Guide to Contiki travel insurance

Don't forget to pack travel insurance for Contiki tours... it's compulsory.

Jessica Prasida's headshot

By

Jessica Prasida

Edited by

Moira Daniels

Updated

Fact checked
Travel Insurance

Key takeaways

  • Travel insurance is compulsory for anyone taking a Contiki tour.
  • In fact, most tour operators insist on a basic level of travel insurance.
  • Relax - travel insurance isn't expensive, and you can get signed up in minutes.

Do I need travel insurance for Contiki tours?

Yes, you will need travel insurance if you're taking a Contiki tour. Here's the exact wording that Contiki uses on its website:

"It's a requirement of travelling with Contiki that you take out comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, personal injury, death, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, evacuation expenses, personal liability & loss of personal property and Covid related expenses before you travel with us. It's also super important to check that your insurance covers all of the activities you'll be trying out, particularly any adventure activities (for all you adrenaline junkies)."

That about wraps it up - you need travel insurance on every Contiki tour you take. We agree with the policy, frankly - travel insurance might seem like something you can do without, but the impact of having to pay out-of-pocket for medical or cancellation outside your control is way to high. Plus, travel insurance isn't that expensive.

Compare Contiki compliant travel insurance quotes

Compare travel insurance quotes from 16 brands – that's more than any other site in Australia.

Add kids under the age of 1 by typing a “0” 0 traveller(s)

By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy & Cookies Policy and Terms of Service. By entering an email address you agree to create a Finder account. We will send you an email to setup your password.

Do I need travel insurance for other tour companies?

Contiki isn't the only tour operator, and most of the alternatives require you to have travel insurance, including other popular companies like G Adventures.

For example, to travel with G Adventures, you must have travel medical insurance with minimum coverage for medical emergency evacuation and repatriation of US$200,000 (or equivalent). It also highly recommends cancellation cover, although it is not compulsory.

Trvael insurance requirements for different tour operators

TourWhat service is provided?Travel insurance?Details
ContikiGroup tours for 18–35 year olds
  • Required
Travel insurance with cover for medical and evacuations, personal injury and cancellation expenses is compulsory for all travellers.
G AdventuresSmall group travel tours
  • Required
Travel insurance with medical cover is compulsory. Cover for cancellation expenses is highly recommended for all G Adventure tours.
Baz BusSouth Africa's hop-on hop-off service
  • Recommended
Baz Bus highly recommends travellers have travel insurance with medical cover.
VodkatrainSmall group tours across Asia and beyond
  • Required
Travel insurance with medical cover and for the loss of personal items is compulsory for travellers on all Vodkatrain tours.
BusaboutFlexible hop-on hop-off service for backpackers
  • Required for some tours
Travel insurance with cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation is compulsory for trips to Asia and Turkey.
Stray AsiaGuided network for adventurous travellers in South-East Asia
  • Required
Travel insurance is compulsory for Stray Asia tours. Travel insurance with cover for medical expenses, personal baggage, cancellation, public liability and personal accident is highly recommended.
Bamba ExperienceTravel solution for independent traveller in Latin America
  • Required
Travel insurance that can cover whitewater rafting and sand buggies is compulsory for Bamba tours.
DragomanTruck holidays in a variety of exotic locations
  • Required
Travel insurance with cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation is compulsory for Dragoman tours.
Moose Travel NetworkCoast to coast bus tours in Canada
  • Recommended
The Moose Travel Network strongly recommends travel insurance with cancellation cover is purchased.
Bundu BusGrand Canyon tours connecting with major American cities
  • Recommended
Bundu Bus recommends travel insurance for unforeseen circumstances.

Why is travel insurance compulsory for Contiki tours?

The reason Contiki tours and most other tour operators insist on travel insurance is because of the risks inherent in travel. Some of the costs that can arise from these risks include:

  • Large cancellation fees. Cancellation fees, for instance, can be more than 50% of your tour cost. If you cancel more than 45 days before your trip, Contiki will keep your deposit of US$200. If you cancel a day out from your trip, you will lose 100% of your tour cost.
  • Airline disruptions. If an airline delays a flight they will move you onto the next flight, but don't expect them to pay for the accommodation and activities you have paid for and missed out on.
  • Expensive overseas medical costs. Many of these tours also travel to far-flung corners of the world, where health cover can be practically non-existent or very expensive. If you don’t have travel insurance, you’re directly liable for the costs if you need treatment or hospitalisation.
  • Adventurous activities. Additionally, most tour operators cater for young adventurers who partake in high risk sports and activities. In these instances, requiring you to have insurance to cover yourself is not only in your own best interests, it is also good business sense on the part of the tour operator.
Tim Bennett's headshot
Contiki travel insurance

"I took a couple of Contiki tours when I was younger, one in New Zealand and one in South East Asia. I was really glad that they forced me to get travel insurance - I was young and invincible, so I probably wouldn't have taken it out otherwise. In both cases I didn't need to claim, but I was also doing extreme sports on both trips, so I was opening myself up to some really expensive bills if things had gone wrong. I don't remember the exact amount, but the travel insurance policy I ended up taking out was really affordable."

Insurance expert

Cancellation policy by tour provider

Each tour provider has its own cancellation policy. Typically, the closer you are to the commencement of your trip, the more you have to pay in cancellation fees. If you need to cancel your trip unexpectedly (e.g. a relative passes away), this is where travel insurance comes in handy.

TourCancellation fee policyFee details
G Adventures
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
  • Fee charged is at discretion of G Adventures. Expressed as a percentage of the total price paid for the cancelled product.
Contiki
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
  • Greater than 45 days. Deposit is forfeited.
  • 45–22 days. 27.5% of tour cost.
  • 21–8 days. 33% of tour cost.
  • 7–1 days. 55% of tour cost.
  • Day of departure. 100% of tour cost.
Baz Bus
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins.
  • Greater than 60 days. 15% of tour cost.
  • 30–60 days. 50% of tour cost.
  • 10–29 days. 75% of tour cost.
  • 0–9 days. 90% of tour cost.
Vodkatrain
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Vodkatrain will only accept cancellations in writing.
  • Greater than 75 days. Deposit is forfeited.
  • 35–74 days. 50% of tour cost.
  • Less than 35 days. 100% of tour cost.
Busabout
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates also vary between tours.For all tours
  • 25% of booking price is the minimum fee

Based on Asia Adventures tour

  • Greater than 22 days. 25% of tour cost.
  • 15–21 days. 50% of tour cost.
  • Less than 14 days. 100% of tour cost.
Stray Asia
More info		Depends on how long between when you cancel and when you depart.
  • Greater than 8 days. 35% of fare.
  • 3–7 days. 50% of fare.
  • Less than 48 hours. 100% of fare.
Bamba Experience
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates may also vary between tours.Based on bus pass bookings
  • Greater than 60 days: Full refund available.
  • 30–59 days: 50% of tour cost.
  • Less than 29 days: 100% of tour cost.
Dragoman
More info		Depends on how many days between when you cancel and when your tour begins. 10% deposit is non-refundable.
  • Greater than 60 days: No cancellation fee.
Moose Travel Network
More info		Depends on how much time between when you cancel and when your tour begins. Cancellation fee rates will vary between tours from the west coast and east coast (of Canada).East coast tours
  • Greater than 14 days. 25% of tour cost.
  • 48 hours–14 days. 50% of tour cost.
  • Less than 48 hours. 100% of tour cost.

West coast tours

  • Greater than 48 hours. 20% of tour cost.
  • 24–48 hours. 50% of tour cost.
  • Less than 24 hours. 100% of tour cost.
Bundu Bus
More info		Depends on how much time between when you cancel and when the start date of your pass begins.
  • Greater than 30 days. 10% of pass cost.
  • Less than 30 days. 100% of pass cost.
  • If there is no start date selected. 5% of the pass cost.
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Moira Daniels as part of our fact-checking process.
Jessica Prasida's headshot
Publisher

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio

More resources on Finder

More guides on Finder

  • Bali travel insurance

    Compare Bali travel insurance quotes from over 16 brands.
  • InsureandGo Travel Insurance Review

    InsureandGo Travel Insurance can save you time with a comprehensive range of policies that are easy to digest and understand. Its policies include winter sports coverage plus both single and multiple trip policies.
  • Travel Insurance Saver

    Compare Travel Insurance Saver with other policies to see if they are right for you.
  • 2025: How to turn 20 days of annual leave into up to 63 days off

    Annual leave is precious, don't waste it! Here's the ultimate Australian travel hack to maximise your holidays in 2025.
  • ahm Travel Insurance

    Comprehensive review of the travel insurance policies on offer from ahm Travel Insurance.
  • Wedding insurance. Do you really need it?

    Getting married overseas and looking for some extra cover? Discover the benefits of a destination wedding travel insurance policy.
  • Travel insurance for children and under 18s

    Find out how to get travel insurance for children/under 18s travelling without the supervision of their parents and learn the terms and conditions for getting free child cover for your dependent child.
  • Medibank Travel Insurance

    Medibank is a leading travel insurance provider in Australia offering cover for international comprehensive, international medical only cover and more. Read the finder.com.au review for a breakdown of the policy and more.

  • Fiji travel insurance

    Ready to get moving? See quotes and compare travel insurance policies for Fiji from 14
    brands
  • Travel insurance for Europe

    Keep yourself and your belongings safe on your European escape by comparing insurance polices today.

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    Aiikay2006September 8, 2016

    Just wonder whether you have the figure for Malaysia, Indonesia,India, the Phillipines and Thailand….Being a Malaysian I think Malaysia is one of the most dangerous place to drive ! They have no road manners…very few of them care about speed limits…and few traffic police officers to enforce the law.

      AvatarFinder
      RichardSeptember 8, 2016Finder

      Hi Aiikay,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, we don’t have that data at the moment. We did recently look at dangerous roads in OECD countries frequented by Australians.

      All the best,
      Richard

Go to site