Canada’s reputation for being welcoming now comes with new safety credentials.
According to a recent ranking by travel insurance company – Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) – Canada is the world’s safest country to visit in 2027.
We also have the world’s safest city, with Montreal taking first place in the company’s city rankings.
Ousting the Netherlands from the top spot, Canada climbed from fifth place in 2026 to No. 1, scoring 82.47. The annual rankings reflect American travellers’ perceptions of safety, drawing on their experiences in countries they’ve visited over the past five years.
BHTP also incorporates external measures, including the Global Peace Index, the Global Terrorism Index, the World Health Organization and the Equaldex Equality Index.
Canada received top marks for the safety of women, LGBTQIA+ travellers and people of colour. It ranked second for health measures, safety from violent crime and safety from terrorism.
The safest countries to visit in 2027
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Iceland
- Japan
- Austria
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Spain
- Germany
Montreal named World’s safest city
Canada isn’t the only one collecting bragging rights. Montreal has been named the World’d safest city for travelers in 2027, making it the only Canadian city in BHTP’s top 15. The city jumped to the top spot after placing 16th in last year’s ranking.
With an overall score of 82.18, Montreal earned strong marks for its low crime rates and neighbourhood safety. Its local hoods regularly score in the high 80s on GeoSure, an app that provides real-time, neighbourhood safety data and risk assessments, with scores in the high 70s considered exceptional.
Montreal also ranked highly across several safety categories, taking second place for safety from violent crime and terrorism. It claimed first place in the combined category measuring safety for women, LGBTQIA+ travelers and people of colour.
The findings flagged one local hazard: traffic. BHTP noted that crossing the bridges between the island and its suburbs can be slow going, especially when roadwork is underway.
Safety isn’t the only reason Montreal is attracting international attention. The city recently placed ninth among 81 destinations in the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index, entering the top 10 for the first time. It also ranked first worldwide for destination management, with a score of 98 per cent.
Time Out named Montreal one of the world’s happiest cities in 2026, making it the only Canadian city on that list. It also landed sixth among the world’s best big cities in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Food lovers have another reason to celebrate. Google Maps included Montréal in its first Fan-Favorite Dining List, released in October 2026. The city was the only Canadian entry among 10 international food destinations attracting worldwide attention.
The safest cities to visit in 2027
- Montreal
- Zurich
- Amsterdam
- Tokyo
- Reykjavik
- Oslo
- Singapore
- Venice, Italy
- Sydney
- Honolulu
- Dublin
- Copenhagen
- Barcelona
- San Francisco
- Paris
What travelers should know
The rankings aren’t a real-time safety report, and reflect conditions when the survey was conducted in August 2026. No destination is risk-free.
Before visiting a destination, travelers should check the Government of Canada’s travel advice and advisories for current conditions. An advisory recommending against non-essential or all travel can affect travel insurance coverage, so check with your provider before making plans.
- Agency Report