Free entry21 tours · from €56
Masca
A mountain village above the gorge. The TF-436 is narrow and the car park is often full by early afternoon; crowds build from about 10:30–11:00.
≈ 40 minfrom Costa Adeje≈ 1 h 10from Puerto de la Cruz
Free, paid or “no fee in our sources”
Places to Visit in Tenerife for Free — and the Few That Charge
Masca village is free to enter, and children under 14 get the Teide summit permit free. The charges to plan for are the Teide cable car (€42 return), the summit permit (€15) and the Masca gorge trail (from €40.66). Every place below is marked free (with a source), paid, or “no fee in our sources”.
Updated Oct 2026Prices checked Oct 2026 on GetYourGuide
If you’d rather not driveTenerife: Teide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico Tour4.6 (3,133 · GetYourGuide)
9 h · 4 placesGuide · 39 pickup options
Teide
Icod
Garachico
Masca
Pickup · 39 optionsGuide
from€58per person · free cancellation 24 hCheck dates
In shortKey takeaways
Masca village costs nothing to enterThe gorge trail below it is the paid part: from €40.66, plus a compulsory boat back.
Teide’s top is permit-only€15 for adults, free under 14 and for Tenerife residents; the cable car below it is €42.
Getting there is the real costBy car ≈ 40 min from Costa Adeje to Masca and 58 min to the cable car base.
Cheap guided options existObservatory tour €21, Güímar pyramids €22.50, a Santa Cruz bike tour €23.25.
Confirmed free
Places to visit in Tenerife for free — confirmed
Only what an official page or a cited source says is free. Nothing here is a guess.
Masca villageEntry free for everyone · source: nomadotravel.app
Teide summit permit — under 14 and Tenerife residentsPNT 10 Telesforo Bravo trail to 3,715 m. €15 for other adults, €6 for other Canary Islands residents · Tenerife ON via globalsummitguide.com
Masca gorge trail — Tenerife residentsFrom €40.66 for everyone else · webtenerife.co.uk, caminobarrancodemasca.com
Tenerife residents also pay €10.50 instead of €42 for the cable car return — cheaper, not free.
Masca village and how to get there Viewpoints, old towns, nature
Places to visit in Tenerife for free — the full list
Places where the sight is the place itself. Where our sources list no fee, we say so rather than promise “free”. Each card adds the drive and, where going alone is hard, the tour.
Cable car €42 · permit €1550 tours · from €21
Teide National Park
Lava fields and roadside viewpoints up to the cable car base at 2,356 m. Only the cable car and the summit permit cost money — the viewpoints need neither.
≈ 58 minfrom Costa Adeje≈ 1 h 15from Puerto de la Cruz
No fee in our sources10 tours · from €72
La Laguna old town
A UNESCO-listed old town — no fee in our sources for the streets.
≈ 18 minfrom Santa Cruz≈ 28 minfrom Puerto de la Cruz≈ 56 minfrom Costa Adeje
No fee in our sources21 tours · from €56
Garachico
An old port town on the north coast.
≈ 34 minfrom Puerto de la Cruz≈ 1 h 07from Costa Adeje
No fee in our sources
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The capital and port.
≈ 56 minfrom Costa Adeje≈ 39 minfrom Puerto de la Cruz
No fee in our sources9 tours · from €60
Anaga Rural Park
Laurel forest and mountain villages in the north-east. From the south, a tour is easier. Drive times are to Cruz del Carmen.
≈ 31 minfrom Santa Cruz≈ 43 minfrom Puerto de la Cruz≈ 1 h 09from Costa Adeje
No fee in our sources5 tours · from €65.34
Los Gigantes
Sea cliffs on the west coast — no fee in our sources for the viewpoints. Boat trips under the cliffs: whalewatchingtenerifetour.com.
≈ 30 minfrom Costa Adeje
No fee in our sources7 tours each
8La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz
A historic town and the north coast resort.
No fee in our sources4 tours · from €58
9Candelaria
The basilica town.
GetYourGuide (tour counts, from €), Google Maps (drive times, without stops), nomadotravel.app (Masca village), volcanoteide.com (cable car) — Oct 2026
The paid extras
Places to visit in Tenerife for free — and what isn’t
The paid extras, so nothing surprises you on the day.
What costs moneyOfficial and cited prices
Teide cable car, return€42Adult non-resident. Children 3–13 €21, one way €23.50. About 8 min to 3,555 m; wind can close it with little notice, most often December–February.volcanoteide.com
Teide summit permit€15Booked through Tenerife ON, released 56 days ahead; one reservation per person every 15 days. Not in the cable car ticket.Tenerife ON via globalsummitguide.com
Masca gorge trailfrom €40.66Wednesday–Saturday, booked only on caminobarrancodemasca.com; DNI or passport. The boat back is compulsory and bought separately; the TITSA 355 shuttle from Santiago del Teide is not in the ticket.caminobarrancodemasca.com
La Gomera ferry€39.74–46.32Each way, about 50 min.ferryscanner.com
volcanoteide.com, Tenerife ON via globalsummitguide.com, caminobarrancodemasca.com, ferryscanner.com — Oct 2026
TITSA lines
Places to visit in Tenerife for free by bus
Two of the big sights have a TITSA line. Fares aren’t in our sources, so check titsa.com before you go.
342 to Teide
Costa Adeje – Los Cristianos – Vilaflor – Parador – Teleférico – El Portillo
≈ 2 h 15 ridedaily · one bus up in the morning, one back in the afternoon
348 to Teide
Puerto de la Cruz – La Orotava – Aguamansa – El Portillo – Parador
≈ 1 h 40 ridedaily · one bus up in the morning, one back in the afternoon
355 to Masca
Buenavista – Masca – Santiago del Teide
≈ 55 min end to end≈ 11 departures a day from Buenavista
With one bus each way to Teide, your time in the park is the gap between the morning bus up and the afternoon bus back — plan the cable car around it.
titsa.com (lines 342, 348, 355), Oct 2026
Lowest prices, good reviews
Places to visit in Tenerife for free — or nearly, with a guide
When doing it alone is hard or you want the story, these are the lowest prices among well-reviewed tours.
TourRatingLengthWhat you getFrom
Lowest priceMount Teide Observatory Guided Tour4.6 (921)1.5 hSolar telescopes, no transport€21Check dates
Santa CruzSanta Cruz Highlights Bike Tour & E-Bike4.6 (195)2.5 hThe capital by bike or e-bike€23.25Check dates
Four placesTeide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico Tour4.6 (3,133)9 hTeide, Icod, Garachico, Masca with pickup€58Check dates
GetYourGuide, Oct 2026 · tours rated 4.0+ with 10+ reviews
7 questions
Places to visit in Tenerife for free — FAQ
Short, direct answers. Every answer stays open — collapse them if you like.
Is Masca free to visit?
Yes, the village is free to enter. The gorge trail below it costs from €40.66 for non-residents, plus a compulsory boat back bought separately.
Is it free to visit Teide?
Partly: a cable car return is €42 and the summit permit €15. The permit is free for children under 14 and for Tenerife residents, and the roadside viewpoints need neither ticket.
What is free for children in Tenerife sightseeing?
The Teide summit permit is free under 14. On the cable car, children 3–13 pay €21 for a return.
Can you get to Teide by bus?
Yes, with TITSA line 342 from Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos or line 348 from Puerto de la Cruz. Each runs one morning bus up and one afternoon bus back.
Can you get to Masca by bus?
Yes, line 355 runs Buenavista – Masca – Santiago del Teide, about 55 minutes end to end, with about 11 departures a day from Buenavista.
What is the cheapest guided tour in Tenerife?
Among well-reviewed tours, the Mount Teide Observatory Guided Tour at €21 (★ 4.6, 921 reviews). The Güímar pyramids tour is €22.50 and the Santa Cruz bike tour €23.25.
Do Tenerife residents pay for the Masca gorge?
No, it is free for Tenerife residents. Everyone still books on caminobarrancodemasca.com and shows a DNI or passport.
Still deciding? The most-booked pickMount Teide Observatory Guided Tour 4.6 (921) from €21Check dates
Check a date
Check dates — places to visit in Tenerife for free, with a guide
Mount Teide Observatory Guided TourPowered by GetYourGuide
Santa Cruz Highlights Bike Tour & E-BikePowered by GetYourGuide
Teide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico TourPowered by GetYourGuide
