LGBTQ+ friendly island named the safest place for travel in 2025

Iceland is considered the safest country in the world to travel to in 2025 due to its accessible road trips, low crime rate, high safety ratings for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of colour, among other factors.

According to ‘Yahoo! Life’, Iceland topped Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s list of the safest countries in the world for 2025, renowned for its incredible cuisine, opportunities to view the Northern Lights, and the uncrowded Ring Road, which circles the island and passes by many of its most well-known parks and waterfalls. With “one major road” that is “never crowded,” Berkshire Hathaway remarked, “it’s hard to have traffic accidents if you don’t have traffic.”

Iceland is famously known as the "Land of Fire and Ice," and Berkshire Hathaway clarified that their rankings do not account for potential natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions.

Iceland’s top ranking is an improvement from last year when it held the No. 9 position on the list.

Australia ranked second due in part to its low crime rate, while Canada — last year’s top country — ranked No. 3. Ireland and Switzerland completed the top 5.

Regarding violent crime, Norway is actually considered the safest destination, followed by Canada and Australia. Canada is also noted as the safest place for transportation, aided by its extensive remote roadways, and New Zealand was praised for its high safety ratings for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of colour.

To compile the list, Berkshire Hathaway surveyed American travellers and examined other ratings, including the Global Peace Index and GeoSure Global scores for major cities in each country.

Feeling safe while traveling is crucial, but travellers can ensure peace of mind by taking steps like investing in personal safety alarms and enrolling in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for email updates from local U.S. embassies or consulates.