There’s plenty to think about when choosing where to go on your next getaway. Sure, beautiful beaches, cool camping spots and scenic hikes matter, but nothing beats the peace of mind that comes with travelling somewhere safe. If you can look past our snakes and spiders (which, let’s be honest, aren’t as scary as they seem), Australia is one of the safest spots to live and travel. In fact, a recent study ranked Australia as the second safest place to visit in 2025.
Each year, insurance company Berkshire Hathaway ranks the world's ten safest travel destinations by blending firsthand safety ratings from travellers over the past five years with data from global studies, like the Global Peace Index and the State Department’s travel safety ratings. For obvious reasons, these ratings can’t factor in unpredictable events like natural disasters or random terror attacks, and no country gets penalised for extreme weather, like the tropical cyclone currently brewing off our east coast.
Australia made leaps and bounds in 2025, jumping from tenth place in 2024 to claim the title of the world’s second safest country for travellers. Our traditionally low crime rates earned us top marks, but we lost points thanks to our lineup of wild locals – jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, poisonous insects, snakes, you name it. That said, the study reassures visitors, “In general, a modicum of common sense goes a very long way in Australian cities.”
If safety is the VIP on your travel checklist, a fresh study has unveiled the ten safest cities to visit in Australia in 2025. Conducted by Aussie real estate platform Soho, the study analysed Safety Index Scores from Numbeo alongside crime rates, liveability and community spirit to rank the country’s safest major cities.
With its low crime rates and peaceful lifestyle, Canberra claimed the top spot as the safest city to visit in Australia. Having lived in the capital for four years, our Travel and News Editor Melissa Woodley can confirm she rarely felt unsafe here – whether solo hiking in the bush or walking home with friends after a night on the town.
Australia’s smallest major cities dominated the rankings, with Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and the Gold Coast rounding out the top five. With fewer crowds, tight-knit communities, plenty of family-friendly attractions and lower crime rates compared to Australia’s more populated capital cities, they offer a safer, more relaxed travel experience. You can find out more about the world’s ten safest cities here, and the safest cities in Australia here.
Here are the 10 safest places to travel in the world:
- Iceland
- Australia
- Canada
- Ireland
- Switzerland
- New Zealand
- Germany
- Norway
- Japan
- Denmark
Here are the 10 safest cities in Australia:
- Canberra
- Adelaide
- Hobart
- Perth
- Gold Coast
- Newcastle
- Geelong
- Darwin
- Wollongong
- Ballarat