Is Peru Safe for Solo Female Travellers in 2025?

Now that we have discussed all the scary things that could go wrong, here is exactly how you avoid them and handle it if anything does go awry:

Never place anything in the overhead compartment of a bus. The only time I have heard of stuff being stolen is from that compartment. Keep valuables in a small bag on your body, ideally hidden under clothes or a jacket. 

As a woman, I always hide my long hair in a beanie or cap and dress in baggy clothes on night buses. It’s simply a safety precaution and to avoid standing out when travelling alone. In Peru, I felt this was especially important as my blonde hair made me stand out anyway and people would take note when they saw me alone. Hiding it simply avoided that extra attention. 

Avoid walking around at night, especially alone. I have walked around Barranco in Lima and Cusco at night with other travellers I met in the hostel and only in touristy areas, but I would never do it alone as a woman. 

Never take a taxi off the street. Use Uber or InDrive to order one. There have been reports of assault and robbery in Taxis that people hailed on the street, so just avoid it. Personally, I took countless Ubers and InDrives in Peru with no problem. 

Choose ATMs that are indoors, ideally with some security. The main thing in Peru is to not display money or wealth, so be mindful with choosing an ATM location and ideally do it in a touristy area during the day. If you can do it with another traveller watching your back, even better.

Keep valuables as hidden as possible when walking around. I usually had a small cross-body bag that did not draw a lot of attention. I also wore little jewellery and overall “flashy” clothes to avoid unwanted attention. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear cute outfits and even shorts etc., just don’t bring that fancy bracelet or huge watch. 

I would recommend to keep your phone hidden as much as possible in very busy areas as well as bus terminals and other places where you may feel a little off. I also had a cute phone chain attached to my phone and wrist at all times for an extra layer of safety. 

Choose accommodation in touristy areas! I stayed outside of the touristy areas twice and both times felt a little off. For Lima for example, the areas I would highly recommend are Barrancos and Milaflores. For Cusco, as close to central as possible. Choose accommodation with high reviews, especially from other solo, female travellers.

Don’t hitchhike. Look, it may be fine and I did it once in Huanchaco with four other travellers after no taxis were going because of a strike, but just don’t risk it. Especially when alone as a woman, it is too likely to not end well.

Receiving unwanted attention from men is unfortunately common across the world and no different in Peru. For example, I got a ton of catcalls and even some boys running after me because of my blonde hair – they were just not used to it. It never ended bad though – they usually tried to say the few English words they knew or kept pointing at the hair. They never continued to follow me or made me super uncomfortable, but be prepared for this attention. If you do start to feel uncomfortable, I would try and leave the situation or head to other tourists in the area. There is safety in numbers. Learning the Spanish phrase: “¡Déjame en paz!” (Leave me alone!) is also useful.

Avoid quiet alleyways and areas off the beaten path. There is a time to explore new and unknown areas, but as a solo, female traveller in Peru, it is not the right time. The same goes for any place where you feel “off” – trust your gut! Leave if something doesn’t feel right. 

For tours, especially remote, overnight ones, choose reputable operators with lots of reviews (especially ones from other women). It is sometimes cheaper to choose a different, less well-known operator but if you are travelling alone, I would stick to the tried and true. There is nothing worse than ending up in a remote place with no cell service and a dodgy tour operator.

Lastly, I’d recommend to learn some Spanish before visiting Peru. Not only will you get so much more out of tours and a better connection with locals, it is also the best way to keep yourself safe. If you can understand what is going on around you, you can make informed decisions.