Travel Insurance for Backpackers | The Essential Guide

Let’s face it – buying travel insurance is no one’s favourite part of trip planning! With so many different companies offering a variety of different insurance policies – how do you figure out which one is right for you? 🤔 The whole task is very confusing. It can also be very costly – especially if you make the wrong decision!

To help you understand what to look for in backpacker insurance, what’s usually covered and what’s not, we’ve put together this handy guide. We’ve also picked the brains of our backpacking community to find out which are the most popular travel insurance companies for backpackers.

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Disclaimer: This article is not insurance advice. We’ve done our best to interpret the insurance policies accurately, but please check the full policy wording yourself before buying any travel insurance. This article contains affiliate links. If you decide to buy an insurance policy through one of the links on this page, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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🔝 5 Backpacker Travel Insurance Providers Popular With Our Readers 🏆

1. World Nomads – The Traditional Choice

• Nationalities covered: Residents of over 140 countries
• Maximum policy length: 365 days 
• Driving a motorcycle: Covered, see details
• Diving included: Yes, see details
• Muay Thai cover: Training only
• Available if you’re already abroad: Yes
• Return ticket needed: No
• Extendable while travelling: Yes

World Nomads Insurance Key Features

• World Nomads offer two plans: Standard and Explorer, with Explorer offering a higher level of coverage.
• Loss and theft of baggage is covered as standard.
• There are optional add-ons for extra cover for sports equipment or valuable items.
• Activities are divided into four levels. Level 1 activities are included as standard on both plans. Cover for activities classed as Level 2, 3 or 4 costs extra.
• Cover for Muay Thai (training only) is included as standard under Level 1 activities.
• Scuba diving up to 30m is covered as standard (Level 1 activity), or up to 50m if add-on cover for Level 3 activities is purchased.
• Driving a motorbike is covered, provided you have the correct licence and you’re wearing a helmet. Motorbike touring is not covered and there is no personal liability cover.
• Trekking up to 3,000m is included as standard as a Level 1 activity. There is an option to add on Level 2 coverage for up to 4,500m or Level 3 for up to 6,000m.

“I claimed with World Nomads and it was easy as 1-2-3! I used a PDF app on my phone too send pics of all my receipts, submitted online and got 100% reimbursement for my claim! (It was for the series of rabies shots)!” Nicole Lang, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member

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2. SafetyWing – Monthly Subscription Model

• Nationalities covered: All except: Iran, North Korea, Syria and Cuba
• Maximum policy length: 364 days 
• Driving a motorcycle: Covered, see details
• Diving included: Yes, see details
• Muay Thai cover: Training only
• Available if you’re already abroad: Yes
• Return ticket needed: No
• Extendable while travelling: Yes

SafetyWing Insurance Key Features

Note: SafetyWing offers two Nomad Insurance plans: Nomad Essential and Nomad Complete. This summary focuses on the Nomad Essential plan, which provides regular travel medical insurance with medical coverage. Their Nomad Complete plan provides full health insurance coverage with extra travel-related protection.

• SafetyWing insurance is designed for long-term travellers, digital nomads and remote workers who are travelling and living outside of their home country for long periods.
• Their payment model works on a monthly subscription basis making it appealing to spontaneous travellers without set plans. 
• The longest period you can get insured for on a single policy is 364 days. But after this period, you can take out another policy, even if you’re still travelling.
• SafetyWing focus on medical cover. Other cover such as trip disruption and personal belongings cover isn’t as inclusive as other insurers.
• Lost checked luggage is included as standard, but baggage lost elsewhere or stolen is not covered (apart from electronics if you have purchased the add-on).
• The Electronics Theft Add-On provides cover for items such as laptops and mobile phones.
• An Adventure Sports Add-On provides cover for more adventurous activities, including Muay Thai training.
• Scuba diving is only covered if you purchase the Adventure Sports Add-On and you are accompanied by a certified dive instructor.
• Use of a motorbike is covered (excluding motorised dirt bikes) but only if you have an IDP and the appropriate safety equipment. Needless to say, you will not be covered if you’re racing or intoxicated. 
• Trekking up to 4,500m is covered as standard.

“It shouldn’t really be a selling point but if you’ve ever tried contacting a traditional insurance company, you’ll know they’re not always keen to get back to you! SafetyWing have a dedicated 24/7 team available to help you with whatever you need. They have a good reputation for speedy response times; the Customer Care team usually reply within 1 minute!” – Tim Ashdown, South East Asia Backpacker Writer

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3. True Traveller – Favourite Amongst EU Citizens

• Nationalities covered: European
• Maximum policy length: 18 months
• Driving a motorcycle: Covered, see details
• Diving included: Yes, see details
• Muay Thai cover: Training only
• Available if you’re already abroad: Yes
• Return ticket needed: No
• Extendable while travelling: Yes

True Traveller Insurance Key Features:

• Baggage is not covered as standard, but there is an option to add this on.
• Other optional add-ons include cover for specific items, travel disruption and winter sports, which allows travellers to customise their cover while keeping costs low for those who want basic coverage.
• Additional activity packages can be purchased so travellers can choose the level of cover that suits their needs. The basic Traveller Pack includes 92 activities as standard; the Adventure Pack, Extreme Pack and Ultimate Pack offer varying levels of cover for adventure activities.
• Cover for non-contact Muay Thai training is covered as standard.
• Scuba diving of up to 18m is included as standard but only if you’re already a qualified diver. The more expensive policies cover dives up to 50m if you’re qualified. 
• The basic Traveller Pack will cover you for riding motorcycles up to, and including, 125cc. The Adventure Pack covers riding motorcycles over 125cc. You must wear a helmet and must be licensed to ride a motorcycle in your home country. True Traveller don’t offer Accidental Disability Cover or Personal Liability Cover if you’re riding a motorcycle. They also don’t offer cover if you’re on a motorcycle tour or a motorcycle is your main form of transport. 
• Trekking up to 3,000m is covered in the basic Traveller Pack. This increases to 4,600m with the Adventure Pack

“True Traveller are excellent! I’ve claimed 4x and they have always been great!” Gemma, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member

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4. Genki – Extensive Adventure Activities Coverage

• Nationalities covered: All
• Maximum policy length: 12 months
• Driving a motorcycle: Covered, see details
• Diving included: Yes, see details
• Muay Thai cover: Training and sparring
• Available if you’re already abroad: Yes
• Return ticket needed: No
• Extendable while travelling: Yes 

Genki Traveler Insurance Key Features:

• The Genki Traveler plan is a rolling policy that renews each month.
• Genki focuses on health coverage for long-term travellers and digital nomads and provides medical cover only.
• Cover for non-medical travel-related incidents is not included, such as travel delays, cancellations, theft or lost luggage, search and rescue, and natural disasters.
• The pricing structure is simple with no optional add-ons.
• Almost all sports and adventure activities are covered, with very few exceptions.
• Unlike most other insurers, Genki covers Muay Thai sparring and friendly fights in addition to training.
• Diving up to depths of 30m is covered.
• Driving a motorbike is covered if you are wearing a helmet and have a valid licence for the vehicle. If the motorbike is 125cc or under cover is provided even if you don’t have a licence. 
• Trekking is covered up to 4,000m.

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5. Heymondo – Designed for Group Travel

• Nationalities covered: Residents of most countries
• Maximum policy length: 365 days
• Driving a motorcycle: Not covered
• Diving included: No
• Muay Thai cover: Not included
• Available if you’re already abroad: Yes
• Return ticket needed: No
• Extendable while travelling: Yes 

Heymondo Travel Insurance Key Features:

• With Heymondo’s Long Stay Travel Insurance initial policies of 90 days can be purchased and then extended for a further 30, 120, 180 or 275 days.
• Upfront pricing shows how much the extension will cost so you know exactly what you’ll pay when you renew.
• Designed with groups and families in mind, Heymondo’s simple pricing structure means the price is the same for each traveller in the group.
• Heymondo’s Long Stay Travel Insurance plan only covers travellers up to 49 years old.
• Loss and theft of baggage is included as standard.
• There are optional add-ons to include cover for electronics and adventure sports.
• Heymondo covers a more limited number of activities compared with other backpacking travel insurers. Muay Thai and scuba diving are not covered.
• Heymondo do not cover driving a motorbike.
• Trekking to an altitude of 3,000m is covered as standard, extendable to 5,000m with the adventure sports add-on.

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Do I Really Need Travel Insurance for Backpacking? 🎒

While it isn’t a legal requirement, travelling without insurance is a risky prospect! If something goes wrong while you’re backpacking (and if you travel long enough, it almost certainly will!), you need to know you’re protected. 

Instead of getting travel insurance. some backpackers decide to put aside a few thousand dollars for emergencies. Bear in mind, a nasty infection, broken bone, or a more serious injury or illness, could set you back tens of thousands of dollars in many parts of the world. Good insurance will cover this; your savings likely won’t. 

You might be thinking “It won’t happen to me.” Many do, until it does! Like this uninsured traveller who was left with a £35,000 GBP medical bill after a motorbike accident in Phuket. To travel without insurance is to open yourself up to significant risk. Whether you choose to do that is only your decision.

“After being hospitalised in Bali with dengue fever my medical bills racked up to thousands of dollars in just three days. I was so thankful I had travel insurance – I honestly don’t know what I would have done without it!” Lisa Barham, Writer at South East Asia Backpacker

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Is Backpacker Insurance Different From Travel Insurance? 🆚

In a word, yes. Backpacker insurance differs from traditional travel insurance in a few key ways.

Length of Cover 📆

When travellers refer to ‘backpacker insurance’ or ‘gap year insurance’ they’re talking about a type of travel insurance designed for long-term travel (usually between 3 and 24 months) through multiple countries. Standard travel insurance is built for short, one-off trips (often up to 30 days) and although you can get cover for longer adventures, a traditional travel insurance firm will charge a lot of money for this. 

Flexibility and Extensions 🔀

It’s becoming increasingly common for backpacking insurance providers to allow cover to be taken out when you’re already travelling and allow extensions to policies while on the road. Traditional travel insurance needs to be taken out before you start your trip and it is not usually possible to extend the policy when you’re outside of your home country.

One-Way Travel 🎫

Many backpacking insurance companies will provide cover if you have a one-way ticket. Traditional travel insurance requires proof of return travel.

Activities Covered 🤿

Backpacker insurance is more likely to cover activities that are popular with backpackers, such as diving, hiking, volunteering or driving a motorbike. Do note though that activities covered vary from insurer to insurer so you always need to read the small print to make sure you’re fully covered for all activities in which you’ll partake.

Baggage Cover, Delays and Cancellations 🧳

Backpacker insurance is typically less comprehensive when it comes to cover for your belongings as well as travel delays and cancellations. If you require cover for specific items, you may need to pay extra for additional cover.

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Backpacker Travel Insurance vs Global Health Insurance ⛑️

With the continuing rise in remote workers and digital nomads, a different type of travel insurance is becoming increasingly popular – global health insurance plans. Traditional travel insurance typically covers travel-related incidents, such as trip cancellations, travel delay, lost baggage, evacuation and natural disasters etc., alongside medical cover for illnesses and injuries sustained while travelling.

However, more and more insurers are offering global health insurance policies aimed at long-term travellers and nomads. While similar, these differ from regular travel and backpacker insurance policies as they focus more on health. They may also provide some cover for travel-related issues (SafetyWing’s Nomad Complete Insurance is a good example of this), or they may only cover health and not cover any other type of travel mishap (such as the Genki Traveler insurance plan).

Before buying insurance, you should consider whether you need traditional travel insurance (which will probably only include emergency medical cover), or something that is closer to standard health insurance. You will probably need to choose based on how much you plan to move around. Someone spending a year or more in one country might be better off with a health-only policy, and then take out brief travel insurance policies when they’re on the move. Whereas someone that will change countries every couple of months might want to prioritise a policy that covers both healthcare and common travel mishaps.

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What Backpacker Travel Insurance Usually Covers ✅

There are a few key things that all good backpacking travel insurers will cover, although the extent of coverage will vary from policy to policy. Whatever travel insurance company you’re considering, make sure to read their description of coverage document carefully to see what it says about the following points:

1. Medical and Hospital Cover 🤒

There’s always a chance that you might get sick or have an accident while travelling. The longer you travel, the more likely it is that you’ll fall ill or injure yourself at some point. If and when that happens, you don’t want to be stressing over the cost of treatment, medication or an overnight stay in a hospital. You just want to be looked after in the best available medical centres.

Across much of the world, good international hospitals with English-speaking doctors are expensive and you can easily rack up a bill of thousands of dollars in no time! Make sure your travel insurance offers a good level of medical and hospital cover! 

2. Emergency Evacuation 🚁

If you fall ill or injure yourself in a remote location, the price of being rescued to receive treatment needs to be covered by your insurer. Break your leg on top of a mountain or deep in the jungle and you’ll be looking at tens of thousands of dollars for evacuation. 

It’s always worth making sure your insurance covers this, especially if you plan on going trekking or taking on extreme sports! 

3. Repatriation ✈️

Your travel insurance should cover ‘repatriation’ – getting you home in an emergency. If you’re seriously injured, or taken ill long-term, returning home for treatment might be the best thing for you. 

It’s worth noting that the decision of whether to send you home or not is in the hands of your doctors and insurance company. They will decide whether it is deemed ‘medically necessary’; it’s not your choice to make. As well as covering your return trip for treatment, good repatriation cover will ensure your body can be sent home should the worst happen.

4. Cancellations, Missed Transport and Delays ✖️

One of the most useful facets of travel insurance is cover for travel disruptions, such as delays and cancellations. However, backpacker insurance is generally less comprehensive with this type of cover than standard travel insurance.

There will likely be some coverage for disruption that is out of your control, such as natural disasters. You won’t usually be covered for anything that is deemed to be your fault (if you sleep in and miss your flight, bad luck!). Always check your policy wording to see what is and isn’t covered when it comes to cancellations, missed transport and delays. 

It’s also worth noting that if your flight is significantly delayed, it’s the responsibility of the airline to reimburse or compensate you for the delay.

5. Personal Liability / Legal Fees 💰

There’s always a chance that you could damage someone’s property, cause an injury to someone, or even cause their death while travelling. Personal liability cover ensures you have access to legal fees and compensation in the event that an accident is deemed to be your fault. This is most commonly used for road traffic accidents while travelling.

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What Most Travel Insurers Don’t Cover ❌

However comprehensive an insurance policy is, there are always limitations and exclusions. Always be sure to check the full policy wording, so you know exactly what you’re not protected against and what stipulations may apply. If you need extra coverage, it may be possible to upgrade your policy. Here are some of the key points to check.

1. Belongings 💻

Many backpacker insurance policies include some kind of baggage cover. However, it’s rarely adequate. It may have a relatively low cover limit, or it might only cover lost checked luggage but not cover baggage or belongings that are lost elsewhere or stolen.

When coverage is included there is usually an overall limit (which may be a few thousand dollars) as well as a ‘single item limit’, (which could be as little as a few hundred dollars). This means that expensive items, such as laptops, are unlikely to be covered to their full value.

You can often get upgrades or separate policies to include more expensive items but be aware that you’ll need the original receipts for any items you want to insure.

“World Nomads give you the opportunity to add on for expensive items that you take with you. I’m glad I did that because I smashed up my camera. I had to make a claim, it wasn’t painful. They paid out the full value I paid for the camera – less the excess.” – Jaimee, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member

2. Motorbike Accidents 🏍️

Many traditional travel insurance providers offer no cover for motorcycle usage – whether you’re a passenger or driver. Backpacker insurance companies often provide cover but only if you have an International Driving Permit and are legal to ride a motorbike in your home country, as well as the country you’re travelling in. But even this comes with rules and stipulations. 

You will not be covered unless you’re wearing a helmet and you will not be covered if you crash with a passenger that you’re not legally allowed to take. You’ll also obviously not be covered under any circumstance if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

👉 Read More: Motorbike Insurance for Southeast Asia – What You Need To Know

3. Extreme / Adventure Sports 🥊

If you plan to take on adventure sports while backpacking (skydiving, scuba diving, bungee jumping, rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc.) check that your travel insurance will cover you. 

Most travel insurances cover a range of basic activities but require add-ons or packages for more extreme activities. Always check what is included and consider upgrading your adventure sports package if necessary. Muay Thai and diving are two of the most popular adventure sports in Southeast Asia. If you plan to do either of these, check what is and what isn’t covered. For example, Muay Thai insurance may cover training but not sparring, and diving insurance may have limits on the number and depth of dives.

4. Negligence and Recklessness 😳

Insurance companies won’t pay out for a claim if you are deemed to be negligent. For example, if you leave valuables in an unlocked room (or locker), which are then stolen, you’re unlikely to be able to make a successful claim. Similarly, some insurers won’t cover injuries incurred by what they deem to be reckless behaviour, as this backpacker found out the hard way.

👉 Read More: How To Make A Successful Travel Insurance Claim

5. Illegal Activity and Being Under the Influence 💊

You will not be insured if at the time of your accident/injury you were doing any kind of illegal activity. Nor will you be covered for injuries incurred as a result of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs (including plant medicines such as Ayahuasca or San Pedro). 

6. Missed Flights 🛫

Missing a flight, and whether you can be compensated, is a grey area when it comes to travel insurance. Many travel insurers have different rules depending on how comprehensive your cover is, the circumstances of the missed departure and whose fault it was.

Check your coverage carefully to understand which situations are covered, such as a transport accident, natural disasters, civil unrest or medical reasons. Backpacker insurance is usually less comprehensive than standard travel insurance when it comes to missed flights and travel delays so you may find that none of these situations are covered! 

7. Pre-existing Medical Conditions 🩺

Most travel insurers won’t cover pre-existing medical conditions as standard. This means, if you miss a flight, or have to cancel part of your trip because of a pre-existing medical condition, you will not be covered. Additionally, if you need medical treatment in relation to your pre-existing condition, this will not be covered. 

👉 Also read: Travel Insurance for Pre-existing Conditions and Travelling With Prescription Medication

8. Trekking at Altitude 🥾

Most insurance policies will include an altitude limit for trekking and other activities. This may be around 3,000 or 4,000 metres above sea level, but make sure to check in the full policy wording. This means that if you undertake any activity above the specified limit your insurance won’t be valid. Some insurances offer add-ons that will cover activities at higher altitudes.

Southeast Asia has a few popular treks that include hiking above 3,000m, including Mount Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo, Mount Rinjani in Indonesia and Mount Fansipan in Vietnam. If you plan to tackle any of these, make sure your insurance covers trekking at altitude.

This point is especially important for backpackers who might travel to other popular backpacking regions known for their mountainous landscapes, such as South America or Nepal.

9. Government Travel Warnings ⚠️

Most travel insurance policies are void if you travel to a country, or a specific area within a country, against the advice of your government. You may also find that your insurance policy is invalid if you travel to any country that is receiving government sanctions. It’s wise to check up on this before you leave home and also before you move to a new country during your trip. UK citizens can find up-to-date country-specific travel advice on the UK Government website here.

10. Vaccinations 💉

The cost of general travel vaccinations, whether you get them done before you travel (recommended) or while you’re abroad is not usually covered. Read more about the essential vaccinations for travel in Southeast Asia here.

“A couple of years ago I bought an adventure insurance with World Nomads as I was going to hike up to Mt. Bromo in Indonesia. When walking down I sprained my knee … I visited the doctor and paid $110 for consultation and a cream. What I didn’t know was that World Nomads have an Excess Fee of $100 for every claim. Mind you, this was my first time buying insurance by myself, so I didn’t know anything about excess fee. So at the end I only got a tiny reimbursement of $10. I was fuming at the time, but it taught me an important lesson, albeit an expensive one.” Adrian, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member

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Backpacker Travel Insurance FAQs

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⛑️ Backpacker Travel Insurance Summary 🤓

There’s an old maxim that says, ‘if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel’. While you may wince at the cost of outlying for a policy, we’ve never met anyone who regretted buying travel insurance. Choosing to travel without adequate insurance is a huge gamble. No one plans to get ill or injured, but it happens. Whatever the cost of your policy, it’s more than worth it for the peace of mind it provides. And if you are unfortunate enough to have to use it — it may just end up being a bargain, or even a life-saver!

Have we missed your favourite travel insurer? Let us know in the comments!