Eight minutes. That's how long the Teide cable car takes to lift you from the base station, at 2,356 metres, up to the top station at 3,555 metres — the highest point in Spain you can reach without walking. Before booking, it helps to untangle two things people often mix up: the ticket price isn't the same depending on how you buy it, and reaching the top station isn't the same as standing on the actual summit.
The first is buying a standalone ticket on the official Volcano Teide website: you need to book a day and time slot in advance, because capacity is limited and it sells out in high season. You'd have to make your own way to the base station, deep inside the national park.
The second is an all-in-one tour: a coach with an official guide picks you up at your hotel, your return cable car ticket is already booked, and you get free time at the top to walk the open-access trails. It's the easy option if you don't want to drive through Las Cañadas yourself or risk showing up on a sold-out day.
The Teide tour with cable car and transfer costs €92 per adult and lasts 7 hours, with pickup from 56 points across the north and south of the island. It includes the return cable car ticket, the Teide Legend digital audio guide and access to the "Science and Legend" exhibition. If the cable car closes for strong wind — it happens several days a year — the tour still runs via an alternative route and the cable car portion is refunded.
If heights aren't your thing, you're worried about altitude sickness, or you'd rather see more villages along the way, the Teide, Icod, Garachico and Masca tour drives through the national park — with a stop in Las Cañadas — and continues to the thousand-year-old Drago tree in Icod, Garachico and the Masca hamlet. It doesn't include the cable car, lasts 8 hours and costs €59 per adult.
This is the most common mix-up. From the top cable car station you can walk without any permit along two open trails: one to the Pico Viejo viewpoint, overlooking an 800-metre-wide crater, and one to La Fortaleza, looking out over the north of the island. That already gets you the panorama most visitors are after.
What does require a permit is continuing along the Telesforo Bravo trail to the true summit, at 3,718 metres, the highest point in Spain. It's a free permit issued by the national park, with a limited number of daily slots, so if your plan is to stand on the actual summit you need to apply for it ahead of your trip — you can't get one on the spot at the top station.
How much does the Teide cable car cost? A standalone ticket is bought on the official website, with a day and time slot booked in advance. The easy alternative is the all-in-one tour with cable car, transport and guide included for €92 per adult.
Can you go up Teide without a permit? Yes, up to the top cable car station and the Pico Viejo and La Fortaleza viewpoints. Only the true summit (3,718 m) requires the Telesforo Bravo trail permit.
How do I get the permit for Pico del Teide? It's a free national park permit with a limited number of slots each day. You need to apply for it in advance, before your visit.
Still planning your Tenerife trip? Discover the hamlet of Masca, the Cueva del Amor, or browse all our Tenerife excursions.
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