The Travel Insurance Checklist Every Trekker Needs

Every trek on this site lists travel insurance under what your package excludes — and that's deliberate, not an oversight. Insurance is one of the few things worth choosing for yourself rather than having bundled into a fixed itinerary, because the right policy depends on exactly how high you're going and what you're doing when you get there.

The one number that matters: altitude coverage

Most standard travel insurance policies cap emergency medical and evacuation coverage at 3,000–4,000 metres, or exclude "mountaineering" and "trekking above X metres" altogether. That ceiling is the single most common gap trekkers discover too late. Check your policy's altitude limit against your highest point, not your destination in general:

• Everest Base Camp / Kala Patthar — up to roughly 5,545 m
• Annapurna Base Camp — roughly 4,130 m
• Annapurna Circuit (Thorong La Pass) — roughly 5,416 m
• Langtang Valley (Kyanjin Ri) — roughly 4,773 m
• Poon Hill and other short treks — generally under 3,500 m

Buy a policy rated for at least 1,000 m above your trek's highest point. If a policy doesn't state an altitude limit clearly, call the insurer and ask them to confirm it in writing before you rely on it.

What a proper policy should include

• Emergency medical treatment in Nepal, including in Kathmandu hospitals capable of treating altitude illness.
• Helicopter evacuation from the trail itself, not just "emergency transport" in the abstract — rescue flights out of the Khumbu or Annapurna regions are routine, and without cover the cost falls on you immediately, often before you've even reached a hospital.
• Trip cancellation and interruption, covering a missed flight, sudden illness, or a family emergency that cuts your trek short.
• Gear and baggage cover, particularly if you're renting a down jacket or sleeping bag locally rather than flying with your own.
• 24/7 emergency assistance with a number your guide can actually call and get through to from a mountain village.

Confirm it covers what you're actually doing

A standard "trekking" endorsement usually covers walking on marked trails with a guide. If your itinerary includes a glacier crossing, via ferrata, or a peak-climbing add-on (Island Peak, for example), that typically needs a separate "mountaineering" or "climbing" endorsement — read the activity list on your policy, not just the altitude limit.

Before you fly

1. Buy insurance as soon as you book, not the week before you fly — cancellation cover is worthless if purchased after the trip is already at risk.
2. Save your policy number and the 24-hour emergency line somewhere that doesn't depend on phone signal — write it on paper and give a copy to your guide.
3. Tell your guide which insurer you're with on day one. If evacuation becomes necessary, they'll need to start that call immediately, not search for the number.
4. Keep a card or currency to cover any charges upfront if your insurer needs you to pay and claim back — some Nepal-based rescue operators expect payment or a guarantee before they'll fly.

None of this is about worst-case thinking for its own sake — Nepal's rescue infrastructure is genuinely good at getting trekkers off the mountain quickly. Insurance is simply what decides whether that fast response also leaves you with a five-figure bill.