Out of everything you might do on a trip to Africa, climbing Kilimanjaro is the one experience for which you really need to be covered.
For instance, Kilimanjaro travel insurance is often needed by hikers when they develop altitude sickness. This is not only because it involves a trip to the hospital but also some unexpected transfers and nights at a hotel. What about the rescuers that help some folk down and off the mountain?
Everyone needs to be paid and you don’t want to be left with this cost.
But what company offers the best travel insurance for Kilimanjaro?
My Pick for the Best Kilimanjaro Travel Insurance Policy
During my time working as a tour leader in Africa, I have had to deal with a lot of different insurance companies. After all, who do you think gets left with all the dirty work when one of my guests falls ill or incurs an injury?!
There’s lots of companies to consider…
I remember dealing with Columbus Direct on a couple of occasions and many UK passengers had policies with Campbell Irvine. I also believe Big Cat Insurance (who covered my hike on the Pacific Crest Trail) offer Kilimanjaro travel insurance…but thankfully, I never did need to call on them.
But there’s one insurance company that stood out during my time working as a tour leader and that’s World Nomads. They were consistently nice to deal with and easy to contact. What’s more, I remember them actually helping my passengers in times of crisis rather than doing what many insurance companies try to do – searching for reasons to decline the claim!
World Nomads is available from almost anywhere in the world and they also cover overland tours in Africa should you be joining one before/after your trip to Kilimanjaro. I know that some travellers like to take the risk and “save money” when it comes to travel insurance but honestly, it’s not worth risking something like this on Kilimanjaro of all places. That being said, I don’t think you will be able to join a climb without proof of travel insurance for Kilimanjaro and whatever you do, make sure this insurance provides sufficient and specific cover for climbing to such high altitudes!
PS. I may receive a small commission from WN should you decide to use one of the links in my blog post. Thank you for your support and Safari Njema!
