Adventure travel is on the rise this year: 76% of survey respondents said they'd take part in exciting activities or something outside of their comfort zone on a trip, according to a poll for American Express Travel performed by Morning Consult.
Whether that means cruising around town on an e-bike or rock climbing, you may want to find a travel insurance policy that keeps up with you. While some of these activities are usually excluded from standard travel insurance policies, that's not always the case.
Many travel insurance companies that don't automatically include coverage for these activities offer adventure travel add-ons with medical benefits for injuries sustained in high-risk activities. Some plans even reimburse for damages to, or loss of, 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 chose the best adventure travel insurance.)
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Best for affordability: Faye
Who's this for? Starting at just over $5 a day, Faye's plans automatically cover dozens of activities like white water rafting, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking.
Standout benefits: Feeling more daring? The Adventure & Extreme Sports endorsement adds parachuting, bungee jumping, skydiving and other adrenaline-seeking activities, as well as up to $2,000 of gear coverage per trip.
- Affordable rates and easy online quotes to compare coverage
- $300 per person in trip delay coverage after six hours
- 100% digital claims process
- Can add coverage for pet care and vacation rental damage
- Only one plan is available
Best for diverse activities: World Nomads
Who's this for? World Nomads' Explorer Plan covers more than 200 thrill-seeking activities, including freestyle skiing, ice climbing, hang gliding and shark-cage diving. The top-tier Epic Plan is aimed at 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.
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 PlanCancel 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.
Best for high medical coverage limits: Travel Insured International
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 offers 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.
C&F Travel Insured International Travel Insurance
Policy highlights
Single-trip and multi-trip policies and cruise insurance.
Emergency medical: Essential: $50,000, Deluxe: $250,000, Platinum: $500,000
Medical evacuation: Essential: $200,000, Deluxe: $500,000, Platinum: $1 million
Personal effects: Essential: $750, Deluxe: $1,500, Platinum: $2,500 ($250 per item)Cancel For Any Reason coverage
Add-on to Deluxe or Platinum that reimburses 75% when purchased within 21 days of initial payment
Pre-existing condition waiver
Available if 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
Best for equipment protection: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
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.
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.
- Cruise-specific plans can reimburse you up to $500 for missed connections and cruise delays
- Up to $75,000 in medical coverage for cruise plans
- Pre-existing coverage waiver available with all plans
- CFAR policy only reimburses 50% of prepaid trip costs
- No add-ons available
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. Make sure to read your policy documents to see if the activity you're planning is covered.
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?
If you're taking on more risk with your activities, so is your insurance company. So, whether you choose an upgraded plan or add-on, coverage with adventure travel will be more expensive than a standard travel insurance plan.
The average adventure travel insurance policy costs about $32 per day in 2026, according to travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. For a 15-day trip, that works out to be about $480. Your exact cost will vary based on the activities you've selected, 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 | $128.66 | $43.16 | $171.82 |
| Travel Insured International | $209 | $16 | $225 |
| Berkshire Hathaway AdrenalineCare® | $124 | Included with base price | $124 |
| World Nomads Explorer Plan | $158.10 | Included with base price | $158.10 |
Source: Data gathered from individual insurer quotes as of July 2026
Adventure travel insurance FAQs
What does adventure travel insurance cover?
Adventure travel insurance covers high-risk activities most standard policies exclude, like skydiving 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 whether it's automatically included 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 20 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 offered adventure activities, prioritizing those that included them in their 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:
- Best for affordability: Faye
- Best for ski trips: AXA Assistance USA
- Best for diverse activities: World Nomads
- Best for high medical limits: Travel Insured International
- Best for equipment protection: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
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