By road, Nazca and Chucuito are about 532 miles (856 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 16 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance | 532 mi (856 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 13 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → AR-114 → PE-34A → PU-121 → PU-1044 → PE-3S |
| Regions on the route | Ica, Arequipa, Puno |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The Nazca–Chucuito drive in a few lines
PE-1S (319 mi) and PE-34A (138 mi) carry about 86% of the 532 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Ica, Arequipa, Puno. Of the 6 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Nazca to Chucuito
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 1–320 | 319 | Ica, Arequipa |
| AR-114 | 320–341 | 21 | Arequipa |
| local roads | 341–349 | 8 | Arequipa |
| PE-34A | 349–487 | 138 | Arequipa, Puno |
| PU-121 | 487–498 | 11 | Puno |
| PU-1044 | 498–502 | 4 | Puno |
| connecting roads | 502–503 | 1 | Puno |
| PU-121 | 503–509 | 6 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 509–514 | 5 | Puno |
| local roads | 514–523 | 9 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 523–532 | 9 | Puno |
- Mile 31 of this route: Ica → Arequipa (region line)
- Mile 434 of this route: Arequipa → Puno (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Nazca and Chucuito
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Paleontológico de Sacaco (mile 60), Yura Hot Springs (mile 355), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 520), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 520)
- Nature and outdoors: Yura Hot Springs (mile 355)
- Museums and history: Museo Paleontológico de Sacaco (mile 60), Historic Centre of Arequipa (mile 345), Sillustani (mile 501), Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (mile 520), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 520)
Museo Paleontológico de Sacaco
Part of San Marcos University's museums, the Museo Paleontológico de Sacaco is a site museum of paleontology in the Bella Unión district of Caravelí, Arequipa.
Historic Centre of Arequipa
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000, the Historic Centre of Arequipa is noted for ornamented architecture that blends European and native characteristics.
Yura Hot Springs
Roughly 28 km north-northwest of Arequipa, the Yura Hot Springs (Baños termales de Yura) are a thermal bathing complex in the Yura district.
Sillustani
On the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno, Sillustani is a pre-Inca burial site with tower-like tombs called chullpas, left by the Qulla people.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno
On Puno's Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo was built between 1669 and 1757, with a mestizo Baroque stone facade blending Andean and European art.
Carlos Dreyer Museum
Puno's Carlos Dreyer Museum (Museo Carlos Dreyer) holds about 1,800 pieces and relics spanning the pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican eras, in a building declared part of Peru's national cultural heritage in 1980.
Arriving in Chucuito
Inca Uyo
Near the Church of Santo Domingo in lakeside Chucuito, Inca Uyo is a rectangular walled enclosure of cut stone holding carved, mushroom-shaped stones. Its original purpose is still debated; Peru declared it national cultural heritage in 2001.
Inka Tunuwiri
Inka Tunuwiri is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, located between the Chucuito and Puno districts, southeast of the village of Ichu.
Monasterio Benedictino de la Resurrección de Chucuito
On the shore of Lake Titicaca in Chucuito, Puno, the Benedictine Monastery of the Resurrection belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict and is described as the highest Catholic monastery in the world, at 3,870 meters.
More drives to Chucuito
- Cusco to Chucuito
- Písac to Chucuito
- Chinchero to Chucuito
- Maras to Chucuito
- Paucartambo to Chucuito
- Ollantaytambo to Chucuito
From Nazca to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Nazca to Chucuito?
About 13 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 532 miles.
How far is Chucuito from Nazca by car?
About 532 miles (856 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 Nazca to Chucuito 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 Nazca to Chucuito use?
In order: PE-1S, AR-114, PE-34A, PU-121, PU-1044 and PE-3S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Nazca and Chucuito?
Closest to the road: Museo Paleontológico de Sacaco (paleontological museum, mile 60, 0.9 mi from the route); Carlos Dreyer Museum (museum, mile 520, 0.3 mi from the route); Cathedral Basilica of St. Charles Borromeo, Puno (cathedral, mile 520, 0.4 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.