Tarma to Nazca is about 403 road miles (649 km): roughly 11 h 18 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: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Distance | 403 mi (649 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-22B → JU-656 → PE-22 → LM-618 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Junín, Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Tarma–Nazca drive in a few lines
PE-1S (265 mi) and PE-22 (95 mi) carry about 89% of the 403 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Junín, Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Tarma to Nazca: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE-22B | 0–6 | 6 | Junín |
| JU-656 | 6–26 | 20 | Junín |
| connecting roads | 26–27 | 1 | Junín |
| PE-22 | 27–58 | 31 | Junín |
| LM-618 | 58–63 | 5 | Junín, Lima |
| PE-22 | 63–127 | 64 | Lima, Lima Province |
| local roads | 127–134 | 7 | Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 134–365 | 231 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 365–369 | 4 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 369–403 | 34 | Ica |
- Mile 60 of this route: Junín → Lima (region line)
- Mile 114 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 167 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 242 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Stops between Tarma and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Sitio Puruchuco (mile 131), Huaca Malena (mile 196), La Centinela (mile 252), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 316), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 386), Nazca lines (mile 386)
- Museums and history: Catedral de Huaycán (mile 124), Museo de Sitio Puruchuco (mile 131), Huaca Santa Catalina (mile 136), Huaca Malena (mile 196), La Centinela (mile 252), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 316), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 386)
Catedral de Huaycán
In Huaycán, a part of Lima, this Catholic cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Chosica, whose patron saint is Saint Martin de Porres.
Museo de Sitio Puruchuco
Run by Peru's Ministry of Culture, the Puruchuco site museum (Museo de Sitio Arturo Jiménez Borja) in Lima's Ate district opened in 1960.
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.
Huaca Santa Catalina
Tucked between Miguel Checa and Pascual Saco streets in Lima's La Victoria district, Huaca Santa Catalina is one of the city's few remains of the Qhapaq Ñan Inca road.
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.
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.
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.
In Nazca itself
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.
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.
Acueductos de Achaco
The Achaco Aqueducts form an archaeological landscape of aqueducts in Nasca Province, Ica Region, at about 548 meters above sea level.
More drives to Nazca
From Tarma to other places in Peru
- Tarma to Aguaytía
- Tarma to Tocache
- Tarma to Moyobamba
- Tarma to Satipo
- Tarma to Huancavelica
- Tarma to Casma
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tarma to Nazca?
About 11 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 403 miles.
How far is Nazca from Tarma by car?
About 403 miles (649 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 Tarma to Nazca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tarma to Nazca?
In order: PE-22B, JU-656, PE-22, LM-618 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tarma to Nazca?
Closest to the road: Museo de Sitio Puruchuco (museum, mile 131, 0.4 mi from the route); Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (anthropology museum, mile 316, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 386, 0.0 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.