Description
A night excursion to Mount Teide that you’re certain to find fascinating.
Much has been said about the spectacular landscape of the Teide National Park, but the transformation it undergoes when the sun sets is rarely mentioned. Our Mount Teide Night Tour wants to show you exactly that: the array of colours that adds beauty to the horizon at sunset and dyes the sky dark to expose 83 of the 88 constellations known to man.
On your way up to the peak, you will see how the plant life changes with the increasing altitude. The transformation in the landscape as you climb is truly astonishing—you will feel as if you have crossed several continents in a walk of no more than one or two hours. Depending on the route you take, you will cross rural landscapes, laurel woods and pine forests. On Las Cañadas, you will find types of broom, laburnum, rosalillo de cumbre (Pterocephalus lasiospermus), and flixweed—just a few of the plants that thrive most prolifically on Tenerife’s high scrublands.
If you’re in luck, you will see tiny, harmless bats fluttering around you as the sun sets. These winged mammals have spent the day hiding in the National Park’s underground network of volcanic tunnels. The volcanic tunnels are the channels through which lava once flowed, and they are the kingdom of the troglofauna. These small invertebrates are mostly blind as they live in complete darkness, but their other sensory organs have developed great sensitivity, so they have exceptional sense of smell, touch or hearing. The majority of them are endemic to Las Cañadas, and a few are found exclusively in one particular volcanic tunnel, and nowhere else in the entire world.
If you want to ascend Mount Teide at night, with the help of the Cable Car, and watch the sunset from an altitude of 3,555 metres, we recommend the activity Sunset & Stars (Sunset and Stars on Teide), which, in addition to cable car tickets, also includes an astronomical observation using long-range telescopes.
A Mount Teide Night Tour with sunset and astronomical observation
Before you begin your stargazing experience, you will have toured a good part of the National Park and, from some impressive viewing point you will have seen a sunset that will remain in your memory for many years to come. In the dying light, the volcanic landscape takes on colours and hues of the utmost beauty. The spectacular, oval Las Cañadas caldera (one of the biggest volcanic calderas in the world with a perimeter of 45 km) spreads out before your eyes. In its centre stands Mount Teide, an immense stratovolcano, rising to 3,718 m. Everywhere you look, you will see all kinds of lava deposits clothing large areas of the caldera, the product of eruptions stretching back over thousands of years.
During your tour, you will see rounded volcanic cones covered in pumice stone, others covered in charcoal and ash, some turned black or a reddish colour by oxidisation, tongues of lava that hang from the sides of the volcanoes, and huge blocks of stone (in which you can see traces of gleaming obsidian) strewn haphazardly around. To tour Las Cañadas, before your exploration of the planets and galaxies, is to take a geological journey back over 180,000 years in one of Earth’s most remarkable volcanic landscapes. And if there happens to be a full moon, you will discover the most amazing lunar landscape.
It also includes a stop for a meal. You choose whether you prefer to bring your own food or buy our optional picnic.
Can you think of a better way of visiting Mount Teide by night than on this excursion?
Highlights...
- Mount Teide Night Tour
- Stargazing on Mount Teide using professional equipment
- Behold the sunset from a viewpoint in the National Park
- Let certified astronomical guides unravel the sky’s mysteries for you
- Visit Mount Teide by night on a trip to one of the three best skies in the world to gaze at the stars
What's included...
- Round-trip transportation from a meeting point near your hotel
- Professional observation of the Universe using long-range telescopes
- Certified Starlight guide in Spanish or English
- Sunset from a viewpoint before the astronomical observation
- Picnic (optional)
What's not included...
- Starlight guide in other language than indicated
- Teide Cable Car tickets
Book
- Round-trip transportation from a meeting point near your hotel in southern Tenerife
- Professional observation of the Universe using long-range telescopes
- Certified Starlight guide in Spanish or English
- Sunset from a viewpoint before the astronomical observation
- Picnic
- Starlight guide in other language than indicated
- Teide Cable Car tickets
- Round-trip transportation from a meeting point near your hotel in northern Tenerife
- Professional observation of the Universe using long-range telescopes
- Certified Starlight guide in Spanish or English
- Sunset from a viewpoint before the astronomical observation
- Picnic
- Starlight guide in other language than indicated
- Teide Cable Car tickets
- Round-trip transportation from a meeting point near your hotel in southern Tenerife
- Professional observation of the Universe using long-range telescopes
- Certified Starlight guide in Spanish or English
- Sunset from a viewpoint before the astronomical observation
- Starlight guide in other language than indicated
- Picnic
- Teide Cable Car tickets
- Round-trip transportation from a meeting point near your hotel in northern Tenerife
- Professional observation of the Universe using long-range telescopes
- Certified Starlight guide in Spanish or English
- Sunset from a viewpoint before the astronomical observation
- Starlight guide in other language than indicated
- Picnic
Teide Cable Car tickets
+ Information
The schedule depends on the collection point which you indicate when making your reservation, and varies throughout the year, depending on the sunset time. Once you have formalised your reservation, we will inform you of the pick-up time and location.
Would you like to know your assigned pick-up time?
To make the most of your Mount Teide Night Tour, please follow our recommendations:
- Wear warm, comfortable clothing and proper footwear.
- If you have health problems, consult with your doctor before undertaking this activity.
-
Children under 8 are cannot participate in the Mount Teide by night trip. Proof of age is required.
- Pets are not allowed.
- All our guides are astronomical guides certified by the Starlight Foundation.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PRODUCE THE BOOKING CONFIRMATION, EITHER PRINTED OR DISPLAYED ON A MOBILE DEVICE.
Reservations may be cancelled or the date of the Mount Teide Night Tour may be changed free of charge up to 24 hours prior to the activity. After this period, 100% of the amount will be charged.
If it is not possible to carry out the entire activity due to adverse weather conditions, the full amount shall be reimbursed. If weather conditions prevent the astronomical observation from taking place, €40 for adults and €35 for children shall be reimbursed.
Date changes are valid for 1 year provided that the vouchers have not been redeemed. Up to 3 changes are permitted.
Check our Terms and conditions for information on other reasons for cancellation.
Parking
This Teide by night excursion includes round-trip transportation from your hotel.
Café/Restaurant
No.
Toilets
There are public toilets at the Teide Cable Car’s base station.
In case of tickets which include a discount for children, a supporting document is required to prove entitlement to discount.
We have two different options. Upon completion of the purchase process, please indicate in the comment box provided, which picnic would you prefer us to include in your reservation.
Cured meat picnic
Includes:
- Water or soft drink
- Sandwich: cured meat and cheese
- Sweet treat
Vegetarian picnic
Includes:
- Water or soft drink
- Veggie sandwich
- Sweet treat
Where to find us
Frequently asked questions
The Night Excursion to Teide lasts about 6.5 hours.
The sunset is always enjoyed from one of the best viewpoints in Teide National Park; the viewpoint chosen to watch the sunset depends on the time of year and/or weather or visibility conditions.
You will conduct the astronomical observation included in this excursion in a lay-by area next to the cable car facilities.
The telescopes that we use for Mount Teide Night Tour’s astronomical observation are: Celestron CPC 9.25″ Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and Dobson Sky Watcher, 30 cm with Newtonian reflector.
Yes. We will pick you up and drop you off in the same location.
For the Mount Teide Night Tour, date changes or cancellations can be made free of charge up to 24 hours prior to the activity. After this period, the cancellation carries a charge of 100% of the amount.
If you wish to change your booking in advance, call us at (+34) 922 010 444 between 9am and 4pm (GMT).
The Mount Teide Night Tour does not include cable car tickets. If you would like to ascend by cable car, we recommend booking the Sunset & Stars excursion. You’ll watch the sun go down from an altitude of more than 3,555 m and then enjoy an astronomic observation afterwards.
No, it’s not necessary. You can download your reservation of this night tour to Mount Teide and display it on the screen of any mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.).
It is not possible to combine this excursion with a stay in the Altavista Refuge (currently closed to the public) on the same day, since the Mount Teide Night Tour finishes too late to allow you to reach the refuge on foot before it closes.
You can book this night tour to Mount Teide and stay at the Parador hotel afterwards, if you wish, but you will have to make a reservation at the hotel yourself.
Animals are not allowed on this excursion.
Check out our weekly calendar of activities and excursions on Mt Teide which we have prepared for you so that you can view at a glance all the information you need about our activities.
Reviews
very bad
It was amazing for all family (adults and teenagers)! Hope to be back next year!
****
It was a nice experience, not as good as the one I did in New Zealand. The guide was knowledgable and the information was interesting. Very disappointed that they couldn't wait 5 minutes to turn the light back on to take a couple of photos of the stars. Luckily I already had my camera set up, so I managed to take one photo. That was one of the main reasons I took this tour and in my opinion it would be a nice thing to let people do after the talk, even just for 5 minutes (because you're not allowed to use your camera during).
****
Excellent. Highly recommend anyone interested in seeing the variety of topography on the island as well as night sky. Top three destinations to see our cosmos without light pollution.
Brilliant trip. We have never seen so many stars so clearly. Highly recommend
*****
I liked it
While I enjoyed the star and planet viewing experience at night, I am actually severely disappointed and at the time very upset about promises made that were simply not kept. The offer clearly stated that the transportation pickup (from the North) would be near my hotel. However, that location was not disclosed until after the reservation was made including full payment. Further, we made the decision to stay on Tenerife instead of Grand Canary because of the star watching opportunity. Only after we had booked our non-refundable flight from Nice, France to Tenerife did we learn that the pickup location was nowhere even remotely close to our hotel. In fact, we spent more than fifty (***) Euro in each direction to get to the pickup point from out hotel in Santa Cruz. An additional annoyance was the seating in the bus up and down the mountain was extremely cramped. I was profoundly uncomfortable with my knees pressed hard against the back of the seat in front of me. There were some odd descriptions on the website as well. For example, it said that among the things that were not included was "Toast" and "Cable Car Tickets." However, there was no explanation of what "Toast" might have been available and there never was an opportunity for a Cable Car Ride. In fairness, the actual viewing of the stars and planets was quite enjoyable. However, the "Picnic" was a sandwich, a muffin and water in a cardboard box. Overall, "Two Stars" is really quite generous. I would not recommend the experience to my friends and family or other travelers until the problems described are solved. (The most annoying by far was the very great distance from our hotel to the pickup location. It really is false advertising to say that pickup will be near the hotel.) Sincerely, ***
Note, the cable car is not included on this excursion.
Fantastic evening. Saw loads of constellations.
The program is excellent: sunset view from Teide is fascinating, and after the starry sky also. Our guide was well preapared, with interesting knowledge about the island, volcanos and also about astronomy. The timing was good: we arrived to the viewpoint in a very good time to see the sunset. After that, the dinner time and the skywatching were also very good both in timing and the experience itself. The transfer was quick and correctly planned. We really enjoyed the whole program, it absolutely worth its price!
In general I was disappointed and regret spending over 7 hours of my holiday on this tour. It all started with pick-ups, where we were driving around in bus for almost 1,5 hours and looking for people in smaller villages. Then we were bought to enjoy to some parking space to "enjoy sunset" - when we asked the tour guide in bus, what should we do here - his reply was look into the sun. During our driving he have no information whatsoever and was only discussing with the bus driver the whole day. Would been much more interesting 2,5 hours drive up in case he gave some facts etc etc. Up on Teide we were put in some room to wait - nobody understood what should we do there? For how long? Some people were eating their sandwich, but most were just looking in phones. Then the part started which was OK - why I rated 2 stars. The guide showing the stars was on good level - the jokes and the text were memorized well. ONLY PROBLEM - over half of people were really freezing outside. Why cannot you supply/rent/sell some simple blankets to keep people warm. After 15 minutes half of group was jumping and hoping to get to the bus soon again.... So it was a relief when finalized, when we could start heading back - again almost 2 hours and the guide all way speaking with the bus driver in Spanish..... I hope you get some ideas from this, how to improve your service on this tour!
Uninspiring. No cable car included or possible. Bring a sandwich.
Great excursion! Will try do this again in summer when *** Way is visible. Pity the two most interesting objects (***) weren’t visible. Very good choice of objects for telescopes (Orion nebula, Misar binary, cigar galaxy and open star cluster). Would have liked a bit more information on the telescopes used. Very good show! *** (Molecular Biologist)
I was noticed only one day before the activity that they can not luckily from my hotel. The hotel was in the pickup list when I booked the activity. The star observation location is not the best. The cliff on the side blocked 1/3 of the sky.
The pick-up was supposed to be at 4 pm initially. Then it was changed (via email) to 4:40 pm. Ultimately the bus came 45 minutes late, at 5:25. This made us miss the sunset (which was supposed to be at 6:15) on the way to the volcano. There should be less stops for the bus or instead of picking up everyone from the hotel a few meeting points in the city so that guest can walk there from the hotel and be picked up by the bus. This should make the bus be always on time. Also the goups of guests could be smaller.
The experience was just amazing. The guides were very competent and passionate, they gave the impression that they could give explanations under any sky. I loved their way of pointing to constellations with lasers and telling stories about them. The observations with the telescopes were breathtaking, I didn't expect you could see the rings of Saturn with such level of detail! And they are right when they say that the night sky on the Teide is special, you really see a lot (even with the full moon as in my case). I totally recommend the experience! (Just make sure to cover yourself because it's really cold up there.)
The overall experience was great. I just have one improvement to suggest. When the star gazing experience is over and all the lights outside are turned back on, it takes a while to adjust your vision after standing in complete darkness for about 1h. The side walk on to the teleferic is very dangerous when your sight is not fully recovered and since there are several groups doing the activity, after it's over, some people are going to the buses, others to the bathroom or the cafeteria so there is a lot of movement and people can easily bump into each other/stumble or fall off the cliff (from the left side of the road). During the day it's less dangerous but at night this is a great risk. My mother stumbled upon the sidewalk when people were moving around with their telephone lights on and if she were taller, she might have gone down the cliff. I would recommend not letting people stand over that side of the road after the experience is over. Thank you and keep up with doing this amazing activity.
I’d highly recommend going with this company. They are very friendly and professional and clearly passionate about the national park.
Amazing experience!
