Arequipa Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (50/100)
Is Arequipa safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Arequipa scores 50/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Peru Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 4 Sep 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 9 Oct 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Disease & health (score 30)
Government advisory (score 45)
September 30, 2026
Arequipa, Peru has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 50 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is government advisory at 45/100; the lowest-rated category is disease & health at 30/100; last updated September 30, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Peru travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Arequipa to visit in 2026?
Arequipa currently sits at 50/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan more carefully than the global average — read the Actions section below before booking. The highest-rated risk category for Arequipa is government advisory (45/100), and the lowest is disease & health (30/100). This page was last updated on September 30, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (67/100) and natural hazards (58/100).
A score of 50 is higher than the scores of 67% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Arequipa, Peru currently has an elevated baseline safety risk of 50 out of 100 with a Level 2 US State Department advisory. Travelers should also be aware of an active green forest fire notification in Peru and a Level 1 global dengue health notice from the CDC.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 07:54 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Natural disasters (score 45/100): Check seasonal hazard (hurricane, monsoon, earthquake) for your dates. Identify hotel evacuation routes on arrival.
- Government advisory (score 45/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Arequipa
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime conditions are generally secure along major corridors and commercial districts. Keep bags zipped and avoid displaying high-value items openly.
Risk levels elevate noticeably after dark outside main central zones. Avoid walking alone through unlit parks, alleys, or quiet transit stations; favor pre-booked door-to-door transport.
Safety by Traveler Type in Arequipa
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Arequipa for solo travelers (Crime 35/100 · Transport 40/100), women traveling solo (Crime 35/100), families with children (Health 30/100 · Natural disaster 45/100), older travelers (Health 30/100 · Transport 40/100), business travelers (Digital 30/100 · Money 35/100 · Transport 40/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 45/100 · Political 40/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | low |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 30, 2026 |
Live conditions in Arequipa
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Peru - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green forest fire notification in Peru GREEN · ~325 km away · 2026-10-11
On 06/10/2026, a forest fire started in Peru, until 16/10/2026.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 07:54:07 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanoes | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most earthquake events within 100 km of Arequipa happened in March, July and December (3 of 3 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
3 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.2 on 20 Dec 2023 (121 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Peru travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Peru entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Arequipa
The most weather-stable two-month window for Arequipa is September–October, when typical daily temperatures run from about 9°C to 23°C and monthly rain averages 5 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in February. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 11, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Arequipa
Arequipa has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: CASE
- Hospital: Centro de Emergencias Críticas
- Hospital: Cruz Roja
- Hospital: Fisioterapia
- Hospital: Hospital Goyeneche
- Hospital: Hospital III Yanahuara
- Hospital: Hospital Miraflores 3
- Hospital: Hospital Nacional III-1 Carlos Alberto Seguín Escobedo
- Hospital: Hospital Regional Honorio Delgado Espinoza
- Hospital: Intermedic
- Police: Comisaría PNP Palacio Viejo
- Police: Comisaría PNP Santa Marta
- Police: Comisaría PNP Yanahuara
- Police: DIVINCRI Arequipa
- Police: Escuadrón Verde
- Police: INTERPOL
- Police: IX Macro Región Policial Arequipa
- Police: Tourist police
- Police: Tourist Police
- Police: Unidad de Servicios Especiales
- Embassy: Consulado de Brasil
- Embassy: Consulado de Francia
- Embassy: Consulado Honorario de Chile
- Embassy: Honorary consulate of Germany
- Embassy: Honoray consulate of the Netherlands
- Pharmacy: Arcángel
- Pharmacy: Arcángel
- Pharmacy: Cruz Milagrosa
- Pharmacy: Farmacia Arequipa
- Pharmacy: Inkafarma
- Pharmacy: Inkafarma
- Pharmacy: Mifarma
- Pharmacy: Mifarma
- Pharmacy: Mifarma
- Pharmacy: Mifarma
- Fire station: Compañía de Bomberos Arequipa Nº 19
- Fire station: Compañía de Bomberos Capitán Rafael Glave Chávez
- Fire station: Compañía de Bomberos Guillermo Crosby Tizón Nº 78
- Fire station: Compañía de Bomberos Luis Kaemena Weiss Nº 77
- Fire station: Compañía de Bomberos Renzo Cané Nº 140
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Peru)
| Police | 105 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 106 |
| Fire | 116 |
| General | 911 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Essential local emergency phrases
Show this screen to first responders, hotel staff, or passersby if you cannot speak the local language during an emergency.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
The provided search results do not contain specific information regarding hospital access, emergency response, or medical facilities for travelers in Arequipa.
Common scam patterns
- Fake Taxi Robbery. Criminals operate unauthorized or fake taxis to target unsuspecting passengers, leading to thefts involving money, bank cards, and mobile phones. Police have intervened in cases where vehicles were used to facilitate these robberies. Tip: Only use official, verified taxi services or trusted ride-hailing apps rather than hailing unmarked cars from the street.
Area notes
- Arequipa. Protests and strikes can be called at short notice here, potentially causing roadblocks and disrupting local public services and transport.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in Peru for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Run a personalized assessment for Arequipa
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 51 → 50 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Sep 30, 2026 | 55 → 51 | elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Sep 30, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 48 → 55 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
Every editorial change to Arequipa's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Arequipa
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Arequipa, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.