Safety in Peru: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 5 March 2026.
Safety
- VRAEM and Putumayo — Travel to the VRAEM — the valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro rivers, far from normal tourist routes — is strongly advised against because of residual narco-guerrilla activity. The same goes for the Amazon area near the Colombian border, in particular along the Putumayo river.
- Roadblocks and protests — Protests tied to mining and other industries recur in Cajamarca, Puno, Madre de Dios, Apurímac, Junín and Arequipa, with road and rail blockades that do not spare the main arteries. Roads can stay shut for days with no warning, including on the most touristic stretches.
- Express kidnappings — Short kidnappings for ransom happen, foreigners included, above all in rural areas, and drivers of mid-to-large cars are the target. They last a few hours on average and come with a demand for a few thousand dollars. Stick to wide, busy roads.
- Attacks at traffic lights — Assaults on cars stopped at traffic lights have increased, with theft of whatever is within the thief's reach. Keep nothing on the seats.
- Rain and isolation — Peru is highly seismic, with occasional volcanism around Arequipa. In the local summer heavy rain, above all in the Andes, cuts road and rail links, and places — including popular ones — can stay completely cut off for several days until connections are restored.
- Lima and Callao — A state of emergency in Metropolitan Lima and Callao Province has been extended, with the police holding internal order backed by the armed forces and possible limits on gatherings. Common crime is very high in the outskirts, the historic centre and the Callao port area, which is best avoided in the evening.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 5 March 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Peru before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 5 March 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.