Tanzania requires serious travel insurance — not the basic airline add-on. Here's what coverage actually matters, and what to avoid.
Most medical emergencies in Tanzania require air evacuation to Nairobi or further. A single evacuation costs $30,000–$80,000. Safari and mountain activities are rarely covered by default travel policies. A standard credit-card insurance will fail you. What you need is dedicated, high-limit, activity-specific coverage — and we tell every guest the same thing.
01Basic safari coverage — medical, trip cancellation, baggage. Suitable for standard safari itineraries at low-to-mid altitude, no mountain climbing.
02Our recommended tier for most travellers. Covers Kilimanjaro summit attempts, trekking at altitude, standard scuba diving. The balanced option.
03Comprehensive cover for hardcore adventure travellers. Includes technical climbing, deep diving, paragliding, mountain biking — almost everything short of skydiving.
Flexible online booking, good for adventure add-ons. Strong mid-range option. Allows you to extend coverage mid-trip from any country.
The gold standard for serious evacuation coverage. Expensive but unmatched for remote-area extraction. Used by expedition companies.
Specialises in long-term travel and adventure sports. Covers Kilimanjaro without altitude limits. Strong for UK-based travellers.
Newer provider with competitive pricing. Useful 24/7 app for claims. Reliable for standard safari cover, less comprehensive for extreme sports.
Store your policy number, claims hotline, and emergency evacuation number in your phone. Email copies to a family member as backup.
Before any hospital treatment, call your insurance emergency line. Most policies require pre-authorization. Keep photos of receipts and reports.
Hospital discharge summaries, prescription receipts, police reports for theft, incident reports for accidents. Originals preferred, scans as backup.
Most policies require claim submission within 30 days of incident. Use the app or online portal. Phone follow-ups help — expect 2–6 weeks to resolve.
Credit card travel insurance almost never covers the activities that matter in Tanzania — Kilimanjaro above 3,000m, walking safaris, scuba. Medical limits are also far too low for air evacuation costs.
Not legally required for entry, but strongly recommended and effectively required by all operators. Our tours require proof of insurance before departure — it's a condition of booking.
Medical coverage limit (minimum $100K, ideally $250K+) and confirmation that air evacuation is included. Many cheap policies cap evacuation at $10K — not enough to move one patient out of northern Tanzania.
Check for 'climbing / trekking up to 6,000m' or 'high-altitude trekking' coverage. Standard policies cap at 3,000m, which means your entire Kilimanjaro climb would be uninsured.
Some providers (World Nomads especially) allow mid-trip extensions and activity additions. Most don't. Add expected adventures to your policy before you leave.
Check the exclusions page immediately. If altitude trekking or specific activities are excluded, either add a supplement or buy a second better policy. It's cheaper than a $50K medical bill.
Send us your itinerary and we'll tell you exactly what coverage level fits — and what to watch for in the fine print of any policy you're considering.