If you read nothing else
- A 9 hour day covering Timanfaya, Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua, from US$102, with pickup and a live guide.[1]
- Express visits from Yaiza run 2 hours, guided hikes run about 3 hours, and the shortest options start from US$51.[2][3]
- Independent entry to Montañas del Fuego is online only, for a specific time slot, and the standard adult ticket costs 30.00 EUR.[4][5]
- The Mancha Blanca visitor centre opens Monday to Sunday, 9:00 to 16:00, and access to its exhibition is free.[6][7]
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and reserve now, pay later are listed for the full day park and caves tour.[1]
- Top choice Park, Caves & Jameos Tour from US$102 Duration9 hours[1]Rating4.47 from 2,662 reviews[1]Guide languagesEnglish, French, German, Spanish[1]SuitsVolcanoes and lava tube caves in one day Check availability
- Volcanos & Caves with Lunch from US$109 Duration9 hours[8]Rating4.52 from 531 reviews[8]Guide languagesSpanish, English, French, German[8]SuitsA coach day with lunch and caves See this tour
- Timanfaya & Green Lagoon from US$57 Duration2.5 - 5 hours[9]Rating4.58 from 2,154 reviews[9]Guide languagesEnglish, German, Spanish[9]SuitsPort calls and the green lagoon See this tour
El trayecto de la línea 60 ofrece a los pasajeros una cómoda opción de transporte para llegar desde Arrecife a Playa Blanca y viceversa pasando por los núcleos de Playa Honda, Tías, Mácher, Uga y Yaiza, en su recorrido.
The full park and caves day is the easiest all rounder
Before you travel
- Book independent entry online: tickets are sold online only, for a specific time slot.[4]
- The standard adult ticket to Montañas del Fuego costs 30.00 EUR.[5]
- The Mancha Blanca visitor centre is open Monday to Sunday, 9:00 to 16:00.[6]
- Access to the visitor centre exhibition and audiovisual programme is free.[7]
Why Timanfaya is worth a full day
Lanzarote's fire mountains are the reason many travellers build a whole day around the south of the island. The landscape is unlike anything else in the Canaries: black ash fields, rust coloured cones, stretches of lava that still look freshly poured, and almost no trees to soften the view. Timanfaya National Park covers about 51 square kilometers (20 square miles),[10] and it was declared a National Park by a decree of August 9, 1974.[11] Seeing that country with a guide who can explain what you are looking at turns a scenic drive into a proper timanfaya national park excursion.
Most trips to Timanfaya National Park begin on the coast, and the park feels surprisingly close. From Puerto del Carmen it is about 22 km away directly, with a road distance of about 23.5 km.[12] The drive climbs through vineyards and villages before the ground turns black. Wandering off the marked routes is not an option here: you see the park on guided walks, from the wheel of a coach, or from a buggy on its edges. Allow a full day if you want the caves and the coast as well as the craters.
The full day park, caves and Jameos tour
The Lanzarote: Timanfaya Park, Jameos Agua, & Cueva Verdes Tour is the broadest option here and the one to pick if you want the three headline sights of the south in one outing. It runs for 9 hours,[1] so it is a full day out rather than a morning's drive. The route stops at Timanfaya National Park, Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua,[1] which means fire mountains, lava tube caves and the strange pools and galleries inside them. That combination is hard to assemble on your own in a single day.
Prices start from US$102 per person,[1] and the listing is rated 4.47 from 2,662 reviews.[1] A live guide travels with you in English, French, German and Spanish,[1] and the tour skips the ticket line. Pickup is included, with 61 pickup location options and 61 drop-off locations,[1] so you can be collected near your hotel. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance is available, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1]
Lava country on Lanzarote: rust cones, black ash and a road cut through the flow.
Short excursions, express coaches and hikes
Timanfaya National Park tours come in several shapes, and the shorter ones suit half a day or a port call. From Yaiza, an express tour reaches the park in 2 hours and skips the ticket line, from US$66.[2] Another express option runs 3 hours and uses an express security check, also from US$66.[13] A five hour southern tour from US$68 sits between the two extremes.[14]
If you would rather walk than ride, guided hikes put you on the ash itself. The Lanzarote: Volcano Hike runs 3 hours and costs from US$51.[3] The Timanfaya Natural Park Trekking Tour also runs 3 hours, from US$54, in groups limited to 9 participants.[15] A hike across Timanfaya's volcanic landscapes lasts 3 hours from US$51, with groups limited to 10 participants.[16] Most walks set off early, while the ground is still cool underfoot.
Going it alone: tickets, buses and the visitor centre
Independent visits are possible. Tickets for independent entry to Montañas del Fuego can only be purchased online and for a specific time slot,[4] and the standard adult entrance ticket for Montañas del Fuego costs 30.00 EUR.[5] They are not available at the ticket office. If you are driving, the park is signposted from the southern resorts. Without a car, Line 60 passes through Yaiza on its route between Arrecife and Playa Blanca.[17]
Before you climb to the fire mountains, the Centro de Visitantes e Interpretación de Mancha Blanca is worth a stop. It is open Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:00,[6] and access to its exhibition and audiovisual programme is free.[7] The displays explain the eruptions that shaped the south of the island, in several languages. It makes an easy first stop on the road south, particularly if you are visiting without a guide.
from US$102
The full day circuit of Timanfaya Park, Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua runs 9 hours from that price, with pickup included.[1]
Heat, volcanic cooking and film country
The park is very much alive underfoot. At Islote de Hilario, surface temperatures reach around 250 ºC, and they can reach more than 600 ºC at 13 m deep.[18] Guides pour water into the ground and it returns as steam, and the warmth comes up through the soles of your shoes. The Route of the Volcanoes is the classic coach loop through the cones, and it has adapted coaches.[19]
Further south, El Diablo Restaurant cooks over a volcanic oven that uses natural heat from the subsoil, where temperatures exceed 600 °C just 15 meters below the surface; meat and vegetables are cooked without fire or electricity, on a grill over an open cavity in the rock.[20] The park has also stood in for other planets: several films inspired by other planets have been filmed in Timanfaya, including Enemy Mine, Krull, Mission Stardust, Stranded and Operation Ganymed.[21] On foot, the Termesana Route brings visitors into close contact with the volcano and the culture of Lanzarote's inhabitants during the 1730-1736 eruptive period.[22]
Which Timanfaya tour fits your group
Families and first time visitors usually do well on a coach tour with a guide and pickup. The Timanfaya National Park Tour runs 6 hours from US$68, with pickup included.[23] If you arrive by ship, the Arrecife: Timanfaya and Green Lagoon for Cruise Passengers tour runs 2.5 to 5 hours and costs from US$57.[9] There is no single best Timanfaya tour; it depends on how much time you have and whether you want to walk or ride.
Hikers and small groups have plenty of choice, from the 3 hour trekking tour limited to 9 participants[15] to the La Geria hike between volcanoes and vineyards, which runs 3.5 hours from US$50.[24] For an evening in the park, a 5 hour tour with a volcano dinner costs from US$155,[25] and buggy tours from US$173 add noise and dust to the same lava country.[26] Several listings describe small group formats, and they suit anyone who dislikes a crowded coach.
Booking, pickup and what to pack
Book before you travel if you can. The full day park and caves tour offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1] Pickup details vary between listings: this tour lists 61 pickup location options,[1] while others collect from a smaller set of stops. Check availability for pickup details before you commit, and note the guide languages, since not all timanfaya national park tours guide in the same languages.
Pack for two climates. The coast can be warm and breezy while the lava fields feel hotter underfoot, and the wind on higher ground is stronger than you expect. Bring water, a hat, sunglasses, closed shoes with a grippy sole, and a light layer for the breeze. A camel ride at the park's camel station lasts approximately 20 minutes if you want a different view of the ash fields.[27] Cameras with a wide lens earn their place here; the scale of the lava is hard to fit into a phone frame.
How long Timanfaya tours last
Durations as listed on GetYourGuide: express tour[2], volcano hike[3], national park tour[23], full day park and caves tour[1].
What Timanfaya excursions cost from
From-prices in US dollars as listed on GetYourGuide; these listings quote one price.[1][2][8][23]
When to go and what that means for booking
Plan your Timanfaya day
Work out your time budget
A full park, caves and Jameos day takes 9 hours, while an express tour from Yaiza takes 2 hours.[1][2]
Choose tour or ticket
Guided tours bring transport and a guide; independent entry to Montañas del Fuego is online only, for a set time slot.[4]
Book before you travel
Most listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1]
Check pickup and languages
The full day tour collects from 61 pickup location options and guides in English, French, German and Spanish.[1]
Pack for wind and heat
Water, a hat, closed shoes and a light layer for the wind make the lava fields far more comfortable.
See the full park, caves and Jameos del Agua day
from US$103Reserve now & pay later
