Smart travelers make safety a top concern no matter where they’re headed. But, obviously, some places pose fewer risks than others due to factors such as economic and political stability, low crime rates, a welcoming attitude toward diversity, and so on.
Every year since 2018, the travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) has released its ranking of the world’s safest countries to visit, based on a large survey of American travelers that’s augmented by info from the Global Peace Index, GeoSure, and other sources.
The data measures various threats that can affect travelers, including terrorism, weather emergencies, health-related issues, and the treatment of underrepresented groups.
Taking all of that into account, BHTP’s researchers calculate a weighted score to come up with lists of the safest countries and the safest cities for travelers.
There was quite a bit of movement in this year’s ranking compared to last year, with first-place finisher the Netherlands jumping way ahead of its previous showing in 14th place.
Without positing a specific reason for the striking year-over-year change, the report praises the Netherlands for its high rating on the Global Peace Index (which scores nations by levels of societal security, domestic and international conflict, and militarization) as well as the very low crime rates in Dutch cities.
Additionally, survey takers gave the Netherlands “near-top marks” for the country’s health systems and level of safety for women, LGBTQ+ folks, and people of color.
The report does advise pedestrians to keep an eye out for bike traffic. But compared to the risks in some other destinations across the globe, speedy cyclists feel fairly tame.
As in previous years, Northern Europe, Canada (5th place), Australia (2nd), New Zealand (6th), and Japan (9th) all fared well in the 2026 safety ranking.
The biggest surprise in the top 10 is probably the United Arab Emirates in the 7th spot, up from 18th place last year.
The UAE ranked highly, according to the report, because of the extremely low crime rates in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The glaring caveat, though, is the UAE’s repressive record on human rights and harsh penalties for everything from drug-related crimes to violations of dress and behavior codes.
Helpfully, the BHTP report also ranks countries by several individual safety issues, so that travelers concerned about, say, violent crime or public transit can direct their vacation planning toward Japan (which has the best record in both categories), while people worried about disease outbreaks are likely to feel reassured by the health measures in Australia.
The 10 safest countries to travel to in 2026
Here are the top 10 safest countries on Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s list for 2026:
- Netherlands
- Australia
- Austria
- Iceland
- Canada
- New Zealand
- United Arab Emirates
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Ireland
For more on the ranking’s methodology as well as specific safety assessments for each country and rankings by individual safety concern, go to the safest countries page at BHTP’s website.
The 10 safest cities for travelers in 2026
The insurance company named the year’s safest cities for travelers as well. Not surprisingly, most are located in the safest countries.
As in the previous year’s ranking, Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, came in first. The potential for volcanic activity in the surrounding areas is basically the sole danger you have to worry about there, according to the report.
Similarly, natural threats such as storms and earthquakes are the only significant source of unease cited by the report with regard to Honolulu, the highest-ranking U.S. city at #5.
Here are the world’s 10 safest cities for travelers, according to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection:
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zurich
- Amsterdam
- Honolulu
- Sydney
- Barcelona, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Tokyo
- Dublin
For more details on each location, go to the safest cities page at BHTP.com.
Related: the safest parts of Mexico and the safest countries in the Caribbean
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Frommer’s Iceland
Comprehensive and completely up-to-date, Frommer’s Iceland takes you from world-famous waterfalls to hopping nightclubs and everywhere in between. Frommer’s expert Katie Featherstone, is an Iceland specialist, knows every inch of the country and is not afraid to tell the truth. With her reliable, st…
