By road, Lima and Huanchaco are about 355 miles (572 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 21 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
| Distance | 355 mi (572 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-1NQ |
| Regions on the route | Lima Province, Lima, Áncash, La Libertad |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
On the road from Lima to Huanchaco
PE-1N (322 mi) and PE-1NQ (23 mi) carry about 97% of the 355 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Lima Province, Lima, Áncash, La Libertad. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Lima to Huanchaco
| 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 | 277–353 | 76 | La Libertad |
| local roads | 353–355 | 2 | La Libertad |
- 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)
Places worth a stop between Lima and Huanchaco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tambo Inga (mile 14), Chancay Museum (mile 48)
- Museums and history: Colli Museum (mile 12), Tambo Inga (mile 14), Chancay Museum (mile 48), Caral (mile 103), Puerto Huarmey (mile 177), Cerro Sechín (mile 227)
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.
Tambo Inga
Declared national cultural heritage in 2007, Tambo Inga is an archaeological site in Lima's Puente Piedra district that served as an Inca administrative center.
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.
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.
Chanquillo
Chanquillo (Chankillo) is an ancient complex in the coastal desert of Áncash, with a hilltop fort, the Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas.
Cerro Sechín
Cerro Sechín is an archaeological site in Casma Province, Áncash Region, dating to around 1600 BC. Peruvian archaeologists Julio C. Tello and Toribio Mejía Xesspe found it in July 1937.
Huaca de la Luna
Built mainly by the Moche people, Huaca de la Luna is an adobe brick structure about 4 kilometers from Trujillo, near the mouth of the Moche River.
When you get to Huanchaco
Chan Chan
Five kilometers west of Trujillo, Chan Chan was the capital of the pre-Columbian Chimor kingdom and is now an archaeological site in the La Libertad region.
Huaca del Dragón
Near Chan Chan in Trujillo, Huaca del Dragón, also called Huaca del Arco Iris, is an archaeological site that served as a religious, administrative and ceremonial center.
Swamps of Huanchaco
Also called the Wetlands of Huanchaco, this reserve at Huanchaco Beach, about 14 km northwest of Trujillo, supplied the reeds that the Moche used to build caballitos de totora fishing boats.
More drives to Huanchaco
- Chimbote to Huanchaco
- Casma to Huanchaco
- Barranca to Huanchaco
- Huaral to Huanchaco
- Churin to Huanchaco
- Tocache to Huanchaco
From Lima to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Lima to Huanchaco?
About 9 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 355 miles.
How far is Huanchaco from Lima by car?
About 355 miles (572 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 Huanchaco drive?
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 Huanchaco?
In order: PE-1N, LM-101 and PE-1NQ. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Lima and Huanchaco?
Closest to the road: Tambo Inga (archaeological site, mile 14, 0.2 mi from the route); Chancay Museum (museum, mile 48, 0.4 mi from the route); Puerto Huarmey (archaeological site, mile 177, 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.