Greece

Is Greece safe to visit?

Yes. Greece has very little violent crime, 0.84 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, and the US rates it Level 1, the same as Portugal. The things that go wrong for visitors here are mostly not crime: fires, heat, the sea, the roads and a hired quad bike. We score Greece 81, a little below Italy and Spain.

Wildfires and heat: the summer risk

Every summer from about April to October, Greece burns somewhere. EFFIS satellite data show about 49,000 hectares burned in 2025, in line with 2024. The biggest fire was on Chios, which burned nearly 8,000 hectares, and others hit Attica, Evia, Kythira and Zakynthos. The worst disaster in recent memory was at Mati, east of Athens, in 2018, when a fast-moving fire killed more than 100 people in a seaside resort.

The Greek system for alerting people has improved since then. The 112 service sends text alerts to every phone in an area, including evacuation orders. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises switching on emergency alerts on your phone and keeping a grab bag with passports, phone chargers and medicines. Causing a fire, even by accident, is a crime; do not light barbecues, and take glass bottles and cigarette ends away with you.

Heat is the risk that touches every summer visitor. Athens and the inland mainland regularly reach 40°C or more in July and August, and the Acropolis has closed in the afternoons during heat waves. Trails in Crete, the Peloponnese and the islands often have no shade. Hike early, carry more water than you think you need, and avoid the Acropolis between noon and 5pm in a heat wave.

Earthquakes

Greece is one of the most seismically active countries in Europe, and small tremors are felt most weeks somewhere. In early February 2025, thousands of undersea quakes between Santorini and Amorgos, peaking at magnitude 5.2, led the government to declare a state of emergency on Santorini. Thousands of residents and workers left by ferry, schools closed and clifftop areas were cordoned off, but damage was minimal.

Modern Greek buildings are built to strict seismic codes. The practical risk for visitors is rock falls on cliff paths and beaches. If you feel strong shaking, drop, cover and hold on, then move to open ground away from cliffs and buildings.

Roads, quad bikes and the sea

Roads are the most likely way to get hurt. Greece recorded 517 road deaths in 2025, a preliminary figure in the EU data reported by ISTAT and a 22% drop on the year before. Even so, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns that local drivers regularly ignore speed limits, and that drivers often do not stop at pedestrian crossings.

On the islands, quad bikes and mopeds are the big danger. The FCDO says people are seriously injured or killed on quad bikes every year. Hire companies' insurance usually covers only third parties, and many travel policies exclude quad biking altogether. Helmets are compulsory, and a UK provisional or category P licence is not valid.

People also drown in the sea and in pools every year. Many beaches, especially small coves, have no lifeguards, and the FCDO warns against diving into unknown water.

Theft, protests and terrorism

Petty crime centres on Athens. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says thefts of passports, wallets and handbags are common on the metro and in crowded tourist areas, particularly the line from Piraeus through Monastiraki, and around Omonia and Syntagma. On the islands, theft is lower, but bags on beaches and in parked cars still disappear.

Greece has a long history of domestic political violence, mostly small bombs and arson against banks, police, media and politicians rather than tourists. On 1 July 2026, incendiary attacks on the homes of political figures killed one person. Demonstrations around Syntagma Square, especially on 17 November and 6 December, sometimes turn violent, and police use tear gas.

How to stay safe in Greece

• Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and follow 112 Greece instructions immediately.
• Skip the quad bike, or hire one only with the right licence, a helmet and insurance that covers it.
• Keep wallets and passports zipped away on the Athens metro and at Monastiraki.
• Avoid Syntagma Square during demonstrations.
• In July and August, sightsee before 11am and after 5pm.
• Call 112 for emergencies, or 166 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Violent crime (95) is Greece's strongest factor. Natural hazards (68) is the weakest, because of yearly wildfires, heat and earthquake risk, followed by petty crime (66) in central Athens. Conflict (79) reflects the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's terrorism warning and frequent unrest, even though the US keeps Greece at Level 1.