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Book with Tenerife ON
Web or app tenerifeon.es, free registration. The old Spanish national-parks portal no longer issues the Teide summit.
Mount Teide
Down on the coast a grey lid often hangs over the island.
The road leads straight through it.
Then it opens: the sea of clouds from above – and above it the highest mountain in Spain.
And at night the sky belongs to the stars.
Photo: Papm1949 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything new since 2026The last 160 metres are reservation-only
The cable car takes anyone to 3,555 metres. The trail from there to the crater – 660 metres, about 55 minutes – needs a reservation around the clock. The Cabildo de Tenerife rebuilt the system completely in 2025/2026; almost every guide online still describes the old one.
closed
Teide cable car todayOperating status · checked on 2026-09-22 · Teleférico del Teide
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300 places a day, six windows
At most 50 people on the trail at once. New places every Monday at 7 a.m. Canary time, at most 56 days ahead. The 11 a.m.–1 p.m. window has the most free places.
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ID and kit are checked
The reservation is valid only for the people named on it. Mandatory even in high summer: long trousers, a warm layer, mountain or trekking boots with tread.
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Without a reservation it gets expensive
Fines of up to €600 under the Canary Islands nature-protection law. All ascent trails on foot, such as via Montaña Blanca, are reservation-only too.
| Summit reservation, time slot between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. · 6–9 a.m. and 6–10 p.m. free of charge | €15 |
| Cable car return, adults · children aged 3–13 €21 | €42 |
| Montaña Blanca ascent trail, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., weekdays / weekends | €6 / €10 |
| Refugio de Altavista mountain hut, one night – trail reservations included | €71 |
Photo: Mike Peel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andys · CC BY 3.0
Two bookings that have to fit togetherHow to reach the summit
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Monday, 7 a.m. Canary time
That is when new places appear on Tenerife ON, at most 56 days ahead. Secure the summit window first – it is the bottleneck.
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Cable car to match
Time the ascent so you are at the top when your summit window opens. With a summit reservation you may stay two hours at the top station, otherwise one.
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Checkpoint at La Rambleta
At the post at 3,555 m your reservation, ID and kit are checked: long trousers, warm layer, mountain boots with tread.
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660 metres, about 55 minutes
The Telesforo Bravo trail climbs 160 metres in thin air. When your window ends you must leave the trail.
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When the wind comes
If the cable car stops, the day is gone: rebook or get a refund. If the trail is closed, the system cancels the reservation automatically.
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No place left?
The edge windows 6–9 a.m. and 6–10 p.m. (free, but on foot only as the cable car is not running), a night at the Refugio de Altavista – or a guided tour with its own quota.
Photo: Axel Cotón Gutiérrez · CC BY-SA 4.0
The honest sumDo it yourself or book a tour?
On your own
Cable car €42 plus summit reservation €15. You need a hire car, two bookings that fit together and luck with the wind. If you only want the top station, you can skip the reservation.
per person, with summit€57
With a tour
Day tour with cable-car ticket and transfer from €92 – without the summit. Guided summit tours use the guide quota but are rare and expensive. The evening programme with sunset and stars depends on no quota at all.
per personfrom €35
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
When the cable car stopsSunset and stars
In wind the cable car does not run – it happens often, and then the summit is gone too. The evening programme in the national park depends on no quota: sunset above the sea of clouds, then stargazing. It is among the most-booked Teide experiences.
Evening programmeTenerife: sunset and stargazing in Teide National Park3 hours · ★ 4.7 from 3,617 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€35
Tenerife: Teide tour with cable-car ticket and transfer7 hours · ★ 4.3 from 6,036 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€92
El Teide National Park: dinner, sunset and stargazing3.5 hours · ★ 4.5 from 2,505 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€55
Tenerife: Teide National Park, Masca, Icod and Garachico9 hours · ★ 4.6 from 2,966 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€58
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 21.09.2026. If the cable car is cancelled you can rebook or get a refund – ask the operator what applies to tours.
Photo: Curd-Christian Tengeler/IAU OAE · CC BY 4.0
Good to knowGetting there, best time, tips
Getting there
By car: Access via the TF-21 (from La Orotava or Vilaflor), TF-24 (La Esperanza) or TF-38 (Chío). The base-station car park is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (summer until 7:40 p.m.), outside those hours only for participants of the evening tours. Planned but not yet in force on 21 September 2026: access control at the park entrances La Esperanza, La Orotava and Vilaflor/Chío (announced for late 2026), 500 reservation-only parking spaces (free for residents, paid for visitors) and from 2027 a shuttle network of 28 buses from Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna, Costa Adeje and Puerto Santiago (about €7 for visitors).
Best time to go
Cable car: the first rides from 9 a.m. – fewer crowds and usually clearer views before cloud and wind build in the afternoon. Summit: the 11 a.m.–1 p.m. window has the most private daily places (50); the 6–9 a.m. and 6–10 p.m. windows are free of charge but require a climb on foot or a night in the hut, because the cable car does not run then. In winter expect closures and mandatory crampons. For summer and holiday periods book on Mondays at 7 a.m. Canary time (8 a.m. CEST), as soon as the new quota is released.
Who it suits
- Children
- Cable car from age 3; under-16s only accompanied by an adult. Summit trail likewise from age 3. Children are exempt from the summit fee.
- Minimum age
- 3 years (cable car and summit trail), 14 years at the Refugio de Altavista
- Fitness
- The summit trail is short but steep (up to 60 % gradient) and starts at 3,550 m – the authority classes it as a high-mountain route requiring sure-footedness and experience. The ascent on foot via Montaña Blanca is officially rated difficult.
- Altitude
- Because of the rapid ascent to 3,555 m, dizziness, headache and heavy fatigue are common. Walk slowly, take breaks, descend if symptoms appear.
- Heart and lungs
- The operator does not carry people with cardiovascular conditions or pregnant women; the access rules declare the summit trail unsuitable for anyone with heart, respiratory or mobility problems.
- Wheelchair
- Trails on the volcano are not accessible (Tenerife ON: «Inaccesible para PMR»). The cable car excludes people with reduced mobility because of the evacuation procedures.
- Dogs
- Prohibited on the summit trail and in the cable car, assistance dogs excepted.
- Clothing
- Mandatory on PNT 10: long trousers (worn or in the pack) and a fleece or equivalent warm jacket – explicitly in summer too. On the ascent trails PNT 07, 09, 23, 28 additionally mandatory: charged phone, survival blanket, water, hat and gloves, head torch or torch with spare batteries. Recommended: windproof jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, energy bars.
- Footwear
- Mountain boots (ideally ankle-high) or closed trekking shoes with a grippy sole are mandatory; Tenerife ON shows suitable and unsuitable models in a PDF. On ice and snow, 10- or 12-point crampons and, depending on conditions, an ice axe.
Tips you will need on site
- Secure the summit reservation first, then time the cable-car ticket so the ascent starts 30–60 minutes before your summit window opens – the two bookings are independent and are not coordinated for you.
- Mondays at 7:00 a.m. Canary time is when new places appear. Register with Tenerife ON beforehand – nothing works without an account.
- Bring your original ID card or passport; names on the reservation are checked, and a mismatch forfeits access.
- Pack long trousers, a fleece and sturdy shoes even in August – anyone arriving in shorts and trainers is turned away at the checkpoint with no refund.
- Check the cable-car status on the operator's site in the morning. If it is cancelled, keep the cancellation e-mail: it lets you reclaim the summit fee.
- No summit places left? Guided tours by accredited guides have their own quota (30 places at 9–11 a.m., 10 at 1–3 p.m.).
- If you cannot make it, cancel – unused reservations can lead to a three-month booking ban.
- With a summit reservation the stay at the top is limited to 2 hours; do not cut the descent too fine, and know the last ride down.
A short history
- The national park was founded on 22 January 1954 and covers 189.9 km².
- It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 28 June 2007.
- With more than 4 million visits a year (2023: 4,463,281) it is the most-visited national park in Spain.
- The summit trail is named after the Canarian geologist Telesforo Bravo, regarded as the founder of volcanology on the islands.
- Fumaroles vent at the crater rim; the plant Borriza del Teide, found nowhere else, grows there.
- After two deaths from hypothermia and a rising number of rescues, the Cabildo introduced mandatory reservations, clothing rules and checkpoints on the ascent trails in 2024/2025.
- At the turn of 2025/2026 the issuing of summit permits passed from the national park reservation centre to the island platform Tenerife ON; since 19 January 2026 non-residents pay a fee for the first time.
- The Refugio de Altavista was closed from 2020 until 20 July 2026 and since its renovation runs on solar power (59.5 kWp) instead of helicopter-delivered fuel.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
NearbyMore volcanoes in the Canaries
Outdated onlineWhat other sites get wrong
“You apply for the summit permit at reservasparquesnacionales.es.”
Outdated. Under the Cabildo's resolution of 7 October 2025 issuing runs via Tenerife ON; old permits were valid until 31 December 2025.
“The permit is free.”
Since 19 January 2026 only for residents of Tenerife, children and in the edge windows. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. visitors pay €15.
“Before 9 a.m. you can reach the summit without a permit.”
Wrong. The reservation is mandatory around the clock; the 6–9 a.m. window is its own quota, 80 % reserved for hut guests.
“You have to book months in advance.”
Impossible: the system releases at most 56 days, every Monday at 7 a.m.
“The Refugio de Altavista is closed.”
True until July 2026. Since 20 July 2026 the hut is open again.
Quick questionsBefore the ride up
Do I need a permit for the Teide summit?
Yes, for the last 660 metres from the cable-car top station to the crater a personal reservation for a fixed time slot is mandatory – at any time of day or night. Booking is via Tenerife ON.
Can I climb Teide without a guide?
Yes, there is no guide requirement. If no private places are left you can fall back on guided tours, which have their own quota.
Is the cable car worth it without the summit?
Yes. From the top station at 3,555 m two short trails without a reservation lead to the La Fortaleza and Pico Viejo viewpoints.
When is the best time?
The first rides from 9 a.m.: fewer crowds and usually clearer views before cloud and wind build in the afternoon.
Is Teide an active volcano?
It is dormant. The Canary Islands' volcanic traffic light for Tenerife is green; despite recurring earthquake swarms the Canary government saw no short-term eruption risk in summer 2026.
How much does the Teide permit cost in 2026?
Visitors without Canary residency pay €15 per person if the slot is between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The 6–9 a.m. and 6–10 p.m. windows are free, as are children and residents of Tenerife. The cable-car ticket (€42 return) is separate.
How far in advance do I have to book the summit?
New places appear every Monday at 7:00 a.m. Canary time, bookable at most 56 days ahead. There are about 300 places a day across six windows. In high season it pays to be online at the moment of release.
How long is the walk from the cable car to the summit?
The island administration allows about 55 minutes for the 660 metres and 183 metres of ascent at moderate fitness. With a summit reservation you may stay up to two hours in total at the top station, without one, one hour.
What clothing is required on Teide?
On the summit trail long trousers, a warm layer such as a fleece, and mountain or trekking shoes with tread are checked, even at the height of summer. On the long ascent trails a phone, survival blanket, water, hat, gloves and a torch are added as mandatory. Without this kit you are turned away despite a reservation.
Can children ride the cable car up Teide?
From age three, yes; younger children are not carried because of the altitude. Under-16s need an adult with them. The same minimum age of three applies to the summit trail.
What happens if the cable car is cancelled for wind?
The cable-car ticket can be rebooked or refunded free of charge. The summit reservation does not move with it, but the €15 can be reclaimed by e-mail to Tenerife ON if you present the operator's cancellation notice. The operator's site shows the day's status every morning.
Is the Refugio de Altavista open again?
Yes, since 20 July 2026. A night costs visitors from €71, there are 49 places, and the booking includes the necessary reservations for the ascent trail and the early-morning summit. Your own sleeping bag is required, minimum age 14.
Is Teide dangerous or currently active?
The volcanic traffic light for Tenerife is green. In 2026 there were repeated earthquake swarms under Las Cañadas, but the scientific committee of the PEVOLCA civil-protection plan saw no short-term eruption risk in August 2026. The real dangers for visitors are altitude, cold and sudden weather changes.
What is the fine without a permit?
Anyone found on a reservation-only trail without a reservation risks a fine of up to €600. If a rescue is needed as well and the mandatory kit was missing, it can cost more.
Can I still drive a hire car into Teide National Park?
As of 21 September 2026, yes – the roads through the park are open. The Cabildo has announced access controls, reservation-only parking and shuttle buses – the controls for late 2026, the buses from 2027. Check the latest announcements before you travel.
Sources · accessed on 21 September 2026
- Tenerife ON – summit-trail booking, time slots, fees
- Cabildo de Tenerife – resolutions R0000111121 (7 October 2025) and R0000124379 (17 April 2026)
- Teleférico del Teide – prices, operation, cancellations
- Refugio de Altavista – reopening 20 July 2026
- Photos: Papm1949 (CC BY-SA 4.0), C.-C. Tengeler/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0), Mike Peel (CC BY-SA 4.0), Andys (CC BY 3.0), Axel Cotón Gutiérrez (CC BY-SA 4.0), Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de), Curd-Christian Tengeler/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0), Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de), via Wikimedia Commons
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