Ica to Nazca is about 88 road miles (141 km): roughly 2 h 21 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
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.”
| Total distance | 88 mi (141 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 2 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 3.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
Driving Ica to Nazca: the shape of the trip
PE-1S (83 mi) carries about 94% of the 88 miles. Of the 4 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Ica to Nazca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 1–50 | 49 | Ica |
| local roads | 50–53 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 53–87 | 34 | Ica |
| local roads | 87–88 | 1 | Ica |
Where to stop on the way to Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Maria Reiche (mile 70), Nazca lines (mile 71)
- Museums and history: Huayuri (mile 48), Pernil Alto (mile 53), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 70)
Huayuri
Sometimes called the Lost City of Huayuri, this large pre-Columbian site in the coastal desert of the Ica Region flourished from 1150 to 1450 CE, during the Late Intermediate Period.
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
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.
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.
More drives to Nazca
From Ica to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ica to Nazca?
About 2 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 88 miles.
What is the driving distance from Ica to Nazca?
About 88 miles (141 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 Ica to Nazca?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Ica and Nazca?
Closest to the road: Pernil Alto (archaeological site, mile 53, 2 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 70, 0.1 mi from the route); Nazca lines (geoglyph, mile 71, 0.7 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.