# Hiking / climbing mount Teide by Night (+ Map and Infos)

In [this post](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/) I told you about all the cool hiking possibilities offered by the Teide National Park, but I promised to give you more details about one of them: **The hike to the top of the Teide volcano** (by day or by night).

The Teide, with its 3718m is actually **the highest mountain in Spain** and one of our plans when coming to [Tenerife](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/things-to-do-in-tenerife/) for the winter was to climb to the summit to admire the sunrise over the Canary islands. And we enjoyed the view so much from from the top of the Teide Volcano that we went up there 3 times (once with our friend Faustine and twice with a few people from [Nine Coliving](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/tenerife-coworking-coliving/)).

If you want more ideas about things to do in Tenerife, [check out our detailed post here](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/things-to-do-in-tenerife/)

![Teide by night](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/ascension-teide.jpg)the view on top of Teide

On the other hand, as I explained [here](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#national-park), the volcano is protected by a UNESCO World Heritage National Park (which is a good thing given the number of tourists who visit it per year) which will add some constraints to climb the Teide volcano as you will see.

Well, let's get down to business. Here is all you need to know to climb to the top of the Teide volcano.

Table of contents

1. [Routes to get to Teide (with map + gpx)](#routes-to-get-to-teide-with-map-gpx)
2. [The permit to access the top of the Teide (and its limitations)](#the-permit-to-access-the-top-of-the-teide-and-its-limitations)
3. [Hiking Teide by night in 1 day](#hiking-teide-by-night-in-1-day)
4. [Spend the night at the Altavista refuge and climb in 2 days](#spend-the-night-at-the-altavista-refuge-and-climb-in-2-days)
5. [Climbing with the Teide cable car](#climbing-with-the-teide-cable-car)
6. [Tips and practical information](#tips-and-practical-information)
    1. [Weather on Teide](#weather-on-teide)
    2. [the gear you need to take with you](#the-gear-you-need-to-take-with-you)
    3. [Difficulties: mountain sickness and altitude difference](#difficulties-mountain-sickness-and-altitude-difference)
7. [Other hikes in Teide National Park](#other-hikes-in-teide-national-park)

## Routes to get to Teide (with map + gpx)

There are actually 2 main options to climb to the top of the Teide volcano:

- You can **take the cable** car (the black dots on the map) and simply make the last climb to the top (only if you have obtained a permit to pass... we will discuss it again just below). Be aware that the last bit of ascent is less than 1km long but still for 200m of climb!
- You can park in the **Montaña Blanca car park** (at an altitude of about 2300m) and climb to the top via **the Altavista refuge** (the blue route on the map below). This option is of course much more challenging because the path to the top is about 8kms(5 miles) for a 1350m (4400 feets) climb! Count 3 to 5 hours of hiking depending on your physical condition.

If you wish, you can [download the track to climb the Teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/alltrails/alltrails-pico-teide-en/ "alltrails pico teide EN") directly on [AllTrails](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/alltrails-app-review/). To do this, click on the link below and if you don't have an account yet, create one (it's free). Then you can download the track in the format of your choice (GPX, KML, Garmin, etc) and take it with you on the hike.

[Download the track here](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/alltrails/alltrails-pico-teide-en/)

Note: creating an account to download the tracks is **free**. If you wish to access the maps "offline" directly in AllTrails, you must upgrade to an [AllTrails+ account](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/alltrails/alltrails-plus-en/ "Alltrails Plus EN"). If you want to take the subscription, you will get a 30% discount through [this link](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/alltrails/alltrails-plus-en/ "Alltrails Plus EN"). (1.75€ / month for 1 year instead of 2.5€/month)

There is also another path that climbs to Teide via [the Pico Vieijo](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#pico-viejo) (after Pico Vieijo, the path continues up to the cable car and then to the top) but this path is even longer and is in general not the one people chose to hike up to the top of Teide. On the other hand, you could go down on this side if you don't want to follow the same path as the hike up through Montaña Blanca.

Infos

To get to the Montana Blanca car park, there are not many options: you have to rent a car! (especially if you want to drive up at night). As always, we went through [Rentalcars](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/rentalcars/rentalcars-home/ "Rentalcars home") to rent our car in Tenerife because we found the best prices on their site. And if you can, avoid the Goldcar company because we've heard very bad feedback about them here.

[See on Rentalcars](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/rentalcars/rentalcars-home/ "Rentalcars home")

## The permit to access the top of the Teide (and its limitations)

![minas-de-san-jose-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/minas-de-san-jose-teide-202x300.jpg)Volcano Teide

For the site preservation, **access to the summit of the Teide is limited to 150 people per day** and a permit must be requested to access it. The permit is 100% free of charge. (The use of the permit only concerns the last end to reach the top of the Teide since the top station of the cable car. You can easily climb up to the top station of the cable car without a permit)

The problem is that there is so much demand that you have to book it several months in advance! It's obviously a little annoying because it forces you to plan a long time in advance and it becomes impossible to organize your hike according to the weather (it's a bit silly if you've booked everything and on the day you want to leave the weather is bad )

[Get the free permit here](https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/ParquesNac/usu/html/detalle-actividad-oapn.aspx?ii=7FRA&cen=2&act=1)

But the trick to know is that in fact this permit is not necessary **if you climb to the top of the volcano before 9am** (arrival time of the 1st cable car)! This leaves us with the following options to climb to the top of the Teide:

- During the day, having obtained a permit for the last part of the climb to the top of the volcano.
- Without permit option 1: In 2 days by sleeping at the Altavista refuge (you will have to book the night) then by climbing to the top for sunrise (so passing before 9am)
- Without permit option 2: In 1 day by doing all the night ascent to reach the top for sunrise.

As for us, we climbed to the top of the Teide 3 times, hiking at night from the Montaña Blanca car park. But we will still describe for you all the different options below.

![teide-guajara-4](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/teide-guajara-4.jpg)Teide volcano from the top of Guajara Mountain, [a very cool hike](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#guajara) as well

## Hiking Teide by night in 1 day

It is the most flexible option but it is also the most difficult of the 3 (since we hike up and down in 1 day). By climbing up at night, you will not need the permit or to book a night at the Altavista refuge (the refuge is often fully booked several weeks in advance). This is clearly the best option if you want to avoid booking your hike weeks in advance and be flexible with the weather.

As I told you, we always chose to hike up at night because there was never any room at the Altavista refuge and we also wanted to be sure to climb up with good weather conditions. But I can reassure you right away, hiking up to the Teide by night is note easy but not as difficult as it seems. Basically you just need to have a headlamp in addition to the usual hiking gear and follow a trail that is super well indicated (plus you can download the gpx track on the map above ;) ).

The departure time will depend on your physical condition. For example, when I hiked up for the first time with 2 friends who were in better shape than me, we left at 4am from the Montaña Blanca car park and arrived at the top around 7am. On the other hand, the 2nd time we went up with friends from our coliving who were a little less used to this kind of hiking and we left at 2:30am from the parking lot.

![milky way tenerife](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/teide-etoiles-220x300.jpg)The milky way in the Teide national park

The first part of the ascent is done on a wide track and is not very steep (perfect to warm up). If the night is clear, there is hardly any need for the headlamp. Moreover, when you turn off the lights, you can admire the Milky Way and the magnificent starry sky... what an experience to hike under the stars on the Teide volcano.

After maybe 4-5 km, we reach the beginning of the trail and that's when the serious things start. Even if the path is technically speaking easy, the slope becomes much steeper which should warm you up properly ;) . After 2 km of a good climb, we finally reach the Altavista refuge for a well-deserved warm break.

In the refuge, a screen shows the time of sunrise, the temperature at the top of the volcano and the wind. If you are fast, it takes about 1 hour to get to the top, if not 2 hours. After the refuge, it continues to climb steep enough to a flatter part and then reach the top station of the cable car. At this point, the first lights of the day should slowly there and the summit is in sight.

Then we start the last climb to the top of the Teide (the path that requires a permit after 9am). This part is short (7-800m) but it is clearly the steepest part of the whole hike. With altitude, the legs are heavy and the breath is a little short. However, we reach the summit quite quickly and the reward for our efforts is right in front of us: the sun rising above the sea of clouds.

![Teide sunrise](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/Teide-lever-de-soleil.jpg)sun rising - View from Mount Teide

We then witness an incredible phenomenon that I had the chance to see once [on top of the Rinjani volcano in Indonesia](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/mount-rinjani-trekking-lombok/): the volcano is so big that its shadow projection far ahead of us at sunrise. That's really impressive!

![shadow teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/ombre-teide.jpg)Teide's shadow projection

The smell of sulphur at the top is very present and many fumaroles remind us that we are on an active volcano. In fact, if you are too cold, you can always get closer to one of them to warm up ;) (if you can stand the smell of rotten eggs lol)

![fumerolles-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/fumerolles-teide.jpg)we can clearly see that the volcano is still active

After enjoying the beautiful sunrise lights, it's time to go down again and you have 3 options:

![hiking teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/descente-teide-297x300.jpg)the view while coming down

- Hike down to the cable car and take the cabin down (option I recommend if you are already very tired and have €13.5 for the ticket:) ). No need to book tickets in advance... this is the option we chose the 2nd time with our Coliving friends because many people were very tired.
- Hike down the same path as on the ascent. If you still have the energy, I highly recommend this option because when you walk down during the day, you will have a completely different perspective than when you hike up and the landscapes are really breathtaking.
- Hike down through the Pico Viejo. This is perhaps the most spectacular option with a view of the huge crater of Pico Viejo. But know that if you go down this way again, you will have to find a means of transport once on the road to get back to the Montaña Blanca car park (by lifting your thumb it shouldn't be a problem;)). For more information you can take a look at [our hike on the Pico Viejo](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#pico-viejo).

To sum up, if you are not super tired, I really recommend that you walk down to take the time to enjoy the lunar landscapes of the Teide volcano.

![sommet-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/sommet-teide-1024x663.jpg)![nine-coliving-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/02/nine-coliving-teide-1024x651.jpg)

## Spend the night at the Altavista refuge and climb in 2 days

This option is quite interesting because by cutting the climb in half and sleeping at the Altavista refuge, you make your task easier and you also take more time. You can enjoy the late afternoon and the view from the refuge.

![refuge-altavista](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/refuge-altavista.jpg)Altavista refuge

Then you just have to get up around 5am to do the last part to reach the top of the volcano and admire the sunrise. I do not give you the details of the path because it is the same as for the night hike.

So on paper this seems to be the best option... but the problem is that the refuge is usually full weeks in advance. And so we end up with the same problem as for the permit, we have to plan the day of the ascent weeks ahead, which is not great for flexibility with the weather. But the refuge looks pretty good and a night costs only 20 euros... so if you can book a bed it's a great option.

[Book a night at Altavista](https://www.volcanoteide.com/fr/volcano_teide/randonnee/refuge_d_altavista)

## Climbing with the Teide cable car

So if you think you won't be able to hike up from the car park, you obviously have the option of the cable car which will take you up to 3555m. Then you will need the permit I mentioned at the beginning of the post to hike the last part that will take you to the top about 200m higher. Please note that the Teide cable car is open every day from 9am to 5pm (7pm in summer) and that the return ticket costs 27€.

![cable car teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/telepherique-teide.jpg)the cable car going up almost to the top

Important note: The cable car activity is stopped if the winds are too strong!

[Buy Cable car ticket online](https://www.volcanoteide.com/en)

## Tips and practical information

### Weather on Teide

Statistically speaking, Teide is probably the place on the island where the weather is most often good! It is very common for clouds to stop at an altitude of 2000m, which means that in the national park we are above it. In short, never forget to take sunscreen and a cap/hat if you go up during the day because the sun is strong!

![teide-guajara-6](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/teide-guajara-6.jpg)above the clouds

Another important point to mention is the temperatures! The summit of Teide is at 3718m. It's high, even very high! In Tenerife the temperature is over 20°C at sea level almost all year round, so it would be easy to "forget" that gaining 3700m of altitude REALLY changes the situation in terms of climate. (I see you smiling, but I swear to you that we met some people who were going up in cable cars with shorts/tongs with a small sweater and who once up were absolutely freezing). ;)

During the day, the temperatures at the top vary according to the sunshine and the wind (which can blow hard). In winter it is generally between -1° and 5° during the day and in summer the range would be between 8° and 12° for days of bright sunshine and no wind.

The above temperatures are those observed during the day, so if you go up at night know that it can go down to -8° in winter and close to zero in summer!

![lever-soleil-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/lever-soleil-teide.jpg)it's beautiful on top... but it's freezing!

### the gear you need to take with you

You will have understood it, to climb the Teide you must be well equipped because it can be very cold, especially if there is wind. So here is the list of things I suggest you take with you:

- a [headlamp](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/hiking-gear/lampe-frontale/ "Lampe frontale") if you hike up at night
- a cap to protect you from the sun
- sunscreen
- a hat and gloves
- a [windproof jacket](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/travel-gear/veste-pluie-homme/ "veste pluie homme") and a [down jacket](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/travel-gear/doudoune-chaude-homme/ "doudoune chaude homme")
- at least [trail running shoes](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/travel-gear/salomon-gtx/ "salomon GTX")
- at least 2 litres of water per person
- snacks because you will need energy

### Difficulties: mountain sickness and altitude difference

Finally, I would just like to recommend you not to minimize the difficulty of this hike (especially if you are hiking up all at once from the car park). Certainly there is no real technical difficulty because the path is very well indicated, but a climb of 1350m is not easy for everyone. It's still a hell of a climb and you have to be ready to sweat.

The 2nd very important point not to be neglected is **mountain sickness**. To tell you the truth, during our 3 climbs I felt the effects of the altitude with a slight headache. We lived in La Orotava at 400m above sea level and within a few hours we found ourselves at an altitude of more than 3500m!

The body generally does not enjoy so much such altitude changes in a short time. Moreover, during our 2nd ascent with our friends from coliving, 4 out of 9 people gave up before the summit because of mountain sickness. To put all the chances on your side, drink plenty of water! But don't insist if you have a headache and want to throw up... it's not worth it and it's better to walk back down.

![bas-du-teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/bas-du-teide.jpg)a last picture from the teide national park

 Climb to the top of Teide By night with a professional mountain guide![climb mount Teide with a professional mountain guide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2022/11/palvigo-teide-hike-300x200.jpg)

If you don't feel confident enough to do this hike by yourself at night, consider **hiring a local professional mountain guide**. With Fabienne we are used to prepare and do this kind of hike on our own... but the climb to the top of Teide can be challenging. So by hiring a mountain guide, you will not have to worry about the timing, the itinerary and you will have someone you can trust if it gets difficult. Plus a guide will give you a better experience by explaining you about the nature, history and geology of the area.

If you're interested, we teamed up with Palvigo, a local outdoor specialist, to offer you **a 5% discount** on [their climb to the top of Teide by night](https://palvigo.com/service/40/ClimbingToTheTopofTeide) with a local mountain guide (180€/person). You just need to **fill out this form below** with the details and they will come back to you as soon as they can and offer you 5% discount.

Potential date of the hike

 
  

## Other hikes in Teide National Park

There is not only the ascent of the Teide which is an interesting hike in the national park (far from it). Here are some other hiking ideas that may be of interest to you:

- [Climb Pico Viejo](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#pico-viejo)
- [Guajara Mountain](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#guajara)
- [Roque de Garcia](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#roque-de-garcia)
- [The quite unknown place of Samara](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/#samara)

You'll find all these hikes (including maps) in [this article](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hiking-tenerife-best-teide/).

![teide-guajara](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/teide-guajara-1024x727.jpg)![rando-samara-4](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/rando-samara-4-762x1024.jpg)![rando-samara-1](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/rando-samara-1-1024x714.jpg)![rando-pico-viejo](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/01/rando-pico-viejo-1024x654.jpg)![teide-roques-de-garcia](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2018/12/teide-roques-de-garcia-1024x747.jpg)

Now you have all the information you need to climb to the top of the Teide volcano. We wish you courage for the climb and above all, enjoy the crazy view from up there.

 Accomodation in TenerifeWe talk more about the best places to stay in Tenerife (in our opinion) [on this page](https://www.novo-monde.com/en/backpacking-spain/visit-tenerife/). In the Teide Park itself, there are not many options except for the [Parador del Teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/booking/parador-teide/ "parador teide") (a hotel that is located at the top of the park and not far from the beginning of the hike). The night costs about 100€ for 2 people, but it must be quite exceptional to spend the night up there (especially if you want to go out to admire the stars!

[All hotels in Tenerife ](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/booking/hotels-tenerife/ "hotels tenerife")

**Camper Van**

![tenerife vanlife](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2021/05/tenerife-300x300.jpg)We didn't do it in Tenerife, but since we bought our van the Dahu, we really want to come back to Tenerife and discover the area by van. The island lends itself really well if you want our opinion. :) If you want to rent one directly on the island (probably the easiest solution), then you can go to the website [Yescapa](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/yescapa/yescapa-tenerife/ "yescapa-home"). They offer camper vans rented directly by van owners (with all required insurances). You could also check on the [Campstar website](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/campstar/campstar-espagne/) which compares the best vans and RVs rental companies
[See the camper vans on Tenerife](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/yescapa/yescapa-tenerife/ "yescapa-home")
[See the campers on Campstar](https://www.novo-monde.com/go/campstar/campstar-espagne/)

*Note: This post contains affiliate links. By booking your car in Tenerife via this link you will of course not pay anything more, but we will receive a small commission. Rentalcars is the platform we systematically use when we book a car, including here in Tenerife where we have decided to rent a car for the duration of our stay.*

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![hiking teide](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/The-Male-Backpackers-Presents-683x1024.jpg)![teide hiking](https://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2019/03/Teide-1-683x1024.jpg)