For each of the last five years we’ve created a list of the World’s Safest Cities for travelers. We started in the midst of the pandemic and have continued straight through the recovery.  

Needless to say, many of the cities on that first list were fairly close to the United States. Not anymore; today’s list of the World’s Safest Cities covers virtually every continent and countries large and small. 

Our top 15 cities are just below. For a deeper dive into why they made the list, click here to jump down the page. Otherwise, here we go. 

The Safest Cities To Travel

1. Reykjavik 
2. Copenhagen 
3. Amsterdam 
4. Tokyo 
5. Sydney 
6. Montreal 
7. Seoul 
8. Singapore 
9. Berlin 
10. Hong Kong 
11. Venice 
12. London 
13. Honolulu 
14. Dubai 
15. Barcelona 

Just for comparison, here is last year's list:

1. Honolulu 
2. Montreal 
3. Reykjavik 
4. Sydney 
5. Amsterdam 
6. Dubai 
7. Copenhagen 
8. London 
9. Seoul 
10. Venice 
11. Tokyo 
12. Berlin 
13. Paris 
14. Barcelona 
15. Orlando 

Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD’S SAFEST CITIES RESEARCH

Methodology

We start by pulling a list of the most popular international and domestic cities for U.S. travelers from Expedia, USA Today, Forbes, and other sources, and compare it against our current list. That gives us 31 cities for survey respondents to rank. 

We then ask more than 1,500 survey respondents if they’ve visited any of these cities. Only travelers who have actually been to the cities are allowed to rank them on a variety of safety measures, using their first-hand knowledge as a yardstick.  

We combine the survey results with the most recent safe-cities index from The Economist, city ratings from GeoSure Global, and the Current Crime Index from Numbeo, and weight everything to get a final result. 

Caveat

These ratings give a picture of safety conditions when the survey was conducted, in August 2024. They don’t necessarily consider the volcanic eruptions around Reykjavik, for instance. 

That's why it’s important for you to look at what’s happening at your destination right now and take precautions like reading the State Department’s travel advisories before going overseas.  

We feel good about these results, but consider this a start and not an end. Feel free to augment this list with your own research. 

Okay, let’s learn a little more about the safest cities for travelers.

 

THE TOP 15 SAFEST CITIES IN THE WORLD

1. Reyjkavik

Last Year's Ranking: 3

Why it's ranked highly 

Despite all the attention it’s received from tourists and travel sources like us, Reykjavik remains unsullied. It’s still the distinctive, low-key, easygoing place it’s always been.  

What to watch out for

Iceland is a volcanic island, while there’s less of a risk of volcanic activity affecting Reykjavik proper, it can cause travel issues for people flying in or traveling around the island. 

2. Copenhagen

Last Year's Ranking: 7

Why it's ranked highly 

It’s No. 2 on The Economist’s list of the world’s most livable cities, and posted a perfect score to boot. Can’t beat that. 

What to watch out for

According to the Australian government, “Gang-related crime and civil unrest can happen in Copenhagen, especially in Christiania.” 

3. Amsterdam

Last Year's Ranking: 5

Why it's ranked highly 

A regular top-20 finisher in the Most Livable Cities list, Amsterdam gets dinged for affordable housing and the occasional protest but ranks highly in all other categories. 

What to watch out for

Bicyclists, especially when the weather turns nasty. Falls, crashes and other mishaps are common. 

4. Tokyo

Last Year's Ranking: 11

Why it's ranked highly 

A massive city with ultra-low crime rates, super-efficient transportation, and excellent healthcare, Tokyo literally does everything right.  

What to watch out for

According to Go Tokyo, “it's easy to blank out in an emergency situation, so take a moment to note the phone numbers for emergency services in Japan, as they may be different from what you're used to.” 

5. Sydney

Last Year's Ranking: 4

Why it's ranked highly 

No. 7 on the Most Livable Cities list after ranking three spots higher the previous year, Sydney is facing housing challenges but otherwise remains one of the world’s great cities for residents and visitors. 

What to watch out for

The city has adopted the Australian Warning System for floods, fires, tsunamis, and other natural events. Acquaint yourself with the system before you leave. 

6. Montreal

Last Year's Ranking: 2

Why it's ranked highly 

All of Canada’s major cities rank highly on all safety and livability indices, but Montreal has that certain je ne sais quoi that sets it apart. 

What to watch out for

Homelessness is a significant issue in Montreal, but it poses little risk for travelers. 

7. Seoul

Last Year's Ranking: 9

Why it's ranked highly 

American travelers of all types have consistently rated Seoul as a safe destination every year the city has been on the survey list. 

What to watch out for

Both the State Department and its Australian counterpart recommend that travelers avoid large public gatherings of all types and exercise caution in crowds. 

8. Singapore

Last Year's Ranking: 16

Why it's ranked highly 

One of the top movers in the Most Livable Cities list, Singapore jumped to 26th from 34th in 2024. 

What to watch out for

Singapore is renowned for the strict enforcement of its laws, many of which concern tourists. Avoid being drunk and disorderly in public, don’t smoke in public places, and avoid chewing gum and littering. 

9. Berlin

Last Year’s Ranking: 12

Why It’s Ranked Highly

While all German cities fell in the Livable Cities rankings in 2024 due to recurring protests, Berlin still checks in at 21st, and as such it’s Germany’s most livable city. Our survey respondents consistently rate it highly, too. 

What To Watch Out For

According to visitBerlin, “Fraudsters seek out tourist attractions and pretend to be policemen to tourists to steal their cash and credit cards.” 

10. Hong Kong

Last Year's Ranking: 20

Why it's ranked highly 

Another big mover in the Most Livable Cities list, Hong Kong cracked the top 50 in 2024. And despite regime changes and issues with censorship, American travelers continue to consider it a top city for safety. 

What to watch out for

The government aggressively shuts down protests, and sometimes bystanders are swept up in the arrests. Avoid demonstrations of any kind, and don’t photograph or video disturbances. 

11. Venice

Last Year's Ranking: 10

Why it's ranked highly 

Italy’s most romantic city has been a top-15 finisher each of the two years it’s been in our rankings. Survey respondents consider it extremely safe; other indices are a little less bullish. 

What to watch out for

The normal petty theft and small-time scams you find in any major European city. 

12. London

Last Year's Ranking: 8

Why it's ranked highly 

While housing availability and affordability keep it off most livability indices, London’s popularity with American travelers will continue to assure it a high spot in our annual safety rankings. 

What to watch out for

Knife crime, according to our guide to safe travel in London. However, the most recent numbers of 143 incidents per 100,000 residents is a drop in the bucket compared to many U.S. cities. 

13. Honolulu

Last Year's Ranking: 1

Why it's ranked highly 

America’s most livable city according to many other indices, and a former holder of the top spot in our Safest Cities rankings, Honolulu retains its appeal to travelers and its perception as the safest American city. 

What you need to watch out for

Volcanic eruptions, wildfires, droughts, and major storms have all affected Hawaii in the last several years. Check the long-range weather forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before you go. 

14. Dubai

Last Year's Ranking: 6

Why it's ranked highly 

Climate and housing-affordability concerns may make Dubai less of a place to live than a place to visit, but as a place to visit it continually gets high marks from American travelers. 

What to watch out for

As we wrote in our guide to safe travel in Dubai, “Temperatures regularly exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, with high humidity. And if you’re thinking of taking a swim to cool off, the waters bordering the UAE are notorious for rip currents that can drag an unsuspecting swimmer out to sea.” 

15. Barcelona

Last Year's Ranking: 14

Why it's ranked highly 

Despite protests and backlash against tourism, Barcelona is still a top-40 most-livable city, a top-10 destination for our survey respondents, and a perennially highly rated destination for safety. 

What to watch out for

The city is looking to phase out short-term vacation rentals and impose other restrictions on tourism. This could send tourists to other parts of the country where there’s less infrastructure, posing safety hazards. 

TRAVEL SAFETY HAS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS

Because people who had actually visited specific cities do our safety ratings, we felt comfortable asking them about multiple aspects of travel safety, including safety from crime, terrorism, and disease, and safety for groups such as travelers of color and LGBTQIA+ travelers. 

We used an average of six sub-category scores as the basis for the Safest Places calculation employed above. Here are the top-10 lists for the sub-categories. 

Violent Crime Safety

1. Reykjavik 
2. Seoul 
3. Dubai 
4. Venice, Italy 
5. Berlin 
6. Sydney 
7. Copenhagen 
8. Tokyo 
9. Amsterdam 
10. Honolulu 

Reykjavik, Seoul, Dubai, and Venice may not have much in common other than their high ratings here. 

Terrorism Safety

1. Seoul 
2. Dubai 
3. Venice, Italy 
4. Reykjavik 
5. Amsterdam 
6. Montreal 
7. Copenhagen 
8. Singapore 
9. Berlin 
10. Orlando 

And here. For the first time ever two non-European cities share the top spot. 

Transportation Safety

1. Reykjavik 
2. Dubai 
3. Copenhagen 
4. Venice, Italy 
5. Montreal 
6. Seoul 
7. Amsterdam 
8. Sydney 
9. Orlando 
10. London 

Dubai’s presence here is interesting, because our post on safe travel to Dubai noted its transportation challenges.  

 

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

Health Measures

1. Reykjavik 
2. Copenhagen 
3. Venice, Italy 
4. Dubai 
5. Amsterdam 
6. Seoul 
7. Sydney 
8. Honolulu 
9. Orlando 
10. Montreal 

All these cities have extremely well-developed and efficient healthcare-delivery systems. 

Women's/LGBTQIA+/People of Color Safety

1. Amsterdam 
2. Venice, Italy 
3. Reykjavik 
4. Copenhagen 
5. Montreal 
6. Miami 
7. Sydney 
8. Las Vegas 
9. Berlin 
10. Honolulu 

This list is a little different from some of the others but is consistent with these groups’ evaluation of safe destinations over time. 

 

Photo by Alex Wolo on Unsplash

RANKINGS BY AGE AND INCOME

Survey respondents had different perceptions of the world’s safest countries depending on their age and income. After we broke apart the responses, here are some of the categories with the biggest deviation from the overall scores: 

Millennial Survey Respondents 

1. Venice, Italy 
2. Dubai 
3. Seoul 
4. Tokyo 
5. Miami 
6. Paris 
7. Amsterdam 
8. Copenhagen 
9. Montreal 
10. Las Vegas 

Millennials love Venice – but they also love non-European destinations. 

Gen Z Survey Respondents

1. Copenhagen 
2. Beijing 
3. Hong Kong 
4. Singapore 
5. Venice, Italy 
6. Honolulu 
7. Rome 
8. Amsterdam 
9. Dubai 
10. Reykjavik 

Gen Z is driving the love for Asian destinations – and is much less likely to restrict itself to American destinations than it was just a year ago.  

Respondents With A Household Income Of More Than $200,000

1. Berlin 
2. Bangkok 
3. Seoul 
4. Singapore 
5. Dubai 
6. Reykjavik 
7. Mexico City 
8. Sydney 
9. Amsterdam 
10. Honolulu 

High-income travelers tend to be more adventuresome, and that shows up here. They’re the only group to attach a high safety rating to Mexico City, for instance. 

Respondents Spending More Than $25,000/Year On Travel

1. Seoul 
2. Dubai 
3. Copenhagen 
4. Amsterdam 
5. Tokyo 
6. Honolulu 
7. Las Vegas 
8. Venice, Italy 
9. Hong Kong 
10. Barcelona 

Once more, big travel spenders are more likely to consider non-European destinations as safe. 

 

Photo by Eugene Alkimov on Unsplash

 

Mature Respondents

1. Tokyo 
2. Dubai 
3. Bangkok 
4. Copenhagen 
5. Amsterdam 
6. Reykjavik 
7. Sydney 
8. London 
9. Montreal 
10. Honolulu 

Historically, mature travelers have given their highest safety marks to U.S. cities. Not this year. 

Parents

1. Dubai 
2. Venice, Italy 
3. Berlin 
4. Miami 
5. Sydney 
6. Las Vegas 
7. Orlando 
8. Amsterdam 
9. London 
10. Honolulu 

Dubai on top is a little surprising, but the presence of four American cities is not. 

LGBTQIA+ Travelers

1. Venice, Italy 
2. Honolulu 
3. Dubai 
4. Reykjavik 
5. Hong Kong 
6. Miami 
7. Orlando 
8. Barcelona 
9. Punta Cana 
10. Las Vegas 

Remember, these results are a product of those survey respondents who have traveled to a city and identify as LGBTQIA+. While some might challenge Dubai in the list, those who identify and traveled there ranked it as such. Like all travel destination planning, do your own research and go where you feel most safe.  

Final Notes

As a reminder, survey results can be variable. 

Regardless of when you feel able to visit the World’s Safest Countries, be sure to choose travel insurance from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection to cover all your travels. Discover what makes our coverage special.