Is Peru Safe to Travel Alone in 2023? My Honest Take

Flights and Footsteps contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Are you wondering if it’s safe to travel to and around Peru alone? We’ve got all the info you’ll need and some great tips on how to stay safe!

Peru is a beautiful country with a ton of cultural and historical hot spots to visit. It’s a tall country, north-to-south wise, so there are many different climates and landscapes to experience.

If you’re looking to experience all of that and do it alone, then you’re in the right place!

Because that’s exactly what I did, and now I’m here to share with you how I did it, and how I stayed safe while doing it!

Quick Rundown on Peru Solo Travel

When I talk about if Peru is safe to travel alone, I consider a few things:

• I take a few more risks than other American travelers I know.
• I talk to other solo travelers that I meet on my trips about safety, a lot!
• I keep notes on possible unsafe areas or situations (and many other things of course).

I tell you that to tell you this, I have some real insight into solo traveler safety in Peru. With that in mind, let’s get into it!

Is Peru Safe to Travel Alone?

The simple answer is yes! If you’re a solo traveler, I’m here to tell you that Peru is safe to travel alone!

Is there more to it than that? Of course. There always is. Don’t worry, we’ll get into all of the information you need to stay as safe as possible.

We’ll go over some general safety tips, along with some possible unsafe situations that can happen, and how to avoid them.

When we’re done, you’ll be ready to book your flight (if you haven’t already).

It’s always a good idea to check travel advisories in addition to reading our advice!

Safety Tips for Traveling Peru Alone

There are a few things you can do to set yourself up for the safest solo travel possible while you peruse Peru (I’ve always wanted to say “peruse Peru”, so thank you for allowing me to get it out of the way).

Stick to Pre-arranged Transportation

A safety practice I always try to keep in mind when visiting new places is to arrange transportation ahead of time whenever possible.

Receptionists at hotels and hostels are happy to help you book transport, or you can use a service like Get Transfer to book private transfers ahead of time.

Of course, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes plans change or things happen where you need transport on the fly. My advice though is to pre-book transport rather than hop in a cab on the street.

It’s also good to plan any bus trips ahead of time too, rather than wait to get your tickets at the bus station, especially if your Spanish no es bueno.

Use Bus Bud to get those tickets beforehand and make sure you have a spot, some of those commuter routes fill up with locals, so reserving your seat is important!

Stay Where the People Are

This is a general safety practice, not unique to Peru or solo travel, but it’s worth mentioning because as solo travelers, we are also adventurers (at least a little)!

It’s in our nature to wander off the path a little bit and go where maybe we shouldn’t. Having pushed the limits of what might be safe myself, I can’t discourage this type of behavior.

However! We need to be smart while we do it!

When I say stay where the people are, I mean a few different things:

• Don’t pick a hotel that’s super far from town, or from the things you want to do.
• Don’t wander too far away from the roads and areas where people and shops (that are open) line the streets.
• If you do choose to push those limits, don’t do it at night!
• If you do choose to push those limits at night (some of you will) remember my last tip. Don’t get into a car that you haven’t pre-arranged.

In general, the closer you are to populated areas, the safer you’ll be. The farther you get from populated areas, the more aware and conscious you’ll have to be. Remember stranger danger!

Don’t Get Too Drunk

This is a hard one for some people. When we go on vacation, we like to get tore up, right? Wait!

If you’re wanting to travel alone, you’ll want to keep your head on your shoulders. Once you start getting overly inebriated, it becomes easy for you to be taken advantage of, physically and financially.

Part of staying safe while traveling alone is not making yourself an easy target. Know your limits. I don’t mean your limits of getting blackout drunk. I mean your limits where you can still function with a sound mind.

Now, I’m not saying that all the locals are waiting for a drunk tourist to take advantage of. That’s not the case unless you didn’t follow our last tip and have wandered into a place you shouldn’t have.

This is just a precaution to ensure that you aren’t an easy target for tourist traps and other suspect situations that would be harder to avoid when you’re drunk.

For me, I’m a social drinker in my real life, so I can go months without drinking no problem. So it’s pretty easy for me to either not drink at all when I travel, or drink just enough to try the local offerings and have a good time without overdoing it.

For some of you party animals though, this might be tough. In the end, you’ll party if you want to party. But this is a safety post and my recommendation is to keep your wits about you.

Bonus Tip for Females Traveling Alone in Peru

It’s especially important for you ladies to keep your decision-making abilities intact while you travel alone. I’m doubling down on my above advice for you and saying be extra careful!

I’ve got a few tips specifically for women traveling alone when it comes to drinking:

• Don’t take a drink from anyone that you didn’t order or didn’t see the bartender make.
• Don’t leave your drink unattended with people you don’t know.
• Be wary of women too, not just men. A lot of traps involve a woman luring someone into a false sense of security.
• If something feels wrong or weird, just leave. You’re a solo traveler. You don’t owe anyone any explanations.

Do Tours & Activities With Established Companies

When you’re looking for tours and activities to do in Peru (or anywhere really), sometimes it’s tempting to go with one of the locals who are there underbidding the big companies.

Most of the time, this will work out fine.

But if you want to ensure your safety as much as possible, stick to companies that at least have a website or an Instagram account with a decent amount of followers.

Companies that have platforms like that are more accountable and likely to stand behind the experiences they offer.

Of course, the smaller the town you’re in, the harder this can be. Do your best out there.

But a lot of the cities in Peru you’ll want to visit are very tourist-friendly and will have tour companies that will make this easy for you.

Again, you’ll likely be fine if you go with one of the locals. I’ve done this myself on several occasions and had great experiences. But, if you’re nervous about safety, stick with established companies. It will help ensure your safety.

Travel Peru Alone FAQs

You probably still have questions about traveling alone to Peru. I’m going to try and answer them here to make sure you’re fully prepared for your trip.

Is Peru a Good Place for Solo Travel?

I could write a whole post on this, but the short answer is yes! Peru is a great place for solo travel! There is so much to see, ruin sites, beautiful landscapes, cultural events, and great activities in each city.

Choosing to solo travel to Peru will be a decision you won’t regret. It’s a lovely and interesting country.

And let’s face it, if you wait for your friends to agree to go with you, you’ll be waiting forever and never get to go. So book the flight!

Is Machu Picchu Safe to Travel Alone?

Of all your destinations in Peru, Machu Picchu is the safest. Why? Volume! Over 1.5 million people visit Machu Picchu every year! That’s more than 2,500 each day.

The trains are full of people going. The Inca trail is full of groups going. The buses from Aguas Calientes are full of people going. There isn’t a lot of opportunity there for unsafe things to happen to you.

Rest easy knowing that your visit to Machu Picchu will be the safest part of your Peru solo trip.

Which Cities In Peru Should I Visit?

This is a good question. I’m glad you asked! The cities in Peru are all so different and offer something special and unique.

So the answer to which cities you should visit will depend on what you’re looking for.

You’ll have to stop in Lima in order to enter and leave the country, so there’s one. You’ll have to visit Cusco in order to get to Machu Picchu, so there’s another.

As for the others, I’ll tell you what you can find in some of the other cities:

• Arequipa – beautiful architecture, volcanoes surrounding the city, culturally diverse dining options
• Huacachina/Ica – Pisco wineries offering tours and tastings, desert sandboarding and dune buggy activities, wild nightlife
• Puno – Lake Titicaca, floating islands of the Uros people, boat activities and tours, super high elevation
• Iquitos – tropical climate, Amazon rainforest and river access, only accessible by small plane or boat

I didn’t include the cities and towns in the Sacred Valley because you’ll be in or near many of these by nature of your visit to Machu Picchu. Stop and see as many of them as possible!

Pisac, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, they’re all worth stopping and seeing!

Summing Up Traveling Peru Alone

It is my sincere hope that I’ve helped you feel more confident about going to Peru for your solo trip.

I’ve done it and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had!

I soaked up so much history, took part in as much local culture as possible, and stayed safe doing it.

Our talk today will help you stay safe while having the same great experiences when you travel to Peru alone.

Have fun out there!

Check out our other Peru content: