Is Arequipa safe? 🇵🇪

Arequipa is a moderately safe city for travelers, but requires a high degree of caution due to crime and regional instability. While Arequipa itself is a popular tourist destination with a lower crime rate than some other Peruvian cities, the country's ongoing political instability and regional advisories necessitate vigilance. Travelers should be aware of petty crime and exercise caution, especially after dark. (Assessed 13 October 2026.)

Safety is not one number, and this Arequipa report does not pretend it is: the score is re-weighted for who is travelling. A woman travelling alone, a family with children and a solo backpacker face different street-level risks, so the headline score shifts and the report leads with the findings that matter for that group. Personalize this report in one click to see the 2026 score and safety briefing for your specific travellers.

No districts were flagged as no-go areas for visitors at the last assessment.

• Overcharging by taxis, especially from the airport or bus stations.
• Distraction thefts where an accomplice creates a diversion while another steals belongings.

Arequipa ranks #7 of 9 Peru destinations we've assessed, scoring 59/100. See the Peru safety overview for the full list.

The score blends 13+ public data sources — government advisories, UNODC/World Bank crime statistics, FBI crime data for U.S. cities, WHO health data, live air quality and disaster alerts — with AI field research over current local reporting. The databases carry the bulk of the weight; the traveller-sentiment score from field research carries the rest. Full methodology.