At 3,715m, Teide is Spain's highest point and the third-largest volcano on Earth measured from its ocean-floor base. The cable car reaches a station at 3,555m in about eight minutes, and from there most of the crater rim is a short walk on marked paths. The actual summit cone needs a separate free-to-book permit that the cable car ticket does not include – confirmed against the operators' own pages on 18 August 2026.
Book both pieces before you fly if the summit itself matters to you: cable car slots and permit windows both run out in high season, and turning up without either gets you turned away at the door, not sold one on the spot.
Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Ticket & Transfer
A coach pickup from your hotel, a guided run up through the national park, and a round-trip cable car ticket bundled in – the version that works if you have no rental car and do not want to queue at the ticket office.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Round-trip cable car ticket bundled in
- Refunded for the cable car portion if wind closes it
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
Total price from
€92
Includes taxes and fees
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The cable car gets you to the rim, not the summit
The Teleférico del Teide runs every day of the year except 25 December, lifting you from the 2,356m base station to 3,555m. These are the operator's current published fares.
| Ticket | Non-resident | Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Return, adult | €42.00 | €10.50 |
| Return, child 3–13 | €21.00 | €5.25 |
| One way, adult | €23.50 | €5.88 |
The operator describes these as moving with demand and season, so treat the table as the current rate rather than a fixed price. Book online for an assigned time slot and arrive 20 minutes early – daily capacity is capped, and walking up without a booking in July or August is how people lose the whole day.
From the upper station, two free walking trails need no permit at all: to La Fortaleza viewpoint and to Pico Viejo, the second summit next to Teide's own cone. Both are short, both are on volcanic scree at altitude, and both are where most visitors get their photos.
The summit itself costs €15 and needs booking weeks ahead
Standing on the crater rim at the true summit means the Telesforo Bravo trail (PNT 10), and since a 2026 rule change it is no longer simply free. Non-residents pay €15 hiking independently or €10 as part of a guided group; under-14s and Tenerife residents go free. The trail runs in fixed two-hour windows through the day.
Since November 2024 a second set of permits has also applied to four descent trails (PNT07, PNT09, PNT23, PNT28). Plan a one-way ascent-and-walk-down route and you may be refused the ticket at the cable car counter without one of these too.
Getting there without losing half the day
Teide sits in the island's dead centre, and every route in climbs through switchbacks – budget the drive as part of the day out, not a warm-up to it.
- From Puerto de la Cruz (north): the TF-21 is the direct route, around 45km and about an hour.
- From Costa Adeje (south): either the TF-21 or the TF-38 via Chío and Santiago del Teide, roughly 55–70km and 1h15–1h20.
- Parking: free throughout the park, but the Cañada Blanca and cable car car parks fill by mid-morning in summer – arrive before 10:00 if you are self-driving for a midday slot.
Two visitor centres sit inside the park – El Portillo for arrivals from the north, Cañada Blanca by the Parador for arrivals from the south – both running free guided walks and selling permits over the counter if TenerifeON is fully booked online.
If you are not hiring a car for the whole trip, work out the airport leg first – the Tenerife airport transfer guide compares the bus, taxi and private-transfer options from both airports. Letting someone else drive the mountain roads is also an option: a jeep safari or a quad tour both reach the park without you behind the wheel, though neither replaces the cable car ticket or the summit permit.
Pack for altitude, not for the coast
The temperature at 3,555m has nothing to do with the temperature at your hotel. Expect a 15–20°C drop from the coast, wind at the upper station regardless of season, and thinner air that makes short walks feel harder than they look on a map. A jacket is not optional in any month.
The cable car itself also closes for high wind with no advance warning. Build a backup half-day into your itinerary if the summit is the whole point of your trip.
Sunset and stars: a separate trip, not a later one
Teide Observatory sits inside the national park, and after dark the same landscape becomes a stargazing site. The night tours are their own product rather than the daytime visit rescheduled, and most of them never reach the cable car station at all.
Our Teide stargazing tour guide compares the three formats on sale, what each one costs, and which of them sidesteps the cable car's altitude restrictions entirely.
Between the volcano, Siam Park and Loro Parque, and the Masca ravine, the full Tenerife things-to-do guide covers how to fit all four into a single trip without doubling back across the island.
FAQ – visiting Mount Teide
Featured image: H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
