Lima Callao State Of Emergency And Airport Travel

Published on Nov 25, 2025, 10:55 am CST

9 min read

Key points

Peru extended the Lima Callao state of emergency from November 21 to December 21, 2025 to tackle violent crime and extortion
The measure keeps National Police in control with armed forces support, allowing checkpoints, ID inspections, and tighter control of high risk districts
Jorge Chavez International Airport remains open but travelers should expect possible roadblocks, heavier traffic, and extra time for security on routes to and from the terminals
Foreign advisories from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia highlight higher crime risk, frequent protests, and restrictions on demonstrations for foreigners
Holiday travelers should add buffer to airport transfers, choose hotels away from protest prone areas, and avoid joining any marches or political gatherings in Lima

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Expect the heaviest checks and occasional delays on roads between central Lima, Callao, and Jorge Chavez International Airport, especially near historic plazas and known protest routes
Best Times To Travel: Plan airport transfers for early morning or mid day when traffic and protest risk are lower, and avoid moving during announced marches or evening rallies where possible
Onward Travel And Changes: Allow generous connection time when transiting through Lima, consider overnighting near the airport for tight long haul links, and be ready for rerouting if protests or checkpoints slow traffic
What Travelers Should Do Now: Confirm transfer plans with hotels or operators, carry identification at all times, monitor official advisories for Lima and Callao, and steer clear of all demonstrations or political gatherings

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City breaks, overnight connections, and tour starts in Lima are now unfolding under an extended security clampdown, after Peru prolonged the state of emergency in Metropolitan Lima and neighboring Callao from November 21 to December 21, 2025. The decree keeps Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) open but sustains military support for police patrols, checkpoints, and identity checks in key urban corridors. For travelers, this increases the chances of encounter with roadblocks, rerouting, or inspection on the way between hotels, the airport, and protest prone areas, especially during the early December holiday peak.

The extended Lima Callao state of emergency is meant to slow a sharp rise in violent crime and extortion, and for travelers it means more visible security, stricter controls on movement in some districts, and extra planning around airport transfers and central city stays.

What the new 30 day extension actually does

The Peruvian government first declared a 30 day state of emergency for Metropolitan Lima and Callao on October 22, 2025, allowing the armed forces to support the National Police in maintaining public order, then renewed it for another 30 days starting November 21. The extension, formalized through a Supreme Decree published in the official gazette El Peruano, keeps security forces on an elevated footing through December 21, 2025, with the stated goal of curbing violent crime and extortion in the capital and the port zone.

Under Peru's emergency framework, the National Police retain control over internal order while the armed forces provide support in designated intervention zones. Security forces gain broader authority to conduct patrols in critical areas such as bus stops, metro stations, and busy streets, to stop individuals and vehicles for identification checks, and to respond more aggressively to suspected gang activity. Previous decrees have also restricted some freedoms of movement and assembly and, in some cases, limited the number of adults allowed on a motorcycle, a measure aimed at contract killers and extortion collectors.

President José Jerí, who took office in October after the ouster of Dina Boluarte, has framed the tougher stance as a shift from defense to offense against crime after years of rising extortion, contract killings, and explosive attacks, with homicides and extortion complaints both sharply higher than in 2024. At the same time, youth led protests continue to defy the measures in Lima and Callao, arguing that successive emergency decrees have not meaningfully improved safety but have made it easier for authorities to clamp down on demonstrations.

Current travel advisories and what they emphasize

Major foreign ministries have updated their Peru guidance to reflect the extended state of emergency. Canada's travel advisory notes that a state of emergency is in effect in Lima and Callao to curb rising violent crime, and explains that such measures allow the military to assist police and give security forces greater powers to search, detain, and restrict movement or assembly when they judge it necessary.

Australia's Smartraveller explicitly warns that the state of emergency in Lima and Callao has been extended, highlighting that travelers should expect an increased security presence, including armed forces on the streets, and that political protests remain common, particularly around the historic center of Lima. The advisory stresses that demonstrations have previously turned violent and have disrupted transport services, including routes to and from Machu Picchu, and urges visitors to avoid large gatherings and follow local instructions.

The United States, in a security alert issued from the Embassy in Lima, points out that under Peruvian law individuals must carry identification and that, during the state of emergency, security forces may set up checkpoints, ask for documents, search belongings, and temporarily restrict access to certain areas. The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office goes a step further for its nationals, underscoring that it is illegal for foreigners to participate in political activities, including demonstrations, and warning that those who join marches may face detention or deportation.

Taken together, these advisories do not tell travelers to avoid Lima entirely, but they do frame December trips through the capital as a situation where you should be prepared for visible security, occasional disruption, and very low tolerance for any involvement in protests.

Airport operations and transfer timing through Jorge Chávez

Jorge Chávez International Airport, the main gateway for Peru, sits in Callao about 11 to 13 kilometers from Lima's historic center, now served by a new terminal complex reached primarily via Morales Duarez and a set of modular bridges over the Rímac River. The airport remains operational under the state of emergency, and flight schedules themselves are not being cut because of the decree.

The practical risk is in getting to and from the terminals. Authorities and local analysts have already flagged that the roads serving the new airport are prone to congestion, lack robust pedestrian infrastructure, and run through high crime areas of Callao, with the potential for bottlenecks if accidents, crime incidents, or police operations block the route. Layered on top of that, the state of emergency gives security forces more leeway to establish roadblocks and conduct inspections along these access roads and other choke points between Callao and central Lima.

For holiday travelers, especially between late November and December 21, a conservative approach to timing is sensible. International passengers should plan to be at the terminal at least three hours before departure, and in this period it is prudent to add an extra 30 to 60 minutes of buffer to account for traffic, checkpoints, or incidents on the approach roads. Domestic flights with same day connections to long haul services should also be padded, ideally with three hour or longer connects if booked on separate tickets.

Arrivals into Lima in the late afternoon and evening, when protests are more likely and traffic patterns are heavier, carry a higher probability of slow transfers. Where possible, travelers with flexibility may find early morning or late morning arrivals more resilient, particularly if they are continuing by road to districts such as Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco. Using official airport taxis, pre booked hotel shuttles, or vetted private transfer companies is strongly preferable to ad hoc street taxis during the emergency period.

Choosing where to stay and routes to avoid

Because the current state of emergency targets crime and extortion more than tourism, most daily activity continues in neighborhoods favored by visitors, and tours operate broadly as normal. However, several risk factors are concentrated in specific parts of the city. Protests, including youth led Generation Z marches against President Jerí's security policies, have repeatedly centered on downtown Lima near Plaza San Martín, Congress, and key arteries that link the historic center to Callao and other districts.

Staying in or immediately around the historic center places travelers closer to potential disruptions, tear gas, and rapid deployments by police and soldiers if demonstrations break out, and road closures there can quickly snarl transfers back to the airport. Travelers who do not specifically need a heritage hotel address may reduce their exposure by basing themselves in seafront and business districts such as Miraflores or San Isidro and using reliable transfers for excursions into the center.

Regardless of district, standard urban precautions matter more under the emergency. This means avoiding isolated streets after dark, using ATMs in secure locations like malls or inside banks, keeping phones and valuables out of sight in traffic, and confirming with hotel staff which areas they consider higher risk at the moment. Because foreigners are barred from political activity, it is essential not to join marches even if they appear peaceful or align with personal views.

Impact on wider itineraries, including Cusco and Machu Picchu

The current extension covers only the provinces of Lima and Callao. Tourist centers such as Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu fall outside this emergency zone, and operators there continue to run tours, trains, and hotel stays as usual. However, Peru's pattern over the past two years has been to declare targeted states of emergency in multiple regions in response to crime spikes or unrest, including cities like Trujillo and Virú in La Libertad, so travelers should monitor whether their onward destinations see similar measures during their trip window.

Even when the formal emergency is limited to Lima and Callao, protests and security incidents in the capital have knock on effects for domestic flights, long distance buses, and road journeys, particularly when key junctions near the airport or bus terminals are blocked. Travelers connecting through Lima on the way to the Andes or the Amazon should keep a close eye on airline messages and consider holding at least one flexible day in their schedule to absorb delays or rebookings.

Practical planning tips for December 2025

Through December 21, 2025, think of Lima as a destination where the main risks are crime and sporadic unrest rather than a breakdown of basic services. Most visitors will complete their trips without incident, but you should assume more ID checks, more visible weapons, and a lower threshold for authorities to cordon off streets, especially around demonstrations. Build in extra time for every transfer that crosses between the city and Callao, keep essential medications and charging cables in your carry on in case of extended delays, and register your trip with your embassy or consulate where that service exists.

Because of the legal restrictions on foreigners and the current political temperature, the clearest single rule is to avoid any gathering that looks or sounds like a protest, even if it seems calm or festive at first glance. With those guardrails in place, Lima can still function as a hub for Peru's wider attractions during the emergency period, provided travelers treat the extended state of emergency as a planning constraint, not just a headline.