High-altitude trekking and climbing adventures such as Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, and Annapurna are unforgettable experiences — but they come with real risks. Proper high altitude travel insurance is not optional. It is mandatory for all treks organised by Nomadic Adventures and essential for your safety in remote mountain environments.
Many standard travel insurance policies exclude trekking, mountaineering, and high-altitude travel above 3,000–3,500 metres.
This means you may not be covered for:
Altitude sickness (AMS, HAPE, HACE)
Emergency helicopter evacuation
Search and rescue operations
Remote hospitalisation
High-altitude trekking (minimum 6,000–7,000 m)
Emergency medical evacuation & helicopter rescue
Hospitalisation and medical treatment
Search and rescue costs
Repatriation to home country
Adventure activities / mountaineering
Mount Kilimanjaro
(5,895 m)
Minimum altitude cover: 6,000 m
Mandatory evacuation coverage
Helicopter rescue highly recommended
Everest Base Camp
(5,364 m), Annapurna
Minimum altitude cover: 6,000 m
Helicopter evacuation from remote valleys
Extended hospitalisation coverage
Assuming “standard travel insurance” is enough
Policies capped at 3,500 m
No evacuation or rescue cover
Not declaring trekking or mountaineering activities
World Nomad cover up to 69 years of age. They provide cover for high-altitude treks such as the Annapurna Circuit, Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, the Inca Trail, or Aconcagua.
Once you have done your initial quote, you will need to upgrade your cover to include altitudes up to 6000m if you are doing a tour that takes you above this.
Towards the bottom of the page you will see a section called, Options: Upgrade your cover. Click the link called 'View Adventure Sports Benefits'. A blue pop up screen will open. Look for the level of cover required for 'trekking to 6,000 meters' or 'hiking to 6,000 meters'. Depending on your country it is usually a level 1 or 2.
Please note that there is NO COVER available for travel to any country or part of it with a COVID-19 travel ban, and any events that arise when you travel against the US Department of State government travel bans or Do Not Travel warnings.
Ready to hit the road?
Before you buy, check the US Department of State travel warnings and make sure you understand the impact coronavirus (COVID-19) and the associated travel warnings may have on travel insurance coverage.
By clicking into the link you confirm that you will read the policy wording first before you issue your cover...
TIC Travel Insurance offers cover for hiking, trekking, and general travel departing from South Africa, provided you do not exceed 3,500 meters above sea level. This means you are not covered for high-altitude treks such as the Annapurna Circuit, Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, the Inca Trail, or Aconcagua.
However, TIC does offer standard travel insurance that includes coverage for trip cancellation, curtailment, lost luggage, and medical expenses — as long as your trip does not involve trekking above 3,500 meters. Please note: All TIC policyholders are fully covered for emergency medical and related expenses if they contract COVID-19 while traveling internationally. This includes costs for medical treatment, evacuation, medical repatriation, return of children or a travel companion, and burial, cremation, or the return of mortal remains.
Your TIC policy does not provide cover for cancellation, curtailment or extension costs and expenses arising as a result from: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or any variant or mutation of such virus; and/or Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or any variant or mutation of such disease; and/or Any epidemic, pandemic or health emergency declared or classified as such by the World Health Organization or any national, regional or local governmental authority; and/or Any fear or threat of 1, 2 or 3 above, whether actual or perceived.
By clicking into the link you confirm that you will read the policy wording first before you issue your cover...
This page is a guide only.
As a
company, we (Nomadic Adventures) do not allow anyone to climb with us
unless they have adequate travel insurance. Adequate, means you must be
covered for
1) trekking or hiking - this may sound strange, but many insurance list
that as an exclusion
2) altitude up to 6,000 meters. Most travel insurance providers do not
include this under their standard option and often limit it to 3500m or less.
3) Sprains strains and physiotherapy - yes, many insurers exclude this,
though ironically, this is what you will most likely need cover for.
4)
personal accident - this is the horrible part of insurance.
Yes, you need to
be covered in the case of death. We are often told by clients - "if anything
happens to me, just leave me there." Bodies need to
be brought home or laid to rest overseas, and this can run into thousands of
dollars, creating a huge burden on family members.