Climbing Teide: summit permits, cable car and the walk up

Teide is the volcano at the heart of Tenerife and, at 3,715 m, the highest point in Spain. Measured from the ocean floor it rises about 7,500 m, which makes it one of the tallest volcanic structures on Earth (Wikipedia). Around it lies Las Cañadas, a vast caldera of lava flows, pumice and eroded rock, protected since 1954 as Teide National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 (Turespaña).

Getting to the very top takes some planning. A cable car carries visitors to La Rambleta at 3,555 m, but the final 160 m to the crater rim are on a short, steep path that needs a free or paid reservation booked weeks ahead. You can also walk the whole way up from the road at Montaña Blanca, which needs its own reservation.

What you see on the way up#

The cable car climbs 1,199 m from its base station at 2,356 m in under eight minutes, swinging over black and ochre lava fields with the flat floor of Las Cañadas spreading out below. At the top station, La Rambleta, three short paths fan out across the upper cone.

The summit path, PNT 10 Telesforo Bravo, is named after the Canarian geologist who founded the study of the islands' volcanoes. It is only 0.69 km long but climbs 172 m at an average gradient of 25.7 percent, over loose volcanic rock (PNT 10 route). Near the top you smell sulphur and see steam from fumaroles, a reminder that Teide is still an active volcano, and a rare endemic plant, the Teide borriza, grows in the warm ground around the vents. From the crater rim the view takes in the whole island, the neighbouring cone of Pico Viejo (3,414 m) and, on many mornings, a sea of cloud far below.

Without a summit permit you can still walk one of two viewpoint paths from La Rambleta, which normally need no reservation when open. PNT 11 leads 0.61 km (about 25 minutes) to the Mirador de La Fortaleza, looking over the north of the island and the trade-wind clouds on its slopes, with Gran Canaria on the horizon on clear days. PNT 12 runs 730 m (about 30 minutes) to the Mirador de Pico Viejo, above that volcano's 800 m-wide crater and the lava of the 1798 Narices del Teide eruption (PNT 11; PNT 12).

Three ways to plan the climb#

The cable car is the choice for most visitors. Book the ascent for about 30 minutes before your PNT 10 slot, as the operator recommends, and you have time for the summit and a viewpoint within the two-hour limit.

Reserving the summit path#

Summit permits for PNT 10, and walking permits for PNT 07, are booked on Tenerife ON. A new week is released every Monday at 07:00 Canary Islands time, so the calendar always shows 56 days ahead. Bookings can be for one person or a group of up to 15. Carry the permit on paper or on your phone together with your passport or ID card, because it is checked at the start of the trail (park reservations; PNT 10 booking).

Since 19 January 2026, the busiest hours carry a fee for anyone who does not live on Tenerife (Cabildo fee notice):

Children under 14 are free on PNT 10. A free booking is still a booking: you need the reservation whatever you pay.

The cable car: times, prices and rules#

The operator's timetable changes through the year. From 1 to 13 October 2026 it runs 09:00 to 18:00 (last ascent 17:00, last descent 17:50); from 14 to 24 October until 17:30; and from 25 October to 31 December 09:00 to 17:00, with the last ascent at 16:00 and the last descent at 16:50. A return ticket costs €42 for adults and €21 for children aged 3 to 13; residents of the Canary Islands pay €10.50 and €5.25. One-way tickets are half price. The base-station car park opens at 08:00 and closes about an hour after the cable car stops.

A few rules matter on the day. Be at the boarding area 20 minutes before your ticket time, or you lose your place. Descent times are not reserved: you join the queue when your time at the top is up. Walkers arriving on foot can buy a descent-only ticket at the top station by QR code, but only while the cable car is running. If the cable car stops for wind, ice or a technical fault, everyone at the top walks down on steep mountain paths (ticket conditions). For the same reason the operator does not admit pregnant women, children under three, people with heart conditions or serious health problems, or people with reduced mobility.

Walking up from Montaña Blanca#

PNT 07 is the classic ascent on foot: 8.2 km one way, about 5 hours 30 minutes, with 1,309 m of climbing from 2,348 m to 3,535 m. It starts on the TF-21 at kilometre 40.6, follows a broad track past Los Huevos del Teide, huge round "accretion balls" of lava, then climbs the old summit path past the Altavista refuge, where some pitches exceed 60 percent. The broom of the lower slopes gives way above 3,400 m to alpine plants such as the Teide violet (PNT 07 route).

The PNT 07 permit covers the walk to La Rambleta and back on foot only; continuing to the summit needs a separate PNT 10 slot. The trail is controlled around the clock, and wardens check equipment at the start. Under the regulation in force since November 2024, mountain boots, long trousers, a warm jacket, gloves and a hat (especially in winter) and water are compulsory; the park also asks for a thermal blanket and a torch. Breaking the rules can cost a €600 fine, plus rescue charges of €2,000 to €12,000 (access regulation).

Weather alerts close the trails. Under an official pre-alert the paths shut between 16:00 and 09:00; under an alert they close completely, and the park can close them for ice, snow or wind even if you hold a permit. Only plan to descend by cable car if you are also prepared to walk all the way down.

Altitude and season#

The top of Teide is high enough for altitude to matter, especially if you arrive from the coast in a single morning by car and cable car. Headache, nausea and unusual tiredness are the usual signs; the cure is to go down (CDC). Walk slowly, drink water and turn back if someone feels unwell.

The park is busy all year, with a record 5.2 million visitors in 2024 (Wikipedia). Summer brings strong sun and long cable-car hours; winter can bring snow and ice that close the summit path and the walking routes.

A suggested day#

Drive up early through Las Cañadas, stopping at the Roques de García, a cluster of volcanic rocks carved by erosion. Take a mid-morning cable car timed 30 minutes before your PNT 10 slot, climb to the crater, then walk PNT 11 or PNT 12 if time allows before descending. Allow a full day if you plan to walk up PNT 07.

Permits, fees and cable-car times were checked on 8 October 2026.