Peru - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

Key points

• Country remains at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping risk.
• The Colombia-Peru border area in the Loreto Region is Level 4 (Do Not Travel) due to crime and poor infrastructure; the U.S. government cannot provide emergency services there.
• VRAEM (including Vilcabamba) is Level 4 due to crime and terrorism threats; U.S. government employees need special authorization to travel there.
• Some areas within Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín are Level 4; the city of Cusco and nearby sites such as the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu are not in the affected area.
• Crime is common; petty theft, carjackings, muggings, and assaults can occur in daylight and with witnesses, with higher risk at night.
• Demonstrations can shut down roads, trains, and major highways without warning, disrupting public transport and airport access.
• U.S. travelers should not use Ayahuasca or Kambo; U.S. citizens have suffered serious illness, death, sexual assault, injury, or robbery after taking these substances.
• U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving except within cities and on the Lima-Huacho and Lima-Paracas routes.