From Lima to Cusco, through Central Andes

From Lima to Cusco, through Central Andes

Est Driving Time
12 to 20 days

Distance
1,407 km

Overview

Follow in the footsteps of Tintin and Snowy, away from the crowds of tourists and into magnificent, authentically Peruvian regions! From Lima, on the Pacific coast, you’ll quickly make your way to the Andes, starting with the Nor Yauyos Reserve, before crossing the regions of Huancayo and Ayacucho, a superb colonial city.
Then head due west towards Andahuaylas and Abancay, on the banks of the Apurimac Canyon, before reaching the Inca city of Cusco.



Leg 1 From Lima to Huancaya

Est Driving Time
7 to 8 hours

Distance
246 km

Leave the capital on the Carretera Central, on the very route of Tintin’s famous train! You’ll soon reach the foothills of the Andes. As you climb, the landscape becomes greener, with fertile valleys replacing the coastal desert. Once you’ve reached Rio Blanco, you’ll head south to the magnificent Nor Yauyos National Park.Leave the capital for the peaceful desert and its many beaches popular with the people of Lima. On the way you can stop at Chincha, an Afro town, renowned for its gastronomy, music and dances. Nearby, the Hacienda San José will take you back to the gloomy history of the slave era.


Leg 1 highlights


Leg 2 From Huancaya to Huancayo

Est Driving Time
5 hours

Distance
182 km
Once you’ve visited the magnificent natural park, head east again. There are several routes back to Huancayo: via Shujto Canyon to the north (Jauja) and the Mantaro Valley, with its many typical villages, or via the south and the colorful mountainous countryside. You’ll want to spend the night in the countryside rather than in the city of Huancayo, either before you enter or as you leave towards Ayacucho.

Leg 2 highlights


Leg 3 From Huancayo to Ayacucho

Est Driving Time
8-9 hours

Distance
290 km
To reach Ayacucho, you have the option of 2 magnificent roads: the high plateau road, passing through the magnificent and historic town of Huancavelic, and the road following the Mantaro river through a magnificent canyon, but with many twists and turns.
You’ll be amazed by the nature of either of the lands you visit!
Ayacucho is a big city, and if you can find a square to spend the night, you’ll be even better off out of town!

Leg 3 highlights


Leg 4 From Ayacucho to Andahuaylas

Est Driving Time
6 hours

Distance
254 km
Leaving Ayacucho , you can either take the high plateau road, before descending the valley towards Andahuaylas, with its magnificent change of scenery, or take the historic Vilcashuaman road, passing through agricultural regions and dotted with archaeological sites, such as Intihuatana. The 2nd route is a little longer, but if you have the time, don’t hesitate!

Leg 4 highlights


Leg 5 From Andahuaylas to Abancay

Est Driving Time
4 to 5  hours

Distance
160 km
Leaving Andahuaylas, take a detour to the Pacucha lagoon and the Sondor archaeological site, overlooking the Apurimac Canyon!
Then head east to the city of Abancay!
Before descending into the Apurimac, stop again at the Curamba archaeological site!
Once you’ve crossed the river, you’ll reach Abancay. For the night, choose a place before the city (beware of the mosquitoes) or on the outskirts, where the view will be magnificent and the climate less hot.

Leg 5 highlights


Leg 6 From Abancay to Cusco

Est Driving Time
4 to 5 hours

Distance
124 km
Today undulating road between valley bottoms and passes, which crosses many Andean villages. You will find a lot of tourist attractions of all types, such as the village of Limatambo, the viewpoint of Chonta, from where you can admire the flight of condors, or the village of Cachora where the Choquequirao trek begins.

Leg 6 highlights

South Coast Desert


The southern coast of Peru stretches along the Pacific Ocean. Covered by an immense sandy desert, dotted with oases and green valleys with a flourishing agriculture. Also in these deserts, amazing pre-Inca cultures such as the Nazca culture developed.

Let yourself be delighted with the wine produced with exquisite and quality products. Enjoy sports in the middle of the desert, a unique adventure.

Powered by
Paracas National Reserve

The Paracas National Reserve presents a unique beauty of the Peruvian coast. Here you can find many marine species such as seals, birds, fish and shellfish.

It has one of the richest ecosystems in Peru and also protects the prehistoric sites of the Paracas culture and other civilizations that inhabited this amazing place.

Powered by
Ballestas Islands


An impressive place located south of Lima. Here live several species protected by the Peruvian state.
On board a boat you can see sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingos and other marine species.

Upon arrival you will be amazed by the rocky formation of this place where a huge geoglyph called El Candelabro houses thousands of sea lions.

Powered by
Huacachina Oasis

A magical place full of life in the middle of the desert, surrounded by palm trees and huarangos, a rich biodiversity. Ideal for different sports in the vast desert that surrounds it.

Its name comes from the Quechua language meaning “the woman who cries”. It is said that this lagoon was born from the tears of a beautiful woman who mourned the death of her husband.

Powered by
Nazca

These ancient geoglyphs are found throughout the Nazca desert, and to this day, they unleash many uncertainties because no one knows the message that the different drawings hold.

Powered by
Puquio

Puquio is the capital of the province of Lucanas to the south of the department of Ayacucho, it offers a great variety of landscapes and pleasant climates that propitiate the formation of peaks with eternal snow, plateaus, lagoons and waterfalls.

Powered by
Cusco

Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, Navel of the World. Every corner of this magical city hides in its walls the history of a great empire extended in many countries. Today you can see in the different tourist attractions the advanced technology that the Incas managed to develop.

Powered by
Chincha


Chincha offers different tourist attractions rich in culture and history.

Besides having beautiful beaches, enjoy the sun and know other places like the Sanctuary of Melchorita, El Carmen, the Huaca Centinela in Tambo de Mora, El Silencio, El Carrizal, among other recognized sites.

Powered by
Chalhuanca

Chalhuanca is a beautiful city located in the department of Apurimac. Here you can visit the Plaza Bolivar, a peculiar bridge, the Pincahuacho thermal baths very famous for its medicinal properties, the Pacucha Lagoon, which houses different species of fish such as silversides.

Powered by
Pachachaca

The Pachachaca, Historical Cultural Patrimony of Peru, is a tributary of the Apurimac River that joins the cities of Abancay and Andahuaylas. Its bed runs at the bottom of a deep canyon of alluvial origin. The construction is made of materials such as lime and stone.

Powered by
The archaeological site of Saywite
The archaeological site of Saywite is located in the department of Apurimac. It is believed that this was a religious center at the time of the Incas, but it could also represent the cosmic vision of the Inca culture, associated with water, the fertility of the land and the forces involved in its existence.
No, thank you. I do not want.
100% secure your website.
Powered by
Viewpoint of Chonta

The Chonta Condor Viewpoint is the natural sanctuary of the Andean condor, a bird sacred to the Incas. This place offers an impressive view of the flight of condors in their natural habitat as they fly over the landscapes of the Apurimac Canyon.

Powered by