Travel Insurance for Adventure Sports: What Is and Isn't Covered

3 June 2026 · Hannah Cole · 6 min read

Standard policies often exclude activities like skiing, scuba diving, climbing and surfing. How to check your cover and find the right adventure sports policy.

What counts as an adventure sport

Travel insurers use a risk grading system for activities, and "adventure sports" sit above the standard cover level. Common exclusions or restrictions include: skiing and snowboarding, scuba diving (usually beyond 18-30 metres), rock climbing and mountaineering, surfing and kite-surfing, paragliding and hang-gliding, bungee jumping, horse riding, and in some cases cycling.

The important point is that a standard policy may exclude these entirely, or cover them only under specific conditions — for example, diving with a certified instructor or skiing on-piste only.

How to check your existing cover

Start by reading the policy wording, not just the summary. Look for the "activities covered" section and the exclusions list. Some policies list specific activities by name; others describe a general category like "hazardous pursuits" and then define what qualifies.

If an activity is not listed as covered, the safest assumption is that it's excluded. You have two options: upgrade to a policy that includes adventure sports, or buy a separate single-trip policy designed specifically for active holidays.

What to look for in an adventure policy

Not all adventure policies are equal. The essential features to compare are: depth limits for diving and altitude limits for climbing or trekking (typically 4,000-6,000 metres), whether off-piste skiing is covered, whether equipment is covered for loss or damage, and whether helicopter rescue or mountain evacuation is included.

Declare everything accurately when you buy the policy. If an insurer later discovers you were bouldering on a policy that covered only gentle hiking, a claim for a climbing injury can be refused.