By road, Tocache and Huanchaco are about 384 miles (618 km) apart, or roughly 10 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: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance by road | 384 mi (618 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | SM-111 → PE-12A → PE-3N → PE-12 → PE-1NQ → PE-1N |
| Regions on the route | San Martín, Huánuco, La Libertad, Áncash |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
The Tocache–Huanchaco drive in a few lines
PE-12A (212 mi) and PE-1N (76 mi) carry about 75% of the 384 miles. It runs through 4 regions: San Martín, Huánuco, La Libertad, Áncash. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tocache to Huanchaco
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | San Martín |
| SM-111 | 2–24 | 22 | San Martín |
| PE-12A | 24–236 | 212 | San Martín, Huánuco, La Libertad, Áncash |
| PE-3N | 236–261 | 25 | Áncash |
| PE-12 | 261–301 | 40 | Áncash |
| PE-1NQ | 301–306 | 5 | Áncash, La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 306–382 | 76 | La Libertad |
| local roads | 382–384 | 2 | La Libertad |
- Mile 41 of this route: San Martín → Huánuco (region line)
- Mile 133 of this route: Huánuco → La Libertad (region line)
- Mile 139 of this route: La Libertad → Áncash (region line)
- Mile 304 of this route: Áncash → La Libertad (region line)
Places worth a stop between Tocache and Huanchaco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Pato (mile 244)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Pato (mile 244), Calipuy National Reserve (mile 266)
- Museums and history: Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (mile 373)
Cañón del Pato
Carved by the Santa River where the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra come closest, Cañón del Pato is a narrow river canyon in the Áncash region.
Calipuy National Reserve
Set aside mainly to protect guanaco populations, Calipuy National Reserve is a protected area in Peru's La Libertad region.
Ochiputur hillock
Ochiputur hillock (Loma Ochiputur) is a coastal hill in the Salaverry district of Trujillo province, in Peru's La Libertad region.
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.
Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
About five kilometers south of Trujillo in Moche District, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna are a Moche sanctuary made up of adobe pyramids and monuments.
Arriving in 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
- Lima to Huanchaco
From Tocache to other places in Peru
- Tocache to Churin
- Tocache to Jauja
- Tocache to La Merced
- Tocache to Oxapampa
- Tocache to Satipo
- Tocache to Puerto Ocopa
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tocache to Huanchaco?
About 10 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 384 miles.
How far is Huanchaco from Tocache by car?
About 384 miles (618 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 Tocache 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 Tocache to Huanchaco?
In order: SM-111, PE-12A, PE-3N, PE-12, PE-1NQ and PE-1N. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tocache to Huanchaco?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Pato (canyon, mile 244, 0.3 mi from the route); Huaca de la Luna (step pyramid, mile 373, 2 mi from the route); Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (archaeological site, mile 373, 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.