Trekking insurance for Nepal: cost and what must be covered
What trekking insurance for Nepal costs depends on your age, trip length and altitude limit, so we publish no price. Here is what the policy must cover, how to match its altitude cap to your route and what to check before you buy.
Trekking insurance for Nepal costs whatever your age, trip length, nationality and altitude limit make it, so we publish no price: none of the sources behind our cost tables quotes one we trust. What we can tell you, and what matters more than the price, is what the policy must cover and how to check it. The two things that most often go wrong are a policy whose altitude cap sits below your highest pass and a policy that covers medical bills but not a helicopter evacuation. Fix those two and you have done most of the work.
The checklist below is general practice, not legal or medical advice. For the medical side of altitude, follow the CDC Yellow Book, the Wilderness Medical Society and the NHS rather than blogs, and read the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office health page for Nepal.
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What drives the price
You will see wide variation between quotes, because these factors move the premium:
- Age. Premiums generally rise with age, and older travellers should ask each insurer about its limits.
- Trip length. A 12-day trek in Nepal costs less to insure than a six-week trip, though some insurers price by region and duration together.
- Maximum altitude. The altitude cap, a figure such as 4,500 m, 5,000 m, 6,000 m or "no limit", is the biggest lever on how much cover you can buy and what it costs.
- Activities. "Trekking" and "mountaineering" are different categories. Island Peak or other climbing add-ons belong to the second.
- Extras. Cancellation, baggage, gadget and delay cover each add cost.
- Pre-existing conditions. Declared conditions can raise the price or be excluded.
Because of this, the useful comparison is not "who is cheapest" but "which policy covers my route at my altitude for the reasons I might need it". Get written quotes from at least three insurers, with your real dates and your highest point.
Match the altitude cap to your route
The cap must reach the highest point of your itinerary, with room to spare. Our route and region pages list these peak altitudes:
| Route or region | Highest point we list |
|---|---|
| Everest Base Camp trek | Kala Patthar, about 5,545 m |
| Annapurna Circuit | Thorong La, about 5,416 m |
| Manaslu region | Larkya La, about 5,106 m |
| Dhaulagiri region | about 5,360 m |
| Kanchenjunga region | about 5,140 m |
The Everest Base Camp route page lists, under permits and paperwork, travel insurance covering helicopter evacuation to about 6,000 m. That is a sensible rule of thumb: pick a limit comfortably above the highest point, because a walking day can end higher than the sleeping altitude, and because emergencies at altitude happen at the edge of a policy's wording.
A policy whose cap is 4,500 m would not reach Gorak Shep or Kala Patthar on the Everest Base Camp route, and a claim made above the cap can be refused even if you were only on a day walk.
What the policy must cover
- Emergency evacuation and rescue, including helicopter, from the altitude where you will be. Check that the wording names helicopter evacuation and does not set a separate cap you could exceed in a single flight.
- Medical treatment and repatriation. Hospital costs in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and transport home if needed.
- Altitude-related illness. Some policies exclude "high-altitude pulmonary or cerebral oedema" or require that you were following medical advice. Read the exclusions. Our altitude sickness basics guide explains the conditions in plain language.
- Trip delay and missed connections, especially for Lukla and Jomsom flights, which are cancelled by weather. Our Kathmandu to Lukla flight guide explains why.
- Cancellation and curtailment. If you pay a large deposit to an agency, cancellation cover matters.
- Baggage and equipment. Optional but useful if you rent expensive items.
Check who can call a helicopter and how it is paid
Wording on helicopters is where claims turn difficult. Ask the insurer, before you buy:
- Does it pay the helicopter operator directly, or do you pay and reclaim? If you must pay first, what is the maximum you would need to advance?
- Is there a 24-hour assistance number, and does it work from Nepal?
- What proof is required, such as a doctor's note or the guide's report?
- Does the insurer require approval before the flight?
- Is the evacuation covered when a doctor at a clinic rather than your insurer decides it is needed?
Keep the policy number, the assistance number and a copy of the policy on your phone and on paper. Share them with your trekking partner and your guide. Our guide to trekking partner safety roles, signals and emergency plans explains what to agree before you leave.
Insurance and the guide rule
The guide rule shapes the risk and sometimes the insurance. As of 19 October 2026, a licensed guide through a registered agency is required in restricted areas and, under the Nepal Tourism Board rule of April 2023, in national parks and conservation areas, where 2026 operator reports say checkpoints enforce it in Annapurna and Langtang but not in Khumbu. Some policies refer to "trekking with a qualified guide" in their wording. Read it, and check that your itinerary, with or without a guide, is within it. Our guide rule page keeps the current position.
What insurance does not do
- It does not stop altitude sickness. Slow ascent and rest do. See acclimatisation schedule: how fast to ascend.
- It does not guarantee a helicopter within hours. Weather decides when it can fly.
- It does not cover you if you ignore medical advice, hide a condition or exceed the stated altitude.
- It does not replace first aid knowledge or a clear plan with your partner.
The Himalayan Rescue Association runs clinics in the high villages and publishes advice for trekkers. Our HRA clinics guide for Manang and Pheriche explains what those clinics do.
A checklist for comparing quotes
| Question | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Altitude cap | Above your highest point, with room to spare |
| Helicopter evacuation | Named, covered at your altitude, with a clear limit |
| Medical cover | Hospital in Nepal, repatriation included |
| Activities | Trekking listed, not excluded; no unusual mountaineering clause |
| Delays | Weather delays on domestic flights covered or clearly excluded |
| Claims | 24-hour number, direct payment where possible |
| Pre-existing conditions | Declared and accepted in writing |
| Exclusions | You have read them, not just the summary |
Print the quote, mark the altitude and helicopter lines, and keep it with your passport. If two quotes look similar, choose the one whose wording is clearer, not the one that is cheaper by a small amount.
Buying early and sharing the plan
Buy the policy when you book flights, not the week before you leave, so cancellation cover starts on time. If you have partners found through our trekking partner hub, agree that everyone has valid cover and swap policy numbers. It is a basic safety agreement and a good test of how organised a partner is; our partner red flags guide lists others. Our what to agree before you book guide has the full list.
A claims diary
If you ever need to claim, a record helps. Keep a short diary on your phone: the date, what happened, who you spoke to, what advice you were given and what it cost. Photograph receipts, medical notes and any official documents. Save messages with the insurer's assistance team. After the trip, send the documents together with the claim form, and keep copies. Insurers pay claims that are well documented far more smoothly than ones that rely on memory.
Common mistakes
The usual errors are buying a policy with an altitude cap below the route, assuming ordinary travel cover includes trekking, forgetting to declare a pre-existing condition, not carrying the assistance number and treating a delay as a covered event without reading the wording. A second set of errors is on the trail: delaying a descent because you are worried about the cost of evacuation, when the first treatment for serious altitude illness is to go down. If you are in doubt, call the assistance line early. Our altitude sickness basics guide explains the warning signs, based on the CDC Yellow Book and other medical sources.
For the rest of the budget, see the Nepal trekking cost guide and the costs and budget hub. Figures here are approximate; confirm cover wording with your insurer and permit rules with the Nepal Tourism Board.
