While lots of travelers love trees and mountains, the fact is that most international vacationers include at least one city in their travels. That’s why our ranking of the world’s safest cities is so valued by travelers. 

This year's list reflects what American travelers believe to be the safest cities in the world – and they should know, since only travelers who have actually visited a city get to vote on its safety. 

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, have a look at the safest cities from previous years. 

The Safest Cities To Travel

1. Reykjavik 
2. Copenhagen 
3. Zurich
4. Amsterdam
5. Honolulu
6. Sydney
7. Barcelona
8. Lisbon
9. Tokyo
10. Dublin
11. Venice
12. Seoul
13. London
14. Singapore
15. San Francisco

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

2024 Safest Cities To Visit

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 

Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash

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

Changes 

While many of the names of the world’s safest cities are familiar, there’s been a lot of chair-hopping from last year to this. For instance: 

• Honolulu jumped from 13th to fifth 

• Barcelona jumped from 15th to seventh 

• Montreal fell from sixth to 16th 

• Berlin plummeted from ninth to 21st 

• Dubai fell from 11th to 25th – at the same time the UAE made the top 10 of the world’s safest countries 

Sometimes it’s hard to define the “why?” out of these numbers – why the hard falls for Dubai, Berlin and Hong Kong (down to 24th from 10th), for instance. But the index is made up of many parts, and even one single voter who happened to have a bad time in a city can move it down in the rankings. 

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 safe-cities indices from Numbeo and The Economist and city ratings from GeoSure Global, and then weigh everything to get a final result. 

Caveat

These ratings give a picture of safety conditions when the survey was conducted, in August 2025. They don’t consider the recent funicular accident in Lisbon, 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: 1

Why it's ranked highly 

It’s like a stadium where there’s not a bad seat in the house. According to GeoSure Global, there’s not a single neighborhood in Reykjavik that’s not exceptionally safe. 

What to watch out for

Lava is still a problem in areas around Reykjavik, and because the country is essentially one big pile of cooled magma, the problem’s not going away. 

2. Copenhagen

Last Year's Ranking: 2

Why it's ranked highly 

The Economist’s No. 1 city (Reykjavik wasn’t in its rankings) is our No. 2. It’s more cosmopolitan than Reykjavik but always feels snug and warm. 

What to watch out for

Repeating from our safest-countries post: Photography. The Christiana district of Copenhagen has become known as a haven for the drug trade and a place where practically anything goes. Consequently, as the Canadian government states, “There is zero tolerance for photography in Christiania and tourists have become victims of assault and robbery after taking pictures.” 

3. Zurich

Last Year's Ranking: Not ranked (new to the survey)

Why it's ranked highly 

Numbeo put it 28th out of almost 400 cities, which is good work in anyone’s book. It’s a relatively compact city that nonetheless feels expansive – when you walk around the lake, for instance. And should you need it, medical care is readily accessible. 

What to watch out for

The streetcars sneak up on you, and it’s hard to cross the tracks with a stroller or in a wheelchair. But you can say that about virtually any European city. 

4. Amsterdam

Last Year's Ranking: 3

Why it's ranked highly 

Even though it has its neighborhoods, in general, Amsterdam’s just a place where folks are free to be who they want to be. Road rage is also low because it’s hard to stay mad at someone going 10 miles an hour on a bicycle. 

What to watch out for

Fast e-bikes. Bikes have long been a reason to look both ways in Amsterdam; the advent of the fat-tired, high-speed e-bike (often piloted by a non-helmet-wearing 11-year-old) has even the locals scared. 

5. Honolulu

Last Year's Ranking: 13

Why it's ranked highly 

It’s Hawaii. Everyone is happy in Hawaii – or at least it seems that way. Car ownership per capita is low, and the state’s remoteness works in its favor. It’s hard to have an interstate crime spree when the nearest state is a long flight away. 

What to watch out for

Earthquakes, tsunamis and the occasional typhoon. It’s easy to forget that Hawaii is a big pile of cooled magma, just like Reykjavik. 

6. Sydney

Last Year's Ranking: 5

Why it's ranked highly 

Australia is in the Safest Countries Hall of Fame, so it stands to reason that its biggest city is really safe, too. 

What to watch out for

Natural disasters. As the State Department says, “Australia experiences a range of natural disasters, including bushfires, floods, and severe storms.” Sydney is not immune. 

7. Barcelona

Last Year's Ranking: 7

Why it's ranked highly 

Barcelona has done a commendable job managing its tourist crush while maintaining public safety.  

What to watch out for

A crush of tourists draws hordes of pickpockets. It’s inevitable. 

8. Lisbon

Last Year's Ranking: Not ranked (new to the survey)

Why it's ranked highly 

Funicular accidents aside, it’s a safer and less visited (for now) Barcelona. 

What to watch out for

The heat. Lisbon in the summer can be brutal. Bring a water bottle and refill it frequently. 

9. Tokyo

Last Year’s Ranking: 9

Why It’s Ranked Highly

Tokyo is 33rd in Numbeo’s country safety rankings – outstanding performance for a city this large. 

What To Watch Out For

This isn't Tokyo-specific, but according to the U.S. State Department, “All visitors must provide fingerprints and have their photo taken upon arrival.” 

10. Dublin

Last Year's Ranking: Not ranked (new to the survey)

Why it's ranked highly 

GeoSure Global data shows a tremendous consistency among neighborhoods in Dublin. It’s hard to find a part of the city that’s even remotely unsafe. 

What to watch out for

Numbeo’s crowdsourced safety ratings indicate relatively high levels of drug use and petty theft, though statistics and other reports don’t support those claims. 

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. Seoul

Last Year's Ranking: 7

Why it's ranked highly 

The Economist says it’s safer than Abu Dhabi or Dubai, and GeoSure Global notes that most neighborhoods in the central city area are quite safe. Numbeo’s safety numbers for Seoul are a virtual carbon copy of Tokyo’s. 

What to watch out for

Saying nice things about North Korea. You can be detained or imprisoned for praising that country or its leaders. 

13. London

Last Year's Ranking: 12

Why it's ranked highly 

GeoSure Global data says most neighborhoods in central London are exceptionally safe, with no real unsafe neighborhoods as you head to the suburbs.  

What to watch out for

The traffic comes from the other direction, and even though there are some traffic restrictions in central London, you still need to be aware and reverse your normal traffic-watching pattern before crossing a street. 

14. Singapore

Last Year's Ranking: 8

Why it's ranked highly 

The Economist ranks Singapore as the third-safest city in the world, and Numbeo confirms that it’s safer than Tokyo. 

What to watch out for

Caning. Beating people with a stick is a legitimate punishment in Singapore for crimes like vandalism, sexually inappropriate behavior, drug crimes, or immigration violations. 

15. San Francisco

Last Year's Ranking: Not ranked (new to the survey)

Why it's ranked highly 

The Economist has it tied with London as the 15th-safest city, and says it’s safer than Zurich. Numbeo and GeoSure wouldn’t go that far, but agree that it’s fairly safe. 

What to watch out for

There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that homelessness is a problem in San Francisco. This unfortunate reality does make petty crime more of a problem for travelers. 

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. Honolulu
5. Copenhagen
6. Barcelona
7. Tokyo 
8. London 
9. Venice 
10. Paris 

Few surprises. Outside of Dubai and Paris, all these cities made our top 15. 

Terrorism Safety

1. Seoul 
2. Reykjavik
3. Honolulu
4. Zurich
5. Copenhagen
6. Dubai
7. Barcelona
8. Hong Kong
9. Venice
10. Paris

Much the same story here, with the addition of a city – Hong Kong – that is historically tough on dissidents. 

Transportation Safety

1. Copenhagen 
2. Seoul
3. Dubai
4. Reykjavik
5. Honolulu
6. Amsterdam
7. Paris
8. Barcelona
9. Orlando
10. London 

Probably the biggest surprise is who’s not on the list – Tokyo, home to one of the world’s safest metros and super-safe train service. 

 

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

Health Measures

1. Honolulu
2. Reykjavik
3. Seoul
4. Copenhagen
5. Dubai
6. Barcelona
7. Amsterdam
8. Venice
9. Orlando 
10. London 

At a time when emergency response is more crucial than ever, Honolulu gets highest marks for its responses to everything from volcanoes to tropical storms. 

Women's/LGBTQIA+/People of Color Safety

1. Amsterdam 
2. Reykjavik
3. Barcelona
4. Copenhagen 
5. Seoul
6. San Francisco
7. Honolulu
8. London
9. Bangkok
10. New York 

The Netherlands topped the list of countries in this category, so it stands to reason Amsterdam would top the cities list. 

 

Photo by Alex Wolo on Unsplash

RANKINGS BY AGE AND INCOME

Survey respondents showed some really 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
2. Seoul
3. Honolulu 
4. Barcelona
5. Copenhagen
6. Orlando
7. Dubai 
8. Sydney 
9. Paris 
10. London 

Millennials are globetrotters for sure, and this list confirms that.   

Gen Z Survey Respondents

1. Reykjavik
2. Seoul
3. Zurich
4. Amsterdam
5. Hong Kong 
6. Mexico City
7. Dubai
8. Cairo 
9. San Francisco 
10. Dublin

Few other groups consider Cairo to be safe by any measure. 

Respondents With A Household Income Of More Than $350,000

1. Singapore
2. San Francisco
3. Amsterdam
4. Rio de Janeiro
5. Las Vegas
6. Seoul
7. Mexico City 
8. Tokyo
9. San Juan 
10. Paris 

Similarly, this is the only group to consider San Juan to be a top safety destination. Perhaps money can buy safety. 

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

1. Dubai
2. Copenhagen 
3. Seoul 
4. Honolulu 
5. Athens
6. London 
7. Rome 
8. San Francisco
9. Cairo
10. Mexico City 

If you don’t go to Dubai but wonder who does, here’s your answer. 

 

Photo by Eugene Alkimov on Unsplash

 

Mature Respondents

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Dubai
4. Beijing 
5. Reykjavik 
6. Zurich 
7. Seoul 
8. Copenhagen 
9. Bangkok
10. Oslo 

Something Gen Z and mature travelers have in common: They both consider Hong Kong to be a safe destination. 

Parents

1. Seoul
2. Honolulu 
3. Copenhagen
4. Hong Kong
5. Barcelona
6. Dubai
7. Paris 
8. San Francisco 
9. Reykjavik
10. London 

Parents chose San Francisco over Orlando as a top-10 safe-travel destination.  

LGBTQIA+ Travelers

1. Shanghai
2. Barcelona 
3. Amsterdam
4. Lisbon
5. Dublin 
6. Oslo 
7. Honolulu 
8. Reykjavik 
9. Copenhagen 
10. Beijing

A shocker: Two Chinese cities in the top 10. 

Final Notes

As a reminder, survey results can be variable. 

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