on Plaza Francia in Lima's historic center belongs to the Riva-Agüero Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
La Pampilla
Part of the Costa Verde beach circuit in Miraflores, Lima, La Pampilla is a beach that locals have used for surfing and swimming since the early 1970s.
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.
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.
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.
In Nazca itself
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).
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.
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 Huaraz to other places in Peru
- Huaraz to Barranca
- Huaraz to Huaral
- Huaraz to Huanchaco
- Huaraz to Churin
- Huaraz to Cerro de Pasco
- Huaraz to Malabrigo
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Huaraz to Nazca?
About 12 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 522 miles.
What is the driving distance from Huaraz to Nazca?
About 522 miles (840 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 Huaraz to Nazca?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Huaraz to Nazca?
In order: PE-3N, PE-16, PE-1N, LM-101 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Huaraz to Nazca?
Closest to the road: Choquerecuay (archaeological site, mile 15, 0.3 mi from the route); Teatro Segura (theater, mile 248, 0.4 mi from the route); Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (anthropology museum, mile 434, 0.4 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.