Peru Travel Safety Guide

Protests are unpredictable and can become violent. Foreigners can face detention or deportation for joining political demonstrations.

Some border areas and drug-production zones carry higher organized-crime risk than the classic tourist circuit.

Do not drink tap water in Peru unless you have a very specific local reason to trust it. Bottled or properly filtered water is the safer default.

Altitude is one of the most important Peru-specific health risks for visitors going to Cusco and the Andes.

Drug use and trafficking carry lengthy jail sentences. Do not carry anything through customs for anyone else.

Do not photograph military sites. It is illegal and can lead to prison time.

Use booked taxis or ride apps in major cities rather than unvetted street pickups.

Political protests and roadblocks can suspend trains, delay flights, shut roads, and disrupt access to places like Cusco and Machu Picchu with little notice.

Use bank ATMs in safer, busier locations and avoid informal money exchange. Taxi and airport pricing confusion is common enough that booked rides are safer.

Use app-booked or hotel-arranged rides rather than random street taxis, especially in Lima.