Is Peru Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Peru offers various experiences with its rich cultural history, vibrant cities, and beautiful landscapes. Like many travel destinations, safety can depend on location, awareness, and behavior. The overall crime rate is relatively high but mostly revolves around theft. Always remain aware of your surroundings and take standard precautions such as avoiding isolated areas at nighttime, keeping personal belongings secure, and not flashing expensive items. Solo female travelers should also take precautions when interacting with strangers. Taxis are a preferred mode of transport. Always book from reputable companies or use a known app. It is generally safe during daylight while participating in organized tours or activities.

Safety rating

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How safe is Peru?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Unsafe

During the night, in Peru, solo female walking alone might face some safety issues. Major cities like Lima, Cusco, and Arequipa can be relatively safe, but it is always recommended to use reputable transportation services and avoid secluded areas. Be particularly cautious in areas with high levels of crime. It's also a good practice to inform someone of your whereabouts and expected return.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Moderate

Public transportation in Peru varies in safety and reliability. Major cities like Lima have reasonable public bus systems and authorized taxi services that are generally considered secure, although they can be chaotic due to heavy traffic. Long-distance bus travel in Peru is popular, with many operators offering a safe and comfortable journey, but it's paramount to choose a reliable bus company. However, theft can be a concern on both local and long haul buses, so it's advisable to always keep an eye on your belongings, especially in crowded situations. It's also not recommended to travel at night due to poorer road conditions and the higher risk of accidents. Always use licensed and trusted transport providers for the sake of your safety.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Moderate

Peru has a moderate level of street harassment. While not widespread, instances of catcalling and unwanted attention are not uncommon, especially in busier city areas. As a solo female traveler, it's important to remain alert and aware of your surroundings. It's recommended to dress modestly to blend in with the local women and avoid unwanted attention. However, most locals are respectful and hospitable to tourists.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Moderate

While Peru is a beautiful and culturally rich country to visit, it does have a certain level of risk concerning petty crimes like pickpocketing and bag-snatching, especially in crowded tourist spots and public transportation. It is important to be cautious with your belongings and remain aware of your surroundings to mitigate this risk.

Is Peru worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 85 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.7/5

Safety

4.5/5

Food

4.7/5

Budget-friendly

4/5

Cusco, Group travel

I went to Cusco, Peru on a service learning trip with a group of 10 from my college. Best experience! Felt completely safe walking through the city, very kind people. Last day there, my group’s flight was early but mine was later, so I solo travelled around the city and felt completely safe and enjoyed my walk around the city. Cusco is at 11,000 ft though, so make sure to bring motion or altitude sickness pills!! I thought I would be ok without them since I usually ski at high altitudes, but this is much more intense, bring the pills! Also, start with lighter meals then progress because their food is much more rich and flavorful, so beware of travelers diarrhea if you have a sensitive stomach (but definitely try Cuy aka guinea pig!)

Posted: June 21, 2025
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Emily

Emily

United Kingdom

Cusco, Couple travel

A vibrant city always buzzing with activities and life. LOADS of activities which are pretty affordable, plenty of tours on get your guide, don't even need to be good at hiking because all the hikes have horses to take you most the way if you prefer. Tour guides are good, stayed pretty close to the centre most the time, but always felt super safe. AMAZING views within a couple hours drive of the city which when done with tours tends to include a couple of meals and transport etc. You need cash always, we pretty much had to withdraw daily to afford to pay our hostels, activities, food etc in cash, withdrawing 400 soles at once, shared between 2 of us. Not that we spend that much daily. But with combined costs, and souvenirs, it may as well have been. We spent a lot but we did a lot so no regrets. Definitely worth the visit.

Posted: June 15, 2025Experienced: June, 2025
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Luisa

Luisa

Colombia

Lima, Solo travel

It was my first time in Lima, and I can say I totally recommend it. On my first day in Lima I went to Plaza las Armas there was a lot of shops to buy anything you need on an affordable price, the main square is very cozy and chill you can walk around easily it connects to another smaller square around 3 or 4 blocks away. The coast of the city is absolutely beautiful and well maintained, there's a lot of parks with different tematics, I was mostly exploring Miraflores which is one of the most popular neighborhoods in there, I felt safe all the time, I walked around the beach and saw people surfing (there were surfing academies a long it), hotels and a lot of activities you can do, also went to the local market all with a guider from a place called Huarikebike, on this one you can visit those place around the neighborhood on bicycle while learning about the history of the city, also eat some of the local food which is 100% delicious the place is called Maraparte. I stayed near the Arena 1 (I went to a concert there) and the Malecones where the Panamerican youth games happened, I stayed in a room at an Airbnb 10 minutes away, with a lovely family the host name was Flor. The general price of the city is cheap to average and it's mostly safe, of course it's always better to be careful around it, as the locals recommended me there were some parts of the city on which is better to take an InDrive to move around, it's cheap and easy to use. I'm hoping to go there one day again, there was so much left to see.

Posted: May 27, 2025Experienced: April, 2025
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Barbara

Barbara

Netherlands

Cusco, Solo travel

Did a solo excursion to the laguna humantay and it was tough but so worth it! Being is cuzco was amazing, safest place i’ve been to in Peru for sure! Lots police, but also so many other tourists. Even at night i felt safe :)

Posted: May 12, 2025
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Angela

Angela

Chile

Tacna, Family travel

Personally, I really like Tacna, because despite being a small city, it has a lot to offer, especially the food and beautiful places. Without a doubt, Peruvian cuisine is delicious. It's a good weekend plan.

Posted: April 14, 2025Experienced: February, 2025
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Machu Picchu, Solo travel

Yes, it was all very nice. If you haven't bought tickets, you can get them a day before in the same city of Machu Picchu. However, the line is long, and if they call out numbers, everything is organized, but if many people go, the time slots can run out. But if you are already in Cusco and don't have tickets for Machu Picchu, it's a good alternative. If you have any questions, you can write to me, and I'll help you as it was a very nice experience.

Posted: April 13, 2025
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Is Peru safe for women?

Safety index

2.9 /5

Based on 32 local experiences

Crime index

2.8 /5

Based on 32 local experiences

Fatima

Fatima

Lima

I think it depends on where you are staying in Lima. If you're staying in the south of Lima you can walk until very late feeling safe, go for a cafe or to the supermarket alone there's a very low chance of being robbed (like 2%) in general south of Lima is very safe.

Posted: June 24, 2025
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Peru

It depends, on known district like miraflores, barranco, san borja, san isidro, are safe enough, i can walk at night, just walking fast, never alone. But its 3/5 safe for me. Not much to worry about. Be safe.

Posted: April 15, 2025
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Safety in Peru