Adventure Sports and Activities
Travel insurance designed for adventures while traveling.
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Whether you’re planning on going to Iceland, South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, or Canada, preparation is key when you are including many activities and outdoor adventures. Learning about the sports, checking the route, and packing the right gear if the weather rolls in are just some things to have in mind. You should consider packing travel insurance if an unexpected accident or sudden illness stops you in your tracks.
We’ve designed our travel insurance plans to offer cover for more than 150 adventure sports and activities ranging from hiking, zip lining, dog sledding, scuba diving, skiing, white water rafting and more. Remember to check your policy as your level of activity and sports cover is subject to terms and conditions, limitations and exclusions.
- Adventure sports, travel insurance and what’s covered by our plans
- What activities are covered?
- Questions to ask when choosing a plan
- What’s not covered
Adventure sports, travel insurance and what’s covered by our plans
The following is a small sample of what World Nomads plans offer (up to the benefit limits):
Emergency medical and evacuation coverage: if at any time during your trip, you or any of your traveling companions becomes sick or injured, then you’ll need to contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance team right away. They can help to locate the nearest hospital or medical centre and will facilitate your repatriation back to your Country of Residence if your treating doctor believes this to be medically necessary.
Trip cancellation coverage: if you or anyone in your party gets sick or injured and needs to cancel their holiday plans, we may cover the non-refundable travel expenses. Please note that the traveler must have already been issued with our Certificate of Insurance to be eligible for cancellation coverage.
Coverage for extended stays: if you’re having an awesome time on your trip and choose to delay your return home to your Country of Residence, then you may also extend your travel insurance policy. You must not have had any change to your health, submitted a claim or intend to and are 69 years old or younger at the time to be eligible to extend. This must be done prior to 11:59pm on the return date that is listed on your policy. The policy may be extended for a total of 12 months from the start date that is indicated on your Certificate of Insurance.
Coverage for baggage and personal belongings: if your baggage or personal items are lost, damaged or stolen, then you’ll need to submit receipts, along with police reports or statements from your carrier (if the belongings were lost in transit).
Your coverage will vary according to your Country of Residence and whether you choose a Standard or an Explorer plan. Read your policy wording for details on terms and conditions, maximum benefit limits, and exclusions of your coverage.
Extra coverage options in case Coronavirus catches you off-guard
You may be covered for medically necessary expenses if you get Coronavirus. To find out what cover applies to you, read our Coronavirus cover article, which has all the details, including benefit limits, conditions, and exclusions.
If you forgot to buy travel insurance before you left home, you can purchase while you’re traveling (a waiting period may apply for some benefits).
What activities are covered?
During your holiday, you may wish to try activities and sports that aren’t commonly done back home in your Country of Residence.
Before purchasing your travel insurance policy, check your policy wording to make sure that all the sports and activities that you intend to do are covered. World Nomads provides travel insurance for over 150 activities, sports and experiences. While this list might seem immense, it doesn’t cover everything. That’s why you should never take for granted that your preferred activities will be covered.
The following are only some of the many sports and activities covered under our policies:
- Kayaking
- Hiking
- Surfing
- Sandboarding
- Snorkelling
An upgrade for certain sports may be required depending on your Country of Residence and the plan you’ve selected. Our terms and conditions apply for each sport. Check your policy for details or contact us if you have questions.
Questions to ask when choosing a plan
When hunting around for a travel insurance policy, you might be tempted to take the most cost-effective cover without reading through the policy wording first. There are different policies to cover different types of holidays, and although reading this document can be a tedious task, it’s best to familiarise yourself with all the benefits, policy limits and exclusions before you buy your cover.
World Nomads offer two travel insurance plans, the Standard Plan and the Explorer Plan. Both plans may offer protection for many of the same types of risks and can cover the costs associated with hospitalisation, repatriation, replacing lost baggage, as well as other unplanned for expenses.
However, the Explorer Plan offers a wider level of cover, with a greater range of benefits, and higher policy limits. For instance, you might wish to include cover for hiking or diving on your trip. Therefore, when choosing between the two plans, you would need to know the exact altitudes of your hiking trips and the depths of your planned dives.
Please check your policy wording when choosing any activities or sports as you may need to upgrade the policy and sporting level to ensure you’re covered for everything you plan to do. Many activities have specific conditions and exclusions that you should read up on before you go. Before choosing the right type of cover for your holiday, you need to research the details of any activities, sports, and tours you will be participating in, to make sure you make you have an adequate level of cover.
When deciding which policy is best suited to your adventures you might want to consider:
- What kind of activities will I be doing on holiday?
- What activities are my travel buddies planning?
- What cover do the two different plans offer for these activities?
- What exclusions might apply?
Note: It’s important you choose your policy carefully as you can’t upgrade from a Standard Plan to an Explorer Plan mid-trip.
What’s not covered
Here are just a few examples of what is not covered under our plans. Please refer to your policy for the complete list.
- Pre-existing medical conditions.
- If you do not use a professional qualified and licenced guide or operator where required.
- Any search or rescue operations to find or rescue you from a life-threatening situation.
- If you refuse to be repatriated or evacuated for further treatment on the reasonable recommendation of the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team.
- Damage to any sports or activity equipment while in use.
- Unattended baggage or personal items.
- You are behaving in a reckless manner, or your actions are in breach of the local laws.
- If you participate in any sport or engage in any activity on a professional basis during your overseas holiday.
Overseas adventure activity tips to help you have a safer experience
Your activity operator should be certified/accredited
Whichever country you’re traveling through, it always pays to be prepared. Here are some general tips for international travelers to keep in mind.
Be careful with valuables - wallets poking out of back pockets or unzipped handbags displaying the contents inside are irresistible attractions for pickpockets and muggers. Keep all valuable items safely concealed on your body, or securely locked away in your hotel room when you don’t require them.
Listen to local news updates - during your stay in any country, make sure you pay attention to local news broadcasts, including weather updates. If a violent storm is expected to blast the region in the coming days, then it’s probably wise to postpone any outdoor activities or adventures you had planned until a later date.
Only work with qualified and licensed instructors - if you are planning to participate in any activities that require an instructor, then you should investigate whether that instructor has received the right training. They must be qualified to lead hiking, diving, abseiling, or other types of tours and be registered with the governing association for their recreational activity.
There may be specific terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions that apply depending on what you'll be doing. Of course, always read the full terms, conditions limitations and exclusions in the plan you choose so there’ll be no surprises if you need to use it. If you are unsure of your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
World Nomads covers more than 150 activities and sports, and if it’s not on the list you can contact us and we’ll let you know if we’ll cover it.
You can read more about coverage for some specific activities, or select your Country Of Residence and click here to see the activities covered by the plans available to you.
We offer cover for:
- 24/7 Emergency Assistance
- Overseas medical assistance
- Cancellation
- Baggage
I bit on something hard
A bone chipped my front tooth, on the top row, and cracked it. Blood started to run down so I had an emergency visit to the dentist to repair it.
B.P. U.S Resident in South Africa.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Protection
Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation before you leave home.
- Explorer Plan: USD $10,000
- Standard Plan: USD $5,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Overseas Medical Insurance
Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling overseas.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited, up to 12 months
- Standard Plan: USD $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transportation
We'll get you to hospital quickly.
- Explorer Plan: USD $500,000
- Standard Plan: USD $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.
- Explorer Plan: USD $3,500
- Standard Plan: USD $2,500
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
- 24 hour Emergency Assistance
- Emergency Medical Transport
- Repatriation & Travel Expenses
- Pre-Trip Cancellation
- Trip Interruption
- Resumption of Trip
- Travel Delay
- Missed connection (Explorer)
- Hijacking (Explorer)
- Baggage & Personal Items
- Passport & Travel Documents
- Personal Liability
- Rental vehicle insurance excess (Explorer)
- Personal accident (Explorer)
24/7 emergency assistance
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Phone:+353 21 237 8008 or +353 21 237 8003 (calls are not toll free. You can claim your itemised call costs)
Wherever you are, whatever has happened, our multi-lingual assistance teams are here to help you and your family.
Emergency Assistance, World Nomads
Travel insurance. Simple & flexible.
Travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families. Nobody wants to think about all the things that could go wrong on their trip, but these things can and do happen. So be prepared and get your travel insurance today.
FAQ
Here are our most frequently asked questions about overseas medical treatment. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.
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Does my insurance cover medical costs upfront or do I have to pay and claim later?
Who pays depends on what’s happened! If it’s an emergency situation where hospital admission and/or medical evacuation is required, the insurer covers these costs upfront (provided the incident is covered as per the policy wording, of course).
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Do you have a list of doctors/dentist so I know where to go in case something happens and make sure I’m covered?
We don't publish a list of doctors or dentists. If you need help finding one, call our assistance teams, and they'll guide to the most appropriate medical professional.
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Why don't you cover ongoing treatment at home?
Travel insurance policies are designed for accidents or unexpected illness overseas. They don't stand in place of primary medical insurance or government healthcare.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel - Need to know before you buy
Our policies provide cover for some coronavirus-related events. Cover is not available for loss arising from: government intervention including travel bans, border closures or broadly imposed quarantine requirements; events for which the US Department of State has issued a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning for your destination(s); or failure to follow advice from official bodies. Your ability to travel may be affected by travel restrictions. Check your cover and the latest government advice and our travel insurance alerts.