Iceland

Is Iceland safe?

From people, yes: Iceland tops the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary for the 19th year and a Level 1 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 reflects how little crime visitors meet. From nature, less so. Most deaths and rescues involving tourists happen on beaches, glaciers and rural roads, not in Reykjavík. We score it 92, just below Switzerland, mainly because of natural hazards.

Crime is not the problem

Iceland's 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 was 1.29 per 100,000 in 2023, which sounds higher than Japan's until you remember the population is under 400,000. That is a handful of cases a year, rarely involving visitors. 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 only crime warning is petty theft and drunken behaviour around the bars on Laugavegur and Bankastræti in downtown Reykjavík late on weekend nights. Lock your car at busy stops such as Seljalandsfoss and Þingvellir and keep bags out of sight.

Sneaker waves, glaciers and cliffs

Iceland's black-sand beaches look calm and are not. Reynisfjara, near Vík, has had six deaths between 2007 and 2025 according to Guide to Iceland, most recently a 9-year-old German girl swept out by a wave in August 2025. Waves can run tens of metres further up the sand than the ones before, and the water is cold enough to cause shock within minutes. The beach was closed in February 2026 after storms eroded it and part of a cliff collapsed. Kirkjufjara nearby has similar waves. Stay well back from the waterline and never turn your back on the sea.

Glaciers are the second danger. In August 2024 an ice cave collapse at Breiðamerkurjökull killed an American visitor. Glacier walks and cave tours should only be done with a certified guide who carries crampons, helmets and a rope.

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 lists cliff edges and hot springs as common causes of accidents. At Geysir and in the Hveravellir area, ground near hot pools can be thin and boiling water lies just below the crust; stay on the paths.

Volcanoes and earthquakes

Since December 2023 a series of eruptions has broken out on the Reykjanes peninsula in the south-west, the latest starting on 16 July 2025, according to 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. Lava has crossed roads and reached the edge of Grindavík, which was evacuated. Reykjavík and Keflavík airport have not been affected. The Blue Lagoon, close to the eruption sites, has closed several times as a precaution.

The risks to visitors are gas and closures, not lava. Sulphur dioxide can build up near eruption sites and drift towards towns. The Icelandic Met Office (vedur.is) and SafeTravel.is publish gas forecasts and closures, and the authorities are quick to close areas.

Driving in Iceland

Most tourists rent a car, and roads are where many get into trouble. WHO estimatesWHO 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 2.4 road deaths per 100,000 in 2021, among the lowest in Europe. Its older series gave 2.0 for 2019 but 7.0 a year earlier, which shows how much a few crashes move the figure in a small country. 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 weather can change within hours, many routes are gravel, and bridges are often single-lane.

Specific hazards:

• Wind. Gusts near Kjalarnes, under Eyjafjöll and on the south coast can push cars off the road and tear doors open. Park facing into the wind.
• Highland F-roads. Open only in summer, they need a 4x4 and involve river crossings. Rivers rise during the day as glaciers melt.
• Sand and ash. Storms can strip paint off hire cars, and damage is often excluded from standard insurance.
• Stopping on the road. Tourists braking or parking on the Ring Road to photograph the Northern Lights or horses cause crashes. Use a lay-by.
• Off-road driving is illegal and heavily fined.

How to stay safe in Iceland

• Register your route on SafeTravel.is and check the site's alert map before each day's drive.
• Check umferdin.is (road conditions) and vedur.is (weather and gas forecasts) every morning.
• On south-coast beaches, stay 30 metres or more from the waterline, and keep children close.
• Book glacier and ice-cave trips only with certified guides.
• Dial 112 in any emergency. Iceland's volunteer rescue teams (ICE-SAR) are excellent, but they may be hours away in the highlands.

How we scored it

Conflict (97) and violent crime (93) are near the top of our scale. Natural hazards (72) is the weakest factor, because eruptions, sneaker waves, glaciers and storms are real dangers, even with excellent monitoring. Road safety (94) follows WHO's 2021 estimate, but small numbers jump around from year to year and winter conditions are hard on visiting drivers. Compare Japan, the other high-scoring country where nature, not crime, is the main concern.