Peru on GuideMeet

Is Peru safe to travel?

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 30 September 2026.

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Safety

• Security situation — Given the deteriorating security situation, the ministry urges anyone in Peru or planning a trip to avoid, for any reason, the outskirts of the main cities and areas in the interior of the country, to avoid every kind of gathering, to take extreme care, to follow the instructions of the local authorities and to stay in contact with the law enforcement of the place where they are, so they can be reached more easily in an emergency. Common crime is high in the main cities and in several districts of the capital.
• 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. For the same reason, travel is also advised against in 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 around Trujillo, where groups engaged in illegal mining are particularly active. Drivers of cars with medium-to-large engines are the target: the kidnapping lasts a few hours on average and comes 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.
• Rain and isolation — Peru is highly seismic, with occasional volcanism around Arequipa. In the local summer heavy rain is frequent, above all in the Andes, and can cut road and rail links: places — including popular ones — can stay completely cut off for several days until connections are restored.
• Coastal El Niño — The national commission that studies El Niño (ENFEN) keeps its coastal El Niño alert, with a high probability that the phenomenon lasts until summer 2027: at "extraordinary" intensity from September 2026 to January 2027 and "between strong and extraordinary" in February and March 2027. Above-normal rainfall is expected on the north coast, with a higher probability of moderate to heavy rain, while episodic moderate rain is expected on the central and southern coast in March. Rivers of the Pacific basin should run above normal, with flash floods and torrents becoming more frequent and more intense.
• Forecast for the coming months — The national weather service SENAMHI forecasts, for October to December, above-normal rainfall along the north and central coast and in the valleys of the western slope of the northern Andes; isolated moderate to intense downpours are not ruled out, mainly on the north coast, like those seen recently in the Tumbes coastal region, and flows on the Tumbes, Chira, Piura, La Leche and Jequetepeque rivers will probably exceed usual levels. The southern mountains and the Amazon should see rainfall and river flows between normal and below average. For the January-April 2027 summer it expects above-normal rain on the north and central coasts and in the western mountains of the north. It also forecasts temperatures well above normal along the whole coast, with a high probability of new heat records. Follow the SENAMHI forecasts for the places you plan to visit, and the instructions of the local authorities.
• Lima and Callao — In Lima common crime is very high and often organised, and the outskirts, the historic centre and the Callao port area are most at risk, and the port area is best avoided in the evening. It is preferable to choose hotels in the residential districts of San Isidro or Miraflores, which offer acceptable security standards. Avoid showing off cash or valuables.
• Theft, scams and tourist spots — The risk of theft of belongings and documents has spread to every urban centre of tourist interest, very often at the hands of fake taxi drivers, especially on trips to and from airports and at bus terminals, and reported scams keep multiplying. Use official taxi companies: informal or unlicensed taxis are advised against because of the danger of assault on passengers, and at the least check that the vehicle shows its plate number painted on the bodywork too. Crime is frequent in stations and airports, and pickpocketing and robbery of tourists are frequent in Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Paracas nature reserve and the Chan Chan archaeological site (Trujillo). Use only known travel agencies and local guides.
• Amazon — In the Amazon area bring insecticide and repellent, because hotels are not always properly protected. After an accident there are no fast means of transport and often not even a way to communicate by radio.
• Nazca and Huacachina — Overflights of the Nazca lines are advised against, because the tourist planes used do not meet maintenance and safety requirements equivalent to European ones. Desert excursions around Ica call for similar care: after recent accidents that needed hospital treatment, the ministry strongly recommends avoiding dangerous extreme activities in the Huacachina desert, such as sandbuggying (poorly maintained buggies and no accident insurance during the activity), sandboarding and dune skiing.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 30 September 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. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise 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 30 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.