From high elevation trekking in the Himalayas to wildlife safaris in Chitwan, learn how travel insurance for Nepal could help Canadian travellers.
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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Nepal? Snow-capped mountains, Buddhist temples, and a welcoming, friendly culture all come to mind for us. Travellers also come to search for tigers and rhinos on safari in one of Nepal’s national parks, join a meditation retreat, relax in Pokhara, stay with a local family in farming villages, experience a religious ceremony or cultural festival, and sample Nepalese dishes like momos and dal bhat. Whatever your dream vacation looks like, Nepal is a place of endless adventure and rich culture.
With this much diversity, you can bet we’ve seen all sorts of travel insurance claims from Canadians in Nepal. While we’ve had the best times in Nepal, international travel can sometimes involve those less-than-great moments - like sickness, missed flights, and lost baggage. Because of this, you may want to get a quote for travel insurance for Nepal before you set forth on your journey.
World Nomads travel insurance plans offer protection against certain unexpected and unforeseeable circumstances that might disrupt your travel plans. You’ll want to consider travel insurance to protect yourself against expenses related to unforeseen events like medical emergencies or bad weather causing a missed connection.
Travel insurance for Nepal can also protect against large medical bills resulting from accidents that may happen on your outdoor adventures such as an injury sustained while hiking on the multi-day Manaslu Circuit or one of Nepal’s other great treks.
We have two plans to choose from for different types of travellers and adventures. You might notice that our travel insurance plans for Nepal ring in at a higher cost than our insurance plans for other destinations. This is due to the inherent risk of high altitude climbing, which is one of the main reasons our nomads go to Nepal.
World Nomads travel insurance can provide coverage for hiking up to 6,000 metres.
Whether you’re planning to hike to Everest Base Camp or go white water rafting on Trishuli River, World Nomads travel insurance covers Canadians for over 250 activities in Nepal. Day hikes and multi-day treks in the Himalayas, safari excursions in Chitwan, and paragliding in Pokhara are all covered under travel insurance for Nepal too.
It’s important to have a fairly concrete idea of your trip plans before you get a quote. You must list all your activities out when purchasing the plan—and if something happens while you are participating in an activity you didn’t list on your plan, then you won’t be covered. For example, if you go hiking while on your trip and you didn’t list that activity out when making your plan purchase, you won’t be covered if something were to happen on the trail. You may want to overshoot and list out all possible activities you may do, just in case.
Also keep in mind that you will be covered under the base plan to participate in various adventure sports, activities, volunteer, and work experiences, shown as Level 1, under both our Standard and Explorer Plans. For coverage for adventures sports, work and activities listed as Level 2 or Level 3, you will need upgrade your adventure sports coverage and pay an extra premium. High elevation trekking to popular spots like Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, and the Manaslu Circuit all require Level 3 coverage, as they involve hiking in altitudes over 3,000 meters. Note: Special conditions and exclusions may apply to while taking part in certain sports and activities. For the full policy terms and conditions please review the policy wording.
In Nepal, the healthcare system may not be what you are familiar with back home. It can be particularly difficult to access reliable health care in rural areas, especially remote regions of the Himalayas. You can protect yourself from emergency medical expenses by purchasing a travel insurance plan for Nepal.
In a medical emergency, the first thing you should do (if you are medically able) is call the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team. The team may be able to help you find a reputable medical center and could help organize the care you need. If you are unable to call until later, make sure you call them as soon as possible.
Travel insurance for Nepal also may cover medical evacuation and repatriation insurance, if our Emergency Assistance Team or your treating Physician recommends you return Canada because of your medical condition after you’ve received medical treatment. In the event that you need an air ambulance from the mountains to transport you to the nearest qualified medical service provider, you must receive approval from the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Teams first. The team knows which evacuation companies are reliable and safe; we know of several scams operating in this space. Without prior approval, you will not be reimbursed for the cost of the flight. The emergency assistance team can also help you determine whether your injury or illness qualifies for a trip down the mountain. Be aware that some local companies might scam you into believing your injury is worse than it is to drive up costs. Remember, you must contact our Emergency Assistance Team before seeking medical attention, emergency evacuation or repatriation, unless your medical condition prevents you from calling, in which case you must call as soon as medically possible or have someone call on your behalf.
Nepal is a stunning destination for adventure and cultural experiences, but there are some things to be aware of when visiting. Travellers sometimes can encounter scams that can derail your plans and impact your trip. Unfortunately, these scams are not covered by travel insurance.
One common scam travellers to Nepal have encountered is an evacuation and helicopter scam. Trekking companies may offer a cheap trekking excursion but manipulate you into signing a form agreeing to helicopter evacuation. It’s helpful to do some advance research on potential trekking companies and read reviews to ensure the company you’re trekking with is trustworthy and legitimate.
Another potential scam is with taxis. If you grab a taxi off the street, either insist they use the meter or agree on a price beforehand, to prevent them from driving long routes or pretending that the meter is broken to drive up the costs. You also might encounter people on the street offering to show you around and then demanding money for their tour guides services. Nepal is generally a safe and welcoming country and using common sense can go a long way to help you avoid scams.
Whether the airline lost your luggage, or your purse was stolen, lost bags can happen during travel. Did you land in Kathmandu but your bag—packed with your hiking boots and trekking gear—didn’t? The first step is to contact the airline.
If you’re lucky, your bags just took a detour and will eventually make their way to you. Even a delayed bag can be stressful though. If this happens, your travel insurance for Nepal could still reimburse you for a change of clothes and toiletries, and maybe even new trekking gear, until you and your bag are reunited.
Sometimes your plans just don’t work out. World Nomads travel insurance plans include trip cancellation, trip interruption, and trip delay benefits that may provide reimbursement for your unused, pre-paid, non-refundable expenses.
We never anticipate natural disasters interrupting our trip to Nepal, but they can happen. Earthquakes are a potential risk, which can also trigger avalanches in the mountains. Monsoon season typically hits from July through September in Nepal, and heavy rains have been known to cause extreme floods and landslides. Storms and natural disasters are impossible to predict so the best thing you can do is protect yourself with travel insurance for Nepal.
If you bought your travel insurance plan prior to a natural disaster developing into a major event, your travel insurance for Nepal may provide cancellation protection if you are unable to occupy your destination residence because of a natural disaster. Also, if after you’ve purchased your travel insurance policy, the Canadian Government issues travel advisory advising Canadians to avoid travel to a destination, country or region listed on your itinerary, you may be eligible for trip cancellation or trip interruption benefits.
Trip interruption and trip cancellation coverage can also help protect you in case of emergencies back home in Canada. If you need to cancel or interrupt your trip due to a covered reason such as a medical emergency or the death of an immediate family member, you may be eligible for reimbursement (subject to plan limits) of your prepaid, unused hotel expenses or airfare that you can no longer use.
As much as you may have planned each detail of your Nepalese adventure, the unexpected can still happen. We encourage you to check out the Canadian government’s safety warnings for Nepal before you leave. Up-to-date warnings-- including weather advisories and political situations-- will be listed on the website.
It’s also a good idea to save the 24/7 Emergency Assistance phone number and your plan number in your cell phone so you don’t have to search for that if an emergency happens. Learning a few Nepalese phrases will go a long way too.
Finally, we recommend checking out our travel tips for Nepal, to help prepare you with some basic etiquette to respect local culture. You may also want to read up on some extraordinary experiences for some inspiration and read our packing list tips, to make sure you’re prepared for your trek.
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, or if you have questions about your coverage, just ask us.
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Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team 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?
Telephone +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.) or +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)
Contact the teamBefore your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.