By road, Lima and Nazca are about 274 miles (441 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 34 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 by road | 274 mi (441 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Lima to Nazca drive plays out
PE-1S (264 mi) and PE-1N (6 mi) carry about 99% of the 274 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Lima Province, Lima, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Lima and Nazca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE-1N | 0–6 | 6 | Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 6–237 | 231 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 237–240 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 240–273 | 33 | Ica |
| local roads | 273–274 | 1 | Ica |
- Mile 39 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 114 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Stops between Lima and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): National Museum of Peru (mile 22), Huaca Malena (mile 68), La Centinela (mile 124), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 186), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 257), Nazca lines (mile 257)
- Nature and outdoors: Naplo (mile 41)
- Museums and history: Huaca La Merced (mile 9), Museo Pedro de Osma (mile 12), National Museum of Peru (mile 22), Huaca Malena (mile 68), La Centinela (mile 124), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 186), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 257)
Huaca La Merced
Huaca La Merced is an archaeological site in Lima's Surquillo district, declared part of Peru's cultural heritage in 2002.
Museo Pedro de Osma
Museo Pedro de Osma is a history museum in the Barranco district of Lima, Peru, a stop for travelers exploring the Lima area.
National Museum of Peru
Opened in July 2021 within the Pachacamac archaeological zone in Lurín, the National Museum of Peru is planned to hold pre-Columbian and Inca artifacts dating back to 5,000 BCE.
Naplo
Naplo is a beach in Pucusana District, Lima Province, known for its calm water.
Huaca Malena
In Asia district of Cañete Province, Lima region, Huaca Malena is an archaeological site that has its own on-site museum for visitors.
La Centinela
Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.
St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica
Also called Ica Cathedral, St. Jerome Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ica, Peru.
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
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.
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.
More drives to Nazca
From Lima to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Lima to Nazca?
About 6 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 274 miles.
How far is Nazca from Lima by car?
About 274 miles (441 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 Nazca?
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 Nazca use?
In order: PE-1N and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Lima to Nazca?
Closest to the road: National Museum of Peru (museum, mile 22, 0.5 mi from the route); La Centinela (archaeological site, mile 124, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 257, 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.