By road, Lima and Caraz are about 293 miles (472 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 39 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 safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Total distance | 293 mi (472 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 39 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-16 → PE-3N |
| Regions on the route | Lima Province, Lima, Áncash |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Lima to Caraz
PE-1N (116 mi) and PE-3N (92 mi) carry about 71% of the 293 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Lima Province, Lima, Áncash. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Lima to Caraz
| 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 | 96–124 | 28 | Lima |
| connecting roads | 124–126 | 2 | Lima |
| PE-16 | 126–201 | 75 | Lima, Áncash |
| PE-3N | 201–293 | 92 | Áncash |
- Mile 35 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 148 of this route: Lima → Áncash (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Caraz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Huaca Aznapuquio (mile 7), Cerro Trinidad (mile 46), Chancay Museum (mile 48), Bandurria (mile 84), Kanapun (mile 251)
- Nature and outdoors: Lachay National Reserve (mile 63), Huascarán National Park (mile 256)
- Museums and history: Huaca Aznapuquio (mile 7), Colli Museum (mile 12), Cerro Trinidad (mile 46), Chancay Museum (mile 48), Bandurria (mile 84), Hatun Machay (mile 206), Kanapun (mile 251)
Huaca Aznapuquio
Dating to the Late Horizon, Huaca Aznapuquio is an archaeological site believed to have served the Incas as a pottery workshop and possibly a coastal distribution center.
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.
Cerro Trinidad
South of Chancay town in the lower Chancay Valley, Cerro Trinidad is a pre-Inca archaeological complex near the Baños de Boza site.
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.
Lachay National Reserve
Around 105 km north of Lima, in Peru's Lima region, Lachay National Reserve protects part of the lomas ecosystem.
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.
Hatun Machay
Hatun Machay is a rock forest in Peru where archaeological remains can be found among the stone formations.
Kanapun
In the Independencia district of Huaraz province, Áncash, Kanapun is an archaeological site dated by archaeologist Víctor Tufinio Culquichicón to the Late Formative or Early Horizon period.
Huascarán National Park
Protecting most of the Cordillera Blanca in the Ancash region, Huascarán National Park covers about 840,000 acres of the central Andes and is managed by Peru's SERNANP.
Once you reach Caraz
Tumshukayko
Near Caraz in Ancash's Huaylas Province, Tumshukayko is a pre-Inca archaeological site discovered only recently and still under research.
Caraz Museum
The Caraz Museum, officially the Museo Municipal Hernán Osorio Herrera, is a municipal museum in Caraz district, Huaylas Province, in Peru's Ancash region.
More drives to Caraz
- Huaraz to Caraz
- Casma to Caraz
- Barranca to Caraz
- Huánuco to Caraz
- Huaral to Caraz
- Cerro de Pasco to Caraz
From Lima to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Lima to Caraz?
About 6 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 293 miles.
How far is Caraz from Lima by car?
About 293 miles (472 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 Lima to Caraz?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Lima to Caraz?
In order: PE-1N, LM-101, PE-16 and PE-3N. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Lima to Caraz?
Closest to the road: Cerro Trinidad (archaeological site, mile 46, 0.4 mi from the route); Chancay Museum (museum, mile 48, 0.4 mi from the route); Kanapun (archaeological site, mile 251, 0.2 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.