European hotspots dominated a recently released report forecasting the world’s safest destinations in 2026.
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection released its 11th annual State of Travel Insurance (SOTI) Safest Destinations report in mid-October. The organization — an American-based travel insurance company — issued its data-driven predictions on the 15 safest cities and countries next year. Notably, 10 out of the 15 countries and nine of the named cities were in Europe. Topping the list of the safest countries anticipated in 2026 was the Netherlands.
The source highlighted that in “a remarkable jump,” the Northwestern European country rose on the list from 14th in 2025’s ranking to first this year. The source noted that the Netherlands ranked highest because of its strong position on the Global Peace Index, high safety ratings from Numbeo, and positive feedback from travelers about health measures and overall safety—including for women, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and people of color.
Elsewhere in the top five were Australia, Austria, Iceland, and Canada consecutively. The United States didn’t make the list either year.
Regarding the report’s predictions for the world’s safest cities in 2026, Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, ranked number one for the second year in a row. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection said that impressively, “According to GeoSure Global, there’s not a single neighborhood in Reykjavik that’s not exceptionally safe.” Consecutively, the other cities in the top five were Copenhagen, Denmark; Zurich, Switzerland; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Honolulu, Hawaii, in the U.S.
The safest destinations list for 2026 included two U.S. cities: previously mentioned Honolulu, Hawaii, and San Francisco, California.
What Else Is There To Know About The Report’s Findings On The Safest Destinations In 2026?
The report’s top safest countries for 2026 were:
- Netherlands
- Australia
- Austria
- Iceland
- Canada
- New Zealand
- United Arab Emirates
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Portugal
- France
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
Meanwhile, the top safest cities were:
- Reykjavik
- Copenhagen
- Zurich
- Amsterdam
- Honolulu
- Sydney
- Barcelona
- Lisbon
- Tokyo
- Dublin
- Venice
- Seoul
- London
- Singapore
- San Francisco
“With global uncertainty and safety concerns top of mind this year, travelers are more thoughtful than ever with where they choose to explore,” noted Carol Mueller, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s Head of Marketing. “Our annual report not only highlights the destinations that travelers perceive as safest, but also serves as a valuable resource for planning trips with confidence.”
