By road, Lima and Cajabamba are about 449 miles (722 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 53 min of driving.
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.”
| Distance | 449 mi (722 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-1NQ → LI-122 → LI-121 → LI-972 → LI-964 → PE-3N → LI-931 |
| Regions on the route | Lima Province, Lima, Áncash, La Libertad, Cajamarca |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Lima to Cajabamba: the shape of the trip
PE-1N (275 mi) and PE-3N (75 mi) carry about 78% of the 449 miles. It runs through 5 regions: Lima Province, Lima, Áncash, La Libertad, Cajamarca. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Lima to Cajabamba: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Lima Province |
| PE-1N | 1–89 | 88 | Lima Province, Lima |
| LM-101 | 89–96 | 7 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 96–254 | 158 | Lima, Áncash |
| PE-1NQ | 254–277 | 23 | Áncash, La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 277–306 | 29 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 306–308 | 2 | La Libertad |
| LI-122 | 308–312 | 4 | La Libertad |
| LI-121 | 312–351 | 39 | La Libertad |
| LI-972 | 351–355 | 4 | La Libertad |
| LI-964 | 355–368 | 13 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 368–370 | 2 | La Libertad |
| PE-3N | 370–383 | 13 | La Libertad |
| LI-931 | 383–386 | 3 | La Libertad |
| PE-3N | 386–448 | 62 | La Libertad, Cajamarca |
| local roads | 448–449 | 1 | Cajamarca |
- Mile 35 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 133 of this route: Lima → Áncash (region line)
- Mile 276 of this route: Áncash → La Libertad (region line)
- Mile 441 of this route: La Libertad → Cajamarca (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Lima and Cajabamba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chancay Museum (mile 48), Bandurria (mile 84), Cerro Miraflores (mile 418)
- Museums and history: Colli Museum (mile 12), Chancay Museum (mile 48), Bandurria (mile 84), Caral (mile 104), Puerto Huarmey (mile 177), La Cantina (mile 222), Cathedral of Our Lady of Carmen and San Pedro Apósto (mile 260), Cerro Miraflores (mile 418)
- With kids: Acuario Nautilus (mile 12)
Colli Museum
Opened in 2003 by self-taught explorer Enrique Niquín, the Colli Museum (Museo de los Colli) in Lima's Comas district shows original and replica ceramics, maps, and models of the Collique Fortress.
Acuario Nautilus
Opened in 2007 in Lima's Comas district, Acuario Nautilus is a public aquarium with salt and freshwater species including sharks, fish, crustaceans and turtles.
Chancay Museum
Chancay's municipal museum opened in 1991 inside the Castillo de Chancay and in 2012 moved to a new home facing the town's Plaza de Armas.
Bandurria
About 3 km south of Huacho on the Huaura River, Bandurria is an archaeological site in the Lima Region that has been dated to 4,000 BC.
Caral
The Sacred City of Caral-Supe holds the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization, 182 km north of Lima, 23 km inland and 350 meters above sea level.
Puerto Huarmey
Puerto Huarmey is an archaeological site of an Inca administrative center, lying in marshy ground next to the Peruvian town of Puerto Huarmey.
La Cantina
South of Casma, La Cantina is a little-known Early Horizon archaeological site in an area that also holds Chankillo, Cerro Sechín and Pampa de las Llamas-Moxeke.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Carmen and San Pedro Apósto
Facing the Plaza de Armas of Nuevo Chimbote, this cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Carmen y San Pedro Apóstol) covers about 2,000 square meters and holds 1,600 people.
Cerro Miraflores
About 1.1 km northwest of Huamachuco, Cerro Miraflores is an archaeological site in the Huamachuco district of Sánchez Carrión province, La Libertad.
More drives to Cajabamba
- Trujillo to Cajabamba
- Casma to Cajabamba
- Caraz to Cajabamba
- Huaraz to Cajabamba
- Barranca to Cajabamba
- Sullana to Cajabamba
From Lima to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Lima to Cajabamba?
About 11 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 449 miles.
How far is Cajabamba from Lima by car?
About 449 miles (722 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 Lima to Cajabamba drive?
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 Lima to Cajabamba use?
In order: PE-1N, LM-101, PE-1NQ, LI-122, LI-121, LI-972, LI-964, PE-3N and LI-931. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Lima to Cajabamba?
Closest to the road: Chancay Museum (museum, mile 48, 0.4 mi from the route); Bandurria (archaeological site, mile 84, 0.8 mi from the route); Cerro Miraflores (archaeological site, mile 418, 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.