At a glance
Travel insurance may only cover low-risk sports as standard.
You may need to add on cover to your travel insurance for higher-risk activities.
Watch out for any exclusions or parameters for certain sports or activities.
For particularly risky adventure holidays, you may need to look for a specialist policy.
What is adventure travel insurance?
Adventure travel insurance is one of the terms commonly used for add-on travel insurance that covers adventure sports and higher-risk activities, which aren’t typically covered by basic policies.
If your holiday plans include activities such as surfing, rock climbing and zip-lining, adventure travel insurance can provide the additional cover you need.
A regular travel insurance policy may only cover you for low-risk activities.
The definition of low risk can vary depending on the provider, but for example, this could mean you’re covered to play sports like tennis or volleyball, go for a run around the resort or go swimming in the hotel pool.
However, most insurance providers let you increase your coverage to include adventure sports. They might offer one of these options:
Different policy levels (eg: bronze, silver and gold) with an increased list of activities as you go up
A basic policy with activity pack add-ons available for an extra premium – sometimes with several levels
Additional cover for a specific hazardous activity of your choice.
Customers with pre-existing medical conditions
If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive.
Whatever happens, tell your insurance provider the truth. If you give false information or miss something out, your claim could be rejected.
When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers that will cover them with no exclusions.
If your condition is more serious, MoneyHelper has a directory of insurance providers who may be able to provide quotes over the phone. You can call them on 0800 138 7777.
What activities are covered by adventure travel insurance?
It’s best to decide in advance what activities you’d like to do, then choose the right policy and add-ons to make sure you’re covered for all the activities you want to enjoy.
Here are some adventurous activities that may not be covered as standard by a typical travel insurance policy:
Skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports
Water sports such as surfing, kitesurfing, white-water kayaking and rafting, sailing, water skiing and scuba diving
Trekking, especially at altitude, and summer and winter mountaineering
Marathon running
Caving and spelunking
Climbing, bouldering, abseiling and canyoning
Cycle touring and mountain biking
Bungee jumping, paragliding, hang gliding and skydiving
Horse riding.
How do you know if your adventure travel insurance covers your activities?
When you compare quotes, it’s easy to tell if an activity is covered by a particular travel insurance policy – just look at the policy wording for each of the options we show you.
If the insurance provider offers several different policy levels, you will usually be able to see which adventure sports are included at which level.
The policy will also have sections listing the activities insured if you pay for extra cover.
For example, if you’re going somewhere like Switzerland or Canada, a winter sports travel insurance add-on might include skiing and snowboarding.
Other activity packs could include water sports like surfing or more extreme sports like paintballing, bobsleigh and sledging.
Make sure everything you plan to do is on one of those lists and look out for any exclusions. For example:
Your chosen activity may have to be done under the supervision of a qualified instructor
There may be strict parameters and cut-off points for the activities covered, such as a maximum altitude for trekking, or a maximum depth for diving
You may need to be qualified to do certain activities independently, like scuba diving or rock climbing
You may need to take safety precautions, like wearing a helmet
You may not have personal liability cover for certain activities
Activities might be included if you do them once or twice, but excluded if they’re the main purpose of your trip.
When do you need adventure travel insurance?
Adventure travel insurance is something to consider if your holiday includes high-adrenaline, high-risk activities that aren’t covered by standard travel insurance policies.
Examples include rock climbing, skydiving, white-water rafting and various winter sports.
It’s important to check the details of your policy to see if your planned activities are covered or whether you need adventure travel insurance.
What do you get with adventure sport travel insurance?
If you have adventure travel insurance that covers a particular activity, you’ll usually be insured for:
The cost of medical treatment if you’re injured while doing the activity
Repatriation if you need to be brought back to the UK for specialist treatment
Personal accident cover – a payout if you’re seriously injured, eg: you lose a limb
Curtailment/cancellation cover if you need to cancel holiday plans or cut your holiday short
Legal expenses to cover hiring a lawyer for you if you need one
Having medical cover could save you from a life-altering level of debt.
For example, if you break a bone while skiing, even if you are in Europe, getting rescued on-piste could easily cost hundreds. And the bill for off-piste helicopter rescue to a local hospital could be in the thousands.
And that’s nothing compared to the staggering medical treatment and repatriation costs you could face in the USA, for example.
If you’re taking your own sports equipment, such as skis, check to see if these are covered, if an additional premium is needed, and what excess you might have to pay.
Can you add adventure sports cover after you leave?
Say you’re on a beach holiday and, on impulse, you decide to try parasailing.
You didn’t pick any adventure sports packages when you bought your insurance, and parasailing isn’t on the basic list – what can you do?
It depends on the insurance provider. Some will let you call up and add cover – but others won’t. In that case, you should sit it out.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to be spontaneous about risky sports if you want to stay covered by your insurance.
Alternatively, if you really don’t want to pass up an opportunity to try something new, there are a few travel insurance providers who offer ‘top-up’ activity cover.
These policies can work alongside your existing travel insurance from another provider to cover a particular sport or activity.
Adventure travel insurance: other things to consider
If you have travel insurance included with your bank account, it may only cover the basics.
You usually have the option to call up and add extras, such as cover for a high-risk activity, but check that it’s good value. Ask your provider what it will cost, then compare travel insurance quotes for the same level of cover as a separate policy.
If you have annual travel cover, you might assume it's more comprehensive than a single-trip policy – but it often isn’t.
You’ll have similar protection for basic sports, with riskier activities normally only included if you buy the add-ons.
There are specialist insurance providers out there. In the rare situation where you can’t find any travel insurance policy that covers the activity you plan to do, you can contact a specialist insurance provider for a personalised quote.
Will I be covered by my EHIC/GHIC?
The UK GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) allows you to access necessary state-provided healthcare in EU countries on the same basis as locals. It replaced the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), although you can still use a valid EHIC until it expires.
Although the GHIC can be used in a few regions outside of Europe, including Australia and New Zealand, it won’t cover you in many destinations such as the USA, Canada or the Caribbean.
It also won’t cover any private medical treatment in the EU or the cost of rescue or repatriation.
It’s important to know that the level of care available will be similar to the NHS, which means you could be subject to longer waiting times and a more basic level of cover.
And medical treatment may not be free – it depends on the rules of the state healthcare system in the country you’re visiting.
Compare adventure travel insurance
At Compare the Market, we help you compare travel insurance from a wide selection of providers.
Just give us a few details and we’ll offer you a range of quotes – plus show you all the documents you need to check if your adventure sport plans will be covered.
FAQs
Can adventure sports travel insurance cover me for sporting competitions?
If you’re heading abroad to compete in a sporting event as a ‘professional’, where you’re paid to participate and there’s prize money involved, you’ll likely need to arrange specialist cover. Make sure you read the fine print of any adventure sports travel insurance policy to make sure you’ll be covered.
Does adventure travel insurance cover search and rescue?
It depends on the policy – check the terms to make sure.
If you’re heading off grid, for example to go trekking in the Andes, you’ll need to look for a travel insurance policy that covers you for your chosen activity (look out for any altitude exclusions) and includes essential cover for search and rescue costs.
Do I need specialist adventure travel insurance?
It depends on what you’re planning on doing while you’re abroad.
If you’re planning a holiday with some fun, adventurous activities thrown in – for example, a day hike, and a spot of paddleboarding – you can normally add on cover to a standard travel insurance policy to make sure you’re covered for these activities.
But if you’re planning an ‘out-there’ adventure with potentially more hazardous activities – perhaps hiking to Everest Base Camp, running through the Sahara in the Marathon des Sables, or cycling-touring in a remote corner of the globe – a specialist policy could be better tailored to your needs.
Are there any high-risk activities that won’t be covered by adventure travel insurance?
Even the most comprehensive adventure travel insurance in the world is unlikely to cover you for certain activities that are considered extremely dangerous, for example base jumping or free climbing.
Looking for something else?
With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
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