Is Peru safe to visit? Advice, scams and health

Peru is safe for most tourists who take routine precautions. The risks that actually affect travellers are petty theft, taxi scams and altitude sickness, not violent crime. Use official taxis, keep valuables out of sight, and give yourself a day or two to acclimatise in Cusco before any trek. Government advisories from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all describe Peru as a place to exercise normal caution, with specific warnings about border areas and protest zones — check the latest before you go.

The US State Department, UK Foreign Office, Canadian travel.gc.ca, Australian smartraveller and New Zealand safetravel all rate Peru as a destination where normal precautions apply, rather than a place to avoid. The consistent themes are petty crime in Lima and Cusco, protests that can disrupt transport, and caution near the borders with Colombia and Ecuador. Advisory levels can change quickly, so check the official page for your country before you book and again before you fly.

The scams you will meet are the same ones that operate across South America. The taxi driver who has no meter and quotes a price ten times the going rate is the most common; agree the fare before you get in, or use a ride-hailing app. In Cusco and Lima, someone may offer to 'help' you buy a ticket or find a street, then demand payment. A firm 'no, gracias' and walking on is usually enough.

On buses, keep your bag on your lap or between your feet, not in the overhead rack. In markets, carry only what you need for the day and keep your phone in a front pocket. The 'spilled drink' or 'bird droppings' distraction, where someone cleans you off while an accomplice takes your wallet, happens in tourist areas. If a stranger touches you or points at your clothes, check your pockets immediately.

Cusco sits at 3,400 m and most visitors feel some altitude symptoms — headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. The standard advice is to arrive in Cusco or the Sacred Valley and sleep low for the first night or two before any trek. Coca tea is offered everywhere; it is legal in Peru and many travellers find it helps, though it is not a substitute for acclimatisation. Drink water, avoid alcohol for the first day, and descend if symptoms are severe.

Food hygiene follows the usual rules for the region: eat at busy places where food is cooked to order, drink bottled or filtered water, and be cautious with raw salads and unpeeled fruit. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travel to the Amazon regions below 2,300 m, and malaria prophylaxis may be advised for Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado — check with a travel clinic before you go.

Save these before you travel: 105 for police, 116 for fire, 106 for SAMU ambulance. For consular help, contact your embassy in Lima — the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand missions all have emergency lines. Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation is worth the cost in Peru, where a serious accident in the mountains or Amazon can require a flight to Lima or abroad.

Answers to the questions travellers ask most about safety in Peru.

This page was last checked in September 2026. Advisory levels and local conditions change; confirm on the official government pages before you travel.