Ways to Travel

Best Adventure Travel Insurance of 2025

Published

1 month ago

June 27, 2025

Travel insurance can be a huge help, even if you plan to just lounge by the pool. But if you’ve signed up for mountain biking, rock climbing or a jungle safari, you’ll want adventure travel coverage.

An adventure travel add-on to your standard travel insurance policy extends coverage to activities that are usually excluded. That includes medical coverage for injuries sustained in high-risk activities and reimbursement for the damage or loss of any specialty gear.

CNBC Select reviewed more than 20 travel insurance carriers with adventure travel benefits and picked the best for cost, coverage, availability, claims filing and more. (See our methodology for more on how we made our selections.)

Best adventure travel insurance

Best for affordability: Faye

Faye Travel Insurance

Policy highlights

Faye has one single-trip plan with optional add-ons for pet care, adventure sports and damage to vacation rentals.
Emergency medical: $250,000
Medical evacuation: $500,000
Personal effects: $150 per item (up to $2,000 total)
Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Up to 75% reimbursement of nonrefundable trip costs if purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit.
Pre-existing condition waiver

Available if policy is purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit.

Pros

$4,500 per person trip delay coverage after six hours.
100% digital claims process
Can add coverage for pet care and vacation rental damage

Cons

Only one plan is available
Rates are higher than some competitors

Who’s this for? Starting at just over $5 a day, Faye’s plans automatically cover dozens of activities like white water rafting, skiing, horseback riding, kayaking and mountain climbing.

Standout benefits: Feeling more daring? The Adventure & Extreme Sports endorsement adds parachuting, bullriding and other daredevil activities. Faye will also cover up to $2,500 in emergency veterinary expenses or up to $250 in additional kenneling costs.

Best for ski trips: AXA Assistance USA

AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance

Policy highlights

Silver, Gold and Platinum plans with add-ons including a collision damage waiver (for Gold and Platinum), lost ski days or golf rounds and CFAR insurance (for Platinum plan)
Emergency medical: $250,000 for Platinum Plan
Medical evacuation: $1 million for Platinum Plan
Personal effects: $500 per item, up to $3,000 total
Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Add-on with Platinum plan that reimburses 75% of nonrefundable trip costs if you purchase within 14 days of booking ($50,000 maximum).
Pre-existing condition waiver

Available with Gold and Platinum plans if purchased within 14 days of trip deposit.

Pros

Up to $3,000 for lost baggage with AXA’s Platinum plan
Up to $1,500 per person for missed connections on cruises/tours
Pre-existing conditions waiver available for Gold and Platinum plans

Cons

No add-ons available with Silver plan.
Cancel for Any Reason coverage only available with Platinum plan

Who’s this for? AXA Assistance USA’s Platinum Plan reimbursers you for missed ski days, prepaid lessons and lift tickets if your ski trip gets derailed by closed trails, inclement weather or insufficient snow.

Standout benefits: The Platinum Plan also offers a collision damage waiver, which can be helpful if you’re planning to rent a car to get to the slopes.

Best for diverse activities: World Nomads

World Nomads Travel Insurance

Policy highlights

Standard, Explorer, Epic single-trip plans and annual/multi-trip plan, with CFAR available for top-tier policies

Emergency medical: $125,000 for Standard Plan, $150,000 for Explorer Plan, $250,000 for Epic Plan
Medical evacuation: $400,000 for Standard Plan, $500,000 for Explorer Plan, $700,000 for Epic Plan
Personal effects: $1,000 for Standard Plan, $2,000 for Explorer Plan, $3,000 for Epic Plan
Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Add-on for Explorer and Epic plans that covers 75% of nonrefundable costs if purchased seven days before initial deposit. (Not available in New York.)
Pre-existing condition waiver

Available with Explorer and Epic plans purchased seven days before first deposit.

Pros

Affordable rates
Coverage can be extended mid-trip
Covers 200+ adventure activities like scuba diving and bungee jumping

Cons

Lower trip cancellation limits than other companies
CFAR add-on must be bought within seven days of booking
Only issues policies to travelers 69 and younger.

Who’s this for? World Nomads‘ Explorer Plan covers more than 200 thrill-seeking activities, including free-style skiing, ice climbing, hang gliding and shark-cage diving. The top-tier Epic Plan is aimed at bucket-list adventures like glacier walking and deep-sea diving.

Standout benefits: World Nomads lets you buy a policy even after you’ve started your trip, with coverage starting the very next day.

Best for high medical coverage limits: Travel Insured International

C&F Travel Insured International Travel Insurance

Policy highlights

Single-trip and multi-trip/annual policies and cruise insurance. Add-ons include Cancel for Any Reason coverage and a travel inconvenience benefit
Emergency medical: $50,000 for Essential Plan, $250,000 for Deluxe Plan, $500,000 for Platinum Plan
Medical evacuation: $200,000 for Essential Plan, $500,000 for Deluxe Plan, $1 million for Platinum Plan
Personal effects: $750 for Essential Plan, $1,500 for Deluxe Plan, $2,500 for Platinum Plan ($250 per item)
Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Add-on to Worldwide Trip Protector Deluxe or Platinum plan that reimburses 75% of nonrefundable costs when purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
Pre-existing condition waiver

Available if policy is purchased within 21 days of initial trip deposit.

Pros

Lower rates than other top providers
Platinum plan comes with $500,000 in medical coverage
Add-ons include coverage for event tickets and electronics
Job loss is an approved reason for trip cancellation

Cons

Basic Essentials plan lacks much customization
Limited options in Montana, New York and Washington state

Who’s this for? Travel Insured International‘s plans offer up to $500,000 for medical expenses and $1 million for evacuation, higher than most competitors. While most travel insurance excludes dental care, Travel Insured International covers up to $750 worth of emergency treatment.

Standout benefits: The Worldwide Trip Protector Platinum plan comes with an optional extreme sports medical upgrade that lifts the exclusion if you ride or drive in any races or participate in speed or endurance competitions.

Best for equipment protection: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Policy highlights

Basic, mid-level and top-tier plans, plus policies just for flights, cruises and adventure travel. There are no add-ons but the LuxuryCare plan includes an option to upgrade to CFAR coverage.
Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Add-on to LuxuryCare plan that reimburses 50% of nonrefundable trip costs if purchased within 15 days of booking
Pre-existing condition waiver

Available with any plan purchased within 14 days of trip deposit.

Pros

Speedy claims resolution including same-day compensation
All plans include rental car collision coverage
Pre-existing coverage waiver available with all plan

Cons

CFAR policy only reimburses 50% of prepaid trip costs
No add-ons available

Who’s this for? Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s AdrenalineCare plan reimburses up to $500 if your golf or other sporting gear is delayed more than six hours. If your equipment is lost, you can get reimbursed up to $1,500.

Standout benefits: AdrenalineCare covers $50,000 in emergency medical coverage and $750,000 in evacuation coverage. A pre-existing condition waiver is available if purchased within 14 days of the initial trip deposit.

What does adventure travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance typically covers common inconveniences like canceled, interrupted and delayed trips, as well as delayed or lost luggage, unexpected medical expenses and emergency evacuations.

Most standard policies exclude losses or injuries resulting from high-risk activities, but you may be able to add an adventure travel rider or upgrade your plan and get covered for things like:

Bungee jumping
Mountain climbing
Scuba diving
Skydiving
Snowboaring
Free diving
Bouldering
Mountain biking

The list of activities varies by carrier and there may be limits on certain approved activities, like coverage for scuba diving that is limited to a certain depth.

What does adventure travel not cover?

Even the most generous insurance policy will exclude certain activities. Again, these will vary by carrier, but often include:

Participation in professional athletics
Sporting equipment damaged while in use
If you travel against medical advice
Pre-existing medical conditions without a waiver
Injuries resulting from drug or alcohol use or intentional self-harm

Travel to certain destinations may also be excluded, including active war zones, sites of natural disasters and destinations the U.S. has issued travel advisories against, like North Korea and Cuba.

How much does adventure travel insurance cost?

Your insurance company is assuming more risk, so whether you choose add-on coverage or an upgraded plan, covering adventure travel is more expensive than a standard policy.

According to travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, the average adventure travel insurance policy costs about $27 per day. For a 15-day trip, that works out to be about $408.

However, your exact cost will vary based on the activities you need to cover, your age, and how much coverage you’re getting.

Below, we compared the cost of a standard policy with one including adventure travel coverage for a 30-year-old visiting the United Kingdom for a week.

	Base price	Adventure sports package add-on	Total cost
Faye	$126.67	$7.60	$134.27
Travel Insured International	$133	$16	$149
Berkshire Hathaway AdrenalineCare®	$103	Included with base price	$103
World Nomads Explorer Plan	$167.28	Included with base price	$167.28

Adventure travel insurance FAQs

What does adventure travel insurance cover?

Adventure travel insurance covers high-risk activities most standard policies exclude, like sky diving and rock climbing. It can be obtained as an add-on to a traditional plan or as a specialty policy.

Does travel insurance cover skiing?

Skiing is covered by most travel insurance companies, although some include it with a basic plan and others require policyholders to purchase an add-on. Read your policy documents to see if it’s included automatically by your provider.

What activities are not covered by adventure travel insurance?

Each provider has its own list of excluded activities and approved activities may be restricted to certain elevations or depths. In addition, participation in professional athletics and injuries resulting from drug or alcohol use or from intentional self-harm are almost never covered.

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Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every travel insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel insurance products. To research the best travel insurance companies, we compiled over 50 data points on more than 10 travel insurance companies. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

Our methodology

To determine the best adventure travel insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed more than 10 top providers based on cost, coverage options, add-ons, customer service, and the variety of activities and sports they cover.

We looked for companies that included adventure activities in their offerings, prioritizing those that included them in base policies. We also considered gear or equipment coverage policies and prioritized brands that offered high medical limits.

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

Based on these criteria, our picks for the best adventure travel insurance are:

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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

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