Overview
Tenerife is one of the most fascinating of the Canary Islands due to the great variety of landscapes it offers – from the mountains of the Teno Rural Park in the west to the lunar-like landscapes of Mount Teide National Park and Chinyero Volcano to the laurisilva woods of Anaga Rural Park on the east coast. Explore the best parts of Tenerife on foot, with an option to climb Mount Teide (3,718m), the highest peak in Spain, spending two nights in the iconic colonial-style Parador de Cañadas del Teide hotel at the foot of Mount Teide.
- Optional ascent Mount Teide
- Mount Teide National Park
- Iconic Parador Hotel at the foot of Mount Teide
- Teno Rural Park on the west coast
- Anaga Rural Park
- Corona Forestal Natural Park
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Tenerife
A private transfer of 30min from Tenerife South Airport to our comfortable hotel in Vilaflor (a transfer from North Airport or elsewhere in Tenerife can be arranged at extra cost). Vilaflor is the highest village of Tenerife, located at 1,000m above sea level, on the Southern edge of the Teide National Park.
- Overnight in Hotel Alta Montaña or similar
Day 2: Lunar Landscapes | 14km
In the morning, a taxi will drive you a few kilometres further north to start a nice and easy walk through a volcanic lunar landscape with bizarre rock formations. Walking along part of the Camino de Chasna, a five century-old trade trail, discover the dreamlike rock formations called “fairy chimneys”. This walk ends in the centre of the village of Vilaflor.
- Overnight in Hotel Alta Montaña or similar
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 14km, ↑475m ↓675m
Day 3: Las Cañadas del Teide / Mount Teide | 3-8km
In the morning – at 9:30 h, a taxi will take you to the Cañadas del Teide. This is an 18km wide old crater left after the first volcanic eruptions on Tenerife. After a short walk, you will take the cable car up to 3,200m and walk to the Vista Point Pico Viejo (3km, 75m up and down, 1h).
Should you have been able to secure a permit, you can extend your walk and climb to the summit*. The walk is short and not demanding, but it will be best to take it easy given the height. The ascent from the upper cable car station to the crater is 1.5km return, 100m ascent/descent. After returning to the cable car’s lower station, you can walk 5km to the iconic Parador Hotel. Evenings spent here are quite an experience. The clear and clean night skies provide wonderful star-gazing opportunities, and the restaurant serves Canarian specialities such as Canarian Puchero, a tasty stew. In the afternoon, you can also do an optional short walk in Parador’s surroundingsto Roques Garcia stones (5km, 250m up and down; approx. 2h).
*Our package DOES NOT include a climbing permit for the summit from the top cable car station (to avoid erosion of the soft volcanic rock, local authorities limit the number of hikers). Should you want to climb to the summit of Mount Teide, you should reserve a climbing permit here well in advance.
- Overnight in Parador Las Cañadas del Teide
- Walking for the day – Optional circular walks: up to 2h, 4.4km, ↑150m ↓1,350m
- Walking for the day – Optional walk to the Parador: up to 2h, 5km, ↑20m ↓250m
- Walking for the day – Mount Teide summit: up to 1h, 3km, ↑100m ↓100m
Day 4: Mount Guajara | 16km
Today you have plenty of time to do a demanding but rewarding ascent to Guajara (2,730m), the third-highest peak on Tenerife. Reaching the plateau on the top, enjoy views over Mount Teide, the caldera and, cloud-cover permitting, the neighbouring islands of Gran Canaria and La Gomera.
- Overnight in Parador Las Cañadas del Teide
- Walking for the day: 5h, 16km, ↑500m ↓500m
Day 5: Chinyero volcano – Garachico | 7.5-16km
This is a relatively easy walk as it is a descent of 1,600m all the way down from Chinyero Volcano to the coast at Garachico. Following the Camino de El Lance, the day starts with a transfer up to the trailhead, at a point where there are still trees, and from there on in, the terrain becomes much more barren and rocky. Chinyero erupted in 1909 and this landscape feels somehow locked in time. The day comes to a close in the 15th-century port town and former capital, Garachico, where you can cool off in some beautiful rock pools at El Caletón. There is also an option to do a shorter descent by asking the driver to leave you at La Montañeta, about halfway down the trail.
- Overnight in Hotel La Quinta Roja or similar
- Walking for the day: 4-6h, 7.5-16km, ↓600m/↓1600m
Day 6: Teno Rural Park | 8-15km
Early in the morning, a taxi will drive you (30min) to the village El Palmar to the start of a walk in the barren western part of the island. Your ascent begins at approx. 300m and takes you through open woodlands and farmed areas to a vista point higher up. From there, an optional section along steep barrancos to the tiny village of Teno Alto. Then you traverse a high plateau with bizarre vegetation (giant euphorbia plants). On clear days, you can enjoy views all the way to La Gomera. If it’s very windy or too warm, you can do the alternative route from Las Portelas, which is better protected and has more shade but offers equally good views. Private transfer at the end of the day (back to the hotel in Garachico).
- Overnight in Hotel La Quinta Roja or similar
- Walking for the day: 3.5/4.5h, 8/15km, ↑400/500m ↓400/500m (alternative route: 4/4.5h, 9/10.5km, ↑525/650m)
Day 7: Anaga Rural Park | 10-12km
During your last day, you will explore the Laurisilva woods in Anaga Rural Park, above the cliffs of the North-Eastern corner of the island, a completely different landscape of lush green vegetation and steep cliffs. A taxi will take you there in the morning and drop you off at either el Cruz de Carmen or Chamorga, where the walks start. Whichever walk you choose, the taxi will pick you up at the end of the day and drive you to the hotel in San Cristobal de la Laguna, another historical town with a vibrant centre with shops and restaurants.
- Overnight in Nivaria Hotel & Spa or similar
- Walking for the day: 4/4.5h, 10/12km, ↑650/400m ↓650/400m
Day 8: Departure
Transfer to Tenerife South Airport included.
What to expect
Accommodation
You will spend the nights in a mix of welcoming 3-star and 4-star hotels. All places have been carefully hand-picked by us, and their quality is regularly monitored. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Alta Montaña (Vilaflor)
- Parador Las Cañadas del Teide (Orotava)
- Hotel La Quinta Roja (Garachico)
- Nivaria Hotel & Spa (La Laguna)
Note that hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfasts on all days are included. Packed lunches are available at an extra cost and can be pre-ordered at the accommodations. On all nights you will have plenty of options to dine out. Please note that there are supplements for compulsory dinner on Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year’s Eve (30 & 31 December) in all hotels as well as brunch on 1 January at Hotel Nivaria.
Difficulty and terrain
Moderate day walks of 4-6h per day (excluding breaks) on hilly to mountainous areas using well kept, sometimes stony paths. On some days, there are alternate routes and/or ways to make walks shorter/easier. The walks follow rural tracks, both surfaced and unsurfaced, as well as hiking trails and footpaths. You may encounter some loose rock or muddy/slippery sections in wet weather (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available throughout the year. The flexibility of self guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your holiday on any date in the season. Please note that hotels will charge additional supplements during national holidays (e.g. Christmas and New Year’s Eve).
Tenerife is warm year-round with almost no rain and long days of sunshine. The temperature is among the most consistent anywhere in Europe. Temperatures rarely drop below an average of 24C throughout the year (but it can be much cooler at the top of Mount Teide – up to 11/12C with winds between 15/30km per hour; as you are over 3,000m up, it is far hotter at sea level hence you should always bring a warm jacket for the climb).
Getting there
Click to view travel options
Our recommended airport for this tour is Tenerife South (TFS). Complimentary arrival and departure transfers from/to Tenerife South are included. If you fly to Tenerife North, there will be a supplement for the transfer.
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation for 7 nights in welcoming 3 and 4-star hotels
- 7 breakfasts
- Private transfers from Tenerife South airport to Vilaflor and from La Laguna to Tenerife South airport
- Private transfers as per the itinerary on days two, three, five, six and seven.
- Luggage transfers on walking days
- Cable car return ticket on day three
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site.
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare
- Transfer from Tenerife North Airport, if needed
- Mount Teide summit climbing permit
- Compulsory dinner on 24-25 December, 30 and 31 December and brunch on 1 January
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
