Information about our tours - Travel Insurance & Fitness to Participate

Travel Insurance

Valid travel insurance is mandatory for all Explore customers. You will need to confirm to your Tour Leader that you are covered by a travel insurance policy at the start of the tour. For this reason your original insurance policy must be carried with you on tour.

If you have arranged your own insurance please ensure that your documentation specifically shows you as the named policyholder and that the cover is valid for the period of travel. It must also indicate that you have cover for at least Medical Expenses and Emergency Repatriation in event of illness or injury. Please ensure that a 24 hour contact telephone number for your Insurance Company is stated on your documentation in case of an emergency. If you are unable to provide this information at the start of the trip you will not be able to continue with your Explore trip unless you purchase a suitable Insurance Policy. If you have purchased Explore Insurance you should carry the policy document with you, which outlines the conditions of the policy, together with a copy of your Confirmation Invoice which is your proof of purchase of insurance. For details of Explore’s insurance policy, specially tailored to the needs of the adventure traveller.

Pre-exisiting medical conditions

If you, others you are travelling with or anyone else upon whom travel depends (including anyone whose illness or death is likely to result in your wishing to cancel or curtail your tour) have a pre-existing medical condition you must inform your travel insurance company of this when you purchase your policy and ensure that you receive written confirmation from them that the condition is covered. Please ensure you take this written confirmation with you on tour in addition to the insurance policy otherwise you may not have appropriate cover. We may ask you for written proof that you are fully covered for your pre-existing medical condition.

Fitness and ability to participate

All Explore Adventures require some level of active participation from group members, whether on a cultural tour, trek, safari, expedition or voyage. It is in the interests of all members of the group that everyone should be capable of fully participating in the activities of their chosen tour. With this in mind, please be aware that if it is felt that any customer is either not sufficiently fit, healthy or able to participate in or complete a tour without the health or safety of the customer or any other person (including other group members) being endangered or that the presence of the customer on the tour means we will be unable to provide the tour, in whole or part, to other members of the group as advertised and contracted, the Tour Leader at any stage has the right to require them to leave the tour. To ensure that this is never necessary, please make sure that you have fully understood the level of fitness and ability required to complete the tour on which you are booking. Tour Trip Notes are quite specific about the level of fitness and ability required on any given tour. It is your responsibility to let us know if you have any concerns related to this subject. If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your tour arrangements in any way, you must provide us with full details at the time of booking – please see booking conditions.

High Altitude – A number of our tours reach elevations of 2500 metres or more. Normally the body acclimatises well to extended periods above this altitude and we allow time on our tours for acclimatisation. No one can really predict who is at risk from altitude sickness and who will not be affected by it.

However if you have a heart or respiratory problem you should definitely not risk extended travel or trekking at high altitude.

Proof of fitness

In certain circumstances and on certain (more strenuous) tours, we may require you to provide proof of medical fitness prior to travel.