Experiencing the most beautiful parts of the world on foot as part of a walking or hiking holiday is surely one of life’s greatest pleasures. What’s more, it provides a healthy dose of exercise to nourish the body as well as the soul. If you have yet to discover the delights of discovering those off-the-beaten-track corners of the world, we would urge you to give it a try as, once tasted, it can prove to be a life-long and treasured addiction.
There’s no special equipment required but investing in a pair of good quality walking boots and suitable all-weather clothing will repay dividends. Walking all day can be tough on the feet, especially if you are unused to this degree of exercise, so well-made boots, with all the right areas of support and rugged soles can spare you blisters and keep your feet warm, dry and comfortable throughout your journey. You’ll need to be prepared for all types of weather from blazing sun to raging blizzards, so carrying the right type of clothing for every eventuality is essential.
This is especially so if you a walking in mountains where the weather can change dramatically in a matter of minutes. Fortunately modern technology has produced sophisticated lightweight clothing which is ideal for walkers to carry in a rucksack to pull out or stow away as the weather dictates.
The importance of hiking insuranceWhether you chose to walk by yourself or as part of a walking group, you need to have the right hiking insurance in place to give you peace of mind and to cover any mishaps along the way. Hiking is often undertaken in remote areas where medical or other assistance is not always close at hand. What could be a minor complication in normal circumstances, such as a sprained ankle or fractured bone, could necessitate a helicopter rescue if such an accident occurs in mountainous or distant terrain. Add the costs of any hospital treatment or if repatriation to the UK is medically necessary, makes it essential that you have suitable insurance to cover all of these eventualities.
Big Cat Hiking Insurance offers three levels of cover suited to the level of activity you wish to undertake:
The Standard Pack covers you for walking , hiking or trekking up to 2,500 metres or 8,200 feet. For British people this is serious mountain altitude as our highest peak, Ben Nevis, is just 1,344 metres. Up to 2,500 metres will include the majority of serious walking trails most walkers are likely to undertake.
But if you want to go higher, then our Activity Pack covers you up to 4,600 metres, which would just include reaching the peak of the Matterhorn at 4,478 metres or the highest part of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu at 4,430 metres.
If you wish to go even higher, then our Extreme Activity Pack covers any altitude above 4,600 metres, and is suited to the most challenging of mountain treks such as Mt Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and many more.
Please note for trekking in Nepal the Nepal Trekking Pack add-on will need to be included. A 7,000m altitude limit is applied to this.
All persons to be insured must reside at a permanent address in the United Kingdom.
If you purchase cover after leaving the United Kingdom having started your trip, a 48-hour waiting period applies before your policy becomes active. For cover to be valid, the “Already Travelling” extension must be shown on your Booking Invoice or Validation Certificate. Illness that develops during this 48-hour period will not be covered, as it will be treated as a pre-existing medical condition. However, if you suffer a serious accident during this time, you’ll be covered straight away, provided it is independently witnessed and confirmed by a medical professional.
Please be aware that once you’ve started travelling,
the 14-day cooling-off period no longer applies and premiums are non-refundable.
family
A couple is defined as 2 adults who have been permanently living together at the same address for more than six months, who intend to travel together.
If you do not qualify as a couple, please select individual(s)
Annual Multi Trip policies are designed for multiple short holidays leaving from and returning to your home country.
Annual Multi Trip trip limits:
Standard policy - 35 days
Premier policy - 90 days
If you need continuous cover for a year (home visits allowed on policies over 4 months long) select Single Trip or One Way. You can travel around as much as you like, to as many different countries as you like, with a Single Trip or One Way policy.
Important Information
By selecting the "one-way" travel option or traveling without a pre-booked return ticket to your home country, note the following exclusion:
Curtailment, Section D: Return travel expenses to your home country will not be covered in the event of a curtailment claim if you do not have a valid return ticket to your home country.
Europe:
Europe means the continent of Europe West of the Ural Mountains, and includes the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Iceland, Jordan, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Mediterranean Islands as well as all countries bordering the Mediterranean.
Australia & New Zealand:
a) For any period of cover purchased, a 48 hour stop-over anywhere in the World for both outward and return travel will be included.
b) If the period of cover purchased is two months or more, a stop-over of 7 days/nights anywhere in the World will be included.
Worldwide excluding North America & Mexico:
(North America means the USA, Canada & Mexico.)
a) For any period of cover purchased, a 48 hour stop-over anywhere in the World for both outward and return travel will be included.
b) If the period of cover purchased is two months or more, a stop-over of 7 days/nights anywhere in the World will be included.
Worldwide including North America & Mexico:
Worldwide means anywhere in the World including the USA, Canada & Mexico.
Automatic Trip Extension
If the Insured Person is prevented from completing their travel before the expiration of this Insurance as stated under the Period of Insurance on the Booking Invoice or Validation Certificate (as applicable) for reasons which are beyond their control, including ill health or failure of public transport, this Insurance will remain in force until completion but not exceeding a further 31 days on a day by day basis, without additional premium.
In the event of an Insured Person being hijacked, cover shall continue whilst the Insured Person is subject to the control of the person(s) or their associates making the hijack during the Period of Insurance of a period not exceeding twelve months from the date of the hijack.
Please ensure you arrange cover for the entire duration of your travel
The maximum allowable policy duration is 731 days. Please adjust your travel dates to proceed.
Where do you normally reside? Where do you normally reside?
Please use the drop down box to choose your country of residence. Note we can only insure residents of the United Kingdom.
Can I take out this Insurance if I’m already abroad?
If you are normally a resident of the UK Country and your insurance has run out, you may take out cover online with us. This is on the understanding that nothing has occurred at the time of taking out the cover which has led to a claim or may lead to a potential claim. Note you cannot take out our Multi-Trip Insurance if you are already abroad.
Do you have minimum residency requirements?
No. If you are, for example, a British Passport holder and have right of abode in the UK, we are not concerned as to how many months in the past year you have been in the UK provided at the time of arranging this insurance you have a UK residential address.
We are unable to quote, Please ring our Offices on 0333 0033 161 for further assistance.
The Additional Mountain Rescue section of cover is a specific level of cover that takes effect when helicopter rescue is deemed necessary by the local Rescue Authorities due to a non-medical emergency such as natural disasters or adverse weather conditions.
This section of cover does not apply to Medically Necessary helicopter evacuations - these costs are covered under the Medical & Repatriation section of cover.
When travelling to remote areas, it is strongly recommended that you go in a group, carry a working two-way communication device and navigation equipment, and ensure someone is aware of your planned route and expected return time.
Search and rescue costs, including helicopter rescue, may be considered for cover subject to the policy’s terms and conditions, provided the incident is notified to and approved by the insurer’s medical emergency assistance department. You must also hold the appropriate activity pack to ensure cover extends to the activity you are undertaking at the time of the incident.
To add any of our Activity Packs, just follow the Quote form - to stage 3 - there you will find all of the optional extras.
We have no upper altitude limit with our Extreme Activity Pack Add-on. Otherwise, with the Activity Pack you can trek up to 4,600m. And if you're only trekking up to 2,500m, there's no need to add anything on - Trekking up to 2,500m is one of the 64 activities we cover for free.
Please note for trekking in Nepal the Nepal Trekking Pack add-on will need to be included. A 7,000m altitude limit is applied to this.
How do you include these Add-ons? See question below.
Yes, Helicopter Rescue is covered.
Helicopter rescue is classed as a necessary Medical Expense, so is covered by the Medical & Repatriation expenses section of cover (limit of either £2m, £5m or £10m depending on the policy)
To get a quote, please visit our Trekking Insurance page by following this link.
Included in all the Policies, The Standard Pack covers you for walking , hiking or trekking up to 2,500 metres*. This is serious mountain altitude as our highest peak, Ben Nevis, is just 1,344 metres up .
But if you want to go higher, then our Activity Pack covers you up to 4,600 metres*, which would just include reaching the peak of the Matterhorn at 4,478 metres or the highest part of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu at 4,430 metres.
Our Extreme Activity Pack covers above 4,600 metres*, with no upper altitude limit and is suited to the most challenging of mountain treks such as Mt Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc.
Big Cat Travel Insurance is a trading name of Flynow.com Ltd (registration No.FRN 1022075) who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You may check this on the Financial Services register at www.fca.org.uk or by contacting them on (0) 800 111 6768. © 2026 Big Cat Travel Insurance Services. All rights reserved.
