Key details
Why ride the Teide cable car?
In eight minutes you go from the base station at 2,356 m to 3,555 m, and the changing landscape through the window is the best part of the ride. At the top, on a clear day, you see La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro floating above a sea of clouds. On a hazy day, you see grey. That is the lottery and it is worth knowing: the postcard view exists but is not guaranteed, and nobody refunds you for haze.
Capacity is limited and in high season tickets go fast, especially the mid-morning slots. We book them in advance so you have a place on the day you want, instead of queueing at the ticket office to be told there is nothing left. If the wind picks up the cable car closes: in that case we speak to them and move your date.
Watch out for a mix-up that ruins a lot of days: the cable car ticket leaves you at the upper station, not at the crater. To walk up to 3,718 m you need a separate National Park permit, requested well in advance and independent of the ticket. We can arrange it if you want the full summit, but tell us early: it is not something you sort out the week of your trip.
Included
- Booking and management of cable car tickets
- Return transfer from South Tenerife (if booked)
- Free time at the upper station for photos and views
- Activity insurance
Not included
- Food and drinks (café at the base station)
- Crater ascent permit (optional, separate price)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, and this is not a sales line: capacity is limited and in summer or Easter the good slots go days or weeks ahead. Turning up at the ticket office without a booking in high season usually means a two-hour drive for nothing. We get them for you.
How long do you spend at the top?
As long as you like: the cabins run continuously and there is no assigned return time. Most people stay between half an hour and an hour, which is what you comfortably last: at 3,555 m you feel the altitude and it is colder than it looks from below. There are two short trails from the upper station if you want to stretch the visit.
Do I need to bring warm clothes?
Yes, and more than people expect. Up there it can be 10 to 15 degrees colder than on the coast, plus wind. Always a jacket, even if you leave in a t-shirt. In winter, several layers, and be aware it can close for snow or strong wind.
Can I do the park and the cable car on the same day?
Yes, and it is what we recommend: the park in the morning (Las Cañadas, Los Roques, the Parador) and the cable car in the afternoon, or the other way round depending on your cabin slot. What does not fit is squeezing another excursion into that day: Teide takes the whole day once you count getting up and back.