While no vaccinations are required by the Peruvian government, you should make sure that your polio and tetanus shots are up-to-date. Talk to your doctor at least two months before you leave and ask about vaccinations for hepatitis A and typhoid. If you are planning to travel in the jungle, it's wise to get vaccinated against yellow fever, too. Be sure to carry proof of your yellow fever vaccination with you. For the jungle you will also want to carry antimalarial medication. If you plan to visit the High Andes, make sure you have a prescription for a drug to treat altitude sickness.
Make sure your health insurance covers you for travel abroad, or purchase supplemental insurance for your trip.
Lima is a typical big city with the usual dangers. Women, especially, should be careful when traveling alone. It's best to travel in a group and to take guided tours to popular sites.
Never get into a taxi that does not display the black and white checkerboard decal indicating that it is licensed. Asking your hotel to arrange for a taxi is a good way to insure that you get a safe ride.
Because of the poverty in Peru, bag snatchers and pickpockets are common. Just pay attention to your surroundings and make sure your bags and wallets are secure on your body. Use a money belt for your extra cash and traveler's checks, and do not flash large amounts of money around.
If your hotel or hostel has safe deposit facilities, use them. Otherwise, lock valuables inside a large piece of luggage.
Avoid setting your packages down in crowded settings, and consider wearing your backpack on your chest in crowded marketplaces. If you must set a bag down, try putting your foot or leg through the strap to keep it secure.
Street vendors are everywhere in Peru, and most of them are quite safe and friendly, if occasionally annoying. Just be careful late at night. In the daytime, the vendors are most often women and young children. At night, they are mostly young men, some of whom are looking for easy marks for pickpocketing or robbery.
Take out traveler's insurance before you leave, and if you are robbed, be sure to fill out a police report.
All this aside, the people in Peru are some of the nicest and friendliest you will ever meet. Just be aware of what is going on around you and you should be fine.
Peru is currently a fairly safe place to visit but, like many South American countries, it has in the past become quite volatile. Even in peaceful times, it is not uncommon to see armed guards outside the Presidential Palace or at airports, especially when unpopular world leaders are visiting.
Don't drink the water. While many Peruvians drink tap water, it is not generally safe for foreigners, whose intestinal tracts are not used to the local bacteria. Drink bottled water and make sure any ice in your drinks is also made from bottled water.
Fruits and vegetables served at large tourist hotels are probably fine. However, avoid any fresh fruits and vegetables that can't be peeled if you are out in the countryside.
Ceviche, a popular dish of raw fish "cooked" in lime juice, is tasty but can be particularly hard on foreign intestinal tracts. One of the most common sources of severe diarrhea requiring hospitalization is eating raw fish from the Pacific Coast of South America.
