Nepal Trekking Insurance 2026: What You Must Have (and What's Useless)

Why standard travel insurance is not enough

Most off-the-shelf travel policies exclude trekking above a certain altitude — often 3,000m or 4,000m — which rules out almost every classic Nepal trek. Read the fine print before you assume you are covered.

The four things your policy must cover

1. Altitude: Confirm coverage to the maximum altitude of your trek. EBC reaches 5,545m at Kala Patthar; Thorong La is 5,416m; Island Peak is 6,189m and counts as mountaineering, which needs a separate tier.

2. Helicopter evacuation: The single most important clause. A helicopter rescue from 4,000–5,000m costs USD 3,000–8,000 and as much as $15,000 with hospital transfer. Your policy must explicitly cover emergency helicopter evacuation and repatriation.

3. Medical treatment & repatriation: Treatment in a Kathmandu hospital plus a flight home can run into tens of thousands of dollars.

4. Trip cancellation: Flights into Lukla and Jomsom cancel frequently for weather; cover lost nights and rebooking.

Recommended insurers for Nepal

Specialist adventure insurers like World Nomads, Global Rescue, Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV), and BMC (UK) are designed for high-altitude trekking. Always declare your maximum altitude and whether you are peak-climbing.

Pre-existing conditions

Declare everything. An undeclared condition voids the entire policy — including unrelated claims. If you take regular medication, carry it in original packaging with a doctor's letter.

Bottom line

Trekking in Nepal without helicopter-evacuation insurance is the single biggest avoidable risk a trekker takes. The premium difference for proper coverage is small; the downside of going without is catastrophic.