Nazca to La Merced is about 452 road miles (727 km): roughly 12 h 25 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
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 | 452 mi (727 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 25 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → PE-22 → LM-618 → PE-3N → JU-645 → PE-22B |
| Regions on the route | Ica, Lima, Lima Province, Junín |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Nazca–La Merced drive in a few lines
PE-1S (263 mi) and PE-22 (95 mi) carry about 79% of the 452 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Ica, Lima, Lima Province, Junín. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Nazca to La Merced
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 1–34 | 33 | Ica |
| local roads | 34–38 | 4 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 38–268 | 230 | Ica, Lima, Lima Province |
| connecting roads | 268–269 | 1 | Lima Province |
| local roads | 269–275 | 6 | Lima Province |
| PE-22 | 275–339 | 64 | Lima Province, Lima |
| LM-618 | 339–345 | 6 | Lima, Junín |
| PE-22 | 345–376 | 31 | Junín |
| PE-3N | 376–391 | 15 | Junín |
| JU-645 | 391–402 | 11 | Junín |
| connecting roads | 402–403 | 1 | Junín |
| local roads | 403–409 | 6 | Junín |
| PE-22B | 409–451 | 42 | Junín |
| local roads | 451–452 | 1 | Junín |
- Mile 162 of this route: Ica → Lima (region line)
- Mile 237 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 290 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 344 of this route: Lima → Junín (region line)
What to see on the way from Nazca to La Merced
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Nazca lines (mile 17), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 17), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 88), Chilca (mile 231), Peruvian Japanese National Planetarium Mutsumi Ishitsuka (mile 271), Huaycán de Pariachi (mile 279)
- Museums and history: Museo Maria Reiche (mile 17), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 88), Cerro de Oro (mile 185), Chilca (mile 231), Huaycán de Pariachi (mile 279), Catedral de Tarma (mile 409)
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.
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.
Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins"
Ica's regional archaeological museum, named for Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins, focuses on the different Indigenous cultures that lived in Peru.
Cerro de Oro
Spread over roughly 150 hectares on a hill beside the Pacific, Cerro de Oro is a monumental archaeological zone in the Cañete Valley, surrounded by farm plots in San Luis de Cañete district.
Chilca
Near the town of Chilca in Cañete province, this archaeological site holds remains of an early Archaic village uncovered in 1963 by Swiss archaeologist Frédéric Engel.
Quinta de Presa
Quinta de Presa is a French-style country mansion built in the 18th century under Viceroy Manuel de Amat y Junyent, with a built area of 15,159 square meters.
Peruvian Japanese National Planetarium Mutsumi Ishitsuka
In Lima's Ate district, the Peruvian Japanese National Planetarium Mutsumi Ishitsuka belongs to the Geophysical Institute of Peru.
Huaycán de Pariachi
South of the Rímac River in Huaycán, Ate District, Huaycán de Pariachi is an archaeological site within the Lima area of Peru.
Catedral de Tarma
Tarma's cathedral, also called the Cathedral of Santa Ana, is a neoclassical church built in 1954 in Tarma, Junín region, Peru.
More drives to La Merced
- Jauja to La Merced
- Lima to La Merced
- Tocache to La Merced
- Juanjuí to La Merced
- Tarapoto to La Merced
- Huancavelica to La Merced
From Nazca to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Nazca to La Merced?
About 12 h 25 min of driving without stops, over 452 miles.
How far is La Merced from Nazca by car?
About 452 miles (727 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 Nazca to La Merced?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Nazca to La Merced?
In order: PE-1S, PE-22, LM-618, PE-3N, JU-645 and PE-22B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Nazca to La Merced?
Closest to the road: Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 17, 0.1 mi from the route); Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (anthropology museum, mile 88, 0.4 mi from the route); Chilca (archaeological site, mile 231, 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.