Mexico attracts millions of tourists, but deadly organized crime makes it riskier. Drug trafficking is a major problem in Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez is a dangerous city.
Rio de Janeiro is the most violent city in Brazil. Rio attracts 1.2 million tourists annually. The city is safer than a decade ago, but street violence, especially at night, is still prevalent.
Traveling to Caracas is risky. Due to bad political and economic conditions, Venezuela's capital city is plagued by violence.
Guatemala, a Caribbean nation with many tourist attractions, is beset by drug-related violence and people and arms trafficking. Street robberies, bus holdups, and carjackings are also widespread.
American travelers have avoided Baghdad for years. This war-torn nation has been devastated by rebel and US military strikes and is unlikely to be secure anytime soon.
Many sources report 169 homicides per 100,000 people. Illegal guns are another major issue. Most tourists only experience opportunistic crimes like muggings and stealing.
Kabul has long been a perilous city. Despite U.S. troop withdrawal, it remains a war zone. Terrorist bombs continue. Kabul, like Baghdad, is violent.
Cape Town is unsafe, yet many visitors visit South Africa for its natural splendor and closeness to wildlife-rich nature preserves. Avoid the city's riskier areas and don't go alone at night, especially if you're a woman.
Since 2014, tourism to Acapulco has plummeted due to gang violence and drug-related homicide. This city, known as Mexico's "murder capital," has one of the world's highest murder rates—142 per 100,000 inhabitants.