Honduras

Is Honduras safe to visit?

Partly. Honduras is far less violent than it was at its peak a decade ago, but it still has one of the highest homicide ratesHomicide 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 in the Americas: 26.19 per 100,000 people in 2025, according to the national police statistics system (SEPOL). That is more than six times the 2025 rate in the United States. Most of the violence is between gangs and against residents who refuse extortion demands, and tourists in the main visitor areas rarely see it.

The US State Department rates Honduras Level 3 (reconsider travel) and Level 4 for the Gracias a Dios department. The UK 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 does not advise against travel to any part of the country but says Honduras has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. We score Honduras 45, level with Colombia.

How violent is Honduras now?

The trend is the good news. UNODC figures in the World Bank series fell from 41.0 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 in 2019 to 31.4 in 2023, and SEPOL reported 26.19 for 2025, almost unchanged from 2024. By 2 August 2026, SEPOL counted 1,432 homicides, a partial rate of 14.06, which points to a similar or slightly lower year.

The bad news is what sits underneath the numbers. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary says murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion and human trafficking are common, that gang violence is widespread in high-crime zones, and that local police may lack the resources to respond. It names neighbourhoods to avoid, including Nueva Suyapa, Flor de Campo and Villa Nueva in Tegucigalpa, and Chamelecón, Rivera Hernández and Cofradía in the San Pedro Sula area, as well as Choloma and the Colón department.

The state of exception and gangs

Honduras declared a "state of exception" in December 2022 to fight extortion. The US says it remains in force, has been widened to more cities and lets police suspend some constitutional rights in 226 of the country's 298 municipalities. In practice visitors see more checkpoints. Carry photo ID, a copy of your passport and proof of your hotel and onward travel, which 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 police may ask for.

The US also flags a terrorism risk because some gangs operating in Honduras have been designated foreign terrorist organisations. There is no history of terrorist attacks on tourists, and the FCDO says there is no recent history of terrorism in the country.

Protests are the other political risk. The FCDO says they can turn violent quickly, with looting and police tear gas, and that roadblocks can appear anywhere. Foreigners may be detained and deported for taking part in political activity.

Where tourists go, and the risks there

Most visitors go to the Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila and Guanaja) for diving, and to the Maya ruins at Copán. 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 calls the Bay Islands generally safer than the mainland, though it reports attacks on visitors, including on the ferries, and petty theft. There is a recompression chamber on Roatán, but medical facilities on the islands are extremely limited, so divers need insurance with evacuation cover.

On the mainland, the FCDO advises against walking around Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and other main cities. Robbery by motorcyclists is common, the US says. Use radio taxis or hotel cars rather than street taxis or city buses.

Roads, storms and health

Travel between cities is where many visitors are most exposed. WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 16.1 road deaths per 100,000 in 2019. 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 describes reckless buses, unlit vehicles and animals on roads, and lists attacks on vehicles on roads around Tela, La Ceiba, Trujillo, El Progreso, Santa Bárbara and between La Esperanza and Gracias. US government staff may not drive between cities after dark.

Hurricanes are a real hazard from May to November; the FCDO says some roads are still damaged from the 2020 storms. Dengue, malaria and Zika are present, tap water is not safe to drink, and state hospitals are underfunded. Private clinics exist only in the big towns.

How to stay safe in Honduras

• Fly into Roatán or San Pedro Sula and use pre-arranged transfers, not public buses.
• Travel between cities only in daylight, on main roads, with doors locked.
• If you are robbed, hand everything over; 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 people have been killed resisting.
• Use ATMs inside shopping centres or hotels, by day.
• Cross land borders in the morning, and stay on marked paths near the Nicaraguan border, where there are unmarked minefields.
• Call 911 in an emergency.

How we scored it

Violent crime (32) and petty crime (40) are the weakest factors, reflecting a homicide rateHomicide 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 of about 26 per 100,000 and frequent armed robbery. Natural hazards (45) and road safety (48) are also low. Conflict (55) is middling: there is no war, but there are gangs, a long state of exception and one Level 4 department.