At a glance
- Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour, from US$173 for 2 - 3 hours in a small group limited to 10 participants, rated 4.67 from 5,246 reviews.[1]
- Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy Tour, from US$196, running 3 hours and rated 4.54 from 243 reviews.[2]
- 4x4 Volcanic & Coastal South Adventure, from US$78, 6 hours with pickup included.[3]
- No guided quad tour is listed with our partners at the moment, so a buggy is the closest guided ride where you do the driving.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the volcano buggy tour, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1]
| Can-Am buggy tour | Buggy tour | 4x4 and jeep tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$196[2] | from US$173[1] | from US$78[3] |
| Duration | 3 hours[2] | 2 - 3 hours[1] | 6 hours[3] |
| Rating | 4.54 from 243 reviews[2] | 4.67 from 5,246 reviews[1] | 4.39 from 85 reviews[3] |
| Guide languages | Instructor: English, Spanish[2] | Catalan, English, French, Spanish[1] | English, French, Dutch, Spanish, German[3] |
| Cancellation | Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance[2] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance[1] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance[3] |
You must be at least 20 years old to drive a buggy on this tour. A valid driving licence held for a minimum of two years is required behind the wheel.
Buggy for driving, jeep for comfort
Plan and book
- Reserve now and pay later is offered on the Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour.[1]
- Check the driving licence and minimum age rules on the listing you book.[4]
- Listing prices are from-prices per person, so check the final total at checkout.
- The Can-Am trail buggy tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.[2]
On the day
Quad, buggy or jeep: what you are actually booking
Three words get used loosely on this island, and they mean different machines. A quad is a sit-on vehicle with handlebars, steered like a motorbike, and you lean with your body through the turns. A buggy, in the Lanzarote sense, is usually a side-by-side machine with a steering wheel, a roll cage and a seat for a driver plus a passenger, or more in the larger versions. A jeep safari puts you in a car, high off the ground, with a roof, a guide at the wheel and no dust in your teeth. The buggy vs quad Lanzarote question really comes down to this: handlebars and body English, or a wheel and a passenger seat.
Prices are not level either. The Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour starts from US$173[1], and the Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy Tour from US$196[2]. The 4x4 Volcanic & Coastal South Adventure starts from US$78[3], and the La Graciosa Complete Jeep Tour with Beach Time starts from US$63[6]. Ride times differ just as much between listings: the Can-Am trail buggy tour lasts 3 hours[2], and the off-road volcano buggy tour runs 2 - 3 hours[1].
Quad tours in Lanzarote right now
No guided quad tour is listed with our partners at the moment: the quad listings this page used to compare are no longer bookable. If handlebars are what you want, read the licence rules carefully before you rent one on your own. For a guided ride where you still do the driving, the closest option is a buggy, and the Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy Tour runs 3 hours with an instructor working in English and Spanish[2]. It is listed as wheelchair accessible and rated 4.54 from 243 reviews[2], with reserve now and pay later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund[2].
On the move, a quad feels nothing like a car. You sit in the open, the machine shifts under you with every rut and stone, and you learn to move your weight through the turns. The steering is direct and the pace is calmer than a buggy, which gives you time to look at the black lava, the low white villages and the Atlantic on the horizon. Dust is part of the deal, so leave white trainers at home and bring a thin scarf or a buff for your face. The dune buggy Lanzarote look that turns up in holiday photos, all cage and fat tyres, is a different ride again, and worth trying if you fancy a passenger hanging on beside you.
Lava fields, dust trails and long views: what a south Lanzarote ride looks like.
Buggy tours: more power, more noise, more dust
Buggy tours are the loud end of the scale. The Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour starts from US$173[1] and runs 2 - 3 hours[1] in a small group limited to 10 participants[1], with a live tour guide working in Catalan, English, French and Spanish[1]. It is rated 4.67 from 5,246 reviews[1], and pickup is available, with options shown when you check availability[1].
There are longer and larger options too. The Lanzarote: Off road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour (4 / 6 seater) starts from US$230[7] and runs 2 - 3 hours[7]. The On-Road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour starts from US$207[8] and lasts 2.5 hours[8], and the 3 Hour Buggy Tour with views of the Volcano Park starts from US$196[9] and runs 3 hours[9]. Some of these use Can-Am machines: the Can-Am Maverick X3 DS is a two-seat side-by-side whose engine delivers from 135 hp to 200 hp[10].
A buggy suits anyone who wants a steering wheel rather than handlebars, a seat that a friend or partner can share, and a little more speed on the gravel. It also works for families, since the larger versions carry more people in one machine. What you trade is closeness to the landscape: you sit higher, travel faster and hear the engine more than the wind, and the trail of dust behind you is longer.
Jeep and 4x4 safaris: the comfortable option
A jeep safari Lanzarote style means sitting high, covering more ground and letting somebody else do the driving. The 4x4 Volcanic & Coastal South Adventure starts from US$78[3], lasts 6 hours[3], has pickup included, with details shown when you check availability[3], and runs with a live tour guide working in English, French, Dutch, Spanish and German[3]. It is rated 4.39 from 85 reviews[3].
The 4x4 Volcanic North Landscapes Adventure also starts from US$78[11] and runs 6 hours[11]. For something completely different, the La Graciosa Complete Jeep Tour with Beach Time starts from US$63[6], lasts 2.5 hours[6] and runs with a Spanish-speaking driver[6]. A roof over your head keeps the sun and grit off, and the longer drives reach parts of the island that a short ride cannot. That suits travellers who would rather watch than drive, or anyone who wants to see a lot in one day without getting dusty.
from US$173
A 2 - 3 hour volcano buggy ride in a small group limited to 10 participants, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[1]
The ground you ride over: Timanfaya and the lava coast
Most of the wheeled tours work the same corner of the island. The Timanfaya eruption lasted six years and covered 23% of Lanzarote in fresh lava and spatter[12], so the terrain under your tyres is broken rock that never settled into soil. Los Hervideros is a stretch of dramatic black lava cliffs on Lanzarote's wild south-west coast, where the Atlantic surges into a labyrinth of sea caves and blowholes and appears to boil among the rocks[13]. Inland, La Geria is known for its volcanic vineyard landscape where vines are grown in pits dug in volcanic ash[14], which makes a strange pattern of hollows across the black ground.
Lanzarote is listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, comprising the northernmost island of the Canary Archipelago and the northern islets[15], and Peñas del Chache, the tallest mountain on Lanzarote, stands 672 meters (about 2,205 feet) above the sea[16]. On the west coast near Yaiza, the El Golfo green lagoon, known as Charco de los Clicos or Green Lagoon, is a Natural Reserve formed where an extinct volcano crater submerges into the Atlantic[17]. From a quad, a buggy or the back of a jeep you see it all at eye level, with the wind in your face and grit in your teeth.
Rules, licences and who can drive
Driving requirements are set listing by listing, and the buggy side can be strict. On the buggy tour run by Buggy Tour Lanzarote, drivers must be at least 20 years old and hold a valid driving licence for a minimum of two years[4]. Read the requirements on the listing before you pay, especially if you passed your test recently, or if two of you plan to share the driving.
Getting to the start is straightforward. Lanzarote Airport sits 12 km from Puerto del Carmen[18] and 33 km from Playa Blanca[19], and cruise ships dock at the Puerto de los Mármoles, 3 km (1.9 miles) from the city centre[20]. Lanzarote currently does not charge a general overnight tourist tax[21]. Just over 3 million holiday tourists arrive each year, plus a further 500,000 day visitors by cruise ship[22]. Booking early in your stay keeps a spare morning free if plans change.
Lanzarote is a compact island, and the transfer between the resorts and the lava fields is short. Wear closed shoes, expect to get dusty and take a light jacket for the faster, windier sections of the route. Water helps on a hot morning, and a phone in a zipped pocket survives the bumps better than one in an open one.
How to choose, and how to book
Start with who is going and who wants to drive. If everyone wants their own handlebars, a quad is the machine, but no guided quad tour is listed right now, so a buggy is the nearest guided option: the Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour keeps the group small, limited to 10 participants[1], and runs 2 - 3 hours[1] from US$173[1]. If you want more power still, the Can-Am trail buggy is the louder choice. If you would rather be driven, look at the jeep safari options, which run longer days.
Then look at the dates as much as the price. Reserve now and pay later is offered on the volcano buggy tour[1], and it can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund[1], which leaves room to move things around if the weather turns. Check availability for starting times[1] and check pickup options as well, and remember that the same kind of tour can run from more than one meeting point.
From prices by vehicle type
From prices on the Can-Am trail buggy tour,[2] volcano buggy tour,[1] 4x4 south tour[3] and La Graciosa jeep tour.[6]
From prices per person
Amounts are the from-prices per person on these GetYourGuide listings: volcano buggy[1], 4x4 south[3], La Graciosa jeep[6] and Can-Am trail buggy[2]. No separate child fare is listed.
When to book a ride in Lanzarote
Booking your ride
Pick your machine
Quad for handling, buggy for power, jeep for comfort. Decide who is driving before you compare prices.
Check the rules
Drivers on one buggy tour must be 20 or older with a licence held for at least two years[4]; check your own listing.
Compare price and duration
The volcano buggy tour starts from US$173 and runs 2 - 3 hours[1]; the Can-Am trail buggy tour starts from US$196 and runs 3 hours[2].
Sort your pickup
Pickup is available on the volcano buggy tour[1] and included on the 4x4 south tour[3]; details show at booking.
Book with free cancellation
The volcano buggy tour has free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1]
Ready to ride? Book the Lanzarote: 2 hours quad tour
from US$174Reserve now & pay later
