Guatemala is the safer of the two on the 2025 homicide figures: 17.2 homicides per 100,000 people against 26.2 in Honduras. The US State Department nonetheless gives both the same Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and the UK names areas to avoid in Guatemala but none in Honduras. Who it is safer for depends on where you go. Copán department, home of the Copán ruins and the El Florido crossing from Guatemala, recorded 37.9 per 100,000 in 2025, above both national rates; Honduras’s Bay Islands recorded 24.9, and the FCDO calls them “generally safer than mainland Honduras”. The advisories, entry rules, border hours, the lempira rate and both Honduran homicide series were read on 8 November 2026.

TL;DR: Guatemala 17.2 and Honduras 26.2 homicides per 100,000 in 2025, each on its own official series. Both US Level 3; Honduras has one Level 4 department (Gracias a Dios), Guatemala four Do Not Travel areas. Both countries sit inside one CA-4 stay of up to 90 days, counted from your first entry stamp. Copán Ruinas lets you do both: the El Florido crossing is open 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Honduras may charge US$3 in cash to enter by land.

Quick summary

GuatemalaHonduras
2025 homicides3,138, or 17.2 per 100,000 (Diálogos, from PNC records)2,633, or 26.2 per 100,000 (UNAH observatory, validated); police preliminary figure 2,629 and 26.19 (SEPOL)
US State DepartmentLevel 3, Reconsider Travel (issued 12 March 2026)Level 3, Reconsider Travel (issued 25 August 2026)
US Do Not Travel areasSan Marcos and Huehuetenango departments, Zone 18 of Guatemala City, Villa NuevaGracias a Dios department (Level 4)
CanadaHigh degree of caution, with regional advisories (updated 13 October 2026)High degree of caution, with regional advisories (updated 13 October 2026)
UK FCDOAgainst all but essential travel within 5 km of the Mexican border and to three towns in Huehuetenango (updated 5 November 2026)No areas advised against (updated 5 November 2026)
Visa, US touristsNot required; up to 90 daysNot required for 90 days or less; return or onward ticket required
Visa, British touristsUp to 90 days without a visaUp to 90 days without a visa since 31 October 2026
CA-4One shared stay of up to 90 days with El Salvador, Honduras and NicaraguaThe same shared stay
Entering by landThe FCDO warns that officials who ask for an entry fee at land borders are acting illegallyUS$3 in cash may be charged; keep the receipt (FCDO)
Air departure taxUS$30, normally in the ticket (FCDO)US$40 to US$55 depending on the airport, normally in the ticket (FCDO)
MoneyQuetzal; US dollars are much easier to exchange than pounds (FCDO)Lempira: L26.9157 per US dollar (Banco Central de Honduras reference buying rate, valid 7 to 9 November 2026); US dollars widely accepted (FCDO)

Which is safer, and for whom

  • If you stay on Guatemala’s usual circuit. Its national homicide rate is the lower of the two, and the US advisory says its own government staff may visit Tikal, Antigua, Lake Atitlán and the Pacific coast in Santa Rosa and Escuintla. The Do Not Travel areas are two departments, Zone 18 and Villa Nueva. Our Guatemala safety page tracks the rate month by month and by department.
  • If you add Copán Ruinas. Copán department’s 2025 rate, 37.9 per 100,000 (168 homicides), was well above Honduras’s national 26.2; on the Guatemalan side of El Florido, Chiquimula department’s was 27.7 (132 homicides, rate up 18.6%). The UNAH bulletin lists Copán’s three municipalities with the most homicides as Nueva Arcadia, Santa Rita and Santa Rosa de Copán; Copán Ruinas is not among them, and the bulletin gives no separate rate for it. Canada carves Copán Ruinas and the road to El Florido out of its Honduran border-zone warning, but its Guatemala page still lists the crossing among those to avoid (both statements are set out in the Copán section below).
  • If you are going to Roatán and the Bay Islands. The department’s 2025 rate was 24.9 per 100,000, just under the national figure: 21 homicides, 14 of them in Roatán. The FCDO calls the islands “generally safer than mainland Honduras” while warning of petty theft and of attacks on visitors, including on the ferries. It also says emergency medical facilities on the islands are extremely limited, though Roatán has a hyperbaric chamber and Utila recompression facilities.
  • If your trip runs through mainland Honduran cities. The FCDO advises against walking around Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and other main towns and cities in mainland Honduras. The US lists high-crime zones in Distrito Central and Cortés department, Chamelecón and Choloma among them, plus the whole of Colón department, which had the highest departmental rate in 2025 (49.6).
  • If you plan to drive. Both US advisories restrict night travel for their own staff: in Honduras no travel between cities after dark (the one authorized exception is Palmerola International Airport/Soto Cano Airbase to Tegucigalpa), because of vehicle accidents and carjackings on major highways; in Guatemala no driving outside Guatemala City at night, because of poor lighting and safety risks.

2025 homicide figures: the official series

  • Honduras, validated. The Observatorio Nacional de la Violencia (UNAH/IUDPAS), in its Boletín No. 71 of August 2026, gives 2,633 homicides in 2025, 57 fewer than in 2024, and a national rate of 26.2 per 100,000 on an INE population of 10,039,862. Its figures are validated by an inter-agency table that includes the national police, the Public Prosecutor’s forensic medicine service and the national registry (RNP). Firearms were used in 67.5% of cases. Nine of the 18 departments were above the national rate, led by Colón (49.6), Olancho (40.9), Yoro (39.1) and Copán (37.9).
  • Honduras, police preliminary. SEPOL, the statistics system of the Secretaría de Seguridad, gives 2,629 homicides and 26.19 per 100,000 for 2025 against 2,598 and 26.26 in 2024: a 1.19% rise in the count. Its page labels the 2025 numbers preliminary and still under inter-agency validation (last updated 12 August 2026). The two Honduran series therefore disagree on direction, the observatory showing a fall and the police a small rise, while agreeing on a rate of about 26.
  • Guatemala. The Observatorio de la Violencia at Diálogos, which works from Policía Nacional Civil records and INE population projections, puts the twelve-month national rate to December 2025 at 17.2 per 100,000, on 3,138 homicides, 8.2% above the rate a year earlier.
  • An earlier outside estimate. InSight Crime’s 2025 round-up (published 11 March 2026), a secondary source, gave Honduras 2,332 murders and a rate of 23.2, without naming its Honduran data source. Both official Honduran series published since then are about 300 homicides higher, so this page uses the official figures. InSight’s figure for Guatemala was 17.4.

The Guatemalan and Honduran series are compiled by different bodies with different methods, so read them as each country’s own count. One reading to avoid: Gracias a Dios had the lowest departmental rate in Honduras (11.4), yet it is the department the US rates Do Not Travel because of crime. A low rate there does not make the advisory wrong.

How each government rates the pair

  • United States. Both are Level 3 for crime and terrorism. The Honduras advisory says violent crime, including murder, armed robbery and kidnapping, is common, and that gang activity is widespread in designated high-crime zones. It notes the state of exception Honduras declared in December 2022 against extortion and other crimes, still in effect and now allowing police to suspend constitutional rights in 226 of the country’s 298 municipalities. Gracias a Dios is Level 4. For Guatemala it says local law enforcement often struggles with serious crimes, leading to low arrest and conviction rates, and sets Do Not Travel for San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Zone 18 and Villa Nueva. Guatemala’s tourist assistance line ASISTUR answers on 1500 from a Guatemalan phone.
  • Canada. One level for both, exercise a high degree of caution: because of crime in Honduras, and because of high levels of crime, roadblocks and demonstrations in Guatemala. In Honduras it advises avoiding non-essential travel within 20 km of the borders with Guatemala and El Salvador (with exceptions), parts of several cities, and all of Gracias a Dios, Olancho and Yoro.
  • United Kingdom. The FCDO says Honduras has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, that most serious crime does not affect tourists but incidents can happen anywhere, even in tourist areas, and lists no areas it advises against. It says the same about Guatemala’s violent crime rate, but advises against all but essential travel within 5 km of the Mexican border, from the Pacific Coast up to and including the Gracias a Dios crossing, and to Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia in Huehuetenango.

Entry rules and the shared CA-4 stay

RuleGuatemalaHonduras
US citizensNo tourist visa; up to 90 days; an electronic immigration and customs declaration before entering and leaving; overstays pay a daily fine in cash at the airport (US State Department)No visa for 90 days or less; a return or onward ticket is required (US State Department)
US passportValid at the time of entryAt least 6 months’ validity beyond your arrival date, and 1 blank page per stamp
British citizensUp to 90 days without a visa; up to 30 more for a fee if paid before the 90 days expire (FCDO)Up to 90 days without a visa since 31 October 2026; passport expiry at least 6 months after arrival and at least 2 blank pages (FCDO)
CanadiansMaximum stay in Guatemala of 180 days (Canada)No visa up to 90 days; extension of up to 30 days from the National Migration Institute before your first stay expires; maximum stay in Honduras of 120 days (Canada)
MinorsChildren aged 17 and under travelling alone or with only one parent or legal guardian need a notarised letter in Spanish from the parents or guardians not travelling with them (FCDO)Under Honduran law anyone under 21 is a minor (US); people aged 20 and under travelling alone or with one parent need a notarised letter in Spanish from the absent parent or guardian (FCDO)
Yellow feverA yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk (FCDO)Required if arriving from Panama or any country in South America (US)

How the 90 days are shared. Guatemala’s migration office (IGM) states on its 2026 tourist-extension form that the length of stay in the CA-4 territory is set from the date of the entry stamp in your passport: “De la fecha de dicho sello se determinará la permanencia en el territorio CA-4” (the stamp may be Guatemala’s or that of El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua). The FCDO says the 90 days start when you enter any of the four countries and do not restart when you cross a border, and that anyone expelled from one is excluded from the other three. Canada says 90 days are not automatically granted: the officer at your first CA-4 entry point decides. An extension in Guatemala, the Prórroga de visa de turista o viajero, costs US$25.00 at IGM. Our CA-4 border run guide explains what leaving the region does and does not reset.

Two points the sources leave open.

  • The FCDO’s Honduras page gives Britons up to 90 visa-free days, and on the same page says “You will get a 30-day visit entry stamp in your passport when you arrive”. It does not reconcile the two. It does say to make sure the officer stamps your passport, or you may be fined.
  • Canada’s two pages differ on coming back after leaving the CA-4 region: its Guatemala page says you may try once 72 hours have passed, its Honduras page says without delay. Both say re-entry can be refused.

Doing both: Copán from Antigua or Guatemala City

The Maya Site of Copán, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980, is reached from Guatemala through the El Florido crossing on the CA-11, which lies in Copán Ruinas municipality. UNESCO notes the Hieroglyphic Stairway’s more than 1,800 glyphs, the longest known Mayan inscription. Our route and fee pages carry the operators’ own times and fares:

El Florido, by the official sources:

What the source says
Honduran immigration (INM)Open Monday to Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; located on the CA-11 at the border, in Copán Ruinas municipality
Guatemalan customs (SAT), Aduana Integrada El FloridoTourist service Monday to Sunday, 06:00 to 21:00; administrative and operational areas 06:00 to 18:00
CanadaClosed daily from 9 pm to 6 am
Land fee into HondurasUS$3 in cash may be charged; keep the receipt until you leave Honduras and make sure your passport is stamped (FCDO); 3 USD or the equivalent in lempiras (Canada)

Canada’s two pages contradict each other on this crossing. Its Honduras page advises avoiding non-essential travel within 20 km of the Guatemalan border, excluding Copán Ruinas, the El Florido border crossing and the CA-11 highway to El Florido. Its Guatemala page lists the CA-11 El Florido border with Honduras among the border crossings where it advises avoiding non-essential travel. The FCDO names Chiquimula, the Guatemalan department the road to El Florido crosses, among departments with high levels of crime, and advises staying in tourist areas and travelling in daylight where possible; its Honduras page adds that it is often better to cross borders in the morning. The US advisories mention neither El Florido nor Copán.

Copán ruins entry (Parque Arqueológico de Copán, official tariff), payable in US dollars or the lempira equivalent:

TicketVisitors from outside Central America
Archaeological park and SepulturasUS$20.00
The tunnelsUS$15.00
Sculpture museumUS$10.00
Regional archaeology museumUS$5.00

Central Americans pay US$10.00 for the park and Sepulturas. At the Banco Central de Honduras reference rate for 7 to 9 November 2026 (L26.9157 per dollar), the US$20 park ticket is about L538. A Copán visit counts towards your shared CA-4 days like any other time in Honduras.

Deciding

If this matters mostLean towardsWhy
The national homicide rateGuatemala17.2 against 26.2 per 100,000 in 2025, each on its own official series
The US advisory levelNeitherBoth Level 3; Honduras has one Level 4 department, Guatemala four Do Not Travel areas
UK areas advised againstHondurasThe FCDO advises against no area of Honduras and two areas of Guatemala
Caribbean islandsHondurasThe Bay Islands, which the FCDO calls generally safer than the mainland
Volcanoes, highland lakes and AntiguaGuatemalaThe usual circuit lies outside the US Do Not Travel areas
Seeing bothEither orderOne CA-4 stay of up to 90 days covers both; Britons need no visa for Honduras since 31 October 2026

Other match-ups: Guatemala or El Salvador and Guatemala or Belize. Travelling alone as a woman? See is Guatemala safe for solo female travellers.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Guatemala safer than Honduras?

On the 2025 homicide figures, yes. Honduras recorded 2,633 homicides, a rate of 26.2 per 100,000, in the validated count of the Observatorio Nacional de la Violencia at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH); the police statistics office SEPOL gives a preliminary 26.19. Guatemala’s police records, compiled by Diálogos, give 3,138 homicides and 17.2 per 100,000. The US State Department rates both countries Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and Canada puts both at exercise a high degree of caution. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to two areas of Guatemala and to no area of Honduras.

What travel advisory levels do the US, UK and Canada give Honduras and Guatemala?

United States: Level 3, Reconsider Travel, for both; Honduras issued 25 August 2026 with Gracias a Dios department at Level 4, Do Not Travel, and Guatemala issued 12 March 2026 with Do Not Travel for San Marcos and Huehuetenango departments, Zone 18 of Guatemala City and Villa Nueva. Canada: exercise a high degree of caution in both, with regional advisories, both pages updated 13 October 2026. UK FCDO, both pages updated 5 November 2026: no areas advised against in Honduras; against all but essential travel within 5 km of Guatemala’s Mexican border and to three towns in Huehuetenango. All read 8 November 2026.

Is it safe to visit Copán Ruinas from Guatemala?

The governments do not agree on the crossing. Canada’s Honduras page advises avoiding non-essential travel within 20 km of the Guatemalan border but excludes Copán Ruinas, the El Florido crossing and the CA-11 highway to it; Canada’s Guatemala page lists the CA-11 El Florido crossing among border crossings to avoid for non-essential travel. The UK FCDO names Chiquimula, the Guatemalan department on the way to El Florido, among departments with high levels of crime and advises daylight travel. The US advisories name neither El Florido nor Copán. Copán department’s 2025 homicide rate was 37.9 per 100,000 (UNAH observatory); no rate for Copán Ruinas town was published in that bulletin.

Do days in Honduras count against my 90 days in Guatemala?

Yes. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua share one CA-4 stay. Guatemala’s migration office (IGM) says the length of your stay in the CA-4 territory is determined from the date of your entry stamp. The UK FCDO says the 90 days start when you enter any of the four and do not restart at borders; Canada says the officer at your first CA-4 entry point sets the exact length. A day trip to Copán does not reset the count. Extending a Guatemalan tourist stay costs US$25.00 at IGM.

What does it cost to cross into Honduras at El Florido, and when is it open?

Honduras may charge a land-border fee of US$3 in cash on entry (UK FCDO; Canada also gives 3 USD or the equivalent in lempiras); keep the receipt until you leave and make sure your passport is stamped. Honduras’s migration institute (INM) lists El Florido as open Monday to Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Guatemala’s customs agency (SAT) gives tourist service there from 06:00 to 21:00 daily. Canada says the crossing closes daily from 9 pm to 6 am.

Is Roatán safer than mainland Honduras?

The UK FCDO says the Bay Islands are generally safer than mainland Honduras, but that criminals have attacked visitors, including on the ferries to and from the mainland, and it advises a reputable guide on Roatán. Canada calls the Bay Islands generally safe, with lower violent crime, and says to avoid the Coxen Hole, Los Fuertes and Suampo neighbourhoods after dark. The Bay Islands department’s 2025 homicide rate was 24.9 per 100,000 (21 homicides, 14 of them in Roatán), against 26.2 nationally.