Hiking Teide with kids: your questions answered

You’re travelling to Tenerife with your family and thinking of hiking Teide with kids. Or are you already here and the volcano seems to call to you from afar, inviting you to discover it with your loved ones, but… are children allowed up Mount Teide?

Don’t worry: ascending to the peak of Mount Teide with children is not only possible but highly recommended because hiking Teide with kids is a great family activity and we’ve written this article to explain how you can do it. A reminder: under no circumstances are children under 6 permitted to ascend to the peak of Mount Teide due to the difficulty of the ascent and the reduced oxygen levels. However, if you have children under 6, we have other activities for hiking Teide with kids and we’ll give you all the details at the end of this article.

So read on because we’re going to tell you everything you need to know for hiking Teide with kids and ascending to the peak with the youngest members of the household (remember, 6 years old and above!) Say goodbye to those doubts.

Here we go!

Remember: a permit is needed to ascend to the summit of Mount Teide with or without children

Aside from one exception that we’ll describe in a moment, you always need a permit to ascend to the peak of Mount Teide—with or without children.

That’s right: National Park guards will ask to see your permit at the start of the trail that leads from the cable car top station to the crater of Mount Teide.

The only way to obtain one is to visit the National Parks’ website some time in advance and choose the date that you’d like to ascend to the summit of Mount Teide with kids.

The obstacles: Due to the high demand and small number of permits issued per day (200) you’ll need to plan your ascent several months in advance because they’re quickly snapped up. You’ll have to match the timing of the permit with your cable car tickets so they fit together.

Have you visited the National Parks’ website and seen that no permits are available? Don’t worry: the National Park reserves a number of permits for its official guides and at Volcano Teide we work with these guides. That means that we have access to a certain number of permits and can process yours for you, offer you a guide and take charge of booking your cable car tickets for the exact time you need, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Book the ascent to the peak with Cable Car now

Take a look at this comprehensive guide on how to get up Mount Teide peak if you would like further information about ascending to the peak of the volcano.

What to do if you can’t find a permit to ascend to the peak of Mount Teide with kids independently

You have two options: we’ve just described the first above—you let us process the permits for you. We do it with our Climbing the Teide Crater with the help of the Cable Car experience, which we’ll describe in a moment. Bear in mind that under-6s are not permitted on this experience for the reasons given above.

The second option is to ascend via Montaña Blanca—you won’t need a permit if you sleep in the Altavista Mountain Refuge. This is a tougher option that requires greater physical fitness so is not recommended if you are hiking Teide with kids. Here is an explanation of our experience:

Important notice: The Altavista Refuge is currently closed so please check availability before choosing this option.

Ascending to the peak of Mount Teide with children by cable car

The most popular option for hiking Teide with kids (6 years old and above) and adults.

We work with official National Park guides and therefore have access to a certain number of the 200 permits issued per day, so if you choose this activity you won’t need to book as far in advance as you would if you were organising the permits yourself.

The experience includes transport to the cable car base station and the tickets to ascend to the upper station, also known as La Rambleta. And best of all: in addition to travelling with an official National Park guide who will take you to the most fascinating features of the volcano, you won’t need to do a juggling act to match your permit and cable car ticket timings (which you’d have to do if you were booking independently.) We’ll take care of it all.

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The journey takes approximately 8 minutes and you’ll ascend 1,200 m on a thrilling journey upwards. Just picture it: the family all excited together, soaring over the slopes of a National Park that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simply stunning.

When you reach the upper station at an altitude of 3,555 m, the guide will take you to the start of the trail that leads to the peak of the volcano, the highest point in Spain.

After showing the guard your permits, you’ll set off to the crater of Mount Teide (ascending to an altitude of 3,718 m) along a path filled with unforgettable images. The guide will ensure you enjoy the experience from start to finish by sharing detailed explanations and fascinating facts.

The wild nature, the volcano’s scars, fumaroles and the scent of sulphur in the air are just the prelude to one of the most beautiful views in Europe.

And up there, at the peak of Mount Teide, time passes differently… There’s a sensation of boundless peace that will be appreciated by both children and adults.

Afterwards you’ll do the same journey in reverse to conclude the experience that is most coveted by travellers who decide to visit Mount Teide.

And a quick reminder: children under 6 are not permitted on this experience because up there, on the path that leads to the peak, they get worn out much faster due to the difficult trail and reduced oxygen levels compared to a lower altitude.

Ascend to the peak by cable car

Ascending to the peak of Mount Teide with children via Montaña Blanca

Please remember that the Altavista Refuge is currently closed so please check that the facilities have re-opened before hiking this trail without an access permit.

If you leave the trail that joins the upper station to the peak of Mount Teide before 9.00am you won’t need a permit to enter but there is one condition: spending the night at the Altavista Mountain Refuge. Otherwise, even if you ascend via Montaña Blanca, you’ll need a permit to access the trail to the crater.

You can reach the refuge by ascending to La Rambleta by cable car and walking down or using the cable car again, or hiking on foot along the trail that leaves from Montaña Blanca. To spend the night at the refuge booking in advance is essential. Remember, only 54 spaces are available every day and they’re in big demand.

The following morning you’ll get up early to head to La Rambleta and enter the trail. You’ll hike the trail without a guide and must leave before 9.00am.

We mentioned that under-6s weren’t allowed to ascend to the peak by cable car—well, this more demanding option is only recommended for travellers without children because, in addition to the difficult trail that leads to the crater and the lack of oxygen, it is also several kilometres and hours longer.

The Montaña Blanca trail is tough and only suitable for adults and young people who are physically fit. We don’t only mean children under 6 here, this applies to all children in general, young people and adults who aren’t used to doing demanding hiking trails that last for several hours. Here is detailed information about ascending to the peak of Mount Teide on foot via Montaña Blanca.

So the answer to the question about hiking Teide with kids and whether you can ascend to the peak via Montaña Blanca is yes, but always bearing in mind that we strongly recommend that it should only be done if you’re physically fit and aren’t travelling with small children.

Make it easy. Book an ascent to the peak with cable car

And if the children are under 6?

Hiking Teide with kids—what to do with under-6s? 

At Volcano Teide we have several options that can be enjoyed by the whole family during the day and also at sunset.

For example, you can do the guided tour to the Pico Viejo viewpoint, visit Teide Observatory, stargaze on Mount Teide using long-range telescopes, admire the sunset from on high or follow one of the trails that start from La Rambleta with an audio guide of Mount Teide.

We describe these options in greater detail in this article about visiting Mount Teide with children.

View activities and excursions in Tenerife with children

Restrictions to using the cable car for families with children

Below is a summary of the cable car age restrictions that are applicable to children. Adhering to these restrictions is compulsory. There are just two restrictions in place:

Children under 3

Children under 3 years of age are not permitted to ascend Mount Teide by cable car—for families with children this is important to remember. They are not permitted because their health could be put at risk by the high altitude. This restriction is also applicable to pregnant women. Kids who are 3 and above can use the Teide Cable Car—children will love the experience!

Children under 8 

Children under 8 may not take part in any of the night activities that involve using the cable car. For families with children under 8, one of our day activities will be a better choice. At Volcano Teide we run activities that take place right at the end of the day and at nightfall that include the cable car, for example our Sunset & Stars on Mount Teide experience.

So, on the Sunset & Stars activity with Teide Cable Car children under 8 are not permitted. However, from this age upwards this experience means guaranteed fun for all.

Book now the ascent to the peak of Mount Teide with Cable Car

Table of admission by age

Not sure which to choose?

There are so many options!

Of course, Mount Teide has so much to offer children and adults. You could even visit twice on consecutive days!

So you can view all our experiences at a glance, we’ve created a weekly calendar with all our activities:

If your plans include hiking Teide with kids or ascending to the peak with your children, we hope we’ve helped you to choose the best option for your family.