South America · Capital Lima
Each opens that government's own advisory for Peru — the authoritative version, updated far faster than this page.
Peru's main risks are altitude and road transport, not crime — though robbery in Lima and Cusco is common enough to plan around.
Cusco sits at 3,400m and Puno at 3,800m. Altitude sickness affects fit young people as readily as anyone else, and can become life-threatening if ignored.
Each region is coloured by the advice that applies to most of it, drawn by hand from the wording of all five government advisories. Numbered markers flag localised warnings — usually a border strip or remote interior — that cover only a small part of an otherwise lower-risk region.
A numbered marker warns about the small area described in its note — the rest of that region carries the base advice. Mapped by hand from the official wording in July 2026; always check the current advisory before you book.
Each pillar is scored 0–100 against every other country. Longer bar = more risk.
Biggest factor here: conflict & terrorism. Armed conflict, political violence and terrorism exposure.
The things worth knowing before you land.
Average daytime high and nightly low for Lima, over 2010-2019. Bars are rainfall; the colour band is how hot the days get.
Mildest and driest around All year.
Patterns reported repeatedly by travellers and local police. None of this is about individual businesses — it's about set-ups you can learn to spot in seconds.
A street-hailed taxi drives the passenger to ATMs to withdraw cash, sometimes with an accomplice picked up en route.
How to avoid it: Never hail a taxi in the street in Lima. Use ride-hailing apps or a car booked by your hotel.
Sources UK FCDO Peru safety and security
Agencies sell Inca Trail treks without the government permits, which are strictly limited and must be issued in your name months ahead. Travellers are turned away at the checkpoint.
How to avoid it: Book only with operators licensed by the Ministry of Culture, and confirm your permit is issued in your name with your passport number.
Sources Peru Ministry of Culture — Inca Trail r/PeruTravel operator threads
Peru has a long-standing counterfeiting problem; fake soles are passed in change, especially by taxi drivers and market stalls.
How to avoid it: Check notes for the watermark and the raised printing. Get cash from bank ATMs, and refuse damaged or taped notes.
Specific places that come up again and again — either in government advisories or in traveller reports. Everywhere else in Peru is not automatically fine, but these are the areas worth a plan.
Miraflores and Barranco, where most visitors stay, are considerably safer.
Do-not-travel advice; remnants of Shining Path and coca production.
The most common serious medical problem for visitors to Peru.
Fly into Cusco and you go from sea level to 3,400m in ninety minutes. Spend the first day doing nothing, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and consider acetazolamide from a doctor before you travel.
Worsening headache, confusion, breathlessness at rest or a wet cough are signs of serious altitude illness. The only reliable treatment is to descend, immediately.
Peru has seen repeated periods of protest that block highways and rail access to Machu Picchu, sometimes stranding travellers for days. Build buffer days before international flights and monitor local news.
Vaccinations, malaria and outbreaks. This atlas does not give medical advice — it is personal, it changes, and it is the one thing worth getting from a doctor. Both national services publish current advice for Peru:
Check the official advisory before you book. This page reflects data as of August 2026. Advisories change without warning, and only your own government's advice affects your travel insurance.