Travel insurance for Nepal, and the altitude clause that matters
Most policies quietly cap trekking cover at an altitude below the trek you booked. We show you how to check, and why helicopter cover is the line that counts.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Nearly every trekking company in Nepal says 'travel insurance is required' and stops there. That's about the least useful advice possible, because whether you have insurance is never the problem. What matters is whether the policy you bought covers what you're about to do.
The usual failure is specific and predictable. A standard travel policy covers 'hiking' to 2,000 or 3,000 metres, but Annapurna Base Camp is 4,130 m, Thorong La is 5,416 m and Kala Patthar is 5,545 m. Above the cap you're uninsured, and you won't find out until you need a helicopter.
We don't sell insurance and we don't mind which company you use. We do care that you're covered, because we're the people who make the call when something goes wrong.
Four things to check in the wording
Start with the maximum trekking altitude. Find the number in the policy wording, not on the marketing page, and make sure it's above the highest point of your trek with room to spare. This clause voids more claims in Nepal than anything else.
Next, check that helicopter evacuation and mountain rescue are named in so many words. 'Emergency medical repatriation' is not the same thing. In the Himalaya the flight off the hill is the expensive part.
Then check whether you need to trek with a guide to be covered. Some policies exclude unguided trekking above a certain height altogether.
Last, look at cancellation and curtailment. Domestic flights in Nepal are cancelled routinely, passes close, and people come down early. A policy that only covers medical events won't help with a trek you abandon on day nine.
Why helicopters matter so much here
Above the road head there's no ambulance. If someone can't walk down, they're either carried, which is slow, hard and sometimes impossible, or they're flown out by helicopter.
A rescue flight in the Nepali Himalaya costs thousands of US dollars, and operators generally want a guarantee of payment before they take off. Your insurance is that guarantee. Without it, a family somewhere is being asked for a card number while somebody gets worse at altitude. This is also why we ask for your policy details before the trek, not after. When we're calling for a helicopter, we want the number already in our hands.
What insurers are strict about now
Nepal had a serious problem with fraudulent helicopter rescues. Trekkers with mild complaints were flown out for no good reason so that operators and clinics could bill insurers, sometimes several times for one flight. It was investigated and it made international news.
Because of that, insurers look hard at helicopter claims from Nepal, and some want pre-authorisation unless a life is under immediate threat.
What protects you is a documented reason for the evacuation. Our guides write down symptoms, oximeter readings and the time of each decision, and that record is what an insurer wants to see. We don't keep it for the sake of paperwork.
What to declare
Declare pre-existing conditions, current medication, pregnancy and recent surgery. After the altitude cap, an undeclared condition is the second most common reason a claim fails.
Adventure activities usually sit on a separate schedule. Paragliding, bungee, zipline, rafting and mountain biking are often excluded from standard cover and need an add-on, so if you're planning a Pokhara adrenaline day, check for that. Age bands matter too. Some policies lower the altitude limit or exclude trekking altogether above a certain age, and you want to find that out before you need to claim.
What we need from you
Your insurer's name, the policy number and the 24-hour emergency assistance number. We keep them in the trip file, and your guide carries them on the trail.
Any medical condition or medication that could matter at altitude. We keep it confidential and use it to plan the route.
An emergency contact whose phone will be answered at three in the morning in a different time zone.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Can I buy insurance after I arrive in Nepal?
Some specialist providers sell cover to travellers who are already abroad, but there's less choice and it costs more. Buy before you fly.
What altitude cover do I need?
Higher than your trek's highest point, with a margin. As a guide, that's 4,500 m for Annapurna Base Camp, 5,500 m for the Annapurna Circuit or Everest Base Camp, and 6,000 m if any peak climbing is involved.
Does my credit card travel insurance cover trekking?
Almost never above 2,000 to 3,000 m, and almost never for helicopter rescue. Read the wording, and assume it doesn't until you've found the clause that says it does.
Do you sell insurance?
No, and we don't take a commission from anyone who does. Send us your policy wording and we'll happily tell you whether it covers your trek.
What if my cover isn't good enough?
We'll tell you while you're still in Lakeside. For a low-altitude trek it may not matter much, but for anything above 4,000 m we'd want you to fix it first.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Permits & TIMS Service is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830