18 Best Things to Do in Tenerife (2026): Prices, Hours & Tips
Tenerife's best things to do with 2026 prices: Teide cable car (€42), summit permit, Masca, Anaga, Siam Park and Loro Parque, and what to book ahead.
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Tenerife attraction prices and what to book (2026)
Tenerife's biggest sights mix paid attractions with protected trails that now need a booking, and several of those bookings are compulsory rather than just advisable. The table brings together the official prices for non-resident adults and children, the current visiting hours and whether you must reserve before you go. Canary Islands residents pay less, or nothing, at most of them. Prices for boat trips and guided tours depend on the operator, so compare them on the linked pages.
| Attraction | Adult | Child | Hours | Booking | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teide cable car (return) | €42 | €21 (3–13) | 09:00–17:00 from 25 Oct, last ascent 16:00; longer in summer | Online, recommended | 1–2 hours |
| Teide summit trail (Telesforo Bravo) | €15 | Free under 14 | Slots 09:00–17:00 | Compulsory, Tenerife ON, up to 56 days ahead | Plan around your slot |
| El Pijaral (Anaga) | Free | Free | 45 places a day | Compulsory, Tenerife ON, up to 14 days ahead | Half day |
| Barranco del Infierno | €15 | See official site | Entry 08:00–11:30 (16 Sep–31 May), 08:00–10:30 in summer | Compulsory, official site | 3 hours |
| Barranco de Masca | From €40.66 + boat | See official site | Descent only, Wednesday to Saturday | Compulsory, official site | Most of a day |
| Siam Park | €44 | €32 (3–11) | 10:00–17:00 from 30 Oct; 10:00–18:00 to 29 Oct | Not required | Full day |
| Loro Parque | €44 | €32 (3–11) | 09:30–17:30 | Not required | Full day |
| Siam Park + Loro Parque Twin Ticket | €78 | €57 | Valid 15 days from first visit | Not required | Two days |
| Charco del Caletón (Garachico) | Free | Free | Closed when the swell is up | No | 1–2 hours |
1. Watch whales and dolphins from Costa Adeje
The channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is one of the island's signature wildlife experiences. Most cruises leave from Puerto Colón or Los Cristianos, making this an easy half-day from the southern resorts. Choose a smaller boat with clear wildlife-welfare rules, and consider a morning departure if you prefer cooler conditions and usually calmer water.
Prefer an organised trip?
A half-day on the water
Consider the Costa Adeje catamaran for a shared cruise. Compare the passenger limit and hotel-transfer conditions in our boat guide; sightings are not guaranteed.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Check the full price, inclusions and cancellation terms before booking. The operator shows availability for your dates, not us.
2. Explore Teide National Park
Mount Teide and the surrounding lava landscape deserve at least half a day. You can drive through the national park, join a guided sunset and stargazing tour, or use the cable car when conditions allow. The cable car costs €42 return for non-resident adults and €21 for children aged 3–13, runs from 09:00, and stops when wind or ice make it unsafe, so check its status on the morning you go. Reaching the summit requires separate planning: since January 2026 the summit trail needs a Tenerife ON booking with a €15 fee for non-resident adults (children under 14 are exempt), and a cable-car ticket does not include it.
3. Hike through Anaga's laurel forest
Anaga Rural Park feels completely different from the dry south, with ancient laurel forest, sharp ridgelines and small villages. Cloud and temperature can change quickly, so carry a light layer and shoes with grip. A guided hike is useful if you want trail context and do not want to manage limited parking. The best-known section, El Pijaral, is an integral reserve with a separate free permit: 45 places a day, bookable only 14 days ahead, and no tours allowed inside.
4. Visit La Laguna and the north
San Cristóbal de La Laguna offers colourful historic streets, traditional courtyards and an easy link to the greener north of Tenerife. Pair it with viewpoints in Anaga, the gardens and seafront of Puerto de la Cruz, or the old town of La Orotava for a full day away from the resort strip.
5. Choose the right beach day
For calm water and resort facilities, look around Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. El Médano suits wind sports and a more relaxed town atmosphere, while the black-sand beaches of the north feel more dramatic. Check local flags and sea conditions before swimming because Atlantic currents vary by beach.
6. Plan a family day
Tenerife works well for families because many attractions and boat trips are close to the southern resorts. Build in one major activity rather than filling every hour, reserve shade breaks, and check age or height rules before buying tickets. A private airport transfer can also simplify arrival with luggage or child seats.
7. Drive down to Masca and the Teno massif
The road into Masca corkscrews through the Teno massif to a hamlet wedged into a ravine, and the drive is as much the attraction as the village. Parking is limited and the bends are tight, so arrive early or let a tour do the driving. The walk down the ravine to the sea is a separate, access-controlled activity with limited daily places and its own booking — do not turn up expecting to start it on the day.
8. See the Los Gigantes cliffs from the water
The cliffs drop several hundred metres straight into the Atlantic, and they look like a different place from a boat than from the viewpoint above. Sailings leave from the small harbour below the resort and usually combine the cliffs with a swim stop, often with cetaceans on the way out. Afternoons are breezier; if anyone in the group is prone to seasickness, take the morning departure.
9. Swim in the rock pools at Garachico
Garachico was buried by lava in 1706, and the eruption left El Caletón behind: a set of natural pools where the sea washes in over black rock. Whether you can swim depends entirely on the swell, and the pools are closed off when the Atlantic is up. Pair it with the old town, which kept enough of its architecture to remain one of the most attractive places on the north coast.
10. Stand under the drago at Icod de los Vinos
The Drago Milenario is a dragon tree of genuinely uncertain age — the thousand-year claim in its name is generous and specialists disagree — but it is still a remarkable thing to stand beneath. You can see it for free from the square below or pay to enter the park for a closer angle. Icod's old town and the wine bars around it justify the stop as much as the tree does.
11. Spend a day in Santa Cruz
The capital rarely makes resort itineraries and it should. The Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África is the best single room on the island for seeing Canarian produce, cheese and fish together; the Auditorio is worth the walk along the seafront; and Las Teresitas, a short bus ride out, is where the city actually swims rather than where the coaches stop.
12. Stargaze above the cloud layer
Teide National Park sits above the inversion layer that keeps the north coast cloudy, and the skies over it are protected as a Starlight Reserve. Guided stargazing runs from the park and the surrounding pine forest, generally with telescopes and transport included. It is cold at that altitude in every season, so take more layers than the temperature at your hotel suggests.
Prefer an organised trip?
An evening around Teide
Consider a sunset and stargazing tour if you prefer someone else to drive. Check pickup and dinner options. This is not a summit hike or a summit permit.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Check the full price, inclusions and cancellation terms before booking. The operator shows availability for your dates, not us.
13. Walk the Barranco del Infierno
The ravine above Adeje is the most accessible serious walk in the south, ending at a waterfall that ranges from impressive to a trickle depending on the season. Entry costs €15 for non-resident adults, places are limited and must be booked ahead on the official site, the last entry is at 11:30 from mid-September to May (10:30 in summer), helmets are issued at the entrance, and the route closes in heavy rain or high fire risk. Check the day before rather than on the morning you plan to go.
14. Give a full day to Siam Park or Loro Parque
These two dominate family itineraries, and they are both big enough that trying to fit them into one day wastes the price of each. Siam Park is a water park in the south, Loro Parque an animal park in the north, so the choice partly follows where you are staying. Each costs €44 for adults and €32 for children aged 3–11 on the official websites; the Twin Ticket for both is €78 per adult, valid for 15 days. Check height and age restrictions before buying, and plan a full day rather than a morning.
15. Climb to Vilaflor and the Paisaje Lunar
The road up from the south climbs through Canary pine forest to Vilaflor, one of the highest villages in Spain and the last settlement before the national park. From there a walking route reaches the Paisaje Lunar, pale eroded rock pillars that look nothing like the rest of the island. It is long and exposed with almost no shade, so start early and carry more water than feels necessary.
16. Eat in a guachinche in the north
A guachinche is a family opening part of their house for a season to sell the wine they made themselves, with a short menu of home cooking alongside it. They cluster in the northern wine municipalities, they open and close depending on how much wine is left, and many still take cash only. It is the best-value meal on the island and the least like a tourist experience.
17. Decide whether you want Carnival
Santa Cruz hosts one of the largest carnivals anywhere, usually in February, and the city gives over a fortnight to parades, street parties and the murga competitions locals care about most. Accommodation across the island prices up and books out well in advance. If crowds are the last thing you want, that is an equally good reason to check the dates before booking February flights.
18. Build a three-day Tenerife itinerary
Use day one for the south coast and whale watching, day two for Teide, and day three for La Laguna plus Anaga. With five to seven days, add the north coast, a beach day and a slower village or food stop. A rental car gives the most flexibility, but organised tours cover the headline sights without driving.
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one thing to do in Tenerife?
For most first-time visitors, Mount Teide National Park is the essential experience. Pair it with whale watching and Anaga to see Tenerife's volcanic, marine and forest landscapes.
How many days do you need in Tenerife?
Three days cover the main highlights at a fast pace. Five to seven days gives enough time for Teide, whale watching, Anaga, the north coast and relaxed beach time.
Can you explore Tenerife without a car?
Yes. The southern resorts are easy bases for organised tours and boat trips, while public buses connect the main towns. A car is most useful for flexible stops in Anaga, Teide and smaller villages.
Which Tenerife activities should be booked in advance?
Book Teide summit permits, popular cable-car times, small-group whale-watching cruises and peak-season airport transfers before arrival. Bookings are compulsory for the Teide summit trail, El Pijaral in Anaga, the Barranco del Infierno and the Masca ravine.
How much does the Teide cable car cost?
In 2026 a return ticket costs €42 for non-resident adults and €21 for children aged 3–13; one-way tickets are €23.50 for adults. The cable car does not include the summit trail, which needs a separate Tenerife ON booking and costs €15 for non-resident adults.
How much are Siam Park and Loro Parque tickets?
Each park costs €44 for adults and €32 for children aged 3–11 on the official websites, with under-3s free. The Twin Ticket for both parks is €78 per adult and €57 per child, valid for 15 days from the first visit.
Planning the rest of the trip? See everything on our Tenerife island page.
Continue planning
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