Blog · northern Tenerife
How to Get the Permit to Climb Mount Teide in 2026
Climbing to the summit of Mount Teide (3,718 m) isn't just a matter of taking the cable car: the final stretch, between La Rambleta and the peak, has restricted access and needs a separate permit. Since 2025 you request it on a different website than before, and since January 2026 it costs something that used to be free for almost everyone. Here's the full, up-to-date process, so you don't get stopped at the summit's doorstep.
Which trail needs a permit, and why
The mandatory permit is for the PNT-10 Telesforo Bravo trail: the final stretch between the upper cable car station (La Rambleta, 3,555 m) and the summit (3,718 m), around 600 metres of path climbed in 40-50 minutes. It's the only legal access to that final stretch, whether you reach La Rambleta by cable car or on foot.
Some hiking blogs simplify this as 'the last 200 metres', but the official name of the process — literally 'Permiso acceso al Pico del Teide' ('Access permit to Pico del Teide'), for the 9:00-17:00 time slot — covers the whole stretch from La Rambleta. Without this permit you can reach the cable car station or the Altavista refuge, but you can't set foot on the summit.
Where and when to request it
Since August 2025 the booking is handled through TenerifeON (tenerifeon.es), run by Gesplan and the Tenerife Cabildo. The old national parks website still shows an information page, but it now points straight to TenerifeON for booking; for questions, the official contact is info.tenerifeon@gesplan.es.
New slots are released every Monday at 07:00 (Canary Islands time), with a booking window of several weeks in advance — sources don't agree on the exact number of days, so it's worth checking on the website itself when you book. Access is split into four time slots within the 9:00-17:00 window, with a maximum stay of two hours on the summit; you can book solo or as a group of up to 15 people.
If you have a fixed travel date, log on the Monday before as soon as slots open: places are limited and can fill up quickly.
What it costs since 2026: the eco-tax
Since 19 January 2026 the Tenerife Cabildo has charged an eco-tax to access the PNT-10 and PNT-07 trails; before that it was free for everyone. On the PNT-10 (9:00-17:00 slot):
- Tenerife residents and children under 14: free.
- Residents of other Canary Islands: €6.
- Everyone else (tourists, including mainland Spain and abroad): €15.
What to bring on the day of the climb
- ID card or passport: the same document you used to book the permit, under the holder's name.
- The permit, printed or saved on your phone.
- Water and something to eat — at this altitude, with less oxygen, the effort is more tiring than usual.
- Layered warm clothing, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen: the higher you go, the stronger the radiation.
- Hiking boots: the final stretch is short, but the volcanic terrain is uneven.
- It's normal to feel the effect of the altitude — some fatigue or a headache: if you feel unwell, don't push the climb.
Two ways to reach La Rambleta: cable car or on foot
Most people go up by cable car: from the base station (2,356 m) to La Rambleta (3,555 m) in 8-10 minutes. In 2026 a round-trip adult non-resident ticket costs €42 (€10.50 for Canary Islands residents; children aged 3-13, €21 or €5.25 resident). It's bought on the cable car's official website, and it's worth booking ahead in high season.
The alternative is hiking up the PNT-07 trail, from the Montaña Blanca car park (2,348 m) to the Altavista refuge (3,260 m): 8.3 km, 4-6 hours, high difficulty. From the refuge it's another 1-2 hours to the summit, along the same final stretch that requires the permit.
The Altavista refuge has been closed for five years and reopens on 20 July 2026 under new management: 49 places plus 4 for emergencies, a maximum stay of one night, from €29 for Tenerife residents up to around €71 for non-residents (€56.80 for non-resident federated mountaineers). It's booked separately, directly with the refuge — it isn't part of the permit booking on TenerifeON.
Opening hours, closures, and sunrise
In July the cable car runs from 9:00 to 18:40 (last ride up at 17:40), later than the permit window, which only covers 9:00 to 17:00. If you ride up by cable car late in the afternoon in summer, you may not make it in time to use the permit that same day — worth confirming when you book.
The cable car closes on some days for strong wind, snow on the access road, or scheduled maintenance. There's no published wind threshold that triggers a closure, so it's worth checking the live status on the official website the same day. If it's closed, the booking itself can be rescheduled or refunded, and the Visitor Centre offers alternatives: the audiovisual experience about the eruption, Spain's highest restaurant-café, or viewpoints reachable by car such as Boca Tauce.
If your plan is to watch the sunrise from the summit, be careful: the official permit only covers the 9:00-17:00 window, and in summer sunrise happens well before that. Whether and how earlier access to the summit is possible is something to confirm directly with Teide National Park or on TenerifeON before you plan around it.
The permit itself takes just a couple of minutes to sort out, but it's worth handling it with some lead time: log on to TenerifeON the Monday before your date, confirm the cable car schedule, and don't forget your ID. From Hacienda Verde the National Park is 20-30 minutes by car, so you can set off unhurried in the morning and cool off in the estate's pool when you're back. If you have questions about time slots or dates, ask us — it comes up often.
José Martín
Host of Hacienda Verde. He has spent years welcoming guests and exploring the Orotava Valley and Mount Teide.
Sleep in the valley, not on the coast.
Three rural houses inside an ethnographic park in La Orotava, 20-30 minutes from Mount Teide. You gain time and sleep surrounded by nature.
