Guides / Planning
Travel Insurance for Trekking: Altitude Limits, Rescue and What to Check
Most trekkers buy travel insurance, and most assume it covers them in the mountains. Often it doesn't, or only partly. The two things that catch people out are altitude limits and the difference between rescue and evacuation.
This guide explains both, compares the policies trekkers use most, and tells you what to look for. We are not insurance advisers, and policies change: always read the current policy wording for your country before you buy. Figures below were checked in September 2026.
The short version
- Check the altitude limit. Many policies cover hiking only up to 2,000, 3,000 or 4,500 m unless you add an upgrade. Your limit must be higher than the highest point of your trek.
- Rescue is not evacuation. Most travel insurance pays to fly you from a hospital or road to a better hospital. Fewer pay for the search and rescue that gets you off the mountain in the first place.
- Buy it before you go, with the activity upgrade selected at purchase. Many policies can't add it later.
- Tell the truth about where you're going and how high. A claim can be refused if the trek wasn't declared.
Altitude limits compared
| Policy | Who can buy | Hiking included | With upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Nomads (Standard) | Most countries, including the US, UK and EU | Up to 2,000 m | Up to 6,000 m with Level 3 activities |
| World Nomads (Explorer) | As above | Up to 2,000 m | Up to 6,500 m with Level 3 activities |
| SafetyWing Nomad Insurance | Most countries; check the list for yours | Up to 4,500 m | Up to 6,000 m with the Adventure Sports add-on |
| Heymondo | Mainly EU and US residents | Up to 3,000 m | Up to 5,000 m with the Adventure add-on |
| True Traveller | UK and EEA residents only | Depends on the pack | Up to 6,000 m with the Extreme pack |
Above 6,000 m you are into expedition territory, and standard travel insurance stops. None of the treks on this site go that high: Kilimanjaro tops out at 5,895 m and Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, both inside the 6,000 m limit with the right upgrade. Heymondo's 5,000 m limit is not enough for either.
Rescue is not the same as evacuation
This is the part most people miss.
Medical evacuation means moving you, once you're reachable, to a hospital that can treat you, and sometimes home. Almost every travel policy covers this, usually after its assistance team approves it.
Search and rescue means the people and helicopter that find you and get you off the mountain. Some policies cover it up to a limit, some exclude it, and some only cover it when a doctor says it's a medical emergency. Several reviewers point out that World Nomads' policy wording excludes the search and rescue operation itself, while covering the medical evacuation that follows. Read the "search and rescue" or "helicopter rescue" section of any policy you're considering.
What that means on the trail:
- In the Alps, rescue is fast and professional, and it's billed to you in Switzerland and often in Austria and Italy. A helicopter rescue can cost several thousand euros.
- In Nepal and on Kilimanjaro, helicopter evacuation for altitude sickness is common and expensive, and the operators want to know who pays before they fly.
- In the US national parks, search and rescue is usually free, but medical flights afterwards are not.
Two ways to fill the rescue gap
An Alpine club membership (the Alps)
If most of your trekking is in the Alps, the best value is often a membership of an Alpine club. The Austrian Alpenverein (which has an English-speaking UK section) includes search and rescue cover of up to €25,000, including helicopter rescue, plus limited medical cover abroad and discounts in mountain huts. It is a membership, not an insurance policy you buy per trip, so check what it does and doesn't cover, and keep a normal travel policy for medical costs.
Global Rescue (high altitude and remote treks)
Global Rescue is not insurance but a membership: it sends people to rescue you from the point of injury or illness and evacuates you to a hospital of your choice. Short memberships start at $119 for 7 days. Above 4,600 m you need its High-Altitude Evacuation package. It doesn't search for missing people, so your location must be known. Many trekkers on Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and the Inca Trail combine it with an ordinary travel policy for medical costs.
Which one for which trek?
| Your trek | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Day hikes and low treks below 2,000 m (West Highland Way, Kerry Way, Malerweg) | Any decent travel policy that lists hiking and medical evacuation |
| Hut treks up to 3,000 m (Tour du Mont Blanc, Alta Via 1, Walker's Haute Route, Peaks of the Balkans) | A policy with hiking to at least 3,000 m (World Nomads with Level 3, SafetyWing, or Heymondo with Adventure). In the Alps, add an Alpine club membership for rescue |
| High treks from 3,000 to 4,500 m (Ala-Kul at 3,860 m, the Inca Trail at 4,215 m) | World Nomads with Level 3 or SafetyWing. Read the rescue section carefully in Central Asia, where helicopters are scarce |
| Above 4,500 m (Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, Kilimanjaro at 5,895 m) | SafetyWing with Adventure Sports, World Nomads with Level 3, or True Traveller's Extreme pack, plus Global Rescue's High-Altitude package |
Each trek page on this site shows its highest point and a short insurance note in the Before you go box.
Before you buy: a checklist
- The altitude limit is higher than your trek's highest point.
- Hiking or trekking is listed, and any upgrade is selected now.
- The policy says what it does about search and rescue, and how much it pays.
- Medical cover is high. Hospital bills in the US are very expensive, so many travellers want $1 million or more there; £5 million or €5 million is common elsewhere.
- It covers your country of residence, and you're buying it before you leave home (or you know the rules if you're already travelling).
- It covers the whole trip, including travel days, not just the trek.
- You've saved the emergency assistance number in your phone and on paper.