Travel insurance for safari and high-altitude trekking
Most travel insurance policies do not cover trekking at the altitude of Kilimanjaro's summit. Check yours before you book, not the week you fly.
Why it matters
Kilimanjaro’s summit is 5,895 metres. Many standard policies cover trekking only to 3,000, 4,000 or 4,500 metres. If your policy stops below the summit, you are not covered on the days when you are most likely to need it.
What to check for Kilimanjaro
- Trekking covered to at least 6,000 metres.
- Emergency medical treatment and evacuation, including helicopter evacuation from the mountain.
- No requirement for technical climbing gear or ropes, which could exclude a trekking climb from cover.
- Cover for the full number of days on the mountain.
What to check for safari
- Emergency medical treatment and repatriation.
- Medical evacuation from remote areas, which usually means an air ambulance to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
- Cover for light aircraft flights.
Checklist
- Altitude
- at least 6,000 m for Kilimanjaro
- Evacuation
- helicopter and air ambulance
- Medical
- treatment and repatriation
- Cancellation
- covers the full trip cost
- Pre-existing conditions
- declared and accepted
Cancellation and curtailment
Cancellation cover should match the full cost of your trip, including deposits paid well in advance. Check what counts as a reason to cancel, and whether it covers you if you have to leave the trip early.
Pre-existing conditions
Declare any medical conditions. Undeclared conditions can invalidate your policy, especially for altitude claims.
Questions we get asked
Do you require insurance?
Yes. We ask all climbers and safari guests to have travel insurance with medical and evacuation cover, and for climbers, cover to 6,000 metres.
Does my credit card insurance cover Kilimanjaro?
Usually not to summit altitude. Check the policy wording.
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