Plan on about 10 h 29 min of driving for the 385-mile (620 km) trip from Jauja to Nazca, before any 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: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Total distance | 385 mi (620 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 29 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3SB → 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 15.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Jauja–Nazca drive in a few lines
PE-26 (45 mi) and PE-26B (43 mi) carry about 23% of the 385 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Junín, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Jauja and Nazca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Junín |
| PE-3SB | 2–37 | 35 | Junín |
| PE-3S | 37–71 | 34 | Junín, Huancavelica |
| PE-26 | 71–116 | 45 | Huancavelica |
| PE-26B | 116–159 | 43 | Huancavelica |
| HV-116 | 159–200 | 41 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho |
| PE-28A | 200–234 | 34 | Ayacucho, Huancavelica |
| HV-121 | 234–277 | 43 | Huancavelica |
| HV-710 | 277–284 | 7 | Huancavelica |
| HV-120 | 284–312 | 28 | Huancavelica |
| AY-113 | 312–325 | 13 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica |
| I-C-109 | 325–352 | 27 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 352–385 | 33 | Ica |
- Mile 48 of this route: Junín → Huancavelica (region line)
- Mile 198 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 209 of this route: Ayacucho → Huancavelica (region line)
- Mile 316 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 324 of this route: Ayacucho → Ica (region line)
Stops between Jauja and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Arqueología Catalina Huanca (mile 27), Iskuqucha (mile 71), Pernil Alto (mile 350), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 368), Nazca lines (mile 368)
- Museums and history: Museo de Arqueología Catalina Huanca (mile 27), Museo de Sitio de Wari Willka (mile 32), Iskuqucha (mile 71), Ranrapata (mile 85), Uchkus Inkañan (mile 105), Pernil Alto (mile 350), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 368)
Museo de Arqueología Catalina Huanca
Run privately, the Museo de Arqueología Catalina Huanca is an archaeology museum in Pilcomayo District, near the city of Huancayo.
Torre Torre
About 1,500 m from Huancayo, Torre Torre is a group of clay earth towers, or hoodoos, carved by rain erosion, some rising more than 30 m high.
Museo de Sitio de Wari Willka
In Huancán district of Huancayo Province, Junín, Museo de Sitio de Wari Willka is a Peruvian archaeology museum.
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.
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.
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).
Acueductos de Achaco
The Achaco Aqueducts form an archaeological landscape of aqueducts in Nasca Province, Ica Region, at about 548 meters above sea level.
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 Jauja to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Jauja to Nazca?
About 10 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 385 miles.
How far is Nazca from Jauja by car?
About 385 miles (620 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 Jauja to Nazca 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.
Which highways go from Jauja to Nazca?
In order: PE-3SB, 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 Jauja and Nazca?
Closest to the road: Museo de Arqueología Catalina Huanca (museum, mile 27, 0.2 mi from the route); Iskuqucha (archaeological site, mile 71, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 368, 0.1 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.