🇵🇪Travelling safely in Peru

The picture today

Peru is broadly safe for travellers on the standard tourist circuit. The U.S. State Department, UK FCDO, Smartraveller, travel.gc.ca, the German Auswärtiges Amt, and France Diplomatie all set Peru at their default tier of caution. They carry partial-area warnings for the VRAEM (Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers) coca-trafficking region in the central jungle, certain border zones with Ecuador and Colombia, and specific districts of Lima after dark. None advise against travel to the mainstream tourist destinations.

Four structural risks shape the practical picture for the mainstream visitor. First, altitude. Cusco sits at 3,400 m (higher than Machu Picchu itself at 2,430 m); Puno at Lake Titicaca is at 3,810 m; the Colca Canyon trek and Salkantay route reach 4,600 m at the Pass. Acute mountain sickness affects a substantial percentage of first-time visitors; high-altitude pulmonary oedema and cerebral oedema send tourists to hospital each season. Acclimatise carefully on arrival.

Second, the political-demonstration legacy. The December 2022 dismissal of President Pedro Castillo triggered a wave of protests in Cusco, Puno, Apurímac, and Ayacucho that paralysed tourism for weeks at a time through 2023 and into 2024. The Boluarte administration’s approach drew sustained protest action with road blockades, airport closures (Cusco, Arequipa, Juliaca), and confrontations with police. By mid-2025 the situation has stabilised significantly but remains a consideration; check current conditions before booking, particularly around any political anniversary date (28 July national independence, 7 December presidential dismissal anniversary).

Third, the Lima petty-crime baseline. Express kidnap (secuestros al paso) from unmarked taxis, phone snatching by motorbike in certain districts, and standard urban discipline in the central historic zones. Use Uber, Cabify, or Beat (now exiting Peru, being replaced by InDriver/Yango); avoid hailing street taxis.

Fourth, Inca Trail and Machu Picchu logistics. The classic 4-day Inca Trail is limited to 500 permits per day (around 200 for trekkers, 300 for guides and porters); permits sell out 4 to 6 months ahead. The Inca Trail closes entirely each February for maintenance. Machu Picchu entry tickets have multiple circuits and timed slots; the 2024 to 2025 management changes (sliding entry policies, capacity adjustments) have produced periodic confusion at the entrance.

For the live picture, the Safe Trip Score for Peru is on the country page; the Field Manual’s earthquake guide covers the Pacific subduction-zone risk that produced the 1970 Ancash and 2007 Pisco events.

Getting in

Peru offers visa-free entry for citizens of around 100 countries including the U.S., Canada, UK, EU and EEA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and most of Latin America. Standard short-stay permission is up to 183 days within a 365-day rolling period, granted at the border (the maximum stay allowed by Peruvian immigration is 183 days, granted in single or multiple stays).

Tarjeta Andina de Migración (TAM): digital arrival card, no longer requires a paper printout but the entry stamp is the official record. Keep your passport stamp.

Stays beyond 183 days require a long-stay visa from a Peruvian consulate before travel.

Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to the Peruvian Amazon (Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, Manu, Pacaya-Samiria), and recommended for travel to other jungle regions and parts of the central highlands. Carry the yellow card. WHO and CDC recommend confirming hepatitis A and typhoid; rabies for prolonged rural stays. Malaria prophylaxis for the Amazon (chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum present).

Customs: cash above USD 30,000 equivalent declared on entry/exit. Coca leaf is legal in Peru and ubiquitous (sold in markets, served as tea in hotels) but illegal in most countries outside the Andean region; do not attempt to take coca leaves, mate de coca tea bags, or coca-flour products out of Peru; arrests of tourists at airport customs in their home countries are routine. Drug penalties for cocaine and other narcotics are severe; small-amount possession can produce 8-year sentences. Drones need DGAC permits; archaeological artefacts cannot be exported.

Regional risk map

Lima

The capital, around 10 million people. Statistically safer than its reputation in some districts and more challenging in others. Three patterns:

• Express kidnap (secuestros al paso) from unmarked taxis. Pattern: an unmarked car becomes a brief abduction during which the victim is forced to make ATM withdrawals up to the daily limit. Use Uber, Cabify, InDriver exclusively; avoid hailing on the street and avoid the “taxis colectivos” that line the Centro and airport.
• Pickpocketing in the Centro Histórico (Plaza de Armas, San Francisco church), and on metropolitan buses. Standard discipline; no visible jewellery, phone in inside pocket.
• Phone snatching by motorbike in Centro and parts of Miraflores. Treat phones as inside-pavement items.

Lima districts for visitor exposure: Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro are the safe tourist core (Miraflores in particular is statistically among the safer Latin American beach districts). Centro Histórico is safe in daylight with standard discipline; consider Uber after dark. Outer districts (Callao outside the airport, San Juan de Lurigancho, Comas, Villa El Salvador)are not tourist destinations and visitors have no reason to enter.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley

The historic Inca capital and the entry point for Machu Picchu. Statistically very safe for tourists. The dominant risks are altitude (3,400 m, requires careful acclimatisation), tourist-area scams (taxi meter refusal, restaurant overcharging on the Plaza de Armas), and the political-protest legacy that paralysed tourism through 2023 and 2024. The Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba) is operationally easier than Cusco itself, calmer, and the recommended acclimatisation zone for visitors arriving from sea level (Cusco airport flights from Lima land at 3,400 m; the Sacred Valley villages are at 2,900 m).

Machu Picchu

Reached by PeruRail or IncaRail from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), then 25-minute bus or 1.5-hour walk up. Entry tickets must be pre-booked via the Ministerio de Cultura site; multiple circuits and timed entry slots. The site is heavily managed; capacity caps are real. Cloud and rain are routine year-round; weather can change rapidly. Standard archaeological-park discipline.

Inca Trail (Camino Inca)

Classic 4-day trek to Machu Picchu. 500-permit-per-day cap(around 200 trekkers, 300 guides and porters); operators sell out 4 to 6 months ahead. Closed every February for maintenance and conservation. Permits are non-transferable and tied to passport; passport details cannot be changed after booking. Altitude (Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 m) is the major risk; use reputable operators (Alpaca Expeditions, SAS Travel, Wayki Trek, Llama Path, and others with sustained Tripadvisor history).

Alternative treks (Salkantay, Lares, Choquequirao)

Salkantay is the most popular alternative, 5 days, no permit requirements, crosses Salkantay Pass at 4,650 m. Lares is shorter and lower. Choquequirao is harder and remote. Operator quality varies; choose recognised agencies.

Arequipa and Colca Canyon

Arequipa (2,335 m, UNESCO old town) is the “White City.” Calm, beautiful, and an excellent acclimatisation stop. Colca Canyon (twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, condor watching at Cruz del Cóndor) is a 2-day or 3-day trek; altitude on the rim reaches 4,910 m at Patapampa pass. Use registered operators; the trek itself is at lower altitude than the access road.

Puno and Lake Titicaca

The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca (3,810 m). Floating islands of the Uros, Taquile island, and homestays on Amantani are the main tourist offerings. Puno itself has been one of the centres of political-protest activity in 2023 and 2024; check current conditions. Altitude is significant; acclimatise in Cusco or Arequipa first.

Northern beaches (Máncora, Punta Sal)

Pacific surf beaches. Generally safe; calm tourist economy. Surf and kitesurf community; year-round warm water and gentle waves at Máncora.

Trujillo and northern coast (Chiclayo, Chan Chan, Huanchaco)

Trujillo gives access to Chan Chan (the largest pre-Columbian city in South America) and the surrounding archaeological sites; Huanchaco is the beach village with the traditional caballitos de totora reed boats. Generally safe; the Trujillo urban-crime baseline is higher than Lima Miraflores; the tourist hubs are calm.

Iquitos and the Peruvian Amazon

Iquitos is the world’s largest city not accessible by road; reached by air from Lima. Gateway to the Amazon jungle lodges and the Pacaya- Samiria Reserve. Yellow fever vaccination required. Standard jungle lodge operators are reputable; verify malaria prophylaxis with your doctor for the specific route.

Puerto Maldonado and Madre de Dios

The other Amazon gateway, closer to Cusco. Tambopata and Manu reserves. Standard jungle-lodge tourism, well-organised.

VRAEM and restricted-advisory zones (Do Not Travel)

• VRAEM (Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers, in the departments of Cusco, Junín, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Apurímac): active coca cultivation and trafficking, residual Shining Path activity, regular military operations. Off-limits to tourists.
• Ecuadorian and Colombian border regions: drug trafficking, illegal mining, and informal-economy activity. Verify before any overland border crossing.

Transport

Domestic flights

LATAM Peru (the dominant carrier, generally strong safety record), Sky Airline Peru (low-cost), JetSMART Peru. Domestic routes between Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Juliaca (Lake Titicaca), Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, and Trujillo are extensive. Lima to Cusco is the most-trafficked route (1 hour 20 minutes); flights operate from early morning to mid-afternoon because Cusco airport closes to commercial traffic in the afternoon due to cloud conditions. Cusco-Lima morning weather cancellations are common in the rainy season.

Trains

PeruRail and IncaRail operate the trains to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) from Ollantaytambo and Cusco/Poroy. Multiple service classes (Expedition/Voyager basic, Vistadome/360, the luxury Belmond Hiram Bingham). Book months ahead in high season; the 4-hour Lima-Cusco overnight train was discontinued years ago. The Andean Explorer luxury train (Cusco to Puno to Arequipa, 2 nights) is a sleeper experience.

Buses

Peruvian intercity buses are extensive; reputable operators (Cruz del Sur, Oltursa, Movil Tours, Excluciva) offer comfortable seats and have good safety records. Avoid overnight buses on Andean routeswhere possible; rockfall, fog, and fatigue are documented annual accident causes. Lima to Cusco by bus is around 22 hours; flight is the practical choice.

Driving

Self-drive is uncommon for visitors. Andean roads are technical; Pan-American Highway (Carretera Panamericana) is well-engineered but passes through arid coastal zones; urban driving in Lima is challenging. Hired car with driver is the standard option for cross-country itineraries.

Taxis and ride-share

Uber, Cabify, InDriver, Yango dominate Lima ride-share; all operate in major cities. Beat (formerly Taxibeat) withdrew from Peru in 2024. Use these apps over hailing taxis from the street, especially in Lima and at airports. Avoid “taxis colectivos”(shared-fare unmarked taxis); these have been the dominant vector for express-kidnap incidents.

Money & scams

Peru uses the Peruvian sol (PEN; written S/.). Card payments are accepted at hotels and major restaurants in tourist areas; cash dominates rural areas, markets, and small businesses. ATMs are widespread; major bank ATMs (BCP, BBVA, Interbank, Scotiabank) are reliable. Withdraw small amounts in tourist hubs because of the express-kidnap pattern. Tipping is light: 10 percent at restaurants if no service charge included, no tip for taxis, S/.5-10 per bag for hotel porters, additional tip for guides at the end of treks.

The recurring scams travellers actually meet, in order:

1. Express kidnap from unmarked taxis in Lima. Solved by Uber/Cabify/InDriver.
2. Taxi meter refusal and inflated fares at Lima airport, Cusco airport, and tourist sites. Solved by ride-share apps.
3. Coca leaf export attempt risk: not a scam but a tourist self-inflicted issue. Do not take coca products out of Peru regardless of how they are sold to you.
4. Fake or unlicensed Inca Trail / Salkantay operatorsselling permits that are not valid. Book only with SERNAPI-licensed operators verifiable on the official Ministerio de Cultura list.
5. Restaurant overcharging on the Cusco Plaza de Armas and tourist-strip restaurants. Read menus and bills carefully; service charges are sometimes added automatically.
6. Currency-switching at street money-changers. Use bank ATMs or recognised cambios (Casa de Cambios, Western Union, MoneyGram).
7. Counterfeit US dollar and PEN notes. Examine cash received from changers; counterfeit currency in circulation is documented.
8. The “helpful stranger” bag-zip-distractionat Lima airport and Cusco bus stations. Standard pickpocket discipline.
9. Scopolamine drink-spike incidents are reported but less common than in Colombia; standard discipline still applies.

Healthcare

Peru has a mixed public-private healthcare system. Public hospitals are overstretched. Private hospitals in Lima deliver good-quality care at modest prices by Western standards; serious cases in Cusco and other regions often require evacuation to Lima or Bogotá/Miami.

• Private travel insurance with at least USD 250,000 medical cover and medical evacuation is the practical baseline. Air ambulance from Cusco or Amazon to Lima or to Bogotá/Miami runs into mid-five-figures USD.
• Lima private hospitals: Clínica Anglo Americana (San Isidro), Clínica San Pablo, Clínica Internacional, Clínica Ricardo Palma, Clínica Delgado. All English-fluent and accept direct billing from major international travel insurance.
• Cusco private clinics: Clínica San Juan de Dios, Clínica Pardo. Functional for routine emergencies and altitude treatment; serious cases evacuated to Lima.
• Pharmacies (boticas/farmacias): InkaFarma and MiFarma are the major chains; widespread availability. Many medications that require prescription elsewhere are over-the-counter. Acetazolamide (sold as Sorojchi Pills or Diamox) for altitude sickness is widely available at Cusco pharmacies.
• Altitude in Cusco (3,400 m), Puno (3,810 m), and the treks is the dominant environmental risk. Acclimatisation logic: arrive Cusco in the morning, take it slow for 24 to 48 hours, drink water aggressively, avoid alcohol and heavy meals on day 1. Coca tea (mate de coca) is the local traditional response and helps mild symptoms. For sensitive travellers, ask about prophylactic acetazolamide (start 24 hours before ascent). Symptoms of severe altitude sickness (severe headache, vomiting, confusion, breathing difficulty) require immediate descent and medical attention.
• Travellers’ diarrhoea rates are moderate to high. Bottled water rigorously; no tap or ice (unless major hotel filter); peeled fruit; hot-cooked food; sceptical about ceviche raw fish in budget restaurants in the first week.
• Yellow fever mandatory for Amazon, jungle regions, and parts of the central highlands. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel.
• Dengue fever is endemic on the coast and in the Amazon basin. Mosquito-bite prevention.
• Rabies is endemic; any animal bite needs prompt medical attention.
• Emergency numbers: 105 (police), 116 (fire), 117 (ambulance / SAMU), iPeru tourist helpline 0800 5050(free from Peruvian phones, 24-hour English-speaking) or +51 1 574 8000 international.

Solo female travel

Peru is broadly safe for solo female travel by general crime measures, with regional variation. The Cusco-Sacred Valley-Machu Picchu corridor and the Lima Miraflores/Barranco/San Isidro districts are statistically among the safer Latin American destinations.

• Catcalling (piropos) is part of the cultural baseline, more present in Lima Centro than in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. Verbal-only; ignored, it recedes.
• Late-night safety in Lima Miraflores/Barranco and Cusco San Blas is generally fine. Use Uber rather than walking late; avoid Centro Histórico after dark.
• Drink-spiking incidents are reported in Lima (Miraflores nightlife) and Cusco backpacker bars. Cover drinks; standard discipline.
• Inca Trail and Salkantay treks are statistically very safe for solo female travellers; recognised operators run mixed-gender groups; female porters and guides are increasingly common.
• Amazon jungle lodge tourism is well-organised and safe.

Family travel

Peru is excellent for family travel when the altitude is planned for and the political-disruption window is avoided. Peruvian culture is genuinely warm toward children; accommodation accommodates families well; archaeological and natural content is rich. Practical specifics:

• Altitude with children. Children acclimatise generally well but small children (under 5) can be more affected. Plan the acclimatisation: Lima (sea level) to Arequipa (2,335 m) to Sacred Valley (2,900 m) before Cusco (3,400 m) is the gradual ascent. Skip Puno (3,810 m) with very small children.
• Machu Picchu with children: the site is stroller- hostile (stone stairs, slopes); carriers work for toddlers; school-age children manage fine.
• Inca Trail with children: minimum age varies by operator, generally 8 or 10; 4-day trek with altitude requires maturity.
• Salkantay alternative: some operators offer 4-day family versions; check operator-specific minimum ages.
• Amazon jungle lodges are excellent for family travel when reputable operators are chosen; many offer family-specific programming.
• Gastric and food discipline as elsewhere; ceviche is excellent but stick to recognised cevicherías.
• Earthquake awareness. Peru is on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Field Manual’s earthquake guide covers Drop-Cover-Hold-On.

Season by season

May to October (dry season in the Andes, recommended)

The window for Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Andes. Cold nights (4 to 8 °C in Cusco) but sunny days. The Inca Trail and alternative treks at peak accessibility. The Amazon is at its driest season (river levels lower; wildlife more concentrated at remaining water sources). June to August is peak season for both Andes and Amazon; book well ahead. Lima is cloud-covered (the “garúa” coastal mist) and chilly through these months despite being summer in the southern hemisphere.

November to April (wet season in the Andes, summer on the coast)

Andes rains; Inca Trail closed every February; trekking conditions muddier on alternative routes. Machu Picchu and Cusco remain accessible but expect afternoon storms. Lima coastal weather is sunny and warm (December to March). Amazon is at high water (boat access to more remote regions; wildlife dispersed). Carnival in February is a major cultural event with water and paint fighting in the Andean towns.

December and January (Christmas, New Year, peak rains)

Peak domestic-tourism. Machu Picchu can be very crowded; advance booking essential.

Emergency contacts

• Police: 105.
• Fire: 116.
• Ambulance / SAMU: 117.
• iPeru tourist helpline: 0800 5050 (free, 24-hour, English-speaking) or +51 1 574 8000 international.
• Tourist Police (POLTUR): +51 1 460 1060.
• Embassies in Lima. US: +51 1 618 2000, UK: +51 1 617 3000, Canada: +51 1 319 3200, Australia: +51 1 630 0500, Germany: +51 1 203 5940, France: +51 1 215 8400. After-hours consular numbers on each embassy site.

One more time

Peru is broadly safe on the standard tourist circuit and rewards travellers who plan altitude acclimatisation carefully (Lima to Arequipa to Sacred Valley before Cusco is the gradual path), book Inca Trail permits 4 to 6 months ahead, check the political-protest calendar before any Cusco-Puno itinerary, use Uber or Cabify rather than street taxis in Lima, get yellow fever vaccination for Amazon travel, and apply the standard gastric and ceviche discipline. Coca leaf is legal in Peru and worth using locally; never attempt to bring it out. The Field Manual’s earthquake guide covers the Pacific subduction-zone protocol. The live picture is on the Peru country page.